Sutures and Secrets || Mark Sloan

34 | Avoidance Tactics

05x06

The next few days at work were eerily quiet for Charlie and Mark, at least where their relationship was concerned. They hadn't exchanged a single word, let alone a glance, both too proud and too stubborn to make the first move. While the silence between them clearly gnawed at her, Charlie wasn't about to cave. Her ego simply wouldn't allow it.

Still, the quiet moments at home were harder. And tonight was no exception.

She sat on the couch in the dimly lit living room, her legs tucked beneath her as she scrolled aimlessly through her phone. The soft hum of the television was the only sound in the room, but her mind wasn't focused on the show playing in the background.

Charlie hated to admit it, but she missed Mark. She missed his stupid smirks, the way he could make her laugh even when she was pissed and, yeah, she especially missed the sex. God, she really missed the sex. But more than that, she missed him - being with him, talking to him, having him close. She hated how he could make her feel like this, how his absence seemed to settle like a weight on her chest.

Her phone screen lit up as she stared at it, her thumb hovering over his contact. The idea of texting or calling him flickered through her mind more than once, but the thought was gone just as quickly as it came. No way, she told herself. I'm not going to be the weak one here. If he wants to talk, he knows where to find me.

Still, she lingered on his name in her contact list, her thumb twitching like it had a mind of its own. She could almost hear his voice in her head, teasing her about how she always made things so complicated.

The sharp ring of the doorbell pulled her out of her thoughts and she bolted upright. Her pizza. Finally, something to distract her.

She reached for her wallet on the coffee table and flipped it open, rifling through its contents. That's when she froze.

No cash.

"Great.", she muttered under her breath, shutting her wallet with a snap. She leaned her head back against the couch, groaning. Normally, this wouldn't be an issue. Alex or Izzie would've been around and she could've borrowed some from them. But both were stuck at the hospital on call, leaving her with two options: Meredith or Derek.

Her gaze flickered toward the staircase and she sighed. She knew exactly where they were - upstairs, in Meredith's bedroom - obviously having sex.

She wrinkled her nose at the thought. Just my luck.

Still, there wasn't much of a choice. Unless she wanted to stiff the pizza guy and risk being banned from her favorite pizza place - a thought too horrifying to entertain - she had to suck it up and ask one of them for cash.

Charlie dragged herself off the couch, mumbling to herself as she trudged toward the staircase. "Of course this happens to me. Why wouldn't it? Just another perfect addition to a perfect week."

She paused at the bottom of the stairs, staring up at the closed bedroom door. Her pride screamed at her to turn around and figure something else out, but the grumble in her stomach urged her forward.

With one last groan of frustration, she started up the stairs, bracing herself for what was sure to be a very awkward interruption.

Charlie reached the top of the stairs and stood in front of Meredith's bedroom door, her hand hovering mid-air. She hesitated, biting her lip. She could hear them inside - laughing softly, their voices low and intimate. This was a terrible idea.

But she didn't have a choice. With a deep breath, she knocked lightly on the door.

No response.

Charlie frowned, leaning closer. She could still hear them laughing and whispering to each other. She knocked again, a little louder this time.