Charlie Rose

Alternate Ending

You as a reader can just decide if you read this part or not. It doesn't really matter, as the original idea was supposed to just end like it did with the Last Chap. This very last chapter is just something to clench my thirst and I write it only to get it out of my system. 

Charlie turned around and felt exactly the same as she did on the fourth. She felt naked - and in some ways she actually was - and vulnerable and so close to being shot and killed where she stood and gaped at the person standing in the doorway. Jeremiah stood there and stared at her, with a look she determined was hate and shock morphed together. She knew that he knew what she did. His eyes were wide and the pupils were dilated so the beautiful blue around it was much more conspicuous. His lips were parted, but only a little and Charlie barely noticed. She didn't notice some detail that could not be seen unless staring really intensely at one part of him; like how his equally blond eyebrows took a little curve right over his eyes, the small bags under his eyes, or how the stubble that was forming on his face was more and more becoming a beard than just a stubble.

Their eyes had locked contact and the stare was tense and rigid. Everything in the world had completely left her, except for two things; Jeremiah and the fact that she had just killed Carlton. Charlie knew what Jeremiah thought of him; he worshipped Carlton like a god, and now that he was dead, he was going to make her suffer. Because he knew what she had done. She could see it in his eyes and how he stared at her.

"Stop!" Marsha suddenly cried out and jumped in front of Charlie, as to shield her. "Don't hurt her! She's pregnant!"

Jeremiah tore his eyes from Charlie and stared at Marsha with the same look. Was he going to kill her first? Charlie was sure of it by the way he looked at her. She wasn't going to let that happen, so she reached down and grabbed the handle of her gun, ready to draw it up and shoot him. The fact that she had already emptied her chamber into Carlton did not cross her mind.

He looked back to Charlie as if he had read her mind. She slowly eased the pistol out of her belt. "You're pregnant?" He asked, sounding pretty dumbfounded. She tucked her pistol back into her belt and glanced from him to Marsha. He didn't wait for an answer.

He stormed inside, pushed Marsha aside and grabbed Charlie. He was now so close to her that their bodies were only inches apart. He looked into her eyes and locked contact. Charlie had no idea how to react, what to even think at this moment, so she just stared back at Jeremiah. He brushed her hair back, softly running his fingertips from her cheeks and under her hair, before tucking it behind her ears. "I guess we're gonna have to get married" He mumbled, looking more at her hair than her eyes. She stared at him wide-eyed and tried to make sense of his words and actions. Did he not know about Carlton? She was tempted to ask him, but then an opportunity presented itself and she chose to rather grasp it than to get killed.

"Yes" She said under her breath. She knew that now that she said yes, she would be by his side when he'd find out about Carlton's death and then there would be no way for him to suspect her as the murderer, thus keeping her out of harm's way. The negative thing about this, though, was that now she was going to have to stay in town as she knew that Jeremiah would not want to leave. But, did that really matter now that Carlton was gone? Charlie had always thought she'd leave town and get as far away from here as possible, but that was when she was sure she'd get blamed for his death. Now, it wasn't like that. Now, there were no policemen or bounty hunters hunting her down for her murder.

She met his eyes and as she looked into them, she was sure she could see the future and happiness they would share. He saw it too, because his lips tugged into a smile before he leaned in closer and kissed her lips. The kiss was soft and consisted only of their lips, he did not demand entrance and his tongue did not invade her mouth. This was her favorite kiss, by far. None of their other kisses were like this one; so soft and gentle and full of love and promises. The other times, every time they had kissed before, it was followed by sex and it was a nice change. After what she had been through today, sex was the last thing she wanted, or at least right now. She had no idea about tonight, and she was pretty sure that tonight Jeremiah would demand sex from her now that they were going to get married.