Love Bites

Chapter 24 - Dazed And Confused

Izzy thought for  moment then shut his mouth. No, his mouth literally fell open when he heard the news. Ellie? Pregnant? By Axl? It didn't quite fit in his head.

- Oh, that sucks for him, - Slash remarked indifferently, putting out his cigarette. - So much fuss and nerves and everything. Believe it would have been easier to put on a rubber, right?

Izzy was quite shocked, to say the least. His mind went back to the last time he saw Elle. She looked absolutely happy, relaxed and even glowing. She didn't say anything or drop any hints of mention Axl. What Izzy didn't want to do in the slightest was believe Duff, but something inside told him he was right. The things have been going a little bit too smoothly lately.

So, she never loved him in fact. He sort of suspected that, but to have a fling with Axl at the same time...That was a tad like a scene from some cheap soap opera.

- Sure...She must be...a little easy, isn't she? - Duff added carefully, taking another cigarette from the pack. - It's just that I don't really know. Charlie has never told me anything.

- Agree. Fucking Axl without a condom...Screams slut to me, - Slash shrugged, - I mean, he is a man whore himself. Anyway, fancy goin' to the back room for weed? Got some!

***

- Who's that? I am not expecting anybody! - Charlie shouted from the bathroom. Elle was out shooting a promo video for new tennis shoes or something like this, and she has just come back home from work. She was tired and moody and decided to indulge herself in a hot bubble bath. But the very moment she stretched out to reach a Stephen King book somebody rang the doorbell. Charlie had to get out of the bath and put a big fluffy towel on. She walked out in the corridor and opened the front door.

- Hi Charlie, - Duff was standing in the doorway with a rather shy smile on his face. - Whatcha doing? Hope I didn't wake you up.

- Oh, hi...- she mumbled timidly, trying to pinch her towel to make it look a little longer. She knew he was staring at her thighs! When she looked up, she saw Duff was looking ridiculously neat today: clean-shaven, in a new T-shirt and with a new hairband in his blonde locks. On the top of that. he was holding a lily in his hand. - I thought you were busy today.

- I am, but then I remembered we have an anniversary today, - he admitted, the corners of his mouth lifting as he spoke. Charlie's facial expression turned bewildered.

- Really? I don't...

- Yeah, it's been five months since we've first met...And about three since our first kiss, - Duff muttered, looking down at his feet. Charlie could not actually believe her eyes. Here he stood, six feet and a number of inches tall,  blushing in front of her because he was so in love. It was all so not Duff that it took Charlie a couple of moments to realize it was taking place for real.

- Are you serious? I am just so bad at remembering things, - Charlie whispered, trying to explain away. She started to feel guilty. It was usually the girl who was expected to remember such stuff and keep track of it and all, and she acted the completely opposite way. What if Duff already thinks she doesn't care?

- Not like that I've been counting days, I mean...It just that it happened on my aunt's birthday, - Duff bit his lip nervously. Charlie would never say it in his face, but she has always thought he looked hella sexy when he did that.

His lie sounded so unbelievable that it made Charlie giggle. Duff shuddered, then took a quick glance at her and remembered what he had to do. He handed Charlie the flower and kissed her on the forehead.

- It's for you, love, - he remarked, enjoying Charlie's taken aback look, - don't stand here, go and dry yourself or you'll catch a cold!

***

Duff was especially nice to her that day. He helped her make dinner, and then they completely failed at it, decided to laugh about it and order a pizza. Unlike with many other guys, it wasn't alarming when he was sweet with her. It seemed more like it was his natural way of being, and not like he was aiming to bone her or anything else.

Charlie suggested that he stayed the night at her flat, but Duff refused, explaining he had literally no spare time. She had already understood that musicians hardly have any free time while they're recording, so she tried to be patient and let him go. She put the lily in the vase and sat down, contemplating two things in sort of a daze: was it really the first time she has been given flowers and whether the thing Duff told her about Ellie was truth.

Charlie has always been one of the guys. She couldn't remember a single time being the girly girl of the company when all male attention was paid to her. She has never been kissed under the mistletoe. She has never been invited to the prom. She has never been led to the cinema on Valentine's Day. And she was more likely to get a cactus for her present than roses or any other flowers. Duff was her first in many ways. He actually made her feel different. Like a woman maybe? It was both weird and exciting. Charlie knew she would have to get used to it.

And then there was Elle. According to Duff, she was about four months pregnant with Axl's child, the fact that made Charlie squeal, pucker and hide under the blanket. She couldn't believe it, and that was it. Just yesterday they went to the beach together, and Elle was her normal self, laughing and telling jokes, smiling and bantering with Charlotte. She couldn't have hidden it. She would have told Charlie, her best friend.

But something out of these option must be true. Either Duff was wrong, or Elle was keeping a secret. Charlie needed to find out, so she got up and went to Pomeline's room. It was high time they had a talk.

__________________________

♪ Led Zeppelin - Dazed And Confused

Author's note: I am sorry it's been ages since I updated, again. Hope you're still reading it, and don't forget to comment and vote.  Merry belated Christmas everyone, I love you!