Why Not Live?

Chapter Five - The Confessions of Terminal Case Cancer Patient

Charly’s POV

            Charly wondered aimlessly through the apartment after Nathan left.  Her head was all jumbled up and tangled in a way that she knew would take her hours to sort out.

So, naturally, she ended up in the cream colored, fluffy reading chair in her room.

Her lips were still tingling from all of their kissing.  It had been amazing.  His lips were hot against hers, and he tasted like spaghetti. She couldn’t seem to wipe the goofy smile from her face when she thought about him.  He was so good looking, and despite his don’t-talk-to-me, unapproachable looks, he really was a good guy.  He made her laugh, he made her smile, he made her happy.  He made her wish she had more time….

And suddenly her good mood was thrown out the window.

She pulled her knees to her chest and leaned her head back in the chair.  She wasn’t supposed to be getting attached.  She was here to make his life better. He seemed so sad…so lonely.  She was determined to fix that before she left.  But her becoming emotionally involved the way she was beginning to, was definitely not part of the plan.

She had enough people that would make saying goodbye hard, but saying goodbye to Nathan…. She shuddered.  The idea already made her want to scream.  She leaned forward with and crashed her head into her hands.  She was just going to have to get over her feelings.  This was about her helping Nathan.

Just then she heard the door to her apartment swing open. “Charles! Where you at?” came a man’s voice from the door way.

She sighed.  Charles.  It was decidedly one of the worst nicknames she had ever been deemed, but only one person had ever called her by it.

Joey walked into her room just then.  His short blond hair was only a shade darker than hers and he styled it so it stuck up in the front.  He was tall and leanly muscular.  His bright blue eyes gazed around her room before landing on her, his smile brightening. “Hey, Charles! I thought you’d still be up. You were never one for going to bed early.”

His hair was looking windblown, and he reached up to push it back into place before walking over to her and lifting her out of her seat with ease, hugging her to his chest tightly.  “Joey,” she gasped, laughing. “Can’t…breathe….”

He squeezed her tighter, causing her eyes to feel like they were about to bulge out of her head, before setting her back down on her feet. “Sorry, baby sis.”

That’s right.  This cheery, smiling, attractive man was her brother.

His face grew serious as he lowered his face to her shirt, deeply inhaling.

She couldn’t help but giggle. “What are you doing?”

“You smell like cologne.” He observed, his eyes narrowing. “I don’t suppose you’ve taken a sudden interest in Hollister’s new ‘So Cal’ cologne?”

“You know how weird it is that you actually know what cologne this is?” She smirked at him; though decided that So Cal Hollister cologne was her new favorite smell.

He grabbed her shoulders and studied her face accusingly, reaching up with one hand to poke her probably still swollen bottom lip.  “Who’ve you been kissing?” He asked, bluntly.

She giggled nervously again, “I don’t know what you’re talking about.  And even if I did, I don’t see how it’s any of your business.”

He crossed his arms and looked down at her, shaking his head. “You’re my baby sister, it is definitely my business to know who you’re sucking face with.”