Shattered Hearts

Chapter 31

Louis had tried calling Charlotte all week but either the phone went unanswered or her brother told him she wasn't available. He couldn't believe that his mom had made a formal complaint, he could well imagine her chuntering under her breath, but to put pen to paper? No, after they'd recently had words, he'd realised her animosity towards Charlotte was exaggerated, it was her doubts about his ability to be in a relationship with a single mother that was her biggest concern. 

"Just when I was getting somewhere," he grumbled to John over a drink after work.

"Maybe it's for the best," John said. "It gets you off the hook." 

Louis looked at him blankly. "How so?"

"Do you really wanna take her on?" He stubbed his cigarette out. "I'm not gonna speak badly about her but if you guys get together properly it won't be all moonlight and roses."

"I don't see the problem."

John gave him a long look. "She dumped you cos of some poison pen letter. What happens when you have a real problem?"

He shook his head wearily. "But this is Lottie all over. She gets an idea in her head and that's it, she won't listen. Bottom line, I think she's scared."

"You could be right," John said taking a sip of his drink. "But maybe she doesn't want to be with you and you're not taking the hint."

Louis looked at him through narrowed eyes. "Are you talking about me or yourself?"

John paused, studying his drink. "Both of us I guess. I always had a soft spot for Ros, even after we split up. I've always sorta thought that if things had worked out differently with Darlene we'd have got back together." He took a swig of his drink. "Which is plain dumb. Ros doesn't want me and she never has."

"Well if that's the case with Lottie, she can tell me straight," Louis said. He drained his drink and seeing it was still early decided to go see Charlotte and have it out with her.

                                                            ~~~

Charlotte was at a loose end, her brother was working the night shift and Jamie was with his dad. Idly she looked through the property pages; her divorce would be concluded shortly and she wanted a place of her own as soon as it was. She had to focus on the future and stop thinking about Louis, she'd known all along it was a mistake to get involved with him. And to think she'd seriously contemplated that they could be together, talk about stupid, it was impossible. At least the complaint to the principal had brought her to her senses. She heard a familiar knock at the door and steeled herself to be firm.

"I'd guess you'd better come on in," she said to Louis, stepping to one side.

"We need to talk," he said urgently. "I'm not going to let you end things over something so stupid."

"You don't get to tell me what to do." She gave him a hard look. "I don't want to be with you period." He visibly flinched and she turned away so she wouldn't waver.

"You're lying," he said. "Only a week ago things were going great. I'm not going to let my mom, Nick or whoever wrote that letter, ruin it.'"

She rolled her eyes "No one is ruining anything, this isn't going to work out." A lump rose in her throat and she reminded herself how much worse she'd feel if a year down the line, he was saying this to her.

"Oh come on," he said and she could hear the frustration in his voice. "We split up once before because we didn't talk things through, if you want nothing to do with me then you'd better tell me exactly why this time."