The Affection Test.

Chapter 18

Ray's POV:

     As soon as Charlie walked in, my heart skipped a beat.
"Oh shit..."
I released my death grip from Egon and straightened myself out. She didn't even look at me, only Egon. I saw a tear escape her eye and travel down her cheek. She looked like she was in so much pain it physically hurt her.
     She waved her hand to motion us to follow her. She lead us to the check up room but made me go in first and had Egon wait outside. I sat down on the table while Charlotte grabbed the first aid supplies. She remained silent. The atmosphere was so thick it could be cut with a knife.
     She grabbed a cloth and put water on it and applied pressure to the gash on my eyebrow, she took a breath and kept to work.

"Why did you do this?"

After she asked everything kind of slipped out of me. I wanted to be honest with her in saying I didn't originally want to participate in the test, Egon needed another person to help. I didn't want to hurt her because I cared about her. But I also tried to defend Egon but she quickly cut me short

"He can defend himself."

I let her finish taking care of me. She put her arms down and looked me in the eyes for the first time since she got here.

     "I'm obviously not thrilled you planned to sell my sex life as science, but I understand where you are coming from. You care. I appreciate you being honest but you didn't tell me you had feelings for me, Ray. Peter had to. The problem is at this moment, my heart still belongs to Dr. Dumbass outside. I want you to know if things work out you will always be my best friend. If not we can go grab some coffee after work."

     She bent down and kissed my cheek, somewhat close to my lips. I could feel my face getting hot so I stood up and gave her a big hug. She was reluctant but eventually hugged me back. I released my grip a little bit and looked down at Charlie. Even in a state of heartbreak, she was still the most beautiful girl I have ever seen. I understood in that moment that she still loved Egon, but I needed to feel some sort of fulfillment. So I nudged her and she looked up at me with the big doe eyes that always made my heart leap.

"I know this is going to sound weird... but I was wondering if you-"

For some reason she knew exactly what I was going to say. She gripped around the back of my neck and slowly pulled me in for a kiss. It was way better than the time I kissed her in the hospital. It felt like redemption. But something wasn't right. It also seemed as if she felt like she was obligated.
It felt like a friend was kissing me... not someone I loved. I didn't understand what was happening. So I leaned out of the kiss and apologized.
"I'm sorry... this doesn't feel right... i think it's because of Egon... he's still involved, and it just feels wrong."

She nodded her head and ushered me out of the room. Egon sat on the chair next to the door and gave me the dirtiest look imaginable. Did he see?
I didn't think much of it. I guess I didn't care as much as I wanted to.

Egon's POV:

    Shit.
Charlotte motioned me into the room where Ray once was. Where Ray kissed the woman I love. I didn't know what to do, what to say, or even how to act. She nodded her head towards the table for me to sit on, she grabbed a pair of tweezers and started pulling glass out of my arm.

"Anything you want to say?"

     "There isn't much to be said."

"Why did you do it then? What were you to gain out of all of this?"

     "This turned into something I never intended, Charlotte. Something took an unexpected turn. It completely changed the test and how we thought of it. Ray and I had so many arguments on weather or not to continue. Charlotte I was so engulfed and intrigued in where it was going and what it turned into. I was fascinated with how I started to respond to my own test on you. I was fascinated with the fact that I became my own test monkey- so to speak."

"You were going to sell our sex life to the public as science, Egon."

    "That was the beginning of it. The intended purpose of the test was to see how someone responded to different types of emotions from their significant other, when faced with love being a factor. I had to give myself to this test to get the best results. In the beginning it was an experiment. But it turned into something greater. I fell in love with you Charlotte."

She said nothing

     "After all is said and done, I fucked up. Big time. I take full responsibility for everything that I put you through. But I think there is some redemption on my part. This test changed me, Charlotte. I fell in love with you and I became my own test subject. It was wrong on my part to treat you the way that I did, and I'm sorry you found the draft of my book. It wasn't done. There was a whole other half of the book I was going to add. The other half being my response to the test, and how it affected me. You are the one who holds my heart now. I love you Charlotte. And I'm sorry that I took you for granted. I will never do that to you ever again.

She finished cleaning me up, and stood back to look at me. Her face started to get red, and her eyes welled up.

"You're absolutely right, Egon. You will never hurt me again. Because I won't let you hurt me anymore. I never want to see you again."

I felt my heart shatter into a million pieces. She broke up with me a second time. And now she is kicking me out of her life. I didn't know what else to say, I carefully tracked the tear that rolled down her cheek. I broke her. I broke the woman I love. And I took that for granted, and I got what I deserved. I got up off the table, and walked out of the room.

She followed me out, but didn't make eye contact with me. She grabbed her coat, and walked back out into the December snow.

Just like that.

The woman I loved was gone.