Mistake (B.S.)

S I X T E E N

Bill started to go after her, but something was keeping him restrained to the seat. Instead, Bill sat tense, keeping his eyes glued to the pretty girl wearing the unusual sundress. The dress itself was nothing abnormal, but seeing Charlie wearing a dress struck Bill as odd. Perhaps she had dressed up knowing she was going to see him. But even Bill couldn't believe that; Charlie didn't want him...

right?

His stomach tightened at the sight of her walking out of the restaurant. He would start to stand from the chair, only to hesitantly sit back down again, his gut wrenching in knots. He wasn't sure what Charlie was going to say to Adam, if she had left to tell him their relationship was over or that she and Bill had slept together. Perhaps that was what held Bill strapped to his chair—the inconclusive note she had left on.

He sighed heavily to himself, turning up the wine left in his glass to eliminate the thickened saliva in the back of his throat. He watched through the window, keeping his eyes on the pair seemingly having a heated discussion. Charlie remained calm, her arms crossed under her chest while Adam's arms flung in differing directions.

She had told him—she had told him something—Adam was now pointing his finger at her. Charlie stepped around Adam in one graceful step, making her way down the sidewalk until out of Bill's sight through the restaurant window. But Adam was still there, still standing there seemingly dumbfounded, and evidently distraught. He hung his head, scratching his brow while trying to collect himself.

Bill expected Adam to run after Charlie, it was the kind of thing people did when they wanted to make things right or have the final word. But yet, Adam stood on the sidewalk by the bench in front of the glass, conflicted.

Adam turned, starting back into the restaurant in a daze—the world around him seemingly nonexistent.

Bill's eyes widened at the sight of him, unsure of how to approach the subject of what he had just witnessed outside the window. Bill was certain that Charlie had finally called it quits, he didn't want to rub salt in the wound by telling Adam that he had also slept with her.

...Or that he loved her.

Adam plopped down in the chair beside Bill, loosening his tie with a drawn out sigh. He stared into nothingness across the room, taking a large gulp of whiskey he had ordered earlier. He rubbed his face with his palms, resting his elbows on the table before cradling his chin in his hands, still lost in a moment that wasn't this one.

"Are you okay, man?" Bill asked; not that he actually cared. "Where'd Charlie go?"

Adam's lips turned up into a devilish grin as he went back into the seat. The smirk quickly faded, staring at the glass of liquor he wished was more full.

"Lindsey couldn't do it—she couldn't go through with the abortion. So... I'm gonna be a dad." He scoffed, taking another drink. No sooner than the bottom of the tumbler hit the table, Adam continued with a snide chuckle. "Oh, and to top it all off, Charlie's pregnant too."

It felt as though a hot rock was inhabiting his stomach now, that feel of immense dread and anger. Bill was masterful at hiding his true emotions, but this time had been particularly difficult. Too many thoughts raced through his head at the same time, making it a struggle to grasp even one of them.

He could walk away—he should've walked away months ago, but couldn't. As much as he tried to deny it, Bill had feelings for Charlie—he was in love with Charlie. But it wasn't too late, Bill could go now, leave and never look back. It may take a while to ever let someone in again, but within time, Bill could move on; Charlie and Adam nothing more than a distant memory.

Adam's voice pulled Bill out of his turbulent thoughts. "Thank god it's not mine. At least Lindsey actually wants me, you know. Charlotte... I've been holding onto nothing from that girl for so long... I can't believe it. I honestly didn't believe it, but, the lack of sex we've had over the past six months makes it pretty obvious. Dodged a bullet there, I guess." Adam finished his drink, holding up the empty glass, waving the waiter down. "But, I'd much rather have knocked up Charlotte than Lindsey... at least Charlotte's stable."

Bill wasn't exactly sure what he had heard, he had missed some of the conversation. Nearly half of what Adam had said went unheard from Bill just trying to focus.

"What? What about Charlie?" Bill asked, hoping he had heard correctly.

"I just don't know who it could be, you know? She fucking hangs out with the same people I do—her friends are my friends. Can't be a coworker, she only works with women." Adam finished, holding his tumbler in the air again, this time, snapping his fingers at the waiter taking too long to drown his misery.

"Wha- what are you saying? Tha- that... Charlie's pregnant but... it's not yours?" Bill tried not to stutter, but his brain was moving faster than his mouth; as for his cognitive reflexes, he was just as slow.

Adam nodded his response, chewing on his bottom lip as the waiter finally made it to the table to refill his glass.

Bill's mouth was hanging partially agape—eyes wide and full of incomprehensible denial. The first clear thought Bill registered was to question the identity of who else Charlie had been intimate with. It pained Bill to think he wasn't the only one—it was bad enough to think she still lied next to Adam every night.

"How—" Bill swallowed hard, not knowing the proper way to form his next question. "How long has she been pregnant? I mean... how far along is she?"

"Few months, I don't know. All I know is it ain't mine." Adam spoke smugly, taking another drink of his newly full glass of whiskey. "Got any idea of who's it could be? It's gotta be somebody we hang with, right? Your group's the only group I let Charlotte mingle with. No way in hell I'd introduce her to the other set, they're fucking wild."

Bill had recoiled into himself, wallowing in the revelation Adam had unwittingly told him. First came shock, then denial, anger and then ultimately, sadness. The reason behind Charlie's sudden urge to get in touch was made clear. He couldn't believe it. It was one time—one time he had wanted to do many more times. He was angry with himself for being so stubborn, considering that Charlie had needed him. Bill's pride had been in the way of giving Charlie the support she needed; a shoulder to cry on or arms to embrace at the excitement and fear or the depression and dread—which, Bill wasn't even certain; that's how much he had distanced himself from Charlie after she refused to leave Adam when he wanted her to.

Bill was unaware of the evidence written on his own face as he stared wide eyed into his plate of half eaten food.

"—Bill?"

His eyes wavered to Adam's, and in that moment, he knew that Adam knew.

"No... you? It can't be... you?" Adam laughed; he fucking laughed, but it was out of disbelief. His smiling face went cold as his arm went across the table, leaning forward with hatred in his eyes. "You fucked Charlotte. I... I can't believe this. I trusted you, you were my friend-"

"Bullshit. You were too busy lying between Lindsey's legs to even care about who was lying between Charlie's." Bill snapped. He couldn't believe he had said it—he finally said it. And surprisingly, he felt guilty. "You don't deserve her. She's too good for you, and you know it."

"You're right... but she's too good for you too." Adam snapped back in a mumble—in total shock.

Bill sat reeling for a moment—a moment longer than he should've before he realized this was not where he was supposed to be; where he needed to be was next to Charlie. Perhaps he had always known that, but this had only confirmed it. Bill stood from the table, rushing to leave money before fleeing the restaurant.

"I want her out of my house tonight. I'm going over to Lindsey's to try and calm her down, I expect her to be out of my house by then, got that? I don't ever wanna hear from you or her, ever again."

"Done." Bill spat, practically sprinting out of the restaurant.

He hoped he wasn't too late; he hoped that his actions hadn't caused Charlie to shut him out completely.