After The Bet

13

"No matter how much time passes, some hearts and souls you never forget."

Charlotte

The audacity of some people, I swear.

Cole wouldn't leave. Our arguing and bickering woke up nearly everyone downstairs. I ended up having to drag his sorry âss upstairs to the top of the warehouse just so everyone else could go back to sleep.

"What? You don't want me to wake up your drug addicted friends?" Cole snickered as we reached the top and I slammed the door behind me.

"Those 'drug addicted friends' took me in. I was homeless for days Cole, not like you'd even give a shît."

"If I didn't give a shît I wouldn't be here right now asking you why you threw away your entire life."

My mouth gaped at his comment. Was he really that ignorant?

"Look at me Cole. I became the new porn star face of NYU because the video you took got leaked out to the entire student body. I couldn't stand the mixed looks of pity, looks of humor, and looks of 'I want to fûck the shît out of you too now that I saw someone else do it to you.'" I crossed my arms defensively and shifted my weight on to one foot. Cole didn't say another word, so I continued. "And from your silence, I'll take it you haven't received ANY of that because you're the guy in the situation."

"Oh don't start that with me."

"You know it's true. Cole, I loved you. Loved. I don't anymore. I used to believe that once you love someone, it doesn't just fade away. Well, I was wrong. I don't have a single part of me that loves you anymore, you broke that along with my nose that night."

"Wait–" I heard a lazy groan from the stairs. Ash leaned against the wall after he opened the door, his hair a completely mess as his hazed eyes glanced over at me. "This is the one who did that to you?"

I didn't answer him. I just turned back around to Cole and said two simple words. "Get out."

"Charlotte, you know why you said wasn't true. I don't bel–"

"Get out." I repeated myself, cutting him off. I knew he'd say he wouldn't believe me. I knew he would follow with how he actually loved me. I knew it was all a lie.

The look on his face resembled one from a soul who had exhausted all of their energy only to fail. His eyes became a little glossy as he stared down at me for a few more moments. Before any tears brimmed the corners of his eyes, he abruptly turned around and walked out of the warehouse, slamming the door behind him. The walls shook with the force he used, it sent shivers under my skin.

I huffed a sigh of relief as I slunk back over to the door and down to the bed. My back hit the worn out mattress and the bed squeaked.

"So.." Ash sat up on his elbows once he came back downstairs to look down at me laying next to him. "What was that all about?"

"That was Cole."

"Well obviously." Ash snickered as he sat back fully up, cracking his back. "But why did he come all the way out here?"

"Beats me."

"I only heard half the conversation, cut me some slack."

"I'm serious Ash." I playfully hit his side with my fist. "He barged in here asking me why I basically went off the deep end and dropped out of college after that video he took surfaced campus."

"Is he that ignorant?"

"Apparently." My eyes stayed glued to the ceiling. "He doesn't actually care, he's just pretending."

"That didn't look like he was pretending." Ash frowned a little. I could see him looking down at me out of the corner of my eye.

"If he cared, he would've never placed a monetary value on my virginity. It makes me feel like a reverse prostitute."

"Look on the bright side. Now you're just my prostitute." Ash wiggled his eyebrows, something I could never learn to do. His comment made me playfully punch his side again.

"We don't have sex for money, doofus."

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Ash pouted playfully as he stood up off the bed. "I'm going to go lock the door so we don't have anymore uninvited guests."

I nodded my head as he left the room. My mind went wandering as my eyes fell closed.

Why would he come all the way up to The Bronx just to insult every life decision I made since the video was leaked? A part of me wished that I would have reported him to authorities for even recording the video in the first place. I knew they wouldn't have done much about it though, and I also didn't want to completely ruin his life.

Alright, maybe just ruin it a little. To do that, I just can't let him get back under my skin.

I got off the bed and reached over to the banged up nightstand not far away. I pulled open the drawer to reveal a small jewelry box. Within it was a gold chained necklace with a rose pendant, and a gold ring with five roses circling it. I hadn't worn these since the breakup.

These were the Christmas gifts Cole had given me.

I took a deep breath as I pulled the necklace and ring out of the box, studying them. They truly were beautiful. He claimed to have used some of the bet money on this because he had asked Ian for an advance. I'm not sure whether or not I should believe that.

I clenched the pieces of jewelry within my grasp as Ash came back downstairs. "Hey, I started a bonfire if you guys want to come join. Roast some marshmallows, burn some shit." he had this big goofy grin on his face as he spoke.

Ash and I woke up everyone on the bed and we all went upstairs. I still had the jewelry clenched in my fists as we all went out back and sat around the fire.

"What's in your hand, babe?" Ash cooed at me as he laid his head on my shoulder.

I chuckled and shook my head as I threw the pieces of jewelry into the fire pit, watching as they slowly began to melt. It almost felt like this last bit of heavy weight on my shoulders was finally freed and being burned.

"Just getting rid of the last pieces of my past, babe."

•

Hey lovely readers! Sorry for the long-ish break again, this summer has been ABSOLUTELY HORRIBLE. I keep saying "stuff can't get worst" and then it does so lol love that.

Also a lot of people don't like the new Charlotte. I'm curious what you guys think of her?

I'll share my opinion on the new Charlotte in the notes of the next chapter. Happy reading!