Seven Devils ★ T.M.R ★

Chapter Thirty-Eight

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UTTERLY IRREVERSIBLE
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MARINA CORNERED CHARLIE the next morning as he was coming out of the bathroom, hair wet and steam billowing from the door behind him.

"You asshole," Marina snarled, propping her arm on the wall to stop him from passing. "What the hell were you thinking?"

"What are you talking about?" he asked, looking very unintimidated.

"Hey Tom, what's up with you and Marina?" she quoted angrily.

Charlie's eyebrows shot up. "You were awake?" he asked, gobsmacked.

"Yes," she hissed. "What the hell, man?"

"I saw how you were looking at him," Charlie shrugged as he leaned on the wall casually, "and he's always looking at you too, so I thought –"

"You are aware we're in the middle of a war?" Marina whispered furiously.

"Yeah, so?" Charlie said, frowning. "Merlin, if there's ever a time for a bit of happiness –"

"You showed him my calendar?" Marina breathed, eyes narrowing.

Charlie had the decency to look a bit ashamed. "Look, I thought he liked you, so –"

"I'll be lucky if he ever talks to me again," Marina groaned despondently as she too leaned heavily against the hallway. "Shit, Charlie," she pressed her hands against her face, mortified. "How could you think that he sees me that way?"

Charlie paused. "Do you see him that way?"

"Does it matter now?" Marina deadpanned.

"Yes," he said at once.

Marina pursed her lips, heels of her palms pressing hard against her eyes.

"You do!" Charlie said triumphantly.

"Shut it," Marina grit out, glaring at him. "It's not my fault! All of a sudden he's all –" she flailed her hands angrily "– collected and funny and confident and good to talk to and emotionally mature." She exhaled furiously. "And it doesn't help that he's freaking off-the-wall gorgeous," she added bitterly.

Charlie snorted, and Marina glared at him again.

"What?" he grinned. "I mean, you're not wrong."

"Yeah well," she scowled, "he gave me my answer, didn't he?"

Charlie sobered. "Right," he said, frowning. "Sorry, mate."

"It's fine," she said flatly, staring at the ceiling. "You're just going to be on my shit list for about ten years."

"Have a heart, Marina," Charlie drawled. "If he liked you too, you would have both just danced around each other for the rest of time – you can hardly blame me for trying to take the initiative."

Annoyingly, he was right. "Whatever," she grimaced. "God, I have to talk to him, Charlie!"

"You'll be alright," he said sympathetically, pushing her shoulder lightly. "He doesn't know you heard, after all. Just act normal and it'll be fine."

Marina nodded slowly. That was true, at least. "Act normal," she repeated, sighing heavily. "Right. I can do that. I'll just act like how I do with you."

"There ya go," said Charlie, ruffling her hair. "And hey – I'm sorry," he said ruefully. "I honestly didn't expect it to go like that."

"It's fine," Marina rolled her eyes. "Just – don't say anything else to him, alright?"