finger.
Her head started to slowly swim with thoughts again. Specifically, she thought about the comments made by Harrison. What if he was right and Callum hadn’t decided yet whether she would play apart in his future? What if he was having second thoughts on their relationship?
Her chest ached painfully at the thought, knowing it was a certain possibility at this stage.
Turning the clock back in her head, Charlie started to re-evaluate the past instances where she had mentioned their future in conversation. She recalled the way Callum reacted on each of those occasions. The way his body would freeze within seconds and the sudden rush of heat would flood his skin. She visualised his expression in her mind and winced. The look of sheer panic always seemed to strain across his beautifully sculpted face.
Charlie’s mouth fell open and she shook her head in startling disbelief.
She was right.
After everything they had been through and shared in the past fifteen months, he was still on the fence about their relationship. The shocking realisation felt like a punching blow to Charlie’s gut. Everything around her stopped for a few moments as she stared helplessly out of the window. Tears pricked at her swollen eyes and gradually rolled down her cheeks to splash onto the countertop.
Had it all been a lie? Was he just playing her all this time?
As the tears continued to silently fall, Charlie remembered each time he had managed to playfully brush her family’s intrusive questions away. Citing that their love was strong and built to last, he always artfully dodged the topic of their future and the next step in life.
It was the first time she had actually taken the time to compile all of the facts together. Not expecting to feel as broken as she did right now, she cursed herself for her own curious and inquisitive mind. She hadn’t realised that putting the pieces of the puzzle together would leave her shocked and numb by what was revealed.
“Charlie?”
Charlie quickly sat up straight and used her hands to wipe the tears from her face before Callum approached.
“What are you doing up so early, Baby? I rolled over and your side of the bed was empty. I got worried,” he said, placing a comforting hand on her back.
Charlie flinched, knocking her mug across the counter. It skidded across the smooth surface before falling off the edge with a smash. Keeping her head down, she jumped off of her stool and tried to clear up the broken shards that had scattered across the floor.
“Charlie...”
She remained quiet as she picked up the broken remnants of her mug. She couldn’t even look at Callum right now, let alone speak to him. She was already struggling to fight back the tears as best as she could, and she knew that one look at his face would push her over the edge that she was clinging desperately to.
Standing up straight with her back to Callum, Charlie crossed the kitchen and deposited the broken shards into the dustbin. Walking over to the sink, she turned on the cold tap to wash her hands, hoping that the coldness would shake away the negative feelings she currently had.
“Charlie...” Callum said closely from behind.
She didn’t need to turn around to know that he was standing right behind her. She could feel his strong presence and the sound of his heavy breathing.
He reached out and placed both hands on her pyjama covered hips.
Charlie flinched from his touch again and squeezed her eyes shut as tears slowly trickled down her face.
Gripping her hips tightly once again, Callum spun her body around to face him. “Charlie, what the heck is going on?” he asked, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
She tried to shimmy from his grasp as her tears started to fall faster.
She wouldn’t look at him.
She couldn’t.
“Charlie, open your fucking eyes,” Callum commanded as he shook her slightly.
She shook her head.
“I don’t know what’s going on here,” he said. “But you won’t even let me
Her head started to slowly swim with thoughts again. Specifically, she thought about the comments made by Harrison. What if he was right and Callum hadn’t decided yet whether she would play apart in his future? What if he was having second thoughts on their relationship?
Her chest ached painfully at the thought, knowing it was a certain possibility at this stage.
Turning the clock back in her head, Charlie started to re-evaluate the past instances where she had mentioned their future in conversation. She recalled the way Callum reacted on each of those occasions. The way his body would freeze within seconds and the sudden rush of heat would flood his skin. She visualised his expression in her mind and winced. The look of sheer panic always seemed to strain across his beautifully sculpted face.
Charlie’s mouth fell open and she shook her head in startling disbelief.
She was right.
After everything they had been through and shared in the past fifteen months, he was still on the fence about their relationship. The shocking realisation felt like a punching blow to Charlie’s gut. Everything around her stopped for a few moments as she stared helplessly out of the window. Tears pricked at her swollen eyes and gradually rolled down her cheeks to splash onto the countertop.
Had it all been a lie? Was he just playing her all this time?
As the tears continued to silently fall, Charlie remembered each time he had managed to playfully brush her family’s intrusive questions away. Citing that their love was strong and built to last, he always artfully dodged the topic of their future and the next step in life.
It was the first time she had actually taken the time to compile all of the facts together. Not expecting to feel as broken as she did right now, she cursed herself for her own curious and inquisitive mind. She hadn’t realised that putting the pieces of the puzzle together would leave her shocked and numb by what was revealed.
“Charlie?”
Charlie quickly sat up straight and used her hands to wipe the tears from her face before Callum approached.
“What are you doing up so early, Baby? I rolled over and your side of the bed was empty. I got worried,” he said, placing a comforting hand on her back.
Charlie flinched, knocking her mug across the counter. It skidded across the smooth surface before falling off the edge with a smash. Keeping her head down, she jumped off of her stool and tried to clear up the broken shards that had scattered across the floor.
“Charlie...”
She remained quiet as she picked up the broken remnants of her mug. She couldn’t even look at Callum right now, let alone speak to him. She was already struggling to fight back the tears as best as she could, and she knew that one look at his face would push her over the edge that she was clinging desperately to.
Standing up straight with her back to Callum, Charlie crossed the kitchen and deposited the broken shards into the dustbin. Walking over to the sink, she turned on the cold tap to wash her hands, hoping that the coldness would shake away the negative feelings she currently had.
“Charlie...” Callum said closely from behind.
She didn’t need to turn around to know that he was standing right behind her. She could feel his strong presence and the sound of his heavy breathing.
He reached out and placed both hands on her pyjama covered hips.
Charlie flinched from his touch again and squeezed her eyes shut as tears slowly trickled down her face.
Gripping her hips tightly once again, Callum spun her body around to face him. “Charlie, what the heck is going on?” he asked, pushing a lock of hair behind her ear.
She tried to shimmy from his grasp as her tears started to fall faster.
She wouldn’t look at him.
She couldn’t.
“Charlie, open your fucking eyes,” Callum commanded as he shook her slightly.
She shook her head.
“I don’t know what’s going on here,” he said. “But you won’t even let me
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