Hector (49 page)

“You want some privacy? I can go check us out while you look
through it.”

Shaking her head quickly, she patted the bed. “No, I’ve no
secrets, and there’s nothing in my past I’m hiding from you. Besides,” she
smiled as he sat down next to her, “I doubt she’d put anything bad in here.”

“You sure?
There might be some naked
baby pictures in there.” He smirked.

Charlee couldn’t help laughing, even as she opened it to the same
page that had choked her up yesterday. “I doubt there’s any part of my body you
haven’t already seen or touched.”

“Or kissed,” he said, leaning in, and nibbled her ear, making her
giggle even more. “Is that you?” He stopped nibbling and focused on the photo
of her and her nana.

Nearly cringing at her nappy hair and big toothless smile, she
nodded. She wouldn’t say it because it was in the past and she was over it, but,
geez,
no wonder the neighborhood kids thought her such
an oddball. She was only five, and already she was holding up the king from her
very first win against her grandmother. Looking back now, her grandmother had
probably gone easy on her, but Charlee remembered that while all the other kids
were out playing tag or dressing up and having tea parties with their stuffed
animals, Charlee spent her days studying her homeschool materials then trying
to figure out how to master the game of chess.

“See what I mean by me being a little odd?” she said.

“You were a kid, Charlee. We were all a little odd at that age. I
lost my front teeth around that age too. Is that your grandma?”

“Yep,” she smiled. “Her uncle was a grandmaster, and she was one
of the very first women to make the U.S. chess team. She taught me everything I
know.”

He smiled, staring at the picture a little closer. “Nice.”

They flipped through the pages as she explained every poem or
ticket stub her mom had included, but then she froze when she turned the page
and saw the envelope from Danny. Staring at it, her heart thudded when Hector
picked it up. He flipped it over. “It’s sealed,” he said.

“Yeah, um, Gwen said she wrote me a letter.” Taking it from him
as he handed it to her, her hand nearly shook. “I think I’ll read this one in
private. She can get pretty sappy.”

Sticking it in her jeans pocket, she continued to look through
the scrapbook with Hector though she could barely concentrate now. She didn’t
think Gwen had done it on purpose. Charlee had watched her as she’d placed the
envelope back in the same bag. It was an honest mistake. Obviously, even
Charlee hadn’t thought twice about it when she took the bag from Gwen. She too
had forgotten about the envelope being in there still.

As tempted as she was to just rip it up and throw it away, she
was suddenly overwhelmed with curiosity. Curiosity killed the cat. Her
grandmother’s words suddenly sprang in her head. It’s what she’d say every time
she caught Charlee staring out the window at the neighbor kids playing jump
rope. Any thoughts of getting the nerve up to go out there and play with them
were squashed. The only neighbor kid she ever played with was Drew, Gwen’s best
friend’s rambunctious platinum blond daughter.

Gwen and Drew’s mom had gotten knocked up the same year. The only
difference was Drew’s dad stuck around and eventually married her mom. Luckily
for Charlee, Drew’s parents couldn’t afford to live on their own, so they
continued to live next door for years. Then when Drew’s grandparents passed, her
parents inherited the house and stayed there for good. That is until they divorced.

Going against her better judgment, Charlee left the envelope in
her pocket. She’d let it simmer there for a little and decide what to do with
it later.

As the day passed, the contents of her front pocket weighed
heavier and heavier. What could Danny possibly have to say now that would make
a difference? Why would he want to rehash something that was long over? It made
no sense. While her head said she should just dump the envelope in one of the
airport trash cans and be done with it, a part of her needed to know why he did
it. Drew had been so sure his feelings for her were sincere. The conversations
they’d shared as she sat in her closet on the phone with him for hours felt so
real. Maybe Gwen was right. Maybe having some closure would finally let her
leave it behind her once and for all.

Their flight was another late one, but at least with the time
difference, they wouldn’t arrive too late in California. Hector dozed off, and
as tempted as she was to pull out the letter and just read it already, she
couldn’t chance Hector waking and possibly seeing who it was really from.

Unable to stand it anymore, she got up and headed for the
bathroom. She’d read it and rip it up and be done with it. She didn’t expect
there’d to be anything new that she and Drew hadn’t already discussed in length,
but, still, it was burning a hole in her pocket, and she had to know now.

After locking the bathroom door, she pulled the envelope out,
ripped the side off, pulling the sheet of paper out, and braced herself.

Chapter 30

Charlee.

I’ve wanted for so long to apologize from the bottom
of my heart for all the hurt that my actions caused you. If it hadn’t been
because I knew how close you were to Drew when she insisted you’d understand
once she explained, I would have never agreed to go forward with it. It’s
unfortunate the way things went down, but we really had no choice. I swear to
you like I did to Drew back then, I didn’t know they were going to do
everything they did on Facebook. I didn’t realize how cruel they’d be about it.
For the longest time, not a day went by that I didn’t think about it. Before
you left, Drew promised me you were over it. And even though she said I
shouldn’t ever contact you, that it would only bring back the ugly memories, I
just had to. I really, REALLY needed to apologize to you personally, even if it
is in the form of a letter. I want you to know that I meant it when I said you
were special. I meant everything I said to you back then. I truly hope you have
moved on and can someday forgive me.

Danny

Charlee had gone numb the moment she read Drew’s name. There was
no way,
no way
, this could be true.
She crushed the letter in her hand. How dare he try to put this off on Drew,
the one person besides Gwen and her grandmother she’d always trusted with her
life? Drew was the best friend anybody could ask for, and she’d been just as
devastated about this as Charlee had been. She even cried with her for days.
For Danny to throw this on her—Drew insisted he go through with it? Horse shit!

As livid as she felt, she was glad now that she’d read it. Now
she could accept what a worthless piece of shit Danny really was. He was still
trying to feed her the crap about thinking she was special and meaning
everything he’d said so sincerely back then. Did he really expect her to
believe that when in the very same letter he accused Drew of being in on the
whole thing—the worst thing that Charlee had ever had to live through?

Even as she walked back to her seat with the letter now crushed
in her pocket, she felt a bit numb. She knew this was impossible. Drew would
never do something like that to her. Charlee couldn’t even think of an instance
in which they’d have no choice but to go through with it.

She racked her memory now, thinking back to how it all had
happened to begin with, and her stomach dropped a bit, remembering how Drew was
the one who had encouraged her to accept the invitation that she’d already
turned down. As much as she liked Danny, she was so excruciatingly shy she
couldn’t even imagine going to a regular party with him. But Drew was the one
who insisted she go. Charlee had finally agreed but said she would only go if
he asked again. There was no way she was bringing it up again, and secretly she
hoped he wouldn’t—that maybe he’d already asked somebody else. Then the very
next day, he brought it up again.

With her heart starting to thump, she shook her head as she
reached her row of seats. It was just a coincidence. There was no way in hell
Drew would do something like that to her. No way, and she was done even
entertaining the very idea.

They landed at LAX just before 9:00 p.m., but since their bodies were
on Eastern Time, they were all still exhausted. Natalie picked up Walter while
Abel and Drew picked up Hector and Charlee. As much as she hated saying goodbye
to Hector, she could hardly wait to get to her bed. She was so exhausted.

She told Drew all about her weekend and even gave her some of the
specifics of how she’d finally got to live out some of the hot fantasies she’d
had of Hector. Drew giggled incessantly when Charlee told her about the way
she’d woken Hector up on their flight there.

“Does not surprise me in the least that he’s so damn hot in bed,”
Drew said as she pulled into a gas station. “I’m not gonna lie to you, Charlee,
and this was before you two got together. So like we’ve always fantasized about
the same guys in the past, and I wasn’t breaking any girlfriend code or
anything, but I’m just gonna admit it,” she said as she parked and pulled the
hand brake up. “I had a few pretty steamy fantasies of my own that involved
Hector.” She shrugged, opening her door. “You’re one lucky girl. Your man is
hot.”

Charlee sat there as her friend walked around the car and swiped
her credit card at the pump. Normally, this wouldn’t have bothered her in the
least, but given the crumpled letter in her pocket and the roller coaster of
emotions she’d felt ever since she read it, her mind was still a bit dazed.
Thoughts of Drew fantasizing about Hector continued to linger annoyingly for a
few more minutes until Drew’s phone ringing loudly startled her out of them.

“Is that my phone?” Drew asked from where she stood, pumping gas
in her car.

“Yes,” Charlee yelled out.

“Answer it if it’s my dad. He’s actually home tonight, and I told
him to text me if he wanted me to pick something up for him on the way home.
But he always calls instead.”

Charlee glanced back at the screen on Drew’s phone. Sure enough,
Daddy flashed across it as it rang again. She picked up and answered. “Hi, Mr.
Morris, this is Charlee. Drew is pumping gas right now.”

“Hi, Charlee,” he responded cheerfully. “I trust Drew was on
time? She was worried she might not be.”

“She was right there waiting when I came down the escalators.”
She smiled; already any negative thoughts of Drew were fading fast.

He told her what he wanted from KFC, and Charlee assured him
she’d relay the message. When she hung up, she noticed the picture on Drew’s
screen and smiled. It was one Drew took just after they arrived at the airport
this past summer. They both smiled big as Drew held up the phone in front of
them and took it. Drew said the photo would represent their “new beginning.”

Drew had taken a lot of pictures that day and in the ones that
followed. That felt like a lifetime ago now, and Charlee searched her phone for
more photos. Hitting something that popped up Drew’s text message log, she
froze when she saw Hector’s name near the top. Was it possible that Drew knew
another Hector? Not likely. Charlee would’ve heard about him already. But Drew
would’ve mentioned it to Charlee if they’d ever texted. She hit his name and
was certain now this had to be another Hector. There were way too many messages
between them for Drew not to have mentioned this.

Feeling a little underhanded and guilty that she would suspect
anything of not just Drew but Hector as well because he hadn’t mentioned anything
either, she glanced back to see where Drew was. She appeared to be wrapping it
up, so Charlee scrolled up quickly and read a few of the exchanges.

Drew: Are you sure?

Hector: . . .
Tempting.
Very,
VERY tempting but as much as I’d love take you up on that offer, I’m gonna have
to pass on any of that from here on. It just feels wrong now.

Drew: Okay, but just so you know the offer stands
indefinitely. Charlee can be . . . complicated. So just remember I’m your go-to
girl, and I’m only a text away. ;)

The driver’s side door opened, and Charlee set the phone down
immediately, the blood thrumming against her ears loudly.

“So does he want me to get him anything?”

“Yes,” Charlee said at the moment, unable to remember what her
dad had asked for. “Uh,” Drew started the car but didn’t pull out. She stared
at Charlee, waiting. “A chicken sandwich,” Charlee finally said.

Whatever they talked about on their way to KFC and then back to
Drew’s house was a blur now. All Charlee could think
of
were the texts. There had to be an explanation. So why not just ask her? She
couldn’t. The fear that this might be what it actually sounded like was
paralyzing. It just couldn’t be true, but why hadn’t either of them mentioned that
they texted each other? Certainly Charlee would mention to Hector if she was
texting with any of his friends, especially if his friends were making her very
tempting offers that felt wrong. And what did he mean he needed to pass on them
from here on? The offer stands indefinitely. What the hell was she offering
him?
His go-to girl?

Charlee rushed straight toward her room as soon as they got to
the house.

“Aren’t you gonna eat?” Drew asked.

“I need to unpack first,” she said as she blew past Drew, the
anger and feelings of betrayal mounting.

There was a knock on the door. “You okay?” Drew called from the
other side.

“I’m fine,” Drew said, reaching for the crumpled letter in her
pocket.

“
Okay
. . .” Drew said,
obviously picking up on
Charlee’s
not so fine tone.
“I’ll be in the dining room with my dad if you wanna join us. You should before
your sandwich gets cold.”