“And because of that, whenever we were near each other, I was always reminded that those things you said to me in the auditorium three months ago were all true,” he said. “You weren’t just saying it for dramatic effect, Charlotte. You really hated me.” He gave his head a half shake. “I had to face t
CHARLOTTEI lifted my hand to knock, then dropped it after a second of hesitation. I really shouldn’t have been there. After the conversation we had yesterday, the last thing I should’ve been doing was sneaking over to his room and pacing around, hoping and praying he would let me in. But there I
Curiosity soon gave way, strong enough to make my body move. Slowly, I ground my hips against him, keeping my eyes on his still face. And sure enough, I felt it lengthen along the cotton of my shirt. Hardening too. I had no balance, but I pushed myself against him again, feeling him respond to me d
CHARLOTTEI stifled a gasp at the feel of his hands on me. Trailing down the column of my neck. Reaching down to cup one of my sensitive breasts in his large hands. The calloused digits grazing against my heated flesh. His voice, raspy and deep, as I felt it right by my ear, “Charlotte…” I let
I slowly nodded, drumming up the courage to say what I had to say. I couldn’t beat around the bush anymore. I couldn’t… pretend. So instead of hiding behind a wall, I decided to bite the bullet and speak my truth. I’d been put in worse situations when it came to the person standing in front of m
CHARLOTTE At the point of contact, my knees damn near gave out on me. It was soft, and gentle. Just like the feel of his lips on mine. I reveled in it. But it still didn’t stop me from noticing how rigid Taide had gone. He remained frozen and immobile. Part of me understood it; I caught him o
I couldn’t help but remember who had caused me to end up sleeping in that car that day. Why I ended up there. The party, the events that sent me running out of the house, the look of shock and horror on Vance’s face when he saw my mark, the anger and sorrow I felt after everything. It all kept com
CHARLOTTE I vaguely realized this morning that I needed to try putting myself back together after the absolute insanity that was spring break. The school would be back in session in two weeks, and it felt almost unbelievable that two weeks from now, I was expected to just slip back into my old r
CHARLOTTE I watched as Taide stepped away from Sean, smoothly sidestepping him without another glance. Sean looked after him for a moment, but Taide didn’t seem to care. I caught Madeline’s eyes, and she grinned before doing a subtle little happy dance. Her excitement was almost contagious. Taid
CHARLOTTE The seamstress stepped back, letting out a satisfied hum. I stood in front of the mirror, smoothing my hands over the soft fabric of the dress I was wearing. It fit perfectly, hugging my body in all the right places. The sweetheart neckline and shoulder-less design gave it an elegance
The hell?I blinked, trying to understand. Then it hit.He was talking about yesterday, when I’d abruptly questioned him and then walked away without waiting for an answer.“You wouldn’t have participated anyway,” I said, using his analogy as I crossed my arms.“You don’t know that,” he replied.I
CHARLOTTEThe morning light streamed through the tall windows of the dining room, illuminating the grand breakfast spread that covered the long table.I could hardly believe how much food there was—it seemed like enough to feed ten people, if not more. The table was piled high with plates of fresh f
CHARLOTTEThe palace was something out of a dream.No, more than that—something out of a world I didn’t belong to.The long driveway was lined with perfectly manicured gardens, each bush and flowerbed so precise it looked as though someone had sculpted them by hand. Towering trees stood around, thei
CHARLOTTE We had our things packed and ready for the trip. Madeline’s birthday ball was this Sunday and now it was Friday already, the day of our departure. By the time we returned home it would be about a week before our junior year finals. And then, graduation. Which meant that we would be
I gave her my thanks and followed her instructions, up the stairs and down the calm, clean hallways of the care home. And like every time I came here, I couldn’t help but be struck by the difference between this care house and her old one. I was just about to walk in through the open threshold but
CHARLOTTE The silence didn’t dissipate for a long while after Caeson left. I used those moments of quiet to try to piece together what I had heard from their conversation into something that made sense. Taking a few seconds of thought, I looked up and my eyes darted between Reigh and Taide. Th
CHARLOTTE A loud, booming “No!” echoed through the house, shaking the air and making my heart jump.The sound of Caeson’s voice was unmistakable, filled with anger that could probably make the walls tremble if it got any louder. I glanced at Madeline, who was standing as still as a statue beside