Chapter Eleven

Charlie

I can’t believe I’m even considering this. I spent the night tossing and turning, thinking about Owen’s words. Living with him would be stupid. He’s my ex-boyfriend.

But also…he’s my ex-boyfriend.

Sounds the same, I know, but I promise it’s not. He’s my ex, as in we’re over. Done. The final curtain has been called. The major TV network canceled our show and no amount of protests and signatures can get us back.

I don’t like to turn down any sort of challenge, and my competitive nature makes me a damn good lawyer but doesn’t always lead me to make the best personal choices.

And. I. Know. This.

So why am I lying here in bed, kicking the sheets off for the millionth time, feeling like Owen is going to come out feeling like he won? That by me refusing his offer of crashing at his place until the apartment opens up, I’m admitting that I still have feelings for him?

Tulip paws at the door, wanting out of the bedroom. Internally groaning, I get out of bed and consider getting an apartment in Newport, the next town over. They’ll have spaces available, that’s for sure. But I start unofficial work at the firm next week, and I’m currently carless since I didn’t need one in the city. Dad offered to let me drive his 1965 Mustang around town, but it hasn’t been fully restored and starts to shake when it goes over thirty miles an hour, which is obviously a safety issue and can’t be driven on the highway. Around town, it’s fine. But getting me from Newport to Eastwood…yeah. Wouldn’t happen.

I’ll have to get a car before I can move out of Eastwood, and since I’m technically unemployed, I have no idea what kind of loan I’ll be able to get. I have a decent amount of “oh shit” money saved in my bank account, but I don’t think I’m ready to take it out just yet.

Especially when I have options.

Like put up living in this super-crowded house for another month while risking ruining the surprisingly good relationship I’ve had my entire life with my sister. It’s really not that bad. Many people have it way worse, and I’m lucky to have a free place to live with a loving family.

We have clean water, food in the panty, and a safe place to spend our days.

I should count my blessings…and really, I do. But after living on my own and then again with Todd, which was really like living on my own since I did everything around the apartment, living with two other families is grating my nerves.

Which leads me to consider Owen’s offer.

It’s temporary.

It wouldn’t mean anything.

He was right, he does have plenty of space.

And I’ll work during the day and he’ll work at night. We’ll hardly see each other. Maybe it could work.

Maybe…or maybe not.

Tulip darts out of the room as soon as the door opens. I leave it cracked and get back into bed. It’s nearing four in the morning and I haven’t come close to falling asleep yet. At least I don’t have to be up early.

I finally fall asleep when the sun starts to come up, and am woken up only an hour later to Jack pulling my makeup bag off my dresser. It comes crashing down, startling both of us.

Justin runs in after him, face turning beet red when he sees me in just a t-shirt and underwear.

“I am so sorry.”

“It’s okay,” I tell him, gritting my teeth when I see my expensive eye shadow pallet upside down on the ground. “I was the one who left my door cracked for the cat.”

Justin scoops up his youngest son and turns away. I grab my robe and quickly slip it on. My shirt is long and really, I’ve worn a bikini way more revealing than this.

“I’ll come back and clean that up,” he offers.

“It’s okay,” I tell him. “I got it.”

Justin pries a beauty blender out of Jack’s hands and hurries out of the room, closing the door behind him. With a sigh, I drop to my knees. One of my blushes is cracked, but it’s one I hardly ever use since it’s too red for my skin tone. The eye shadow pallet was new and thank goodness survived. I zip everything up and put it in the closet, closing the door behind me.

I throw on leggings and a bra and go downstairs for coffee, which I desperately need. Libby is having a meltdown about not wanting to go potty, and Jack is screaming because he wants to go back into my room.

It’s loud and my head hurts. Rubbing my temples, I go right for the coffee pot, only to realize it’s empty.

“Oh, sorry,” Justin says, zooming into the kitchen. He’s getting ready to go to work. “Filled up my to-go mug and forgot to put in more water. Want me to—”

“I got it,” I tell him with a smile. “Don’t be late for work.”

“Thanks.” He breezes out of the house, handing off Jack to my mom.

“You’re up early,” she says with a smile.

“Kinda hard to sleep in.” I take Jack from her and make silly faces to try and get him to stop crying. He pulls my hair instead, but at least it gets him to settle down, right?

“I was clearing out the basement to make a little play area for the kids,” Mom starts as she refills the coffee pot. “And I came across a box of old photos. There are some real gems in there. The box is in the living room.”

I take Jack and go into the living room to look through the photos as I wait for more coffee. Sitting front and center on top of the pile is my senior prom photo. Owen’s arm is around me, and he’s looking away from the camera and at me.

Man, we look so young. And happily in love.

Because we were.

Jack toddles off, finding the toy bin in the corner of the room. I sit on the couch and flip through the old photos. There are more of me from high school, and as soon as I flip to a snapshot from graduation, my stomach starts to feel funny.

Oh, how I’d give anything to be that carefree again. Though I wouldn’t want to go back to high school. In the photo, I’m standing in between Logan and Owen. Logan’s girlfriend at the time is on his other side, and both of Owen’s arms are wrapped around me. Our friends hated how affectionate we were, and that continued on through college, even when we were going to different schools.

That I can’t keep my hands to myself phase never ended for us.

I flip through the photos, laughing when I see one of us on a family vacation from the early nineties. Mom’s hair was amazingly poofy.

Suddenly, one of the dogs barks, startling me and setting Tulip off in a panic. She tears across the living room, seeking shelter under the coffee table. Chewy barrels after her, knocks over a lamp, and barks. Tulip shoots forward but is caught by Ray, the other—and bigger dog.

Tulip yowls and Ray pounces again, landing with both paws on my poor little cat. It’s pure chaos for a minute, and I might have screamed a time or two. But by the time we get the dogs off Tulip, it’s obvious something is wrong with her.

I’m in tears as Mom wraps her in a blanket and rushes with me out the door, speeding through town to get to the vet. An hour—and a large bill—later, I leave my cat under the vet’s care.

She has a broken leg, one bite on her neck, and is battered, bruised and stressed to the max. They’re keeping her under observation for a few days, and then when I bring her home, she’ll have to be kept calm and away from the dogs.

But even if she’s locked in my bedroom, the poor thing is going to be terrified.

“I’m so sorry,” Mom tells me as I pull my seatbelt over my lap.

“It’s not your fault. Carly should have trained her stupid dogs better.”

“I won’t agree or disagree,” Mom says gently. “But even the vet thinks they were just trying to play.”

“I know.” I rub my eyes. “She’s so little compared to the dogs.”

“We’ll figure something out. Maybe the dogs can stay outside during the day.”

“As mad as I am at them, I don’t want to stick those dogs out in the heat. Send them away to dog boot camp…yeah, that’s a good idea. Carly is lucky those things haven’t hurt one of her kids.”

Mom, who never wants to say anything bad about either of us—even when it’s obvious, shakes her head again. “I’ll suggest training. The dogs could learn manners.”

“They need more than manners.” I’m pissed, already out a thousand bucks and I know the bill will double by the time I get Tulip back, and know I’m going to blow up the moment I see my sister.

I look out the window at the barn and small pasture behind the vet’s office. For the sake of saving my relationship with Carly, I need out of that house.

And I only have one option…which might be the stupidest thing I’ve ever done. Then again, I’ve based most of my adult life on what I should do. What’s right and what makes sense. Todd was a Vivian Kensington while Owen was an Elle Woods, and given that we were both lawyers, it seemed fitting. It was logical. Rational, even.

Maybe it’s time I throw logic out the window and trust my instincts…and leap.