Chapter Thirty-six

Owen

The front door opens, and I spring up, half expecting it to be Carly telling me to fuck off. But it’s Charlie. Her eyes are red and swollen from crying, and it kills me to see her like this.

“Can we talk?” she asks, voice thin.

“Of course.”

She motions to the porch swing and we both take a seat.

“What do you want to talk about?” My heart is beating so fast I fear it might beat right out of my chest. I’d pick it up, dust it off, and offer it to Charlie. It’s hers to keep. It’s always been hers.

“First things first,” she starts. “Do you still feel like you know what’s best for me?”

“No. Though if I were to give you advice right now, it would be to come home with me tonight.”

Her lips curve into a half-smile. “Okay. Did it hurt when you broke up with me?”

“Yes. And I hurt every day since then. I’ve had a void in my heart, Charlie, and nothing could fill it. Nothing but you.”

She nods and looks down at the boards on the porch. “Do you want to get married and have kids?”

“Yes. I do. Part of me was scared to start a family back then too. Being a dad…that sounded terrifying.”

She smiles again. “We were young. I thought I’d want to pop out babies right away but changed my mind too. It would have been hard to finish law school with an infant.”

“I like being an uncle,” I assure her. “And I was happy with that, but only because there was no one in the world except for one person who I could even imagine settling down with.”

“And who is this lucky girl?” She looks up, eyes locking with mine.

“It’s you. It’s always been you.” I take her hands in mine. “I want to spend the rest of my life with you, Charlie. We lost so much time that I don’t want to waste another day. I love you. I’ve always loved you.”

Her eyes fill with tears again, but this time she’s not sad. “I love you too, Owen. Even when I tried not to.”

I pull her to me, kissing her hard. “Come home with me, Charlie. And spend forever with me.”

“That does sound nice.”

“Will you?”

“Are you proposing?”

“If I was, would you say yes?” I give her a smirk.

She smiles right back. “I would strongly consider it.”

“Then I’m not quite proposing because I don’t have a ring. Yet. But keep this in mind.”

“Trust me, I will.”

“I love you, Charlie. I’ve always loved you, and I always will.” She moves closer and I wrap her in my arms. The swing sways back as we kiss, and I have to remind myself that I’m on her parents’ front porch and her mother is most likely watching.

“Say it again,” she whispers, cupping my face with her hands.

“I love you.”

Smiling, she closes her eyes again and kisses me. “So, can I get another cat?”

I laugh and kiss her again. “You can get whatever you want.”

“You don’t think we’re moving too fast if I move in with you?”

I pull her to my chest and push off the porch, sending the swing back again. “It feels right to me, and I know there might be unwritten rules or timelines or whatever, but fuck ‘em. Move in with me. I’d say we should get married at the courthouse tomorrow, but I know you want to plan a wedding. And I might have thought about how I’d propose to you a time or two if things had been different.”

Her face lights up and we kiss again.

“Can we go home?” she whispers. “You’re turning me on, Owen, and if this was our first fight or misunderstanding or whatever, then I think makeup sex is the next step.”

I take her hand. “What are we waiting for?

She really is perfect for me.

*

I put my hand on the small of Charlie’s back and bring my beer to my lips. “It looks good, babe,” I tell her.

“Are you sure?”

“I am. This is the first time this dining room has ever been used like this, you know.”

Charlie laughs and spins around. She takes the beer from my hands and puts it on the table. It’s been three weeks since I told her I love her, and things have been perfect.

“That’s a shame,” she says, hooking her arms around my neck. “But it’ll get used now.”

“Right. With all the fancy dinner parties you’re going to have.”

She laughs. “I don’t think having your family over counts as fancy.”

“You spent like an hour decorating the table.”

“Tablescapes are fun.”

“If you say so.” I bring my head down and kiss her on the lips. “I’ll go check on dinner.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“You just want wine, you lush.”

She slaps my butt. “I’m saving that for later.”

I laugh and whirl around, picking her up, I kiss her hard and set her on the counter in the kitchen. Her legs go around me, and she runs her fingers through my hair. My eyes fall shut and I put my head against her breasts.

“I love you,” I whisper.

“I love you too.”

We kiss again, right as the front door opens. Breaking apart, I go through the kitchen to welcome my parents into the house. We invited everyone over for dinner tonight. It was Charlie’s idea, as a bit of a celebration for her officially moving in. We held off for a while before deciding it just didn’t make sense for her to pay for an apartment when she’d be here most of the time anyway. She was able to get her deposit back and everything. Another reason it was meant to be.

“Dinner smells amazing,” Mom tells Charlie.

“Thanks,” she says. “Though I can’t take credit. Owen made it.”

“Really?”

“Thanks, Mom.” I laugh and open the fridge, pulling out a beer for Dad. Logan and Danielle are the next to arrive, and Danielle comes bearing gifts. Specifically, leftover sugar cookies from the bakery. She and Charlie hung out three times this week, making this whole thing even more perfect than I could ever imagine.

My twin’s wife and my girlfriend—who will be my wife soon enough—are friends.

Quinn, Archer, and their kids walk through the door and Wes, Scarlet, and company are next. Dean and Kara are always the last to arrive, and I don’t understand why they’re almost always late and the two couples with multiple children get here on time. Regardless, things go along just fine, and everyone enjoys dinner.

Logan and Danielle stay a while after, and we have every intention of playing a few rounds of Mario Kart. But Danielle falls asleep on the couch and apologizes when Logan wakes her up.

“Don’t worry about it,” Charlie says. “You’re growing a human. That takes a lot of energy.”

“I used to think people exaggerated how tired they were during the first trimester, but the exhaustion is real.”

“Let’s go home,” Logan tells her and helps her to her feet. We walk them to the door, and then Charlie and I go back into the kitchen to finish putting dinner dishes away. Charlie freezes as she puts one of her million coffee mugs away.

“Owen,” she exclaims.

“Yeah?”

“I just realized something.”

“You want to go upstairs and have sex?”

She gives me a pointed glare. “I do, but also…I, uh, haven’t had a period in a while.”

“How long is a while?”

“Since before we got back together.”

“Do you think you’re pregnant?”

She slowly shakes her head back and forth. “I…I don’t know. Maybe.”