26. Chapter Twenty-Six

Chapter Twenty-Six

Charlotte

Monday rolls around too fast considering I'm still exhausted from the carnival. I hate that I won't see Andrew all week except for lunch tomorrow, but I had a great day at church and choir practice, followed by an amazing day at school when we discovered we earned way over our target from the carnival. I'm floating on a cloud when I receive a message from Andrew that he's been totally cleared to play. If only I didn't have three parent teacher conferences tonight. I sigh and set my phone aside, waiting for the first set of parents to enter.

As suspected, the night drags on a bit, but I'm pleased that the parents I meet with are all on board with my recommendations for their children. With half of the class lagging behind, I'm happy to know they plan to help their children with the more difficult work. It isn't as if I think math should be fun for everyone, but they still have to pass. They might as well put in the work.

I glance at my phone once more and note that even if I rushed, I'd never make it to Andrew's game on time. I wonder how he's doing, but since this game isn't televised, I won't know until after. I won't even get to go out to celebrate with him since I have to get up early for work.

After cramming everything into my bag, I hurry to my car with the hope that I can at least get home at a decent time and call Andrew. Of course, I don't take Savannah's evening traffic into consideration, and find myself enjoying a break at every red light between the school and my side of town.

"Oh, come on," I mumble. Ginger is going to be so upset with me when I get home, if she hasn't already left me a present on the floor. My phone rings and I almost leap out of my car window. On the dash, Andrew's name pops up so I accept the call. I'm only sitting at a red light anyway.

"Hey, how did it go?" I ask and hold my breath, praying he didn't jump back into it too soon.

"Well, I'm a little sore and didn't play as well as I would have liked, but we won." His tone is light and hopeful, which brings a smile to my sour face.

"I'm so happy to hear that. I wish I could have been there, but I'm sure you were amazing. It stinks this game wasn't televised." I take the turns to my neighborhood and finally pass through the gate. The street lights flicker on as I turn onto my road and I note that it's already nine-thirty.

"I'm hoping you can make it to the next one. The ladies asked about you. Jess was particularly disappointed you weren't there, but I did manage to snag you the jersey you wanted."

My timed floodlight comes on as I pull into my driveway, illuminating my way. Ginger stares at me from between the curtain panels at the bay window, her whole body wiggling with excitement.

"Well, I can definitely make it to your Saturday game and I might have invited my sister and her family along. We don't get much time together. Is that okay?" Really, I needed an excuse to introduce him to my sister in person and find out how he fits into the flow of our family.

"The more the merrier. I'll pick up some extra tickets. I thought I'd tell you I'm heading home. I'm too tired to go out to celebrate tonight, and I'm not really interested in going without you anyway. Besides, I think Goblin is angry that I'm not home much lately."

I'm about to agree that Ginger likely feels the same way and we should get together for a doggy play date when I notice something is off in my backyard. It's lit up more than it should be and I hear the echo of someone shuffling around on the porch even from where I stand in the front walkway. Against my better judgement—honestly, it could be a murderer in my yard—I push open the gate door. I take two steps into my yard and someone bulldozes around the corner right into me.

The scream that escapes my body could wake the dead and my phone goes flying. I don't know where it lands, but I could not care less. I'm about to die, and all I can think about is how stupid it was to walk back here alone in the dark. Even having Ginger with me would have been the intelligent thing to do, but no, I had to rush back here to see what shenanigans my murderer was up to before taking me to my doom

"Hey, hey, it's okay!" A male voice breaks through my screaming, which does not seem to have disturbed my neighbors in the least. Good to know.

The man releases me and steps back with his hands up in a defensive position.

"Rory? Are you crazy!" Shouting seems like the most logical thing to do and it finally alerts one of my neighbors that something is amiss. I smack at Rory repeatedly, but it doesn't slow my racing heart.

"Charlotte?" my neighbor yells from his second story bathroom window. "Are you all right?"

I wipe sweat from my forehead and take a breath. "Yes. I'm all right. I'm sorry, Mr. Watkins. I didn't know anyone would be here and it nearly scared me to death." I glare at Rory, but it isn't likely he sees it in the darkened corner of my yard.

"Should I call the police?" Mr. Watkins sounds more annoyed than worried.

I almost tell him to call 911. That would serve Rory right for sneaking onto my property to…what? Hide out and scare ten years off of my life? "No, that won't be necessary. I'm sorry to disturb you. Everything is fine."

Mr. Watkins doesn't seem convinced but he nods and disappears back into his bathroom, most likely to watch me from the window. I briefly wonder if this encounter will find its way into our neighborhood news flyer. It's fine, though, because Rory is just about to leave and there won't be much to gossip about.

"What are you doing here?" I hiss but it's all I can do not to turn into a screaming maniac. This is too far. It was bad enough he showed up at the carnival Saturday, but to creep into my yard and scare me to death is a whole other level of nope.

"You said we could talk, and I wanted to do something nice for you." His dark hair falls into his face, and unlike his cheek kiss weeks ago, I manage not to fall into told routines and brush it from his forehead. "I knew you'd probably be hungry after your meetings so—"

"How did you know I had meetings?" I snap.

Rory blinks a few times as if I'm the one who has lost her mind. "You always have meetings the last few weeks of school before summer break. Don't you?"

"You remembered?" Somehow, he has managed to lure me deeper into my yard. The suspicious glow I spied from my driveway now makes sense. He's strung up thousands of twinkle lights around my porch and the picnic table is set for two with my favorite foods. It's romantic, for sure, but we're not dating. We'll never be dating again, and it's too little too late. If he had never been caught kissing other women, then this would have been the sweetest gesture, but now it just…hurts.

Rory motions toward the table. "Yeah, I remembered. Lottie, it isn't like I never paid attention to you."

I give him a scathing side-eye glare, but once again, it loses its full effect in the dim lighting. I can't even believe this is happening right now. "Rory, when I said we could meet to talk, I did not mean that you should show up to my house unannounced and do this. Whatever it is." I motion toward the excessive number of lights jacking up my power bill. "I told you I'd call you when I was free."

"I know, but I thought maybe…" He releases a frustrated groan and flops onto my lawn chair. "Lottie, I'll do anything. Please, please, come back to me."

I drop my things on the chair opposite him and rub my hands over my face. This is not how I planned to end my evening, but here we are. Since he's forced my hand, I supposed it's time to get this over with. I've put it off for too long anyway, and now I'm annoyed and frustrated with him.

"I love you, Lottie. That never changed, and when I lost you I lost everything."

I step forward and try to control the level of my voice. "You didn't lose me, Rory. You dumped me for another woman! Don't try to make this seem like I left you. I was happy and you ruined that for me. All of this would have been amazing months ago, but now it's just…it's…frustrating!" I throw my hands in the air.

"I know. I know that, and there hasn't been a single day that I don't regret everything I did. I'm only asking for a second chance to show you that I'm not that guy. I'm not the guy who cheats and runs out on someone he loves. I'm not. I'm…I'm not."

Maybe he's not. Maybe he got caught up in something and got in too deep. Maybe he did something stupid and regret has taught him a bitter lesson. But it doesn't matter. He did it, and even if he'd never do it again, I've moved on.

"Rory, you keep saying that you're sorry and telling me what you want. You say you want to fix things and make it up to me because you need me and love me, but you still haven't asked me what I want or what I need."

I sit beside him and try to calm my racing heart. I'm finally about to get the closure I need after waffling for weeks over how to tell him to kick rocks without destroying any headway he's made toward real repentance.

"I…I thought I had. I said I'd do anything you want. And I will, Lots. I'll go to counseling with you, even go to church with you like you asked. I want to take it all back but I can't." He knows this is it, too. He's throwing everything he's got at me here, desperately clinging to whatever sliver he thinks he might have.

"Rory, I want you to go to church for you, not for me. That's a whole different conversation, but this right now, this isn't about that. This is about how I can forgive you, but I can't forget. I'm not made that way. No one is."

"I don't know what that means." His voice is strained and wavers.

"It means I can forgive you and wipe that slate clean. I can cheer for your team and pray that you make it to the majors like you always wanted. I can even pray that you find real and lasting love and never have to go through this again, but I can't forget what happened. It's proof we aren't right for each other."

"Lottie, I—"

I step back, halting him. "I've met someone else. I'm happy with Andrew. It's still new, but I trust him and think there is a real, honest future for us."

There's a sharp intake of breath and he sighs deeply. "So, it's true. You're dating Andrew Rossi."

"You heard?"

"I suspected when I saw how chummy you were with him at the carnival. I don't know him well, but both of our teams are owned by the Dawson brothers. I've seen him at events." His tone drips with jealousy and irritation.

"None of that really matters though. It wouldn't matter if I weren't seeing anyone, the point is that I can't trust you again. I do hope you mean it when you say you've learned from this and I pray that you do find someone else to love and who loves you."

He works his jaw and leans forward, settling his elbows on his knees. "I love you, Lots. I can't pretend I don't and just move on that easily."

"You already did," I whisper, reminding him that the reason we're here right now was because he did just that.

Rory drops his head and rubs the back of his neck. "I made a mistake. A huge one. I've never loved anyone before you, and I was stupid to question it. I don't need to find love. I have it."

I shake my head. "No, I mean I hope you find love that doesn't make you question it so much that you run out on it and tarnish it beyond repair. And that's what this is. It's broken. You might love me, but it isn't beautiful love that lasts forever. I promise you, it isn't."

When he lifts his head and looks at me again, I know it's finally gotten through to him. His eyes glisten with unshed tears, but I suspect it's less about me and more about realizing I'm probably right. His life has been upended by something he did wrong, and now he has to suffer the consequences of his actions. Alone.

He leans back in the chair and nods. "Yeah. Okay. I'm sorry I scared you."

"It isn't like I enjoy this," I say. "I'm not trying to hurt you."

Rory sighs. "I know that. If I know you at all, I know that this is hurting you. And that's not what I want for you because, contrary to what you think, I do love you. I love you enough to know that you're right. I'm not right for you at all. Not after what I did. I see that."

Silence falls between us but not for long. My gate door slams open and Andrew barges into the backyard ready to fight. I lurch to my feet and rush toward him.

"Andrew!" Oh gosh, I completely forgot we were on the phone when Rory scared me. Andrew must have freaked out and rushed over to make sure that I'm okay. "It's okay. I'm okay!"

His eyes settle on me and his body relaxes. "You screamed and then there was a crash. I didn't know what happened. I tried calling you back but you…" His gaze shifts to Rory then to the lights and back to me. "Are…you okay?"

"I'm fine. I promise. Rory showed up uninvited, but it's all okay."

The poor man rushed all the way here to find this spectacle. I can't imagine what he thinks right now, but I know what Rory is thinking. His stance says he's looking for the nearest exit before Andrew loses it. But that's not going to happen. I know Andrew well enough to know his stance isn't confrontational, but confused. Protective, but not possessive.

At least, until he slinks his arm around my waist and pulls me flush against him, leaving no doubt in Rory's mind that Andrew will fight for me.

"Can I have just a minute and then I'll explain everything?" I rub his forearm, hoping to ease his worry.

His gaze bounces between Rory and me again, but he nods and releases my hands. This has been one disaster after another, and I'm ready for it to be over.