Charlotte (Marked Heart #2) (21 page)

25

Retribution

Day three
of Silvia and Neck Tattoo's breakup saga continued on to reach new levels of ridiculousness. Charlotte had her own things to think about. She needed to quit being silly about things and just have sex with Auggie already. Knowing she was holding out because she liked being around him and in the back of her mind, she couldn't shake the feeling that all the craziness with him would be over as soon as she did. She didn't want that and talking to Penny didn't help at all. She had let Penny's take on what she and Auggie had going on cloud her thoughts.

Charlotte heard the 'My life is over because I'm not with you' song restarted for the millionth from Silvia's room and snapped.
Marching out of her room and up to her sister's door, she flung it open.

"Gah, would you just get over it already!" Charlotte shouted.

Silvia's face was red and swollen as she screamed, "I can't!"

Snatching Silvia's iPhone out of its speaker dock, Charlotte threw it at her, griping, "At least change the damn song then."

"You're glad this happened! I hate you! You wanted us to break up!"

Charlotte had started to walk out when she whipped around, asking, "Excuse me?"

Wiping fresh tears from her eyes with her comforter, Silvia cried, "He hooked up with Lee-Lee."

"What is a Lee-Lee?"

"He swore there was only me and to trust him. You made me not trust him and he had sex with her. I hate you! You made me question him and he...he... I hate you! You made him have sex with her," Silvia spit out in a new anger induced crying spree.

After briefly considering the
'shake and curse' approach Auggie took with Braden when his heart was crushed, Charlotte decided on a more compassionate route.

"Think about what you're saying. Do you really think someone like him wasn't already screwing around?"

And then came the howling.

Shaking her head, Charlotte realized that wasn't the best thing for her to say as she asked, "Did you really love him?"

Silvia nodded wiping her comforter down her face again.

With a slight huff, Charlotte sat down on the side of Silvia's bed, "This is going to sound mean but before you start bawling again, think about what I'm saying, okay." Silvia nodded before Charlotte offered, "It's pretty clear he doesn't feel the same." She could tell another outburst was coming as she held up her finger, "Don't. No crying. Only thinking."

Silvia nodded again
, frowning as she blinked her tears back.

"Now, I know it must hurt but since he doesn't love you and y'all are not going to live happily ever after, what would make you feel better?"

After a few minutes of sniffling, Silvia replied, "I want this to hurt him too."

Charlotte thought for a moment before informing, "Sit tight. I think I can help with that."

Silvia gave an interested look as Charlotte hopped off of her bed and ran out of the room.

Grabbing her cellphone off of her dresser, Charlotte looked at the time and called Auggie.

"Hey," he answered.

"I need a favor," she asked.

"What's up?"

Huffing into the phone, Charlotte answered, "You know that guy that thought I was checking him out at Ren's."

Auggie's tone was angry as he replied, "Yea."

"That's the kid that broke up with Silvia."

"You serious?"

"Yep, so I was thinking you could scare him a little or something. You know, let him know it's not okay to hurt my sister."

There was a hint of humor in his voice as he replied, "Sure. Let me call Oran to give him a heads up and see where they're at."

"I'm going back to Silvia's room to see if she has any special requests. I'll text you."

Laughing, Auggie said, "Okay."

Pleased with herself, Charlotte headed back across the hall.

Silvia was sitting up, waiting for Charlotte when she walked back into the room.

Smiling, Charlotte sat down next to Silvia on her bed, "How hurt do you want him?"

"What do you mean?" Silvia asked with eyes wide.

Charlotte rolled her eyes, saying, "We're going to teach him a lesson."

Glancing at the phone in Charlotte's hand Silvia shouted, "Oh my gosh! Who are you going to call?"

"It doesn't matter," Charlotte snapped before saying, "Do you want him hurting or not?"

Silvia sucked her bottom lip into her mouth before nodding.

"How hurt?"

Looking down, Silvia replied, "It would be nice if he cried."

"Make him cry, it is," Charlotte confirmed before sending a text to Auggie.

C: Make him cry. You can rough him up too if you want ;)

Auggie texted back
.

A: You got it.

C: Thanks!

A: I'll call you in a few.

Charlotte nodded at her cellphone
feeling like a good big sister.

~

Auggie was cleared to be on the property and once Oran confirmed that the property owners were gone, he let the crew know what was going on. Auggie hopped out of his truck, making a beeline straight for Shawn.

Charging up behind him, Auggie grabbed him by the back of his shirt, swinging him around as he warned, "We got a problem."

The crew gathered around them at a distance as
Shawn tripped and fell backwards.

Quickly scrambling back to his feet, Shawn shouted, "What's your problem?"

"You're my problem," he snapped, giving him a little shove.

Trying to act hard, Shawn took a step back, "Man, I ain't even trying to fight you."

"And you're not gonna. You're gonna cry like the little girl you are when I kick your ass for doin' Silvia dirty."

Shawn looked around at the crew before smarting off, "That prissy trick. She's lucky I was puttin' it to her anyways."

Auggie stepped forward as Shawn to
ok another step back.

"You talk big, why ya backin' up?" Auggie questioned, knowing he was scared.

The crew laughing apparently gave Shawn a burst of confidence as he announced, "The only one backin' up was your girl last night on my..."

Before Shawn could finish the most hazardous statement of his life, Auggie grabbed the front of his shirt, lifting him off of the grown as he growled, "What about my girl?"

Practically screeching, Shawn apologized, "No! I'm sorry! Please! No! Please! I'm sorry!"

Releasing
Shawn as he hunched over, Auggie instantly shoved him backwards as hard as he could.

"Ah, what the f..."

~

Sitting on Silvia's bed with her, waiting for Auggie's call, Charlotte looked at her sister's matted hair and kind of missed seeing those tacky bows on her head.

"You should take a shower and get dressed. He's not worth you looking like crap. You were too pretty for him anyway."

With a surprised expression, Silvia asked, "You think I'm pretty?"

Charlotte teased, "Well at the moment, no. But usually, yes, I do."

Silvia frowned, saying, "I'm sorry for hating you."

"Okay..."

"I was really excited when I found out I was getting an older sister."

Shocked, Charlotte questioned, "You were?"

Nodding Silvia sat up a little straighter and shared, "I told all my friends. I couldn't wait. When you got here you just ignored me. You were so hateful all the time," stopping to shrug her shoulder she added, "Then you were all mom and dad talked about. What's wrong with Charlotte? Where's Charlotte? We need to help Charlotte. I guess I just hated you because I didn't get what I wanted or any attention once you were here."

Charlotte felt a lump in her throat as she replied, "I'm really sorry."

Silvia made a 'Whatever' face, saying, "I guess it could have been worse. Shannon's sister steals her jeans all the time and once she squeezes her fat butt into them they are ruined forever."

And just like that snott
y, shallow Silvia was back, and Charlotte couldn't help but laugh.

Seeing Silvia stare at her like stretched out jeans were a serious matter and there was no reason to find it funny, Charlotte laughed even harder.
Until, the screen of her cellphone lit up with a picture of Auggie.

"Is that..." Silvia started to question before Charlotte glared at her.

She quickly answered his call, "Hey."

Auggie's voice was full of irritation as he griped, "You owe me."

"Did he cry?" she asked confused as to why he was mad.

Auggie snapped, "No. He peed his pants then threw up on my boots."

Charlotte really didn't know how to respond so she turned to Silvia, sharing, "He peed is pants."

A satisfied smile formed across Silvia's face as she leaned back against her headboard.

Knowing her sister was listening even though she pretended not to, Charlotte told Auggie, "I appreciate your help."

"Yea, you better," he griped before asking, "Are you coming over?"

"It doesn't look that way," Charlotte answered.

Auggie sighed into the phone, "Alright."

"Umm... Thank you."

His voice was softer now as he assured, "I get it. Family thing."

"I owe you one."

Back to his cranky voice, Auggie said, "No, you owe me two. One for each boot," before he hung up.

Thinking of something nice to do for him, Charlotte noticed Silvia get out of bed.

Walking to her bathroom, Silvia glanced back at Charlotte, saying, "I won't tell."

Giving her sister a 'Thanks' smile,
Charlotte looked down at her phone and resisted the urge to text Auggie.

Walking back to her room, Charlotte knew she needed to regain control of herself. She had been acting on impulse since the moment Auggie kissed her.
Everything she said and did were things that came from deep inside her instead of her normal calculated self. Always before, there was a purpose to what she said and did. Now, she was letting her feelings take over and guide her. But for every feel good moment there was one that made her question herself. That needed to be corrected.

26

Unsettled

One long night at The Dog House, of suffering throu
gh an old pair of boots from the back of his closet led to Auggie waking up early on Sunday. He still couldn't believe that punk threw up on him.

In all the fights he'd been in
, that was a first. All he planned on doing was slapping him around a little until he cried but when he snapped off implying he was with Charlotte, Auggie lost it. Shawn didn't have to say her name. The second he said 'your girl', Charlotte flashed in his mind. She wasn't though. It was a right now thing. He knew it. She knew it. Auggie was letting things get out of hand by letting her get to him.

The remarkable moments that kept taking place between the two of the
m was causing Auggie to think about more than just sex with her. No wonder she didn't come see him yesterday. He was probably scaring her off by giving her a key and a taking a nap with her. Auggie was starting to feel miserable, and although it was a little comforting to feel misery instead of confusion, he knew if his dad was here, Gus would know the right thing to say to him.

Walking into his house, Auggie stopped right inside. Charlotte was standing there, leaned up against the bar that divided his
kitchen and living room, wearing the black heels he'd held for ransom, tiny black shorts and a plaid shirt that could have easily been one of his if it wasn't a few sizes smaller.

"Good afternoon, Augustus," Charlotte greeted.

"Afternoon," he replied.

Unable to move,
he needed to set his bag down and walk all the way into the house.

A sly smile formed across Charlotte's face as she said, "It's good to see you too," making her way towards him.

Auggie started to feel like he couldn't catch his breath as Charlotte brushed up against him before shutting the door behind him. She took the bag from him and set it down.

The tension in his body made Auggie want to go down on his knees as he asked, "What's going on?"

"I owe you, remember," she replied, walking back to his kitchen.

With her back turned, Auggie squeezed his eyes closed while uttering a curse word under his breath
before finding the will to move.

Following her into his kitchen,
Auggie gave himself a mental 'Be a man' pep talk.

Charlotte stopped at the counter and turned to him, confirming, "I owe you two, right. One for each boot."

Getting his breathing under control, he scowled at her, "That's what I said."

Reaching behind her back, she revealed a bottle of whisky.

Charlotte handed it to him, saying, "One."

Auggie had a pretty good idea what two was by the way she was acting. The whole thing was incredibly
sexy but there was something off about it. She was being hot as hell but at the same time, there was a coldness to her.

Holding the bottle up, Auggie offered, "Let's have a drink then."

Stepping to him, Charlotte assured, "Two, isn't a set of glasses."

In his mind, Auggie busted the bottle open, took a long swig and bent her over the counter.

In reality, he shared, "I have glasses."

He could hear
Charlotte let out a loud huff and smiled to himself imagining the face she was making at him behind his back.

As he set two glasses down on the counter, Charlotte asked, "You don't want me to settle my debt?"

Opening the bottle of whisky, Auggie filling the bottom of both glasses.
He turned with one of the glasses in hand to offer her a drink and found her right in front of him. Resting her hands on his sides, she leaned into him.

"I'm good with the whisky," Auggie replied before turning his head away from her as he took a sip.

Her eyes narrowed in a hateful glare at him as she repeated, "You're good with the whisky."

Taking another sip, he said, "Yea, it's good whisky."

A disgusted expression appeared on Charlotte's face as she snapped, "You'd rather drink?"

Finishing off what was left in the glass before setting it down, Auggie griped, "This Charlotte bull-crap doesn't do it for me."

Shoving away from him, she questioned, "Oh, now I don't do it for you? And did you just call me crap?"

Frustrated and tired of her little ch
arade, Auggie pulled her to him, swung around and pressed her against the wall.

Grabbing her hips he jerked her closer, "Yea sweetheart, you do it for me. Go ahead in there and take your pants off. I'm gonna need another drink first."

As Auggie stepped away to pour another drink, Charlotte stood there against the wall staring at him.

He refilled his glass, tipped it in her direction and winked at her before drinking his whisky down. Charlotte looked at him like she hated him. Thinking 'How does that feel' he wanted her to know exactly how she had made him feel. Hoping she was just as confused and frustrated as he was, that would serve her right; he almost dropped his glass on the floor. She was unbuttoning her shorts.

Sliding his glass across the counter, Auggie practically lunged at her. Pulling her hands away from her
shorts and holding them up to her chest, he wrapped his arm tight around her.

Pressing his forehead against the side of her head, he pleaded in her ear, "Stop this."

Her voice was shaky as she offered, "If I do it for you, we should stop making this more than it is and have sex."

Unable to be anything but honest with her, Auggie swore, "Charlotte does do it for me and has since the moment, I saw you being manhandled outside the bar that night. But Lotte, with her sexy peacock tattoo and soft beautiful lips, she does everything to me."

Charlotte relaxed in his arms, mumbling, "This is crazy."

Auggie pulled her around to face him, agreeing "It is."

"You're turning me inside out."

Sincere in expression, he replied, "I know the feeling."

There was sadness in her eyes as she reminded, "I'm still leaving."

Nodding, he assured, "I'm still going to want to see you every day until you do."

Looking off to the side, she scowled before giving him a dirty look as she blurted, "Damn it! Now I still owe you one."

Allowing her to slip out of his arms
, Auggie thought for a moment.

"Sex isn't an option anymore?" he questioned with a smile.

The corner of Charlotte's mouth curled into a smile as she informed, "That was Charlotte's offer. Lotte wants to hold out on you for a while."

"Does she?" he laughed.

Nodding, she raised her eyebrows, stating, "Yep, that's the kind of person she is."

"Well, I guess the only thing we can do now is get drunk."

Smiling at him, Charlotte replied, "Then pour me a glass, bartender."

Happy to have his girl back to normal, Auggie handed her the other glass of whisky.

~

Auggie and Charlotte laid across his living room floor
somewhere between drunk and sober. After texting Amila to tell her she had too much to drink and would be home in the morning, she showed Auggie pictures of her room and places she visited in Spain on her cell. She then assured him that he was her favorite sight to see in town and took what felt like five hundred pictures of them cheek to cheek as she swore all he had to do was smile and they'd be done. When he finally smiled, the way she wanted him to, she rewarded him with a long slow kiss.

Charlotte's
eyes fluttered closed before she blinked them back open while her head rested against his chest. Holding her hand, it amazed him how something so simple could make him feel so good. Even drunk, it felt good to be next to her. It was more than likely the alcohol causing him to feel the way he was; Auggie wanted people to know she was his. Not necessarily his family but strangers. How would other men know she was off limits if they didn't know she was taken?

"Gotta be a way," Auggie mumbled, not realizing it was out loud until Charlotte asked, "To what?"

"You can't be like this."

"Drunk?" she laughed.

Flexing his hand around hers, Auggie replied, "That either."

Charlotte lifted her head,
rolled onto her back.

Propping himself up on his elbow, he leaned over her saying, "Kieran can mark you for me."

"You sir, have had too much to drink," she laughed, running her hand under his beanie and into his hair.

Shaking his head against her hand, he whispered, "With a little A, so everyone knows."

"Knows what?" she breathed.

Auggie softly kissed her after replying, "I'm the only one that gets to touch you here." He ran his finger down her arm to her wrist, adding, "Here." Continuing on, he brushed his fingertips under the waistband of her shorts grazing the skin on her hip saying, "And here."

Charlotte
let out a permissive sigh, allowing Auggie to gently touch every spot he wanted to mark as his own.