Love Renewed (Love Trilogy) (14 page)

She laughed at his reaction to finding out this information. “You would think you were a teenager with this reaction and not a grown man of thirty-one. I think it’s sweet.”

“It is awkward! I mean, your mother and my father would make us step-siblings!”

“I am quite aware of that although that’s only true if they get married,” she acknowledged, unable to help laughing still. “But it is not really all that unusual and we are old enough where it’s not weird, at least in my opinion.”

“I guess you could be right. Just find it weird that after all these years of him being single - pretty much since I was nine years old - that the one person he happens to be dating is the mother of the woman I love.”

Charlotte felt like her heart jumped into her throat as her pulse sped up. She wasn’t sure what to say.

How do I feel?
 
I know now that he didn’t really kiss Shelby and she kissed him. What am I saying? I never stopped loving him - the problem isn’t him, it was me, it has always been me and my insecurity.
As Charlotte’s thoughts raced through her mind, she worried that she didn’t have the right words to say in this moment.

“Charlotte? Are you still there?”

“Yeah. I’m just…I’m not sure what I should say right now, because I have so much to work through.”

She could hear the smile in his voice now. “Hey, it’s okay. You saw what you saw that day and have pretty much spent ten years believing that everything you saw with your eyes was one-hundred percent exactly what it looked like. I was hurt at first, that you could believe I would do that to you when I always thought I was so clear how I felt about you, but I’m not hurt anymore. I wasn’t even mad - I spent a lot of time looking for you and just wanted you to come back to me.”

“You looked for me? Why didn’t you come to my house that night? You didn’t even call in the few hours that led up to me leaving.”

“Hell yes I looked for you! I was on my way to your house not long after you ran out of my father’s house but then I got a phone call from the dorm’s. Because I was the Senior Resident Assistant, I had to go deal with a situation involving minors and alcohol at the school. By the time it was all dealt with, it was too late to come to your house. I called your cell phone and left you three messages but you never answered me.”

Now Charlotte really felt like crying. “You actually came after me? Why didn’t you call me right away though?”

She could hear the sadness in his voice. “I thought about it but I just figured if you had a few hours to calm down, that maybe when I got back we could talk and it wouldn’t be a really big screaming match kind of fight. I had no idea you would be gone by the time I got back to my father’s house.”

“Oh, I see. I think I am finally seeing that my reaction to things that upset me is not appropriate. I am going to try really hard not to run away when I argue with people anymore.”

“Does that mean if I pick an argument with you right now that you will still be here tomorrow?” He was teasing her now, and she smiled.

“Yes, it does. What do you want to argue about at this moment? I am all ears.”

He chuckled, his voice suddenly lower as he responded. “I don’t want to argue with you. I want to know when you will go on a proper date with me. It has been too long.”

She knew she should go out on a date with him. He deserved it and really, she deserved it too. It was time to become friends again, if nothing else. She wasn’t sure if a romance would work but she felt willing to start over. So, she smiled before answering.

“I am willing to put the past behind us. So ask me out properly some day soon and I will give you an answer.”

“Great! I will do that, Sprite. I look forward to it.”

“Me too. Goodnight, Trevin.”

“Sweet dreams, darlin’.”

As he hung up the phone, she grinned, finally feeling as if she could breathe again.

Chapter Twelve

Charlotte shut the door of her car, taking a deep breath as she stared at Trevin’s house.

He’d called her the day before, asking if she’d like to have dinner with some friends on Wednesday.
 

“This isn’t meant to be our first date. That is still in the works,” he had said with a laugh. “But I want you there so will you come?”

Thrilled at his invitation, she’d immediately said yes.

Now here she was and she didn’t even know who all had been invited to this get together, as she’d forgotten to ask.

The front door opened and Trevin stepped out, a grin on his face.

“You gonna come inside?”

“I’m enjoying the view,” she replied with a smile of her own.

He leaned against the door frame and laughed, staring at her. “Me too.”

Blushing, she headed towards him. He didn’t move until she was standing before him. He took her hand in his and squeezed. Leaning in, he pressed a gentle kiss on her lips before pulling away.

“I’m glad you could come.”

Vaguely disappointed at the quick kiss, a feeling she didn’t quite want to examine at this moment, she nodded. “Who all is here?”

He winked as if he knew how she felt and turned around. “They are all in the living room.”

She followed him in. Entering the living room, she let out a sigh of relief at seeing Ramsey, Gwyneth and a man who could only be Lucien sitting around the room.

“Look who has arrived!” Trevin announced. “Make her welcome guys, I gotta finish cooking.”

He left before Charlotte could say anything and she stood awkwardly in the doorway.

“Good news is, I don’t have a beer to choke on this time,” Ramsey joked, laughing. “Come in and sit down.”

He pointed to a chair and she giggled at his reference to the incident at the bar as she took a seat. Gwyneth and Lucien were sitting on the couch.

“It’s nice to see you,” Gwyneth said to Charlotte, as she jabbed an elbow into Lucien’s side. “You should introduce yourself, Luc.”

Lucien jumped before smiling sheepishly. “Sorry. We haven’t been introduced.” He stood up and walked over, sticking out a hand for Charlotte to shake. “I’m Lucien. And you must be the woman Trevin has been going on and on about for years.”

Feeling confused at their behavior, Charlotte shook his hand. “Yeah, I guess that would be me.”

He threw a look over at Gwyneth that Charlotte couldn’t see. He turned back around and smile once more. “If you’ll excuse me, I need something to drink.”

Well, isn’t that interesting?
She thought as Gwyneth rolled her eyes at Lucien’s exit.

“Ignore him.” Gwyneth sighed. “He’s had such an attitude with me lately. I’ve no idea why.”

Remembering Trevin’s words at the bar about staying out of their feelings for each other, Charlotte just smiled.

“Maybe he just needs a nap.”

“Yep, that’s definitely his problem,” Ramsey commented with a chuckle, his sarcasm evident. “The man needs a girlfriend and sex, in my opinion.”

Gwyneth huffed and tossed a throw-pillow at Ramsey, who put up a hand to stop it from connecting with his head. Charlotte couldn’t help but listen to their banter with fascination.

“Gross! I don’t see
you
with a girlfriend. And what does that have to do with him having an attitude with me?”

Ramsey shrugged. “Haven’t found anybody worth the effort. Luc, on the other hand, has a thing for you.”

Gwyneth glared at him. “He does not! We’re more like brother and sister.”

Shaking his head, he muttered, “If that’s what you need to tell yourself to sleep at night, all the more power to ya, Gwennie.”

Gwyneth’s face flamed and Charlotte laughed. “Gwennie? That’s cute.”

They both looked over at her, apparently having forgotten she was in the room.

“That’s what I’ve always wanted. To be found ‘cute’ by a woman,” Ramsey commented with a smile, his voice filled with mock outrage. “How will I ever get a woman at this rate? Don’t go ruining my ‘bad boy’ image Charlotte.”

At the sound of laughter in the doorway, Charlotte turned to find Trevin standing there.

“As amusing as this convo is, dinner is ready.”

“Great!” Charlotte stood up and walked over to him. “I’m starving.”

Ramsey stood up and left the room as Gwyneth spoke, not getting up from the couch.

“Where’s Lucien?”

“He’s already in the dining room,” Trevin replied. “Come on, let’s eat.”

She got up with a sigh and followed them out of the room.

~*~

Gathered in the living room after dinner, Trevin sat next to Charlotte on the loveseat, his smile content.

He wasn’t listening to the conversation at all. If one of them asked him a question in that moment, he’d be clueless as to the topic. His focus was Charlotte. It always had been.

She was leaning forward, arm propped up on the sidearm of the couch, chin in hand. Listening to Gwyneth and Lucien recall a rather interesting double date they’d been on in the past. He had heard the story a million times before.

The only thing he found fascinating right then was his thoughts of whether or not he could clasp her hand in his without breaking her concentration. Her free hand lay gently on her leg, which was awfully close to his own.

Placing a hand gently on her jean-clad thigh, he heard her soft inhale of breath. She didn’t look his way though and he grinned. Moving slowly toward where her hand rested, he squeezed her leg as his hand paused just before hers. When she still didn’t glance at him, he turned his hand over and slid it under hers, making them palm to palm before intertwining their fingers.

When she tightened her grip and didn’t try to move away, he wanted to dance.

Not that he really would dance. At least, not right now.

What he really wanted was to get her alone.

He still had to ask her out and that would come very soon. But in reality, he just wished she’d agree to be his wife and put him out of his misery.

His plans for the first date were aimed at doing just that.

She wasn’t too far away from seeing things the way he wanted her to. They belonged together and always had.

He wanted her for his wife and Douglas as his son. And he wanted children of his own with her as well.

Everything that had happened didn’t even matter anymore. A life with her was all he wanted and all he desired. And he’d do anything to show her she had nothing to be afraid of.

He wasn’t going anywhere.

“What are you thinking about?”

Her voice was low and he looked up from their entwined hands to find a look of amusement on Charlotte’s face.

He lifted their hands and kissed the back of hers. “You, of course. As always.”

Ramsey let out a low whistle. “Man, you’ve got it bad. Get a room.”

Charlotte’s face flushed as Trevin threw his head back and laughed. “Shut up, Ramsey. If you want to give us some privacy, you know where the door is man.”

“Gladly,” he replied, winking at Charlotte as he stood up. “I need to get up early anyway, but before then, I need a drink or two and the lack of alcohol here sucks. Gwennie? Luc? You two wanna join me and leave these lovesick creatures alone?”

They both looked over at Trevin, who shrugged even as he grinned. “Go and have fun. You won’t offend me by leaving, not when I get her all to myself.”

“Awwww!” Gwyneth exclaimed loudly as Lucien rolled his eyes at her.

“Let’s go,” he said, tugging on her arm and walking before throwing a glance back at Trevin. “Thanks for dinner, dude. Have fun you two.”

When they were out the door, Trevin turned his body toward Charlotte’s.

“What do you want to do now?” He raised his brow, his tone suggestive as he joked with her. “Strip poker?”

“Ha, I think not,” she said softly, pulling her hand out of his. “I actually should get going too.”

“But they just left us so we could be alone!” He knew his protesting wouldn’t do much good, but he still gave it a shot anyway. “Is this because I haven’t asked you out?”

The corner of her mouth lifted up a bit, as if she was going to smile, yet didn’t. “No. I’m just tired. It was nice to meet Lucien though and see the other two again. Your friends are very nice.”

“They will be your friends too, I’m sure. Especially since they adore me.”

She laughed. “Yes, I see that.” She stood up and he quickly did the same.

“Charlotte?” He lifted a hand and cupped her face as her eyes met his at the question in his voice. “You have fun?”

At her nod, he leaned in and pressed a soft kiss on her lips. His body instantly responded as her mouth softened under his.

Pulling away was difficult, when all he wanted to was pull her into his arms, but he managed to do so.

“Let me walk you to your car.”

After a few moments, he stood and watched as she pulled out of the driveway, his hand lifted in a wave.

Wishing that she had stayed. Wishing she was just his and they could move on with their lives.

“One day at a time,” he reminded himself. “You waited this long - what’s a few more days or weeks or months?”

Problem was, it got harder every day to be patient and give her time.

Sighing, he turned and headed back into his house, not looking forward to another night alone.

Without her.

Chapter Thirteen

Sitting in the doctor’s office was nerve wracking.

Charlotte and Douglas were sitting rather patiently waiting for the doctor to come back with Douglas’ test results.

After taking him to see the pediatrician on the following Monday morning, Charlotte had listed her suspicions to him.
 
Although he was skeptical, once she explained that she hadn’t thought anything wrong with Douglas back when he was a child and that was the only reason she hadn’t mentioned it to his old doctor, he had decided to refer her to someone for Douglas to be tested.
 
So, they had been referred to a specialist in the city who mainly worked with children who had autism. It was only luck and the cancellation of an appointment that had gotten them in to see him now, three days later.

Douglas was fidgeting in his chair and repeatedly getting up and down from it, seemingly unable to sit still at all. Charlotte had given up early in the visit on trying to make him sit still - she usually didn’t let it bother her and when the doctor said it was okay, she just let him do his own thing.