You're to Blame(68)

“I did.” I step towards her. “But let me explain.”

“You don’t need to.” She holds her hands in front of her and backs towards the door, nearly careening into Stacey. She apologizes, frantically glancing down at Stacey’s belly, and dries her eyes.

Charlotte’s looking for her escape and I can’t blame her. I’d give anything in this moment to disappear from this moment, act as if it never happened, and continue my life before she bulldozed through my heart and mind. It was easy back then, less complicated. Even with the knowledge, when her eyes skim over me, the exact parts of myself I’m always trying to keep hidden away, spill out towards her.

“You aren’t allowed to be mad at me when you failed to tell me you and Jacob broke up. You let me walk around thinking I’d destroyed your relationship, Charlotte. If anyone has the right to be mad, it’s me.”

“You’re right.” Charlotte shrugs, defeat in her eyes.

“Charlotte, please don’t go,” Jacob shouts. Once she runs from the room, he turns to me. “You never told her?” he questions. “Why not?”

Good fucking question.

“I’ve been cleaning up your mess since the accident, Jacob.” I sweep my arm at him lying helplessly in bed. “The pregnancy. The fallout from Ari. Everything, and for what?”

“What do you mean for what?”

“I’ve been protecting your ass from what the fallout could’ve been.” My voice thunders through the room, my anger finally coming to a boil. “You don’t love her, Jacob. If you did, you would’ve bolted from that damn hospital bed and killed me the second you heard about her and me, but you didn’t. You guys aren’t even together anymore.”

“You weren’t protecting me. You were protecting her.” His eyes shoot past me, where Charlotte escaped seconds ago. “Be honest with yourself. Don’t place the blame on me. She probably looked up at you with her beautiful blue eyes, and you had this innate instinct to protect her. Am I right, brother?”

“Fuck that. Don’t give me the brother bullshit. I did everything in my power to keep Charlotte out of this. You know he threatened her, right? Because of your decisions, I had to go fight, literally, to keep her safe. She has no idea about the other side of this mess.” I shoot angry glances between Jacob and Stacey.

Stacey watches our intense exchange, her hand on her stomach. She clears her throat, and the subtle sound reminds Jacob we aren’t alone.

“What’s going on?” Wes steps into the room. “Charlotte just told me to go fuck myself.” His eyes shift to each of us, but land on Stacey last. He assesses the situation with an angry grimace snarled on his face. “Let me guess, you got this chick knocked up, Duke, and ruined Charlotte’s plan to dump my brother and ride off into the sunset with you?”

“Surprisingly, I may not be the biggest asshole in the room. I know that’s hard to believe, Wes.” I challenge his unfound hatred. “Maybe you should talk to these two to get the truth and stop blaming me for whatever story you’ve cooked up in your head.” I push past Wes, shouldering him on my way out.

“Charlotte,” I call out.

Nurses and visitors stick their heads from rooms, looking for whoever is causing the commotion. I skirt around the corner to her frantically clicking the elevator down button.

My hand rests on her forearm, and I spin her around. Her tear-soaked cheeks break what little bit of me I have left after this exhausting day. My mouth opens to say something, but no words escape. Forming one coherent sentence seems impossible. I’ve hurt her.

But she hurt me, too.

“Charlotte, please,” I quake breathlessly, afraid it’s too late.

“How could you know about this and not tell me?” Her words are quiet but clear. I’ve disappointed her. The anguish on her face rips at my chest. “You know what?” Charlotte shakes her head. “Nothing you say can fix this, Duke. You lied to me.”

“I didn’t lie,” I state. “I just didn’t tell you, but you lied to me.”

“You could have saved me from this. I think that’s the worst part.” She swallows, lifts her chin, and boldly meets my gaze. “From the beginning, you had me convinced you were different. I fell for you, and the worst part is I don’t even know when it happened, Duke.” She sighs, scanning the space between us.

She flinches away from me. “I am different.” At least with you, I’m different.

“I may not know when it happened, but I know it did, because...” Her words fade, imprisoned in her throat. “I have to go,” she whispers.

She’s gone. Just like that. The elevator doors close on what may have been.

I race down three flights of stairs and bust through the door to an empty hallway. This isn’t how our story ends, not if I have anything to say about it. She was desperate to say something. It was right in front of me, in her eyes.

“Motherfucker.” I slam my fist into the lobby vending machine.

At this single moment in time, I have one option. Follow her. Like a tornado crashing through a field, looking for something to destroy, I’m not willing to turn my back and wait for the outcome. I’ll be the dumbass tree, swaying in the wind, crossing my limbs, and praying to stay rooted. She roots me.