I'm Not Charlotte Lucas(74)
“Please go,” I said. “I just don’t think we’re really built to last here, and I don’t want to pretend we’re compatible when we aren’t.”
Liam looked struck. He held my gaze while I tried to shove down my emotions, drawing short, rapid breaths to stave off the sobs. Why wouldn’t he leave so I could fall on my pillow and cry my heart out?
“You think we aren’t compatible?” He scoffed, his voice strangled. “That’s funny, because I’ve spent the whole week wondering where you’ve been all my life.”
I laughed. “Yeah, okay. Except that your last girlfriend is a—”
His temper flared. “Enough about Naomi. You have to quit comparing yourself to her. It’s not healthy.”
I scoffed. “We’re done here. I’m not talking about this anymore.”
He stepped forward, not touching me but looking very much like he wanted to. My breath caught, and my gaze immediately fell to his lips. My stupid, disloyal heart wanted Liam to wrap his arms around me and comfort me.
His chest heaved, and the muscle in his jaw jumped, like he was clenching his teeth over and over again. I’d angered him, that much was super obvious. But what did it matter? He could leave, and I’d never have to see him again.
“Liam.”
“Charlie.”
My voice came out hardly higher than a whisper. “Why are you making this so difficult?”
He shook his head, his eyes on my lips, and wavered slightly toward me. I didn’t breathe, wondering if he was going to kiss me, but he turned instead and stalked from the room, taking every bit of warmth with him.
I heard him go down the stairs and out the front door, and then my shoulders sank. I succumbed to the tears and let them flow freely. I should never have introduced him to my parents.
Chapter Twenty-Nine
Going into work without Todd or Marissa there was beyond stressful. I had to ask Heather, the part-time teller, to pull full-time hours this week, and Derrick, the other teller who only came in on Tuesdays, to cover some of the other shifts.
Barry, our regional manager, came by Monday and walked me through Sharon’s investigation process. He warned me that it would likely be closer to two weeks before the entire thing would be complete and we could have Marissa and Todd back in the branch. Barry seemed to think it would be fine as long as the couple signed a form promising not to sue the bank or practice any sort of nepotism.
I had a feeling it wouldn’t go as smoothly as he hoped. There’s no way corporate would allow them to return to work at the same branch. It would probably be smart to begin the hiring process to get another teller in here, but Barry asked me to wait two weeks, so I would.
Even if it meant stepping in as interim manager and covering the teller counter as needed.
If I was being totally honest, though, the crazy work schedule came at a really good time, and the distraction was helping me to not think about Liam constantly. Instead, I only thought about him 80 percent of the time, shifting back and forth between wondering if I’d made a mistake breaking up with him and being glad I’d ripped the bandage off before I could fully fall in love with the guy.
Except, the problem there was that somehow in the last month or so of knowing him, I had fallen for him, and that made this hurt even more. I didn’t like living without him.
At least my family wasn’t making it harder. I’d told them it was over between Liam and me, and I didn’t want to talk about it, and they’d been kind enough to leave me be. Aunt Fern’s hair appointment gave me the chance to speak with Beth, and I told her in no uncertain terms not to ask me about it for now, and she agreed, no questions asked.
“I guess I’ll find another way to get my claws into Rhett Myers,” she’d said. Leaning over the counter at her salon, she’d grasped my wrist. “But don’t worry on my account. I know I’ll find a way.”
It’d made me laugh, and her caring, understanding smile went a long way in making me feel supported.
Now I just needed to get through the work day so I could go home, change super fast, and make it to the school in time for Mariah’s Pride and Prejudice premiere.
Sitting through a high-school play was the last thing I wanted to do right now, but I didn’t have a choice. It was bad enough that Spike played Mr. Darcy, and I was bound to see Liam at the school. I just needed to breathe deeply, smile, and make sure Beth was by my side the entire night. Not that I expected Liam to make a pass at me or anything, but so Beth could pull me away when I fainted from the stress of seeing the sheer amount of hotness I’d let myself walk away from.
I’d taken to lamenting the loss of his perfect looks and kissing skill, because if I began to think about what a good man he was, grief would close in around me in a dark cloud that made it difficult to breathe. I still wasn’t entirely certain I’d made the right choice, except that I knew I couldn’t date someone when I felt so wholly beneath them—even if he was entirely blameless for those feelings.
My phone rang, and I glanced at the screen. Mom. The branch was empty, so I walked toward the back of the bank to answer the phone. I’d given a lot of myself to the bank today. I could answer one phone call and not feel bad about it.
“Hey, Mom. I’m at work, so it’s not the best time.”
“I’ll make it quick, but I just wanted to let you know that we’re heading over to the school now. Meet us on stage right, and we’ll have seats saved for you and Beth. Do you have your tickets? Did you get flowers?”