The Space Between Us(53)

I came out of the dressing room and Reeve's eyes lit up.

"Yes, Charlie. You have to buy this. It's gorgeous. The coral color is  really pretty against your tan skin and dark hair. It's beautiful."

I turned to show her the back which was my favorite part. "I'll need a  strapless bra," I said. Reeve flipped her hand in the air as if to say,  ‘No problem'. "It is really pretty though."

"Asher will love it," Reeve said, not looking me in the eye anymore.

"I'm not trying to impress Asher."

"Of course not, but it never hurts to look good around your  ex-boyfriend." I shot her a glare. I wasn't sure how I liked the idea of  Asher being my ex-boyfriend. I didn't like that title for him. He was  so much more than just a boyfriend back then. He was the love of my  life, the person I was supposed to spend forever with. And even so, now  he wasn't just an ex, now he wanted to be my friend. That trumped the  ex-boyfriend status anyway. "Are you ever planning on telling him what  you saw that day?"

Her question caught me off-guard, it made my heart pump furiously in my chest.

"No."

"Why not?"

"What difference would it make? What happened, happened. There isn't  anything we can do to change things, Reeve. Bringing up the past,  throwing that in his face, it wouldn't help anyone."

"Talking to him about it might make you feel better. I'm not worried about him. I think talking about it would help you."

"No. It's not worth it. It would just cause problems."

"I asked him about it," Reeve stated. She calmly just dropped a bomb,  like she'd confessed to eating the last piece of pizza or something.

"Please tell me you didn't," I begged. I knew she had though. She always  prodded and poked and made people uncomfortable, even if she was just  trying to help and do what she thought was right.                       
       
           



       

"I didn't tell him you'd seen him. He doesn't know anything about it. I  just asked him if he was with anyone while you were pregnant, if he'd  cheated on you."

I froze. I couldn't understand why she would have asked him that,  especially since all of us knew the answer to the question. I turned  quickly and went back into the dressing room, peeling the dress off my  body, trying to get it off of me so I could get dressed and leave. I  wasn't comfortable talking about this. I hadn't anticipated this  conversation and I wasn't prepared to have it here, with her.

"Charlie, I'm sorry," she said from the other side of the thin drape  separating us. "I was so mad at him for what he did to you back then.  I've been angry at him for years. For abandoning you, for screwing that  other girl, for not being there for you through everything, for taking  my best friend from me." She went silent and I stood there, staring at  my feet, contemplating her words.

She'd lost a lot that day too. I had to take that into consideration. I  put on my clothes and opened the drape. I wrapped my arms around her and  pulled her to me.

"I'm sorry I've been gone for so long," I whispered into her hair. "I'm  sorry I've been absent, that I've been a terrible friend. I can't  apologize enough."

"You're forgiven, as long as you promise not to leave me again." She  pulled away and wiped a tear from her cheek, laughing a little as she  exhaled. "There's something else, Charlie."

Of course there was.

"What is it?" I asked hesitantly.

"He said he didn't do it."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean, I asked him if he'd slept with anyone and he said no. He was  actually a little offended that I even asked him. He seemed really  sincere."

"Reeve, I saw him with her." Instantly my mind flashed the image of that  girl on top of him. I closed my eyes, trying to block it out, but it's  impossible to escape your own mind. "It doesn't matter what he said, I  saw him with her. You can't argue with that."

"Why would he lie to me about it?"

"Why not! He probably feels like shit for what he did, knowing what  happened. Anyone would lie about that. He doesn't know I saw him, Reeve.  He doesn't know about any of it. Please, promise me you won't say  anything else to him about it."

"I won't. I promise. But I still think you should say something to him. Talk to him about it. It might help you."

My lungs started to constrict, my chest squeezing me too tight. I  couldn't have that conversation with him. I didn't want to listen to him  justify sleeping with her, telling me why I wasn't enough. I couldn't.  There was no need. I could imagine everything he would say and that was  torture enough for me.

"Can we just buy this dress and then look for a bra?" I pleaded with her  silently to let the topic drop. She looked right into my eyes for a few  moments, seemingly trying to figure out how much she wanted to push me.  Eventually, the corners of her mouth turned up slightly and I could  tell she was letting it drop.

"Sure. I know the perfect place."





Chapter Eleven

Charlie

Even though I felt silly about it, I had to take a few deep breaths  before I could walk up to the Carmichaels' door. How long had it been  since I was in this house? It was winter break my sophomore year of  college. Like a habit, I reached for the ring hanging around my neck and  made sure it was hidden beneath the fabric of my dress. Once I was sure  it was secure, I reached up to knock on the door. After a few moments,  it opened and I looked at a woman who I loved like a mother for so many  years.

"Charlie," she sighed, as if saying my name brought her some sort of  relief. I smiled because I was so happy to see her. She opened her arms  and I floated right into them, not even trying to pretend like I didn't  need to feel her comfort. "I'm so glad to see you," she said after she'd  held me for a few moments. I pulled away and smiled at her, genuinely,  which was something I was still getting used to.

"It's really good to see you too, Roberta" I said.

"I am so sorry about your father, Charlie. He was a good man and he loved you so much."

"Thank you. I appreciate that."

"Well, come on in. Everyone is in the family room," she said, leading me  towards the room where I spent much of my adolescent years.

I entered the large room and felt a warm sense of familiarity wash over  me. The room had newer furniture, but the walls were the same sage green  color they were so many years ago. A large flat-screen television hung  on one of the walls, an obvious update from the box TV Asher and I used  to watch scary movies on late into Saturday nights.                       
       
           



       

Reeve and her husband were sitting on a couch, her two children at her  feet. Asher's dad talked to Riley about something. It sounded like  sports talk, so I understood why Reeve had tuned out and was making  faces at Ryder.

Asher leaned against one of the walls, but stood up straight when I  entered. Our eyes met and I saw a smile come across his face. Before I  could stop myself I returned it. He walked over to me and I noticed his  mother moved away, heading into the kitchen.

"Charlie," he said as he came to stop a foot or two in front of me. "I'm so glad you decided to come."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"I decided it would be stupid of me to turn down a friendship. It seems I  could use a friend or two," I said, my eyes flitting over to Reeve, who  gave me a smile in return.

"Well, I'm glad you could make it."

"Thank you for the flowers too. They are beautiful." I saw his eyes  sparkle and I tried to keep the blushing warmth from reaching my face.

"Anytime," he said calmly.

"I think I'll go see if your mom needs help with anything," I said  quietly. I turned and let my memory carry me to the kitchen. I walked in  and saw Mrs. Carmichael standing at an island in the middle of the  kitchen.

"Wow. You remodeled your kitchen. It looks amazing." Dark granite  matched well with the black cabinets. The darkness of the counters and  cabinets were contrasted against the beige walls.

"It only took me ten years to convince Adam to let me do it," she said  with a laugh. "It was a pain in the butt. It took two months longer than  it was supposed to and I'll never do it again, but I do love this  kitchen," she said wistfully as she looked around the room.

"Can I help you with anything?" I smiled at her, wanting her to give me something to do to keep me occupied.

"Sure. If you'd like to prepare the salad, everything is out on the counter already. I would just need you to chop and toss."

"I think I can handle that." I started chopping up vegetables and  placing them in the large bowl placed out on the countertop. We worked  in companionable silence for a few minutes before she spoke up.