Chapter Four

Charlotte

"I don't even want to go to School tomorrow," Karla complained as she kicked a small pebble.

Herbert, Karla's basset hound, tried to chase after it but it fell off the sidewalk, and Herbert knew not to go onto the street without permission. He looked up at her in question but she wasn't paying any attention to him.

"No Herbert," I commanded. He looked down in disappointment but came back to walk between us anyways. Turning back to Karla, I asked, "Is this about Ben?"

I hated seeing my best friend like this. Karla was always such an outgoing, talkative, carefree gal who was maybe just a little too outspoken and reckless. This depressed side of her was so rare I didn't even know how to respond to it.

She let out a heavy breath. "Of course it is about Ben. I just don't think I'm going to be able to face him and Rikki. It's so embarrassing."

I stopped in my tracks and raised my eyebrow. "Kare, you have nothing to be embarrassed about."

"He dumped me for her!"

"Because you weren't ready to have sex with him yet! What does that say about him?" I challenged, "What does that say about her?" I grabbed her shoulders and lightly squeezed them. "Look at me." When her eyes met mine, I continued, "If anyone should feel embarrassed it is them."

"I guess so."

She didn't sound very convincing, but I knew if I badgered her anymore it would only annoy her, so I started walking forward again. After a few moments I finally broke the silence with, "Well at least your brother and cousins haven't heard about what happened." I grinned. "Otherwise Ben would be the one missing school tomorrow."

"No," she denied. "They wouldn't beat him up that badly."

I laughed. "Are you kidding me? Those four guys would probably kill for you!"

"What four guys?"

Karla and I both spun around and I almost tripped over Herbert. Christian was standing a few feet down the sidewalk from us...in nothing but his pyjama bottoms. My mouth fell agape, and my heart leaped. If there were ever a more perfect sight to behold, I'm sure I'd never live to witness it.

Of course I'd seen Christian without a shirt on quite a few times in my life, but no matter how many times I saw him like this, I would never get used to it. There should be a law against being that gorgeous. His hard, sculptured muscles almost glistened in the morning sun. I couldn't help but imagine what it would feel like to be pressed up against his rock-like chest. My body heated up from the mere thought of it.

"Umm, Chris, what are you doing?" Karla asked very carefully like she was talking to a mental patient.

Leaning up against a street lamp post, Christian folded his arms together. "Mom said I have to wait till you get your pancakes first, I'm hungry and you two were taking too long." His eyes landed on me, and for the first time since I'd become friends with Karla, he was actually seeing me. There was a sense of acknowledgment in his gaze.

"So you decided to come all the way down the street looking for us in nothing but P.J bottoms?" Karla was the one to fold her arm together now. "You couldn't have just texted me?"

Christian looked down at himself and his eyes widened very briefly before a smirk settled onto his lips. It was obvious—to me anyways—that he didn't even realized that he wasn't fully dressed, and the thought of texting her never crossed his mind.

He looked back up at us. "Well, I needed the exercise and I didn't really think anyone would mind." He turned to me and grinned wickedly. "You don't mind, do you Charlie?"

Christian Steele was really talking to me. And, oh dear god, he was actually looking at me in that teasing way I'd seen him look at his lady friends. Excitement slowly began to spread within me, but before I was fully consumed by it, reality busted in.

He was looking at me the way he looked at his little play things. That smile wasn't the kind you gave to the person you cared about. That wasn't the way a boyfriend looked at his girlfriend. No, that was the way a man looked at a stripper. That was the way a predator looked at their prey.

After all these years of wishing and dreaming of this moment, now that it was actually happening, I finally realized the dangers of it. Christian was not going to settle down, and he was especially not going to do it with me. He would use and abuse me like he did to every girl he got his grasp on. I couldn't let that happen.

I wouldn't let that happen.

I looked up and realized Christian and Karla were waiting for me to answer.

I took a deep breath and tried to muster as much courage as I could. I didn't want to stutter. I wasn't going to stutter. And, thank god, when I spoke my voice came out firm and steady. "Actually, I do."

His eyes widened and his lips fell. "What?"

"There are many kids, and elderly who live on this street and I don't think it's really proper for you to be walking around in your sleep-wear." Keep going, you can do it! "And maybe some of your more promiscuous friends might enjoy the company of a half-naked man, but I feel rather offended by it."

My biggest flaw as a teenager was speaking like an adult. A lot of the kids at School made fun of me because I spoke with a lot of big word, and used proper English rather than slang, and usually I despised my tendency to talk like that. But at this moment I was rather proud of it—especially when I saw the look of utter shock masking Christian's face.

Karla burst into laughter. She put her arm through mine and started pulling me toward her house, still laughing hysterically. "That-was-awesome!" She said between breaths. "Seriously, Charlie, you sure know how to cheer a gal up!"

I glanced back and saw Christian trailing behind us with Herbert. He had a look on his face I couldn't quite decipher. He didn't look upset though. If anything he looked like he was lost in his own thoughts. But there was a sense of amusement that seemed to sparkle in his blue-green eyes, and there was something else.

It was something more serious.

When I turned my head back toward the house I realized what it was—determination.

This was not good. Not good at all.