"You believe me, don't you? I've always known it's what I was meant to do."
Charlotte could only nod. If she said just one thing, she was afraid she'd end up crying.
"Just like I've always known I was meant for you."
She reacted unthinkingly, her hand already balling into a fist, but this time Landon caught her hand mid-punch, and before Charlotte could draw her next breath, Landon already had her pinned down on the couch, and his tall, ruggedly hard body was weighing down on hers.
Charlotte's heart was racing so fast she was seriously worried she might soon run out of breath. He had never been this close to her before, and the hard heat of Landon's body was making her dizzy. She could feel him staring down at her, and it was making her mouth dry. But when she started to lick her lips, it was then she heard him curse—-
"Damn..."
Charlotte held her breath. Had she finally gotten to him? Were they finally going to do all the things that the other kids in school imagined they were doing? Was he finally going to—-
"Is that a double chin I'm seeing?"
—-get his ass kicked again?
Charlotte kneed him in the groin, and as he rolled off with a groan, she scrambled away and ran for the door. Enough was enough. There were times for jokes, but this wasn't one of it, and—-
"Charles, wait—-"
Landon managed to grab her wrist just as she was about to yank their front door open, but before she could push him away, he already had her back against the door as he spun her around to face him.
"I'm sorry, okay?"
She was usually a sucker for Landon's cajoling tone, but now it just made her heart hurt even more, and she saw Landon's gorgeous features lose color as she started to cry.
"God, Charles. I'm sorry—-"
"Do you really not like me?" She saw Landon flinch at her question, and the sight had her tears falling faster. "Stop leading me on. It's too cruel. Just tell me, once and for all, do you—-"
"It's not that simple," Landon gritted out between clenched teeth.
"It is that simple," Charlotte cried out. "You're the only one who's making it complicated!"
But this time, Landon's lips only tightened.
"Do you remember when you walked in on me while I was trying out my first bikini?" she demanded shakily.
"I don't."
But the way his jaw clenched told her he was lying.
"It's been three years since then," she whispered. "That's how long I've been waiting for you to make a move. To ask me out. To tell me you like me. But you never have. You just keep flirting, but you never follow through—-"
"Because I can't—-"
"Bullshit!" Charlotte wasn't sure who was more surprised more between them. She had never been the type to swear, but she finally had enough, and now she felt as if she were about to implode.
"Charles—-"
She turned her face sharply to the side when he tried touching her. "No!" She heard him suck his breath in at her tone, but she no longer cared. "I thought at first you were just worried it would ruin our friendship, but now I r-realized it wasn't that at all." Her voice caught, and she had to swallow several times to keep herself from completely breaking down. "It was never that. It's really because you just never liked me enough—-"
"You have it all wrong," Landon cut in harshly. "It's because I like you too much that I never let myself make a move—-"
He tried cupping her face, but Charlotte shook her head wildly against this. "You don't have to lie—-"
"Why would you think I'm lying?" he growled. "Have I ever lied to you?"
Charlotte wanted to say yes, but if she did, then she would be the one uttering a lie.
"I meant what I said, Charles." Landon's voice was rough. "You're it for me—-"
She wanted to believe him so, so much. But how could she when he had never—-
"And that's why I could never risk hurting you. I saw how hard it was for Aunt Aggie, when Uncle Billy was still on active duty. It killed her every time she had to let him go for another tour, and I didn't want that for you. I wanted—-"
"For me to belong to someone else?"
Landon was never the type to lose his temper, but the expression that flashed over his features was so vicious it scared even her.
"That's never going to happen."
Her knees knocked against each other even as the dangerous softness of his voice made her shiver.
"You're mine, Charles—-"
"Then stop pushing me away! Even if you think it's for my own good, just don't. I'd rather fall in love," she said fiercely, "and risk getting my heart broken rather than to never have either tasted pain or love."
"God, Charles..."
Landon reached for her face again, and this time she simply kept still until her cheeks felt the warm, tender brush of his fingers.