“Ash mentioned when Charlotte made that confession, she immediately acted like she regretted it. I’m sure she knew Ash would tell me, and I would tell you.”
“But why wouldn’t she tell me?”
“Maybe she didn’t want you to worry, and that’s why she didn’t mention it. You have been acting extremely protective of her since—the incident,” Winston points out.
What the actual fuck? Winston makes it sound so casual. Like she got lost when she went to the supermarket.
“Of course I’ve been overprotective of her.” I rise to my feet, ready to bolt. “That assholekidnappedmy wife and God knows what he planned to do to her. I’m sure he wasn’t going to just let her go and hope we would all forget about it.”
I’m headed for Winston’s office door, ready to leave when he calls to me, “Perry, come on—”
“No.” I whirl on him, jabbing my index finger in his direction. “You can’t tell me not to be upset. You can tell me not to do stuff that’ll hurt the family image if the press got wind of it, but give me a break, don’t forget you lost your fucking mind when those triplets threatened Ash. When the Morellis did. When anyone did. Hell, you were ready to bust my face in when you thought I was flirting with her, and I’m your fucking brother. I feel the same exact way about Charlotte that you feel about Ash. The same way. Knowing that he touched a single hair on her head, that he grabbed her tight enough that he bruised her—” A ragged breath leaves me and I shake my head. “He’s fucked. You know this.”
Winston’s expression is solemn as he watches me. “You’re right. He is fucked.”
The tension slips from my body at his admission. I’m glad he agrees with me. I was starting to go a little crazy, dealing with my emotions when it comes to Charlotte.
“Have you told your wife you’re in love with her yet?”
I gape at him. “What the hell?”
“You don’t feel that way about a woman unless you’re in love with her. I know, I know, it’s hard to wrap your brain around,” he says when I start to protest. “I’m not one to express my feelings of love.” Winston sneers. Pretty sure he hates admitting he has any emotion that’s not related to anger. “I don’t feel anything most of the time—with the exception of Ash. I think you might be dealing with the same… issues.”
“I’m not in love with her,” I say automatically, turning on my heel and making my escape from my brother’s office.
“Liar!” he calls after me.
But I ignore him.
Chapter Thirteen
Charlotte
It was difficult,convincing my husband to return to the office, but necessary. Perry is not made to work from home.
And Perry is also a hovering, overattentive husband who sort of drove me crazy after a while.
The moment he left for work earlier, I remained in bed for most of the morning, doing a little research on my phone. With Perry now gone all day, I’m going to concentrate on myself and look into taking some college courses online. It’s still hard for me to leave the apartment for any length of time. I get too worked up, too anxious.
I thought about looking into architecture again, but looking over the class requirements, all I could think of was Seamus, so that won’t work.
I’ve decided to look into interior design courses instead.
Once I’ve sent an email to a counselor asking to schedule an appointment, I finally request Jasper to bring me a late breakfast, which he gleefully delivers to me on a tray.
The man was ecstatic I actually requested something to eat, which hasn’t happened in a while. I only wanted bland wheat toast—almost burnt to a crisp and with light butter—and sliced strawberries. That’s all my stomach could take. He tried to convince me to have some Greek yogurt but just thinking of the creamy substance made me want to hurl.
Hard pass on that.
After I finally climbed out of bed, I took a shower. Sat out on the balcony and absorbed the late fall afternoon sun. The weather keeps tricking us. Rain. Sunny. Sunny. Rain. Soon enough it will be winter and nothing but stormy gray skies and snow, so I have to take advantage where I can.
“I must say, you look lovely this afternoon, Miss Charlotte,” Jasper announces when he joins me on the terrace, delivering a cup of tea.
I tip my head back and stare up at the blue sky, noting the dots of fluffy white clouds. “It’s the sunshine. It’s adding color back into my skin.”
“I think someone is feeling a little freer than usual.”
Glancing over at him, I squint my eyes. “Are you onto me, Jasper?”