I ordered my drink, and we remained silent until the barista placed the tall glass with my iced latte in front of me.
"D, I—"
"What ha—" We started at the same time, and Charlie grinned crookedly.
The flutter in my chest reminded me of how it used to be between us. I returned the expression. "You first." I motion for him to continue before picking up my caffeine fix and taking a sip.
His chest rose as he drew in a long breath. Holding my gaze, he said the last thing I expected to hear. "I owe you an apology."
I didn't let my surprise show, keeping my face blank. "Thank you."
While it was too late to repair the damage, I no longer held on to my hate.
"I should've contacted you years ago." He lowered his gaze to his coffee in front of him and wrapped his fingers around it. "But I was too… It doesn't matter. I ruined something great, and I'm truly sorry for that."
I had no doubt that his remorse was genuine. "I appreciate you saying it." The corners of my mouth tilted upward on their own. I didn't have to force the sympathy on my face.
"I came back to Westbridge after college. I ran into Oli one day, and he told me you had moved to New York. I may or may not have followed you online for years," he admitted coyly.
"My brother never told me." I slanted my head, searching my memory for Oli mentioning seeing Charlie.
"He clocked me good that day," Charlie massaged the side of his chin.
"He what?" I sat up straighter, clenching my teeth. That explained why he didn't confess. Oli knew I wouldn't have wanted him to defend my honor. I did that all on my own when IdonatedCharlie's belongings.
"I deserved it." My ex shrugged. "I was high as a kite and in a drunken stupor most of my freshman and sophomore year. I took the whole college experience too far. I wasn't coping well."
Confusion spread through me. "Coping with what?"
"My parents were separating. They kept it from me until I was out of the house. Then, they didn't have to keep up the charade any longer, and things fell apart quickly."
"Why did you never say anything?"
His hold on his mug tightened until the tendons on his knuckles showed. "Why does anyone decide to keep secrets? Insecurity? Embarrassment? Avoidance?"
A hollow sensation settled in my chest. If he only knew how spot-on he was with that.
"I understand."
This time, I shocked him. "You do?"
"We all keep secrets from the people we love at one point or another." I pressed my lips into a thin line before I elaborated any further. "What happened to Kelly?" I needed to redirect the topic—not that this would be a less emotional conversation.
Charlie let go of his drink and rubbed his palms over his face. Leaning back in the bench seat, he folded his arms across his chest. "It was an accident."
Holding my breath, I waited.
"Mom was visiting my aunt at her beach house. We went there once…" He trailed off as he looked to the upper left, probably recalling the trip we took his senior year at Westbridge High.
"I remember," I whispered. His aunt's vacation home was on a small island connected by an endless bridge to the mainland.
"Mom was heading into town. Aunt Carol said Mom wasn't feeling well—she had been having headaches for a while—and wanted to go to the pharmacy for some migraine stuff. She had run out, and my aunt didn't have anything strong enough. Aunt Carol had a broken foot, which was why Mom was visiting in the first place. So, she couldn't go get it for Mom."
Icy suspicion slowly began to slither through my veins. I didn't like where this was going.
"The medical examiner said she blacked out while she was on the bridge. Her car went through the rail, and…" Tears were running down Charlie's face.
Please, God, no!