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“No.I’m not going to letyou destroy yourself.”
Gritting her teeth, shewatched as the nurses left his office, and all fight left her.Shewas exhausted, tired, and fed up.“I’m tired of fighting.I’m tiredof feeling,” she said.
“How we react tocircumstances within our life is what defines us,Charlotte.”
“That’s a nice way ofsaying that I’m fucking up.”
Williams sighed.“You’rein pain.You’ve been handed a life that you don’t deserve.I’mgoing to make sure I can help repair the damage that has beencaused to you.”
“You can’t fix me.I’m notsome kind of puzzle.”
“I know, but I can createa foundation within you that makes you strong enough to fight.Ican’t let you out of here, Charlotte.”
“What do I have to do?”she asked.
“You’ve got to learn tofight the pain, to keep on trying.”
Gash entered the room, pulling her outof her thoughts.
****
“What’s wrong?”Gashasked.
Charlotte had disappeared fromthe table,and he’d seen the change within her.As he stared at her now, thesmiling woman was gone, replaced by this sorrowful shell.Shelooked like Charlotte, acted like her, but it wasn’t her.Seeingher like this, all he wanted to do was find Jeff and Rebecca.Before heading upstairs, Whizz had promised to have the informationhe needed by the end of the night.
“Nothing.”
“Don’t lie.”
“You have a wonderfulfamily.”
“Charlotte?”
She shook her head.“It’s okay, really.I’m fine.I’m just thinking that once we handle Jeff and Rebecca,that I need to make sure I still have a job when I getback.”
“You really think I’m going tolet you go back to your real life afterall of this?”He closed the bedroomdoor, not wanting anyone to hear their conversation.Charlotte wasa private person.Gash wasn’t that insensitive, and he rememberedeverything about Charlotte.The night they shared together wasstill foggy in his mind, but he was so damn happy knowing it wasCharlotte.He’d been attracted to her even back then, but shereminded him a little of Angel.She was the kind of woman a manlike him looked at but didn’t touch.
“Once you get what youwant, there’s going to be no need for me here.”
“Seven years ago I fucked a womanand I thought I was hallucinating.Seven years ago I was accused ofrape and murder, and sentenced to a prison cell.Seven years ago,you were put through hell because you tried to help me.You maythink there’s nothing between us, but I’m not going to deny shitbetween us.”
“Gash—”
“No, I’m not going to makeexcuses.We would have had a chance if I had fucking rememberedthat we were together.This is real between us, and I’m not goingto be the one denying it.You belong to me just like I belong toyou.”
Tears filled her eyes, and he sank hisfingers into her hair, turning her face to stare at him.“We’ve gota history, and it’s time we had a future together.Too much hasbeen taken from us.Don’t let them win, Charlotte.”
She smiled.“You sound like mydoctor.”
“Doctor?”
“Doctor Williams.I was hispatient for five years, and he’s the one that supported me when Ifinally got sane enough to leave.He saved my life several times,and became my rock.He still checks in every now and again to makesure I’m still strong.”
He didn’t like the sudden strike ofjealousy that hit him.Gash didn’t even know the doctor, and yet hedidn’t like the relationship he’d started withCharlotte.
“I’m here now.”No one was going totake care of Charlotte but him.
“I’m not ill, Gash.I’mfine, and I’m sane.”She chuckled.“Apart from the fact I’ve agreedto kill someone with you.That’s a bit fucked up.”