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Lara slowly climbed the stairs, full but far from happy. It was almost eleven o’clock, and she still hadn’t heard from Charlotte.

She should probably give up at this point.

She really wanted to text her, but she stopped herself, leaving her phone to charge on the nightstand while she got ready for a bath. As tired as she was, she knew she wouldn’t be able to sleep yet. She was too restless.

Lara got undressed and slipped on her charcoal gray robe. She hated being in this limbo. Charlotte hadn’t ended it, but she might as well have. It certainly felt like she had.

Lara sat on the edge of the bath and turned on the water, adding some salts, still feeling sorry for herself by the time she shrugged out of her robe and lowered herself into the warm water.

* * *

When Lara padded back into the bedroom, she went over to her phone to check the time but did a double take when she saw a message from Charlotte.

She’d sent it ten minutes ago.

Charlotte

Are you still awake?

Lara didn’t even debate making Charlotte wait.

Lara

Yes

Charlotte

Can I come over?

Lara’s stomach fell to the floor. That was it. Charlotte wanted to break up with her. In person. Tonight. She didn’t even want to wait until tomorrow.

Lara bit the inside of her cheek.

Lara

Yeah

Lara got dressed in a daze, putting on her pajama shorts and a black t-shirt, not even bothering with a bra. If she wasn’t going to bother getting dressed up for this, she wasn’t going to wear a bra either.

Lara left her hair tied up in a messy bun and slid her feet into her flip flops, making her way downstairs just as the doorbell rang.

Charlotte must have been circling the neighborhood, waiting for Lara to reply to her text.

Wow. She really wanted to end things. Fast.

Lara exhaled loudly before she unlocked the door, standing back to let Charlotte in.

“Hi,” Charlotte said softly. She shoved her hands in the pockets of her jeans. “I know it’s late.”

“It’s okay. This probably won’t take long.” Lara closed the door behind her.

“Oh.” Charlotte frowned. “I just wanted to apologize. For not believing you. I should have. And I’m so sorry.”

Lara blinked. Surely, she’d misheard Charlotte. “What?”

“I’m sorry. I don’t know how to make it up to you.”