Page 160 of With a Cherry On Top

“Can’t you just scream at me and be done with it?”

I don’t think I could even if I wanted to, and I struggle to picture a scenario in which I’dwantto scream at Charlotte. Even if she lied and kept this secret from me.

“No, I won’t raise my voice at you.”

“You can!” She waves me on. “Come on. Tell me I’m a liar. A bitch. That you wish you’d never met me, that I ruined your life.”

My brow furrows. That’s not “screaming” at her. That’s verbal abuse.

“I don’t think any of that. I just?—”

“It doesn’t matter,” she scolds likeI’mthe one missing the point. “You don’t have to mean every single thing—just sayit so you’ll feel better.” She doesn’t let me speak and insists, “Seriously, I can take it. I know I’m a bad person, Aaron. I told you from the start that I’d ruin everything. And I’m irresponsible. I should have kept away from you, but you showed me kindness, and I was selfish?—”

My chest tightens. “Charlotte?—”

“Tell me that I don’t deserve your time or your patience. That you’re sick of me, that I’ve pushed too far, that I exhaust you.” Her voice wavers, but she powers through, chin lifting like she’s bracing for a blow. “That you’d rather never see me again than deal with this shit one more time.”

She’s not just throwing words out, is she? That’s how her mother talks to her. Maybe how people at work do. Maybe men before me. “Charlotte, stop.”

“It’s okay, seriously.” Tears leak out of the corner of her eyes. “I just...please don’t leave. Please, don’t let this be the thing that breaks you.” Her shoulders drop an inch. “Please, I’m beg?—”

I wrap my arms around her and pull her to me.

She stiffens for half a second, like she doesn’t believe I’m really holding her, then she melts, her arms looping around my neck, her fingers fisting in the back of my shirt. Her breath is shaky against my shoulder, her body convulsing in my arms.

She’s wrong—about all of it. About what she deserves. About what I think of her. About how this ends.

“None of that is right, Charlotte. None of it is even remotely true, okay? Yes, I’m...hurt, I guess. Shocked too. But I willnever, for any reason, talk to you like that. Ever, you hear me?”

“But—”

“But nothing. You don’teverneed to beg me to stay.”

She nods, sniffling against my chest, when my phone vibrates inside my back pocket. I take it out and look at the caller ID.

Amelie, of course.

“I, uh . . .”

Charlotte nods, taking a moment to dry her tears. “Take it. It’s fine.”

“Hello?” I say, bringing the phone to my ear without letting go of Charlotte.

“Aaron?” Amelie says in a frantic voice. “Ian said he’ll send Robbie to your client tonight—I need your help.”

“O-okay.” I don’t think I can take more thrills today. “What’s up?”

“Remember I told you Barb had to leave yesterday? Well, her youngest is sick, and—everything’s okay, but she couldn’t come back to Roseberg.Of course, I missed her calls because I was shooting, and now?—”

“Woah, woah, okay.” She must be talking about Barbara Wilkow, the chef who’s taken her place at Daisy. “What do you need me to do?”

“Head to Daisy. Prep for dinner service is going to start soon, and they need a head chef.”

Wait, what?

CHAPTER 31

Sweet & Sour