Page 4 of Cinder & Secrets (Ink & Ashes #2)

Charlotte

Lyric: What time are you getting here tomorrow?

I stare at the text message, my fingers hovering over the screen as I contemplate my response.

Me: Never.

I quickly delete the message and retype a new one.

Me: Actually, I can’t make it.

Delete.

I want to back out so badly I can taste it, and yet I can’t seem to bring myself to do it. In the two weeks since she asked me, it’s all I’ve done—contemplated how to get out of it, and now it’s here, and I know I can’t.

It’s not that I don’t want to see Lyric.

Of course I do. And after five weeks back at home, I could use the escape.

If my mom makes me go to another spin class with her, I might run away and never come back.

Not that I’m against exercise, but riding on a stationary bike while a woman yells at me to go faster is not really my cup of tea.

My reasons for not wanting to go should be pretty obvious.

Her brother.

You know the one... The one who stopped texting me entirely about three weeks ago and now is completely ghosting me. Yeah, that one.

Though the way it stands, a run-in with River is highly unlikely.

From what Lyric has told me, she hasn’t seen much of him this summer.

Not that I asked. It just happened to come up in conversation.

I gently pushed, curiosity getting the better of me, and was relieved to learn that it was because he has a new job and not that he has a new woman in his life.

He had told me a while back that he had applied for a new job at some big firm but hadn’t heard back yet.

The way Lyric talked, he’d been trying to get on at this place for a while, so I can only assume it’s the same firm he told me about.

I just wish he had shared the good news with me himself instead of having to hear it from his sister.

He’s the only person I’ve ever met who could make cybersecurity sound sexy.

I swear, I could listen to him talk about what he does for a living for hours and never tire of it.

Then again, I could listen to that man read the phone book and be thoroughly entertained, so I guess that’s not saying an awful lot.

I digress...

He has a new job. He’s not going to be there. I have no reason to be stressed.

But if that’s true, then why do I feel like my stomach is about to fall out of my butt at the mere thought of being so close to where he is?

Rejection does not look good on me, I’ll admit. It’s making me petty.

I should call Lyric, explain that something came up last minute. But that doesn’t sound like me at all. I’ve never been this person. A person who hides from uncomfortable things. And definitely not a woman who allows a man to dictate what I do.

I glance up, catching sight of my reflection in my vanity mirror. Same pale skin. Same auburn hair. Same green eyes. I look the same. But as of late, I don’t feel the same. And I think it’s about time I changed that.

I’m going to North Carolina. And if River Parker does end up gracing us with his presence, and I sure hope he does, then I’ll be there to show him exactly what he’s missing out on.

Me: Noon.

I hit send, finally answering Lyric’s earlier message.

Guess there’s no backing out now...

“I can’t believe I’ve been here for two days and I haven’t seen that man of yours.

I thought you two were attached at the hip.

” I let my head lull toward Lyric, who’s stretched out on the chair next to me in a two-piece bathing suit I couldn’t have paid her to wear at the start of last year.

I think it’s safe to say a lot has changed since then.

“He only comes down like every other weekend.”

“How’s that been?”

“Considering we spent nearly every waking moment together for the last few months... Lonely.” She pouts out her lower lip.

“Sounds like I’m not the only one ready to get back to campus.” I turn my face back up toward the sky, breathing in the salty sea air.

“I know why I want to go back. I’m a little surprised that you do, though. You hate school.” She snorts out a laugh.

“I don’t hate school. I actually love school. Just not the classroom part of it.” A smirk tugs at my mouth.

“Still haven’t heard from Conner?” She guesses. And by Conner, she unknowingly means River, which makes me feel like a dick bag of a friend.

I mean, technically, I didn’t do anything wrong. River and I were never a thing. We just talked... a lot.

“It’s for the best, I think.” I try to make myself believe the lie. “We’re just in very different places in our lives. He’s already done all this.” I gesture around at nothing in particular. “He’s an adult, living an adult life, and I... Well, I’m not.”

“You’re nineteen.” Lyric points out my flawed logic. “Technically, you’re both adults. A handful of years in age doesn’t change that if the connection is there. Look at me and Kai. We’re four years apart and we’re making it work.”

“Yeah, but Kai is still in school. Albeit graduate school, but still school. He’s still working toward what he wants to be. Conner’s already there.” I blow out a breath. “Honestly, I’m kind of relieved,” I softly admit.

“What do you mean?” Lyric rolls to her side to face me, propping her arm under her head.

“With Conner, I didn’t know who I was. Like, he made me question everything about myself. I was constantly trying to prove that I was good enough.”

“You?” She slides her sunglasses down on the bridge of her nose to really look at me. “You should never have to prove you’re worthy of any man. You’re Charlotte freaking O’Malley. Any guy would be beyond lucky to be with you.”

“You’re just saying that because you’re my friend.”

“No, I’m saying it because it’s true. You are the most fearless, fun, beautiful person I have ever met. And you forget I’ve seen guys quite literally line up to talk to you at parties. And they should because you’re incredible. Don’t ever let anyone make you feel anything less than that.”

I stare at my friend for a long moment, the truth so close to the tip of my tongue that it almost slips past my lips... Almost.

I don’t deserve a friend like Lyric. She’s loyal, supportive, the easiest person to talk to, the friend I seek out above any other when I need to vent. She never judges. She just listens and somehow understands, and even if she doesn’t understand, she tries to.

When she walked into our dorm on move-in day wearing a very modest sundress and those freaking Converse of hers, I thought, oh great, I’ve been roomed with a Goodie Two-shoes who’s going to make this year so dull and will probably nark on me every chance she gets.

And while she very much is a good girl, even if Kai has brought her out of her shell a bit, she’s not at all who I expected her to be.

I thought she would be a nuisance. Instead, she became my best friend.

And here I am, lying straight to her face over something that’s not even that big of a deal.

Again, it’s not like I slept with her brother and lied about it.

Nothing physical has ever happened. And truth be told, Lyric doesn’t seem like the kind of person who would care.

So then why is it that I can’t bring myself to just tell her the truth?

“I’m going to tell Maisie you said that I was the most beautiful,” I say with a straight face, unable to hold it for more than a few seconds before I start laughing.

“Screw Conner.” She grins, not taking the bait.

“Screw Conner,” I agree.

“We should go out tonight.”

“We should.”

“There’s this amazing little place not far from here. They have the best crab cakes you’ll ever eat, and if we’re lucky, River’s friend Evan will be working, and he’ll slip a little rum into our virgin daiquiris.”

“Who are you and what have you done with sweet little Lyric?” I tease.

Ten months ago, we had to beg her to go out and even then, she rarely drank. Now here she is, suggesting not only that we drink, but that we do so illegally. Is it bad to say that I’m proud of how far she’s come?

“Ha. Ha.” She sticks her tongue out at me. “If I haven’t said it already, I’m really glad you’re here.”

“Yeah, me too.” Despite the hesitation I had in coming here, now that I’m here, I really am enjoying myself.

Granted, I just got here yesterday, but so far so good.

“What do you say we head back to the house and grab some food? I don’t know about you, but the sun makes me ravenous.”

“I could eat.”

“Money says my mom already has a five-course meal prepared for us.” She chuckles, pushing herself upright. “She never knows what to do with herself over summer break.”

“I kinda get why you want to be a teacher now. Getting every summer off is definitely a perk.”

“Not at all why I want to be a teacher, but yes, it certainly is an added bonus,” she agrees, grabbing her beach bag before proceeding to stuff her towel and sunscreen inside.

“It’ll come in handy when you and Kai start knocking out little runway models.”

“Oh Lord, way too early for that kind of talk.” She stands, reaching for my towel, which I quickly slip off my chair and hand to her before standing myself.

“You know it’s going to happen one day.”

“I hope so.” She smiles softly, more to herself than at me. “Just not for a very long time.”

“When you two finally decide to tie the knot, I call maid of honor. I don’t care if Maisie has known Kai her whole life. I call dibs.”

“I’ll let you two figure that one out when the time comes. Luckily, we’ve got a while.” She rolls her big, beautiful hazel eyes.

Lyric is one of those girls who’s so unaware of her own beauty that it only makes her even more beautiful.

She’s small and petite, with long brown hair and the cutest freaking freckles that pepper her nose.

The kind of cute you wish you could bottle up and sell.

And she’s completely oblivious to the effect she has on other people.

She took the most notorious womanizer in school and made him a one-woman man. That in itself should tell you everything you need to know.