Page 66 of Made for Wilde

“You sure you’re okay?” I settle onto the stool beside her, my own plate in front of me.

“I’m sure.” She takes a small bite of eggs, chewing slowly. “Just one of those things, you know? Probably didn’t sleep well.”

I let it go, but something nags at the back of my mind. She’s been tired lately, I realize. Going to bed earlier, sleeping later. I’d chalked it up to the stress of moving, of keeping our relationship secret, but now I’m not so sure.

Before I can dwell on it further, her phone vibrates loudly on the counter, breaking the moment.

Charlotte’s face transitions from contentment to panic as she reads the screen. Not good.

“What is it?” I ask.

She swallows hard. “It’s my dad.”

My chest constricts at the mention of Jason. The guilt I’ve mostly managed to bury resurfaces whenever his name comes up. He still has no idea his best friend is sleeping with hisdaughter, that she’s been living in my cabin for nearly a month now.

“He wants to have lunch tomorrow.” Charlotte’s voice shakes slightly. “That he has something important to discuss with me.”

She turns the phone toward me, her blue eyes wide with apprehension. I take it from her hand, reading the message for myself.

*Hey sweetheart, can you meet me for lunch tomorrow at Piney Creek? Around noon? Got something important I want to talk to you about. Love you.*

“Do you think he knows?” Charlotte paces the small kitchen. “About us, I mean? Why else would he say it’s important?”

I set the phone down, considering my response carefully. “If he knew about us, he wouldn’t be texting. He’d be up here with his shotgun.”

The joke falls flat. Charlotte runs her hands through her hair, a nervous habit I’ve come to recognize over these weeks together.

“This isn’t funny, Koda. What if someone saw us together? What if he heard something?” Her voice rises with each question. “He’s going to kill us. Kill you, specifically.”

I cross to her, catching her hands in mine to still their anxious movement. “Hey. Take a breath.”

She inhales deeply, some of the panic receding from her eyes.

“Listen to me. Jason doesn’t know.” I keep my voice calm. “I know your dad. If he had even a hint about us, he wouldn’t be cryptic. He’d confront it head-on.”

Charlotte’s shoulders drop slightly. “You’re sure?”

“Positive.” I squeeze her hands gently.

What I don’t tell her is that I have a pretty good guess what Jason wants to discuss, given what he told me back at The Summit a few weeks ago. But I keep this information to myself. It’s not my place to spoil whatever Jason has planned. Besides,Charlotte has enough on her mind without worrying about her father’s dating life on top of our relationship.

“I still don’t like it.” Charlotte pulls away, wrapping her arms around herself. “What am I supposed to say to him? I’m a terrible liar, Koda. He’ll take one look at my face and know something’s up.”

I lean against the counter, watching her. “You don’t have to lie. Just don’t volunteer information.”

“Easy for you to say.” She shoots me a look. “You’re not the one who has to sit across from him tomorrow.”

“No,” I acknowledge. “But I’ve known your dad a lot longer than you have.”

This earns me a small smile, just a quirk of her lips, but it’s enough to ease some of the tension in the room.

Charlotte nods. “I know. It’s just... every time I talk to him, I feel like I’m betraying him. He trusts me. He trusts you.”

The guilt that’s always simmering beneath the surface bubbles up, hot and acidic. She’s right. Jason does trust me. And I’ve betrayed that trust in the most fundamental way possible by falling in love with his daughter.

But I can’t bring myself to regret it. Not when Charlotte has brought light back into my life, purpose back into my days. Not when she looks at me like I’m something worth loving, scars and all.

“Come here.” I hold out my hand, and after a moment’s hesitation, she takes it.