Page 45 of Shadowing Charlotte

Chapter forty-five

Charlotte

I woke long before the alarm, rolling over and wrapping my arm around Lex.

We'd spent all of Sunday at home, watching movies on the couch and ordering in for dinner.

Alexander and I had debated over what saga we wanted to binge.

Lex was just as much of a nerd a I was. He wanted to watch Star Wars, I insisted on Harry Potter.

Eventually, we compromised and chose something else entirely.

By the time we finished the series, it was well after midnight.

"Lex…" I whined his name, pulling the covers up around us. "I don't want to go to work."

"Yes, you do," he replied, a long yawn following the statement. "You love your job, Charlie."

"But I don't wanna," I insisted, sinking beneath the covers, as if that could stop the alarm clock from ringing.

"While you're down there, you gonna blow me?" he asked, laughing when I playfully nipped his chest. He darted beneath the covers, wrapping me in his arms. and tickling me until I let out an undignified squeal.

"Alright, alright! I'm up!" I sighed, throwing the blanket off of us.

Alexander was right. As much as I longed to stay in bed with him, I did adore my job, and I wanted to keep it.

The last thing I needed was to call in or show up late again.

The room was silent as I dug through my drawers for underwear, but I felt Alexander's eyes following me.

"Make yourself useful and get the coffee going, will you? " I asked as I pulled my clothes on.

Alexander groaned, hesitantly dragging himself upright.

By the time I dressed and went to the bathroom to do my makeup, Alexander had a cup ready, setting it on the counter for me.

"Thank you, baby," I murmured as I raked the mascara wand through my lashes.

"What are your plans for the day?" I called out as he retreated.

I received no answer from the kitchen, but he returned a few minutes later, coffee in hand.

"Job hunting."

"Your private investigating isn't going well?" I asked, smirking at him in the mirror.

"I pissed my former client off and he complained to his rich friends. Normal people don't hire investigators unless it's life or death, so… Maybe something in security."

"Security?" I repeated skeptically, glancing at him as I patted blush on my cheeks.

"Yeah, well, I've been certified before. It's mostly easy work." I paused, dropping the brush on the counter, frowning.

"You could get hurt."

"Well, yeah, but there's risk of being hurt pretty much everywhere." he replied with a shrug, sipping on his coffee.

"Alexander," I breathed in warning, staring at him in the mirror. "I don't like it." The thought of him patrolling areas alone, putting himself in danger, set me on edge.

"Charlie, there's just as much risk investigating people as there is in security." he insisted, leaning against the doorway. "Following people around can be just as dangerous. All it takes is one person to catch on, and I could have a gun pulled on me."

"Gun laws—"

Alexander laughed, cutting off my words. "Charlie, I knew half a dozen guys in school that illegally obtained guns." I wrinkled my nose at him.

"What kind of guys were you hanging out with in school?" I asked.

"The kind I wouldn't want you anywhere near," he replied with a crooked grin. I shook my head and took another sip of coffee, tossing my makeup back in my bag.

"Promise me that you'll be careful," I requested gently, wrapping my arms around his neck. I couldn't lose him, not now. Not after I was sure I wanted to spend the rest of my life with him at my side. We had only just exchanged 'I love you's, but I was already picturing our future together.

"I'll be careful, princess," he assured me, leaning down to capture my lips in a gentle, reassuring kiss.

"I have to pick up my Jeep today," I reminded him.

It had taken the autobody shop weeks to finally get the part they needed, but it was finally ready.

"I'll take you after work," he said, giving me one more peck before leaving me to finish getting ready .

As I entered Hewart, my phone vibrated repeatedly in my purse, but I ignored it, dropping the bag beneath the desk and setting down my coffee. I poured through my emails, carefully reviewing the memos Morgan had sent out. By the time lunch rolled around, my phone had vibrated nearly a dozen times.

Oh Charlotte

Little Lottie

You can't ignore me forever.

You and I

Need to have a little talk

Come on

We were together for a year

Doesn't that mean anything?

Charlotte?

Answer me!

Fucking bitch

Adam had texted me almost back-to-back. Even through the phone, I could feel the way his messages had grown angrier, more hysterical. I swallowed the thick, sour lump in my throat when the next message came in—a picture of him standing in my bedroom.

This time, I didn't hesitate, doing what I should have done weeks before. I called the police and explained everything, including the fact that he'd just broken into my home. Twenty minutes later, just before I had to clock in from lunch, an officer arrived to take my statement.

Officer Stevenson listened attentively as I repeated what I had told their dispatch.

He took notes, occasionally asking me a question.

When we were finally finished, he took a call and then informed me that the lock of the front door had been tampered with, but no one had been found in the residence.

"I promise you, we're going to look into this, Miss Emmerson," he assured me with a nod, handing me his card.

The moment he was gone, I called Alexander.

"Everything okay?" he asked immediately. "There's been a patrol car parked outside Hewart for nearly an hour."

"Everything is okay, for now. They were here for me."

"Charlotte—"

"Adam broke into the house," I informed him, cutting off his worried remark.

"How do you know that?" he asked.

"He sent me a picture of himself standing in my bedroom."

"I thought you blocked him." Lex's tone had gone cold .

"I did!" I replied. "He texted me from some random number!"

"Block that one, too, baby," Alexander's voice was filled with concern. "Don't engage with him, okay?"

"Okay," I whispered anxiously into the phone. "I love you…" I added softly.

"I love you too, princess. I'll pick you up at five."

I hung up and sat back in my chair, exhaling a heavy sigh. My phone vibrated again.

Wrong fucking choice.

You're going to regret that, Lottie.

I stared at the text, another mysterious number I'd never seen before, my hands shaking violently.