Page 50 of Shadowing Charlotte

Chapter fifty

Alexander

C harlotte was an absolute mess for the rest of the night.

After she hadn't responded to any of my calls and texts, I had checked her location and drove straight to the parking garage.

I hadn't expected to find her in such a disoriented state, hadn't been prepared for her to tell me Adam had been there.

The moment the words left her mouth, murderous fury filled me. I wanted to hunt him down and choke the life from him, but Charlotte needed me. I had to keep my cool, if only for her sake. When she broke down, clinging to me and sobbing, I felt my own heart crack in two.

He'd touched her. I shook with rage at the thought.

My Charlotte… My headstrong, irritating, crazy girl had been hurt by that fucker again. As I held her, murmuring reassurances, I was already imagining a thousand ways to kill him, each more horrific than the last.

Fuck Tim. He'd assured me that morning that he could handle Adam; clearly, we had both been underestimating him. Fuck the police. Their investigation was taking for too long and the fucker was only growing more brazen. I was going to handle it myself.

"Take me home, Alexander," Charlotte sobbed in my arms, squeezing me tighter. She didn't need to say anything else. I scooped her up in my arms, cradling her against my chest like a broken doll, and carrying her to the car.

"I've got you," I assured her.

"Wait, my stuff—"

"I'll get them, princess," I promised as I lowered her into the passenger seat.

The car door closed, and her head fell back against the seat, her eyes shutting.

She looked exhausted. Not the physical kind of exhaustion someone feels after a long day, but the kind of tiredness that happens after carrying more stress than one should physically handle.

Like the weight of the world sat on her shoulders.

"Don't worry, baby. I'm going to make it all better," I muttered, more to myself than to her. I had to make it all better. I couldn't take another day of seeing my sweet, headstrong Charlotte lost in wreckage.

Her belongings had been haphazardly dropped on the floor of the Jeep. I carefully gathered them, ensuring I had everything, including her keys, in my arms.

Inside the Camaro, I hit the lock button on her fob, ensuring the alarm was set, before placing the pile in Charlotte's lap. "You should take a few days off."

"Saydiah already gave me the rest of the week," she replied, her voice soft and detached as I pulled out of the garage. "Will you stay home with me?"

"Of course, baby," I agreed with a small, strained smile. "I might have to work Friday, for an event, but the rest of my time is yours."

"You got a job?" Charlotte asked, her expression brightening slightly as she looked over at me.

"Told you security work would be fine," I replied, smirking at her. "Nothing overly dangerous, just standing around guarding venues and shit." She returned my smile with a tentative one, her hand reaching out for mine.

The rest of the drive was quiet, but Charlotte's hand never left mine.

When we arrived home, Charlie collapsed onto the couch, curling up in a ball as the tears returned, spilling down her reddened cheeks.

Each time I saw her break, I felt the cracks in my heart deepen, threatening to shatter and fall to pieces, just as she had.

All I could do was hold her, murmuring soft, sweet nothings in her ear until she cried herself to sleep in my arms.

When I woke in the middle of the night, Charlotte was awake, slowly pacing back and forth across the room, counting her steps under her breath.

"Charlie?" She didn't seem to hear me, muttering softly to herself as her feet dragged across the hardwood. "What are you doing, baby?" I asked, rubbing the sleep from my eyes and sitting up in bed.

"Counting," she mumbled, continuing to watch her own feet move across the floor .

"Why?" I asked, staring at her through the darkness.

"It makes me feel better."

"Why don't you come back to bed, sweetheart?' I urged gently, afraid of startling her if I moved.

"Can't sleep… I keep feeling his hands on me," she replied after a long, painful silence.

"Oh, baby." I sighed. I couldn't imagine what her encounter with Adam had been like. The thought of his hands on her made me feel sick. "Alright," I groaned, pulling on my shirt and turning on the bedside lamp. "Do you want some tea, then?" I hoped that a warm drink might calm her restlessness.

"Yes, please," she murmured, finally halting.

"Come on, then. Let's get you all taken care of," I whispered, offering her my hand.

Charlotte hesitated for a moment, before finally lacing her fingers between mine, allowing me to guide her into the kitchen.

Rifling through the cupboards, I found her jar of teas.

"We have… mint, chamomile, cinnamon, lavender… "

"Lavender," Charlotte croaked out, sinking onto the stool at the counter.

I nodded, pulling out the kettle and filling it with water.

Seeing her in such a state was crippling.

Her anxiousness was seeping into me, and I suddenly felt the need to keep myself busy.

When the water was on the stove, I grabbed her manuscripts from the coffee table in the living room and pulled the vape from her purse.

In the kitchen, I set the stack of papers in front of her and sucked in a deep breath of raspberry mint, immediately feeling more relaxed.

"I had your dad pick up the jeep," I informed her.

When I leaned over her shoulder to offer her a puff from the vape, Charlotte went rigid.

"Hey… You're safe here, baby. It's just me," I assured her, gently placing a hand on her arm.

"No one is going to hurt you; I won't let them," I vowed, kissing her temple as she relaxed against my chest.

"I'm so tired of being scared." Her voice was so sad, so vulnerable. I frowned, trailing my fingers over her skin. I didn't want her to be afraid either.

"You don't have to be scared, Charlotte. I will keep you safe, my love." And I meant it with every ounce of my being.