Page 51 of Threads That Bind Us
I hear a whisperedholy shitfrom Gray as a stunning woman in her thirties and a shorter, curly haired man around the same age appear from a back office. Paul turns around to give Gray a look, but he doesn’t even notice because both he and Ana are staring open-mouthed at the studio.
“I’m assuming you know these people?” I stage whisper to Ana, and she turns to me incredulously.
“You’ve watched her YouTube videos with me. She’s only like, the most famous cosplay designer of the last decade.” Ana turns back to the studio as her apparent idol unlocks the door. “I think I might be dreaming.”
Ana and Gray are nearly vibrating out of their skin as the designer shakes hands with Charlie and introduces herself—Jessica—and her co-designer, John-Michael. They usher our group inside, and the kids are shown to a table where theyperch themselves on stools, watching in awe as their cosplay heroes start to unravel fabric and teach them things that go way over my head.
The adults, plus Maddie, stay back a bit, while Zane stations himself at the door like a sentry. When she gets squirmy, I swing Maddie onto my hip and walk her around the studio, and we point out all the colors that she loves.
I watch Charlie and Linda and Paul continue to chat quietly while John-Michael instructs the kids on some sort of intricate stitch that has them both smiling from ear to ear. I can’t keep my eyes off Ana, though. It’s such a hard emotion to place, this mix between joy that she’s so clearly enjoying herself, and grief that I’m not the one who gave this to her. It feels selfish to even care about that when she’s so happy, but I don’t know how to turn it off.
The front door chimes, and I watch Charlie exit the building, his phone pressed to his ear. His brow is furrowed and his shoulders are tense as he leans against the side of the building, staring at the cracks in the sidewalk.
I bring a half-asleep Maddie back to her parents, watching Ana out of the corner of my eye as I wander toward the exit. Zane positioned himself between me and the door, and I don’t know what he would do if I tried to leave. But I don’t need to. The glass isn’t thick enough to keep out Charlie’s voice completely.
“I’m not sleeping with her, and I have no plans to do so. Gwen’s proven that she can handle our work, and we negotiated an agreeable arrangement, like generations of Costas before us.” The words are a little garbled, but they hit me squarely in the chest as I stare at Ana and Gray, pretending I’m not listening. “I’m doing my duty.”
He’s quiet for a bit, nearly motionless as he listens to the person on the other end of the phone.
“Are you asking as my sister or my boss?”
Clara then. I grip the edge of the table, wishing I hadn’t walked over here, and knowing I needed to hear this.
“It won’t be a problem. Gwen and I are a means to an end for each other,” he says with finality. I don’t turn to see if he’s hung up, just plaster a smile on my face like I’ve been watching Ana and Gray the entire time.
The door chimes again, and I feel Charlie’s warm presence slide next to me.
“Sorry, that was Clara,” he mutters, keeping his voice low to not disturb the lesson.
I nod, angry at myself that I feel so betrayed. He didn’t say anything I didn’t already know, but it’s still painful. Evidence that I’m not nearly as good at compartmentalizing as I think I am.
“We’ve got an event tomorrow night,” he says, his body still tense. “A charity dinner. I’m sorry for the last minute notice.”
I clear my throat, trying to swallow past the lingering disappointment, the wordsmeans to an endon repeat in the back of my mind.
“That’s fine. I’ll be with Ana and her class at the nature conservatory all day, but she’s spending the night at a friend’s after to finish their project. Her mom will take them to school in the morning.”
Lucky timing, I guess. I would hate to leave Ana sitting alone in that house so soon after her birthday.
“Thank you,” he says, and he sounds like he means it.
I refuse to look at him, watching Ana’s face light up as she pulls a swath of fabric off the table.
“Thankyou, for doing this for her,” I whisper to Charlie next to me. I feel his fingers tap the back of my hand, almost like he wants to lace his fingers through mine. But he doesn’t. And I’m grateful. Because I can’t take being any closer to him.
“You did this,” he whispers back. “I told you, you’re the kind of person who would do anything for the people you love. You found a way to protect her and give her the world.”
I swallow hard and watch Ana, her brows furrowed in concentration as she studies a seam Jessica is showing her. And, even though it does nothing for my self-preservation, and only half of me actually wants to do it, I reach out and take his hand in mine.
He doesn’t let go.
Chapter 18
Charlie
I’m in the shower when I hear Gwen knock on the bedroom door.
“Hi,” she calls, clearing her throat loudly. “I’m going to get changed while you’re in there, if that’s okay?”