Page 17 of Unearthed Dreams (Sable Point #3)
Chapter Fifteen
CHARLIE
The screen door creaked despite my best efforts to ease it shut quietly. Stupid ancient hinges. I’d barely taken two steps into the kitchen when Mom looked up from her coffee, eyebrows raised.
“Well, well. Look who’s doing the walk of shame.”
My face burned. “Mom!”
“What? That’s what they call it these days, right?” She took a sip, hiding what I knew was a smirk. The sundress I’d worn yesterday was hopelessly wrinkled, the fabric still holding the memory of Kai’s hands when he’d... No.
“It’s not—I mean—Shelby and I stayed up talking. The guys were at the resort bar, then the hot tub, I think? We just had a girls’ night. Watched terrible movies. You know how it goes.”
“Mmhmm.” Mom’s tone made it clear she didn’t believe me for a second. “That Trevor seems like such a nice boy. Your father and I noticed how he couldn’t take his eyes off you at the festival. ”
If she only knew whose eyes I’d actually been thinking about all night...
“Trevor’s just a friend,” I rushed out. “Really. Nothing there.”
“If you say so.” Mom stood to refill her coffee. “Though I wonder why you’re sneaking in at”—she checked the microwave clock—“8:45 AM if you were just having a girls’ night with Shelby.”
Crap.
“I, um...” I fiddled with the wrinkled hem of my dress. “We fell asleep watching movies. And then this morning, she wanted to get breakfast at Rosie’s, but I was still in yesterday’s clothes, so I thought I’d slip home to change first...”
Mom just kept watching me with that knowing look—the one that makes you feel like you’re five years old again, caught sneaking cookies before dinner.
“Rosie’s isn’t open on Sundays.”
Double crap.
“Right! That’s why I’m home so early. We got all the way there before realizing.”
Mom set down her coffee mug with a decisive clink. “Charlie, honey. You know you can talk to me about anything, right? Even boys? Even Trevor?”
My stomach twisted. She was trying so hard to be understanding, to give me space to confide in her.
And here I was, lying through my teeth because I couldn’t exactly say ‘Actually Mom, I spent the night in Kai Callaghan’s bed, but don’t worry, we just kissed.
A lot. And then other stuff happened that I’m definitely not telling you about ever. ’
“I know, Mom.” I managed a weak smile. “I’m gonna go shower.”
I’d almost made it to the stairs when Mom called after me. “Oh, by the way, honey?”
I froze, one hand on the banister. “Yeah?”
“Shelby posted pictures from the resort pool this morning. With Simon. About an hour ago.”
Triple crap.
I turned slowly. Mom was still holding her coffee mug, but now she wasn’t even trying to hide her knowing smile. “I... um...”
“You know,” she said conversationally, “I wasn’t much older than you when I met your father. And trust me, I told some pretty creative stories back then too.”
“Mom, I?—”
“All I’m saying is, whatever’s going on? Whoever it is? Just be careful with your heart, okay?” She paused, then added with a wink, “And maybe come up with better alibis. Rosie’s has been closed on Sundays for twenty years.”
I practically ran up the stairs, my mother’s laughter following me all the way to my room. Once inside, I collapsed face-first onto my bed, groaning into my pillow.
My phone had buzzed in my purse. Probably Shelby, wanting details about last night. Or worse, maybe Kai, telling me it was all a mistake...
I’d almost left without giving him my number. Had my hand on the doorknob when his voice, still rough from sleep, stopped me.
“Charlie.”
I’d turned, heart hammering. He was sitting up in bed, white hair mussed, looking devastatingly gorgeous in just a t-shirt and gym shorts. The morning light caught the silver in his beard, making me hitch a breath.
“Your phone.” He’d held out his hand expectantly.
I’d fumbled in my purse, nearly dropping it twice before placing it in his palm. His fingers had brushed mine, sending electricity up my arm.
“I’m not letting you leave here without a way to reach you,” he’d said, typing in his number and sending himself a text. “Just in case...”
“In case what?”
His eyes had met mine, dark and intense. “In case I need to hear your voice.”
Now, face still buried in my pillow, I reached blindly for my purse. The phone buzzed again. Two messages.
With shaking fingers, I pulled out my phone.
SHELBY
CHARLIE!! Trevor was super bummed you left early last night. Did something happen? Also, resort hot tub = amazing. You missed out!
The last thing I needed was Trevor drama on top of everything else.
The second message made my heart stop.
KAI
Did you make it home safe, pretty girl?
I slapped a hand over my mouth, trying to muffle the embarrassing squeal that escaped me. How did he manage to make me feel like this with just a text ?
While I was still staring at those few simple words, another incoming message popped up.
SHELBY
Call me ASAP. I need DETAILS about why you really ditched us...
A giddy warmth spread through my chest that had nothing to do with Kai’s texts—okay, maybe a little to do with them. Shelby actually wanted to know what happened. Wanted to talk. Like real friends.
For years, I’d kept her at arm’s length, assuming she only tolerated me as a roommate. But maybe I’d been wrong. Maybe I’d been the one building walls, too scared of rejection to let anyone in.
My fingers hovered over the keyboard, torn between responding to Kai or Shelby first. God, I wanted to tell someone about last night. About how it felt when Kai kissed me, when his hands...
I squeaked and buried my face in my pillow again. How did people do this? Talk about... stuff like this?
But isn’t this what I’d been missing? Those late-night girl talks Shelby always tried to initiate that I’d dodged because I had “nothing to contribute”?
My phone vibrated against my palm.
SHELBY
CHARLIE. I SWEAR TO GOD. SPILL.
A laugh bubbled up in my throat. For the first time, I felt like maybe I actually had something worth spilling.
So I called my best friend to tell her all about my first male-induced orgasm.