Page 40 of What He Always Knew

The last time I’d seen her, we’d fought. She wasn’t happy with me, and I couldn’t blame her. But the whole thing was just so… messy. It was complicated. Charlie of all people should understand that. I just needed to get her alone, talk to her without all the chaos surrounding us.

A beach in Miami seemed like the perfect place to do it.

I couldn’t help but feel like I was losing her, and that feeling was strengthened when I pulled into her driveway and she made her way to my car. She didn’t look excited to be going to the conference, and she definitely didn’t seem happy at the sight of me.

Her long hair was pulled into a high bun, her eyes level, plump lips in a flat line as she dragged her suitcase down the driveway. I jumped out to take it from her, but she stopped me short.

“Don’t.”

I paused in front of her, hands up, and she moved around me to lug her suitcase into my trunk before slamming it shut. I opened her car door for her and she slid inside the passenger side seat without so much as a glance in my direction.

But someone else was staring at me.

Cameron stood in the doorway, his arms crossed as he leaned against one side of it and watched me make my way to my side of the car. I stared back, gaze unwavering.

The way he wore a cocky smirk told me he thought he’d won. It was the same smile I’d worn when he’d been at school the day before, except mine had been more like defensive armor than anything I was actually sure of. The truth was, I’d been scared shitless when I saw him in her room.

Something had changed. Cameron had made a move. I didn’t know what it was, but I knew I had my work cut out for me to bring Charlie back to me.

He thought I was out of the picture, my bridge burned, my chance shattered.

But he had years of mistakes to make up for, and I only had one.

He underestimated me, but I only smiled back, because the truth was it was better that way.

I wanted him to think I was easy competition, that I’d fade off without putting up any kind of fight. Because what he failed to see was this had nothing to do with him. I didn’t give a shit about him. It was Charlie I cared for, and her happiness.

Only now, IknewI could make her happier than him, that I could treat her better, and I wouldn’t stop until she was mine.

I cocked one brow in Cameron’s direction before opening my door to slide inside. Charlie still didn’t look at me, not after I shut the door and not after I put the car in drive. Her eyes were on her husband.

I had to make her see.

He was only fighting for her because he lost her in the first place, but he didn’t love her like I did.

No oneloved her like I did. No one ever would.

She watched him until he was out of her sight, then her eyes found the road, and a deafening silence fell over us.

“I don’t know about you,” I said once we were clear of her house. “But I am beyond ready for sunshine and drinks on the beach.”

“We’ll be inside the hotel almost the entire time,” she said, her expression blank as she stared out the front window.

“Not the whole time. We have breaks. And Saturday, the conference ends at noon, and we have the whole rest of the day and that night before we leave Sunday.”

“Yeah, well, the beach isn’t really my thing.”

I sighed, reaching a hand over for hers, but she leaned away from the touch.

“Come on, Charlie,” I pleaded. “We have an entire weekend away together. Alone…” I glanced at the road before reaching over farther to place my hand on her knee. “Don’t spend it being mad at me.”

“How’s Blake?”

She whipped around to face me with that question, her lips pursed, and I swallowed at the way her eyes bore holes into mine.

“Honestly?” I asked. “Not good. Her dad’s tests came back this weekend. The tumor is cancerous, and it’s terminal.”

Charlie’s eyes softened, just the tiniest bit, and she turned back to the window with her arms crossed tight over her chest.