Page 61 of What He Always Knew

“He’ll survive,” I answered. Crossing the room to where she stood, I took her hand in mine, tugging her toward the door. “Come with me.”

“I really need to go.”

“Twenty minutes isn’t going to kill anyone,” I said, and when she glanced for her phone that had been abandoned on my desk all evening, I shook my head. “And no phone. Just twenty minutes, and I promise I’ll let you go.”

Charlie sighed, but nodded, following me down the hall to the library. It was dark inside, but lit just enough to see by the lights from the hall that I didn’t turn on any others. I led Charlie to the couch in the front study section, pulling her into my arms once I was seated against the left armrest.

Another sigh left her lips as I wrapped my arms around her, kissing her hair and rocking her gently.

“Better?”

“Yes,” she breathed. “It’s so quiet. And dark. And there are no…smells. Except for old books, which I can handle.”

I chuckled, sweeping her hair off her forehead. “I told you to stay away from that tuna casserole in the teachers’ lounge.”

She forced a smile, but it was weak, and it fell just as quickly as it’d come. I just squeezed her tighter, glad I could be there for her when she wasn’t feeling well — glad I could hold her without anyone around again, even if just for twenty minutes.

“I wish we could stay here tonight,” she whispered after a moment.

I sighed, running my hand through her hair. “I know, I do, too.” Then, I paused, a new idea sprouting to life. “But hey, close your eyes.”

“They’re already closed.”

I chuckled. “Okay, mine too.” I wrapped her tighter in my arms, leaning my mouth down to whisper in her ear. “Now, imagine we’re not at Westchester. Imagine we’re at home — atourhome. We’re sitting on our couch, in our living room, after a long day at work. I’m holding you while we watch the fire, and you’re telling me about your day, and I’m kissing your neck as I listen to every word.”

I creaked an eyelid open long enough to see her smiling before I closed it again.

“What are we wearing?”

“Oh, that’s easy. Nothing.”

She chuckled. “I have a feeling if that were the case, we wouldn’t be justtalking.”

My body responded to the insinuation, and I inhaled a stiff breath, adjusting myself in my pants.

“I wish you didn’t feel like you had to throw up every time you moved right now, because now I’m picturing a very different scene.”

At that, she laughed. “Sorry.”

“Oh, don’t apologize, I’ll make use of this visualization later.”

Charlie shook her head. “I wish we could…” Her voice faded off, growing softer. “I wish I could go home with you, that I could make you feel good tonight.”

I sighed, kissing her hair. “I know. Me, too.”

Charlie said it was past nine when she’d checked the time, which meant Blake would be wondering where I was, too. I didn’t have to look at my phone in my pocket to know it was filled with missed texts and calls from her.

“Maybe we could say we got locked in,” I tried.

“I need to go home,” she said softly, stiffening in my arms with her next words. “And you do, too.”

I rocked her again. “I know.”

I hated that we couldn’t stay, that we couldn’t have that night —onenight — with just the two of us. It’d been too long, and I wanted more time alone with her. The moments I was able to steal were never enough.

“Have you told her about me yet?” Charlie asked. “About us?”

My stomach knotted, knowing Charlie had to feel the same way about me going home to Blake as I did her going home to Cameron.