Page 34 of What He Doesn't Know

“I’m married.”

“I know.”

Charlie chewed her thumbnail, shaking her head like I hadn’t heard her. “No, truly, I’mmarried. And I know you don’t know him, but Cameron loves me. He does. And he needs me right now, we need each other. He opened up to me Friday night when I got home…”

Her words hit me like a sucker punch right to the chest. I felt my breath leave with them, a sickening tide rolling through at what they meant.

He opened up to her.

I wasn’t so blind as to not know that meant that he had her that night. She’d given me a piece of herself, shown me her scars, the ones hidden from everyone else — and yet he had taken her to bed. He had watched her melt for him, touched her fair skin, kissed her soft lips.

As her friend, I was happy for her.

As Reese Walker, the true version, I was enraged with jealousy.

“And I just… I really need to focus on him right now. On us.”

My throat was raw, dry, the act of swallowing damn near impossible, but I nodded despite the thickness I felt there. “Okay.”

“Okay,” she breathed, and all of the breath she’d been holding left her with that word.

“But hey, I’m here for you, okay? If you ever… I don’t know, if you ever need me, I guess. A friend to talk to, a distraction from work, or hell, even just a Wild Walker,” I said, and Charlie smirked, her lashes sweeping across her high cheeks. “Just say the word.”

“Thanks, Reese.”

I finally found the will to swallow as I stepped back, my hands finding my pockets once more. “Always. See you at lunch?”

Charlie smoothed her hands over her skirt. “I think I’m going to grab lunch on my own today, do some reading. But another time.”

She smiled, but that simple curve of her lips killed me.

Charlie was pushing me away.

I’d thought I was going at her pace, giving her the space to tell me what she wanted,whenshe wanted. But somehow, I’d crossed a line. Somehow, I’d lost her — before I’d even had the chance to have her at all.

She’s married, I reminded myself. What other way was there to have her, other than the friendship that already existed?

There wasn’t.

That was all there was to it.

“Sounds good,” I finally said, forcing a smile in return. “See you around, Charlie.”

I only hoped I actually would.

Charlie

Sundays were always my favorite day of the week.

Cameron and I usually spent our Saturdays being productive, working around the house or in the garden, volunteering in the community, attending work events for him or school events for me. But Sundays?

Sundays were always for us.

At first, in the beginning of our marriage, we almost never left the bed on Sunday. One of us would jump up long enough to use the bathroom or bring back a plate of food and water, but other than that, between the sheets we stayed. Of course, as the years went on, we began using the day to do other things, too.

We’d go shopping together, or binge watch movies from dawn until bedtime. We’d learn a new recipe together, or put on an old favorite album and dance in the kitchen. Whatever it was, no matter what, Sundays were always for me and Cameron.

I sighed contently, curling up into Cameron’s side as Sunday morning slowly made its way through our window. Jane and Edward were starting to rustle, but they could wait.