Page 86 of What He Doesn't Know

But I knew Charlie. I loved her —trulyloved her — not for who she used to be or whatever fantasy Reese had of her in his head. I’d seen her sick. I’d danced with her on her best days and helped her stand on the days she couldn’t bear the thought of it. I’d built a home with her, built alifewith her, and neither hell nor high water could keep me from keeping the vows I’d made to her the day we were married.

I just had to bring her back to me.

Reese had his chance to woo her, to weave his spell, to make her feel like he was the answer. He’d had her alone, had her vulnerable, had me out of the picture, leaving him her full attention.

She gave him this dance.

Now, I could only hope she’d give me the last one.

One thing I knew for sure, I wasn’t going down without a fight. If I truly lost her, if he was to have her, he’d have to beat me in a fair fight.

So, as the bartender slid me my check and I made my way back into the cold night, I cracked my knuckles and prepared for war.`

Charlie

It finally hit me halfway through that following Monday that I’d let Jane go free.

Maybe it was that I’d been distracted at Reese’s all weekend, therefore leaving little to no room for anxious thoughts, or maybe it was that there were two little birds on the shirt of one of my students that day. Whatever the reason, it hit me just after lunch that she was out in the world somewhere, flying free, and I wondered how she was.

I wondered if she was free, if shefeltfree, if she was soaring high and singing her favorite songs as the sunshine warmed her feathers. I wondered, too, if she was scared, if her little heart beat faster than before, if she was afraid of her future now that it was so far from what she’d always imagined. I wondered if it was a mixture of the two — of excitement and fear.

I wondered if she was okay.

I wondered if she knew I still loved her.

And, more than anything, I wondered if she missed Edward.

Edward had been her partner in everything. They’d been brought together as young little birds, all because of me, and I’d watch them grow in love over the years. They were best friends — no, they were more. They were one in the same, two halves that made a whole.

I understood that, because I’d felt the same way about Cameron.

He’d been gone the morning I’d returned to get my stuff from the house, packing a weekend getaway bag and not staying a second longer. Then, Reese and I had spent the weekend together, exploring each other and avoiding any kind of serious conversations — especially the ones we both knew needed to take place.

But the weekend was over.

It was Monday, and the night of the spring concert. I was watching one of Reese’s fifth graders play Beethoven’sFür Elisefrom backstage when Reese slid up easily beside me. I felt his energy before I even saw him, that little charge of electricity I felt each time he was near. He stood to my left, his pinky finger brushing mine where our hands hung between us.

“Hi.”

I smiled at the sound of his voice, but didn’t take my eyes off the stage.

“Hi.”

His finger curled around mine for just a moment before letting it loose.

“Benjamin lost his bowtie. Think you could come with me to the costume room to see if we can find a spare?”

My cheeks flamed. “Benjamin already performed.”

At that, Reese turned to me, his voice lower than a whisper when it met my ear.

“Costume room. Now.”

He left before I could answer, and I bit my lip against the smile threatening to break loose. It was easy to forget everything when he was around, when his breath hit my skin, when his fingers touched mine. Reese was sweet amnesia.

I waited a few moments before I quietly excused myself from where a few other teachers watched backstage, my feet carrying me slowly toward the costume room while my heart raced with the speed of a leopard. As soon as I nudged the door open, I was quickly pulled through it with one hand around my wrist, and my back was to the cool metal in the next instant.

“I couldn’t wait any longer to touch you.”