Free Charlotte (Marked Heart #2) by M. Sembera

to eat?"
    Whipping around to face him, she snapped, "I'm leaving."
    "You don't have to."
    Holding her head high, Charlotte declared, "I don't want to be anywhere near you and I hope I never see you again."
    Refusing to admit he didn't mean it or take back what he said to Braden, Auggie fussed, "I knew you were just lookin' for a way out."
    "A way out?"
    "I knew you wouldn't keep your promise or our agreement."
    With a loud huff, Charlotte turned towards the door. Swiftly walking out of his house , she held her hand above her head and with a flick of her wrist she gave him the finger before slamming the door closed behind her.
    Thinking to himself this is why relationships were a bad idea, Auggie sat down in his chair. He wasn't even in a ny kind of relationship with her but because of their agreement, she had tried to befriend him or something. Still unsure why she showed up at his house the previous night, that had to be it. She wouldn't understand of course, but he didn't have or need friends. Auggie had his family. Sinking back in his chair, Charlotte's scent, although muted because his brother sat there, still lingered. Closing his eyes, he thought about how she looked curled up in his chair as he fell asleep.
    ~
    Sliding into the car, Charlotte had parked in front of a for sale sign a few houses down from Auggie's. She had just taken the morning after walk of shame without the benefit of having done anything shameful. It was good to know where she stood with him and how he felt about her. Convincing herself, it was simply the disappointment in thinking he was something that he wasn't, she started the car and drove home. He should have just said it to her face instead of behind her back.
    ~
    Shivering as he stepped out of the shower, Auggie hadn't taken an ice cold one since he was a teenager. Falling asleep thinking about Charlotte had definitely, among other things, messed with his mind. Drying his hair with a towel, he threw his clothes on. Stepping into his boots, he pulled his beanie over his head and walked out to his truck.
    Since he didn't feel like going anywhere, Auggie was glad everything was already in his truck. Assuming Charlotte would be a no show after this morning, at least he could work on the week 's tallies from home. After grabbing the envelope of receipts and ledger out of the passenger seat, he closed the door. Turning back toward his house, he was surprised to see her standing there.
    Instantly aware of the effect seeing her wearing a grey v-neck dress had on him, it might as well have been a t-shirt that barely covered the tops of her thighs.
    Auggie griped, "Don't you ever wear real clothes?"
    Giving him a dirty look, she followed him to his door, saying, "It may surprise you because you don't like looking at me, most men enjoy what I wear."
    "I didn't say that."
    Curling the un-scared side of her mouth into a curious smile, she asked, "So, you like looking at me?"
    "I didn't say that either."
    "What are you saying then?"
    Auggie scowled as he changed the subject, "I didn't think you were coming."
    Fluttering her eyelashes as she rolled her eyes at his avoiding her question, she replied, "We shook on it."
    Nodding, he opened the door for her, saying, "Let's get started then."
    ~
    With receipts spread out on Auggie's kitchen table, Charlotte was growing just as frustrated as Auggie. She had showed him an easier way and even watched him carefully and still nothing balanced out. When she worked it out on a separate paper all the totals were perfect. 'What was he doing wrong', she thought before glancing between her paper and the ledger.
    Looking over at him, Charlotte asked, "Are you dyslexic?"
    "No," he blurted, looking at her like she was the rudest person on earth.
    "Are you sure?" she asked before placing her paper right next to the ledger, saying, "You see this?"
    "Why are your numbers different?" he questioned.
    Hesitant, she replied, "Because you turned every six into a nine and vice versa."