21

Charlie

"Robert, hi." Sarah ran into the room and walked right up to Robert.

How after all this time didn't I know that the guy she was talking to was Robert? I didn't move a muscle. I was in shock at the fact that I was seeing him. After all this time here he was. Blowing my life up once again.

"You two know each other?" Sarah turned towards us and looked confused. I wanted to run and leave, but Sarah drove. And she had her keys and there was no way I was going to be able to run fast enough in this dress.

"Come on Charlie." Sarah had walked back over to me with a smile on her face but the look in her eyes said 'Stop embarrassing me'.

She grabbed my hand and pulled me to the table and had me sit right across from Damon and she sat right across from Robert. I could barely look at him, I mean he looked good. Better than I had remembered. He grew a beard and got some more tattoos I think. I mean I got a few myself too.

"Robert, you didn't have to rent out the entire restaurant," Sarah said starting to flirt.

"For a special lady like you? Of course, I did." He smirked at her and they continued their conversation.

I immediately zoned out as soon as Damon and I made eye contact. It was like no time had passed. All the memories came flooding back. The good and the bad.

"You look beautiful," Damon spoke first trying to break the tension. But I stayed quiet. "I see you've made a real life for yourself out there. That's great."

I just hummed in agreeance and looked down at the table.

"And your hair, did you do something different?" I don't know what came over me but I snapped my head up and I was already over it tonight.

"Enough of the small talk Damon. What are you doing here? You've been gone for months, off goddess knows where, and now you think you can come back and everything is fine? I'm happy here."

"I didn't mean to come and interrupt your life. I promise." He was trying to keep the conversation between us quiet but he didn't need to worry. I'm sure I am the last thing on Sarah's mind right now.

"Then what?"

"I'm here to win you back. You're my mate." I scoffed at him when he said that.

"I don't believe in mates."

I saw the hurt flash through his eyes when I said that. I didn't mean to hurt him, but I wasn't going to lie to him. No more lies. That's what got us here in the first place. "And I know that it's my fault that you feel this way. But I am going to do everything in my power to fix it. Fix what we had. Because we did have something good. Even if it was for a moment."

I wanted to believe him I did, but I don't know if I could. I trusted him the last time and I still was lied to.

"I bet you're wondering how this time is going to be different. Well, the first thing I'm going to say is I'm willing to play by your rules. If after this dinner you want nothing to do with me then I will leave and you can reject me and I will never come back. But if after this dinner there is even the smallest part of you that wants to try again then I'm going to do whatever it takes."

Charlie, it's just one dinner. If not for you then for Sarah. Let her have her moment. Then after tonight you never have to see him again.

"Okay fine." I could see the hope creep into his eyes, and I felt sorry for him. He had no idea that at the end of this dinner, I was going to break his heart.

•••••

"Where were you while you were gone?" I asked him, trying to make small talk so this evening can go by faster.

"Everywhere really. I traveled all over Europe, and I went back home for a bit. I wanted to go to places I had never been before and clear my head. I needed to not be in a place where people could easily recognize me."

"Must have been hard, since you were all over the news."

The waiter came in and placed our food in front of us. I was confused at first since we hadn't ordered anything yet. But I remembered this was a five-course restaurant so the meals were already made.

"Yeah, it was. But I made some adjustments to my look so people just ended up thinking I was a look alike."

"And now you're back." I gave him a half-smile and looked down at the food.

"Now I'm back."

"I did some real soul-searching while I was gone. I needed time to become the man the world needed me to be. The man you needed me to be. I went and met with many other leaders and alphas and they mentored me and guided me. I learned so much and then a few days ago I thought it was finally time to come back."

"When I did I was so happy to hear that my sister and Trey were able to put an end to Tyler's plan and the rogues. That the kingdom was safe again. The first thing I wanted to do was to find you. I thought that maybe you went to some faraway country but when I found out you were still here I had never been so happy. I immediately started looking for you and then that's when Robert told me the girl he was hanging out with happened to be your roommate. I knew I had to see you somehow."

"What about Trey and Christina?" I completely ignore everything he just said. Right now that was irrelevant. Truly I didn't care what he was doing all those months away. All I knew was that they weren't with me.

"Trey and I are okay, not as close as we used to be but we are getting there. I don't know about the two of them together as mates though. I think they are still trying to repair it. Christina is having a hard time, losing him and you. Or at least that's what I heard from Stephen. I haven't talked with her since I left."

I just nodded as he finished talking. Part of me wanted to find out if Christina was okay. Regardless of what happened I still cared about her. And I wanted what was best for her.

"What about you? What have you been up to?" He seemed so eager to know about me this time around. It was weird.

"I started working as a substitute teacher." I think he was expecting me to say more cause he just stayed silent.

"Oh, that's great. Where at?"

"Just one of the high schools." I was kind of embarrassed I didn't do more things with my time. He seemed like he went on this grand adventure to find himself. And here I was living a very mundane life.

"I didn't know teaching was something that you were interested in."

"Yeah neither did I until I got the job. I like it." I gave him a small smile.

"This might seem extremely premature. But I want to know. While you know we were gone, did you ever date anyone?" Oh shit. I knew this was going to come up at some point.

"I wouldn't say date," I told myself that I wasn't going to lie. But he didn't need to know the whole truth right? He doesn't need the gory details. Plus I can kind of guess what he is alluding to when he asks that.

"Look, Damon, you just want to know if I slept with someone. I don't think it's any of your business at the moment. And if I did, it doesn't affect you. You left. And I didn't know when you were coming back. You couldn't have expected me to wait around for someone who wasn't ready for me."

I could see that my words cut throw him like a knife. I wasn't the sweet and timid Charlie he remembered. I was stronger now. And I know what I deserve now.

"No, you're right. It was insensitive of me to ask that. I'm sorry." His eyes were downcast and looked away from mine. Maybe I should stop being so mean.

"No, I'm sorry. I have been short with you this entire time. I just- this is hard for me."

"You don't have to apologize Charlie. I didn't expect you to welcome me back with open arms." He gave me a sympathetic smile, and I saw some hope slowly come back into his eyes. This whole situation was weird. I didn't think that he would come back for me and now that he's here do we try again? Or do I go back to how my life was?

"I don't want you to think I'm here to take you away from the life you created. I'm not. I'm not here to sweep you away back to the castle. I know life there was hard for you, and there are a lot of memories there. Good and bad. I don't like being there myself these days. I'm willing to go as slow, or as fast as you like."

Crap, why did he have to be such a good guy? Especially now when I am trying my hardest to hate him.

"Damon, it didn't work last time because you let your alpha duties come first before our relationship. Those aren't just gone now." I told him honestly, letting me be a little bit more vulnerable with him.

"I know. It was because I thought I had to take it all myself. I wasn't relying on my beta and delta the way a real Alpha should. But I have made changes. Look I can talk all I want but you are going to need actions, and I'll show you just how much of a priority you are."

Maybe things could be different this time. I've changed a lot these past months and it seems like he has too. And if he is true to his word, then maybe this time things would be better and we could have something really special.

"Okay."

He immediately perked up and his eyes got wide.

"Okay? Like okay, you're willing to try?" He asked just to clarify.

"Yeah. Slow though. We'll just see what happens." I gave him a small smile and his face lit up. His smile was still just as beautiful as I remembered. Maybe even more.

"Cool. Great. So I mean it's pretty overdue but could I have your number?" I busted out laughing and he joined.

I think this was the first real conversation we've ever had and it was nice. Maybe the reason it didn't work out was that we had so many outside factors against us. But now nothing is distracting us from each other. I guess we'll see how this goes one last time.

•

•

•

•

•