A Little Piece of Heaven
Chapter 20
Matt's POV
This party was Moniques idea. Her and Elizabeth had gotten together a few weeks ago and planned it, but now, things had changed., they'd changed a lot.
I didn't particularly want everyone at my place. I was having my own issues, like Monique and what to do about her, she was getting on my nerves, I couldn't stand being around her, but more than anything I was worried about Charlotte, worried to the point where I could barely function and people were starting to notice.
"Hey, dick face." Brian said, waving his hand in front of me.
"What?" I said, slapping his hand away.
"Where's the bourbon?"
"In the kitchen." What a dumb question. Where would it be, in the pool?
He raised his eyebrows at me and walked away shaking his head.
I looked around, not looking at anything but really looking out for Charlotte, Elizabeth was here but Charlotte wasn't and I really hoped she was coming.
"How were things the other night?" Elizabeth asked me quietly.
"Okay, she fell asleep."
She nodded, biting her lip.
"Elizabeth, I'll look out for her while you're gone." I told her softly, and I would, I meant it.
"Don't push her Matt, let her tell you when she's ready. She'll ask for your help when she's ready."
"Okay." I assured her although her reaction made me anxious. What if Charlotte didn't ask for my help? And tell me what? God something was wrong, I just knew it.
I felt an arm slip around my waist and I glanced at Monique. FUCK. That was it, as soon as Zack and Elizabeth got back I was taking Monique away, I needed to get back what we had, because when I looked at her I was disappointed she wasn't Charlotte and that just wasn't right. I'd wanted to marry Monique and now the sight of her disappointed me and that wasn't right, I needed to fix this, fix us, concentrate on her, not Charlotte.
Speaking of Charlotte, I looked away from Monique to see Charlotte, she'd come and jesus fuck she looked beautiful, she really did.
I couldn't help myself, I was drawn over to her and as I got closer I could see exhaustion on her face, even though she was smiling, her smile forced.
She seemed short, unwilling to talk, not like the Charlotte I knew so I decided to leave her alone, she seemed on edge and I didn't want to push her.
I headed over to join Brian, he was with Elizabeth and Christina and as I got there Monique leeched onto me.
FUCK MATT, THIS IS YOUR FIANCÉ, my mind screamed. What was wrong with me?
"So are you excited?" Monique asked Elizabeth.
"Sure."
"I guess it would be nice to get away." Monique went on. "Relax."
She was obviously throwing out hints.
"Oh by the way, how's Charlotte? Matt mentioned she wasn't well."
Elizabeth gave me a what the hell look. "Oh she's here somewhere, so I guess she's feeling better." Elizabeth told her, still glaring at me.
I looked around, I couldn't see Charlotte anywhere and I looked at Elizabeth, raising my eyebrows.
"Excuse me." I said, heading inside.
I looked around not seeing her.
"Hey." I said to Holly, who was currently lining shots up on the counter. "Have you seen Charlotte?"
"Matty." She screeched. "She's upstairs." She was obviously well on her way to being drunk.
I smiled at her and went upstairs. The bathroom door was closed and I knocked softly, listening.
"Charlotte?" I called out softly.
There was no answer, but I could hear her in there.
"Charlotte, can I come in?"
"Go away." She cried, her voice choked.
I opened the door and peeked in. She was on the floor, crying, curled into a ball and god she looked so tiny, so vulnerable.
"Charlotte." I murmured, sinking to the ground beside her.
"Oh god." She cried. "I don't want to do this again, I can't."
"No, no, you don't have to." I whispered, pulling her into my arms., not really knowing what she was referring to, but her voice scared me.
"I'm going to die." She sobbed. "I'm going to die alone."
I looked at her face, brushing her hair of it, feeling my breath catch in my throat. Die???
"No." I murmured. "That's not true."
"It is." She sobbed, her body shaking.
I looked up to see Elizabeth and Monique standing in the door, looking at us. I looked at them and shook my head, motioning for them to leave. They needed to leave, leave us alone.
Elizabeth grabbed Monique, quietly shutting the door after them.
I tightened my arms around Charlotte, holding her close.
"You're not alone baby." I whispered, kissing her forehead.
I sat there, for how long, I don't know, with this woman in my arms, with this woman who I was falling in love with, letting her cry, letting her cry her heart out.
I did the only thing I could, I held her, tightly, reassuring her. Charlotte wasn't going to die alone, she had me, she didn't realize it, but god damn this woman had me, she had all of me.
This party was Moniques idea. Her and Elizabeth had gotten together a few weeks ago and planned it, but now, things had changed., they'd changed a lot.
I didn't particularly want everyone at my place. I was having my own issues, like Monique and what to do about her, she was getting on my nerves, I couldn't stand being around her, but more than anything I was worried about Charlotte, worried to the point where I could barely function and people were starting to notice.
"Hey, dick face." Brian said, waving his hand in front of me.
"What?" I said, slapping his hand away.
"Where's the bourbon?"
"In the kitchen." What a dumb question. Where would it be, in the pool?
He raised his eyebrows at me and walked away shaking his head.
I looked around, not looking at anything but really looking out for Charlotte, Elizabeth was here but Charlotte wasn't and I really hoped she was coming.
"How were things the other night?" Elizabeth asked me quietly.
"Okay, she fell asleep."
She nodded, biting her lip.
"Elizabeth, I'll look out for her while you're gone." I told her softly, and I would, I meant it.
"Don't push her Matt, let her tell you when she's ready. She'll ask for your help when she's ready."
"Okay." I assured her although her reaction made me anxious. What if Charlotte didn't ask for my help? And tell me what? God something was wrong, I just knew it.
I felt an arm slip around my waist and I glanced at Monique. FUCK. That was it, as soon as Zack and Elizabeth got back I was taking Monique away, I needed to get back what we had, because when I looked at her I was disappointed she wasn't Charlotte and that just wasn't right. I'd wanted to marry Monique and now the sight of her disappointed me and that wasn't right, I needed to fix this, fix us, concentrate on her, not Charlotte.
Speaking of Charlotte, I looked away from Monique to see Charlotte, she'd come and jesus fuck she looked beautiful, she really did.
I couldn't help myself, I was drawn over to her and as I got closer I could see exhaustion on her face, even though she was smiling, her smile forced.
She seemed short, unwilling to talk, not like the Charlotte I knew so I decided to leave her alone, she seemed on edge and I didn't want to push her.
I headed over to join Brian, he was with Elizabeth and Christina and as I got there Monique leeched onto me.
FUCK MATT, THIS IS YOUR FIANCÉ, my mind screamed. What was wrong with me?
"So are you excited?" Monique asked Elizabeth.
"Sure."
"I guess it would be nice to get away." Monique went on. "Relax."
She was obviously throwing out hints.
"Oh by the way, how's Charlotte? Matt mentioned she wasn't well."
Elizabeth gave me a what the hell look. "Oh she's here somewhere, so I guess she's feeling better." Elizabeth told her, still glaring at me.
I looked around, I couldn't see Charlotte anywhere and I looked at Elizabeth, raising my eyebrows.
"Excuse me." I said, heading inside.
I looked around not seeing her.
"Hey." I said to Holly, who was currently lining shots up on the counter. "Have you seen Charlotte?"
"Matty." She screeched. "She's upstairs." She was obviously well on her way to being drunk.
I smiled at her and went upstairs. The bathroom door was closed and I knocked softly, listening.
"Charlotte?" I called out softly.
There was no answer, but I could hear her in there.
"Charlotte, can I come in?"
"Go away." She cried, her voice choked.
I opened the door and peeked in. She was on the floor, crying, curled into a ball and god she looked so tiny, so vulnerable.
"Charlotte." I murmured, sinking to the ground beside her.
"Oh god." She cried. "I don't want to do this again, I can't."
"No, no, you don't have to." I whispered, pulling her into my arms., not really knowing what she was referring to, but her voice scared me.
"I'm going to die." She sobbed. "I'm going to die alone."
I looked at her face, brushing her hair of it, feeling my breath catch in my throat. Die???
"No." I murmured. "That's not true."
"It is." She sobbed, her body shaking.
I looked up to see Elizabeth and Monique standing in the door, looking at us. I looked at them and shook my head, motioning for them to leave. They needed to leave, leave us alone.
Elizabeth grabbed Monique, quietly shutting the door after them.
I tightened my arms around Charlotte, holding her close.
"You're not alone baby." I whispered, kissing her forehead.
I sat there, for how long, I don't know, with this woman in my arms, with this woman who I was falling in love with, letting her cry, letting her cry her heart out.
I did the only thing I could, I held her, tightly, reassuring her. Charlotte wasn't going to die alone, she had me, she didn't realize it, but god damn this woman had me, she had all of me.