When Hearts Collide

Charlie spent an hour in her room trying to gather her composure after her first real encounter with Jamie. She was lucky to find a text message from Sadie waiting for her, telling her not to ask about work while she was on vacation. Drunkenly, Charlie sent her back a message explaining the situation between her and Jamie. Needless to say, the sloppy message didn't make much sense.

Without waiting for a reply, Charlie headed downstairs, straight for the kitchen. After grabbing another beer, she made her way outside. Her father had started up the barbecue and music was blaring from the stereo next to him.

Some people were dancing, enjoying the music. Others were standing around the barbecue, waiting for their burger.

Charlie looked over to find Heather waving her to join her. She was sitting in a folding patio chair on her own while Caleb and his friends, including Jamie, were standing offside.

Apprehensively, Charlie walked over. She could feel Jamie staring at her, but pretended to otherwise ignore it. She took a seat next to Heather, deflating with a sigh.

"I was wondering where you ran off," Heather smirked, taking a sip from her pineapple cooler. "Where have you been hiding?"

"Ah, nowhere," Charlie shrugged it off.

"A woman of mystery," Heather teased.

Charlie rolled her eyes.

"Hardly," She laughed, unable to resist looking over at Jamie. Their eyes locked for a moment, before both of them looked away sheepishly. Charlie busied herself with another sip of beer.

However, the exchange didn't go unnoticed by Heather.

"So..." She piped up. "How do you know Jamie?"

Charlie just about choked on her beer.

"W-what?"

"Jamie," Heather said, eyebrows raising. She looked over at Jamie, catching him looking away quickly. Heather snorted. "How do you know him, and what the hell is up with you two?"

"I, uh...." Charlie found herself blushing red all over. "Well... it's... uh... it's complicated."

Heather gave her a look.

"Okay, so... before there was Caleb and Jamie.." Charlie licked over her lips. "There was... Charlie and Jamie."

"Ah," Heather nodded. "You two... were a thing?"

"Yeah," Charlie shrugged it off, feeling Jamie's eyes on her yet again. "I mean... it was a little more... serious."

"I can tell," Heather snorted. "You two have been eyeing each other like wild animals since you stepped outside."

"Is it that obvious?" Charlie asked, frowning.

"It's... pretty obvious," Heather nodded. "So... you gonna' tell me what happened, or...."

Charlie rolled her eyes.

"Well, it... I guess it started... seven years ago," She sighed. "Jamie and I were together for... five years, high-school sweethearts.. you know how that goes. Then.. I just... I just sort of... left."

"You... left?" Heather's eyebrows raised. "As in... you took off to California?"

"Right," Charlie nodded. "And.... I knew Jamie wasn't coming with me. He had just started his apprenticeship, Nana needed his help around the house.... so I just.... sprung it on him. I told him I had been planning on moving and... didn't really give him much time to process it."

"Charlie," Heather groaned.

Nervously, she began fidgeting with the ring around her neck. This seemed to catch Jamie's attention for an extended period of time. Charlie could feel his stare boring holes right through her.

"I know, I... fucked up," She grumbled. "I mean... seeing him, it makes me realize just... how much of an idiot I've been."

Both girls turned their attention to Jamie, catching him off guard. He looked away immediately, cheeks flushing red as he took an eager sip from his beer. With a sigh, Charlie looked to Heather.

"Y'know, I'm gonna let you in on a little secret," Heather told her, looking back to her company. "In the four years that I've been dating your brother, I haven't seen, or heard of, Jamie going on a single date."

Charlie's face fell.

"You mean..."

Heather nodded.

"Girl, he is... waiting for something, maybe... someone," Heather insisted. "Because... shit, I might be engaged but I know I ain't blind. That man could get a date every damn day of the week."

Charlie's eyes slowly flickered back to Jamie, watching as he spoke with the rest of the guys. A smile found a way to his face, revealing the dimples that she had always admired. Her lips curled into a smirk. Jamie took a sip of his beer and found himself, yet again, staring into those honey pools.

This time, however, neither of them were in a rush to look away.

"But... how do I even... begin... to apologize?" Charlie sighed, pulling herself out of the staring match to look at Heather. "How do I... make it up to him?"

Heather shrugged. Charlie seized the opportunity to take a large sip from her beer.

"Have you considered anal?"

Charlie spit out her beer while Heather started roaring with laughter. The outburst captured the attention of more than a few party-goers, including Jamie and his company.

"Heather, oh my God," Charlie gasped, feeling a strange, burning sensation in her nostrils. "I think I just... shot beer out my nose."

Meanwhile, Heather was wiping away tears from her eyes.

"What the fuck is so funny, ladies?" Caleb asked, deserting his friends to get in on the joke.

"God, no," Charlie shook her head, standing up from her seat. "You... you don't wanna know. Better yet... I don't wanna know. I gotta go.... clean up."

"Think about it," Heather called after her, still laughing hoarsely.

Charlie headed inside, making a beeline for the upstairs bathroom. She grabbed a hand towel and started drying off the beer from her arms and legs. With a giant splatter across her crotch, Charlie figured it was better to change than to stay in her damp shorts. She opted for a fresh pair of shorts, taking a minute to fix her make-up while she was in the privacy of her room.

Charlie took a peak at her phone, finding another message from Sadie. With a sigh, Charlie opened it.

It's never easy to face the people we've hurt. But if you still have any feelings left for him, girl, you need to tell him. Be honest. Be true. Be love, alright? You got this xx

Groaning, Charlie tossed her phone aside. She returned downstairs, fixing herself a stronger drink - a mix of ginger ale and rye. She headed outside, noticing Nora on the dance floor with a few family friends. Smiling, Charlie seized the opportunity to join her.

Nora was delighted to find Charlie at her side. She cupped her hands around Charlie's ear, leaning in to share a secret message.

"You wanna get high?"

Though it was hardly necessary, Charlie found herself nodding. Nora grabbed her cousin's hand and began to drag her off towards the water. They deserted the lights and sounds of the party, cutting through the fields of vegetables until they found the small stretch of sandy shore that belonged to the property.

Charlie collapsed into the sand and Nora took a seat next to her, pulling a joint and a lighter from out of the pocket of her shorts.

The water's surface was still as glass, reflecting a perfect sunset.

"So... you talk to your man yet?" Nora asked as she sparked the hand-rolled joint.

"Yes," Charlie nodded. "But... he's not my man."

"What happened?"

"He, uh..." Charlie took a toke, handing the joint off. "He... came up to my room, and... we agreed to be civil, for the wedding and what not.... and then, I just... I told him that I missed him..."

She began fiddling with the ring around her neck.

"He asked me why I still had this," Charlie laughed lightly, flashing Nora the ring. "And I.... I just... I don't know."

"The ring?" Nora asked. "What's so special about it?"

"He, uh.... it's..." Charlie took the joint from Nora's hand. "It's the promise ring he gave me when we were eighteen."

Nora's eyebrows raised.

"Charlie..."

"I know, I know," She sighed, rolling her eyes. Charlie took a long toke before passing the joint off to her cousin. "I just... I can't imagine ever getting rid of it, y'know?"

The girls were quiet for a long while, passing the burning joint back and forth.

"Do you.... still love him?"

Charlie looked at her cousin, eyes beginning to prickle with the threat of oncoming tears. Her throat began to tighten, as it had earlier. She took another toke, passing the joint to Nora.

"I don't know if it's the booze..." Charlie murmured, exhaling a plume of smoke from her nose. "Or just... seeing him again in the flesh... but I... I fucking think so."