A Thousand Spotlights

377 Words

I wish I was in love

His reassurance gave her a little comfort and she grinned at him, happy to see that her birthday hadn't completely scared him away. She'd been so worried that she'd wake up to the stony figure that she'd met the first day they were introduced. Their friendship had progressed so much compared to where it started out, but was still far behind what they'd be at if he wasn't employed by her brother. All she could do was hope that later down the road once she didn't need babysat, things would change and they'd be leaps and bounds further than they were now.

She followed him out of his bedroom and peeked around in search of someone that might not be quite as forgiving of her coming from his room, but found nobody she needed to worry about. Charlotte did her best to tone down the pep in her step as she followed behind him and she gave the woman that was cooking a wide smile as she bounded in. It was kind of heart warming to see the way she was with Hunter. She'd known the cook for the better part of her life and had always adored her and her cooking skills. But to see Hunter so smiley around her as well, she thought she might faint.

Char rolled her eyes as he asked about the bacon and she slid into one of the barstools that looked into the kitchen across the island. She had always loved to watch the woman cook, wishing she could hold onto what she was seeing and put it to use, but she hadn't cooked a day in her life. The most she had done was help cut things up and prep the food and that was when her parents and Will weren't around. "Would you like anything special, Lottie?" The woman asked with a kind smile for her.

Charlotte's eyes widened at her nickname and she refused to look at Hunter to see if he'd caught it, "Oh, uh, no. The usual is good. Try to put some bacon off to the side for me though."

But I don't wanna cause any pain

300 Words

I wish I was in love

Charlotte was a little surprised by how much Hunter knew about the cook from the short time that he'd been staying at her house. She'd known Nona her whole life practically. She'd been around for as long as Charlotte could remember, she'd watched her and Will grow up right alongside of her own children. She did what she could not to linger too long on watching the interaction, but she could see the way that Hunter was towards other people and she wondered if he felt as comfortable around her as he did around other people.

She was quiet as they ate, trying to absorb all of the events of the last couple of months that had led them to this point. Char knew that it wasn't a functional friendship so much as it was a necessary one. Her fork fished around on the plate and she chewed on her lower lip once she was finished with the little bit of food that she'd gotten. After a few more minutes of waiting, she stood up and took her plate to the sink. Rinsing it off, she started filling the sink with soapy water and she set the pans that were used in it as the water ran. While she may not have cooked a day in her life, she'd always liked helping with the dishes. Nona told her that it was a fine skill to have in case she ever decided to go out on her own.

Humming quietly to herself, she started washing the dishes that she had, engulfed in her task rather than dwelling on her thoughts. "She's my favorite person," She said eventually.

But I don't wanna cause any pain

228 Words

I wish I was in love

Charlotte glanced at him with wide eyes for just a moment after his question. Did he want to be her favorite? Charlotte could admit that he was easily making his way towards the top of the list with each day that they spent getting to know each other, but she couldn't say that he was her favorite because it would give away that she was starting to like him a little too much. It was safer to say that Nona was and honestly it would take a lot for her to give the number one spot to anybody else.

With her eyes back on the dishes, she bit her lower lip to keep from smiling and she shrugged, "I mean, you might be a close second." Char decided to give him some credit since he'd saved her life, that was a decent enough reason for someone to be second right?

Charlotte finished the few dishes that had been dirty and she set them to dry before leaning against the counter with her elbows resting on it, "I don't think you could ever knock Nona down to second though. The woman is perfect. She cooks, she bakes, she's sweet and sassy. Loving her is easy."

But I don't wanna cause any pain

232 Words

I wish I was in love

When he moved towards the sink, she shifted so that she wasn't in his way and instead settle for pushing herself up to sit on the counter. Nona wasn't around to scold her and neither was her mother so she did it freely without worry. Her hand clasped dramatically to her chest and she sniffled, "That hurts, ya know?" Although she believed that he could do without her even without his own Nona. Charlotte kept that thought to herself and tried not to linger on the way it weighed down on her mood.

He turned towards her and she looked up at him when he asked a series of questions. The last made her stomach clench and she gripped the edge of the counter a little tighter. Char knew that she needed to learn, especially with the way her nightmares were wearing on her and making her more paranoid than ever. It had been weeks since they tried, by this point, she hoped she was over it enough to learn how to prevent the attack next time, or at least hold her own.

With her eyes cast down, she nodded slowly before lifting her eyes back up to his, "Do you think I can do it this time?"

But I don't wanna cause any pain

322 Words

I wish I was in love

The pat on her knee damn near made her melt. It was more than just the physical contact, but she was reveling in his confidence in her. She'd been lacking self-confidence for months, so it felt good to have it from someone else. It was better coming from someone like him.

While she was dwelling on his reassurance, she didn't miss his next words. Charlotte's eyes widened and she pressed her lips together firmly to keep from erupting into giggles. Once he finished his instructions, she straightened her face and nodded, "Uh, well, slight problem with that plan. While I'm real appreciative of you letting me hog your bed last night, I uh, I don't think we're close enough to shower together. Not that it wouldn't be fun, but, I just think that might be a bad idea given your job and all." She waggled her eyebrows at him before scooting off the counter and landing on her feet.

"I know, I know, I'm going. I'll meet you out back, teach," She grinned at him easily and scurried off towards her room to shower and change. Charlotte focused a little more on the workout clothes that she put on, given the fact that she definitely wanted to look cute for him now. But also because she needed something light, something that wasn't going to restrain her and trigger another panic attack. Settling on a pair of track shorts and a tank top, she bounded down the stairs and out to the backyard where he'd said to meet.

As she approached the gardens, she slowed down so that she didn't seem too eager and she turned the corner to find him already out there. That was what she got for being a girl. "These kind of workout clothes okay?"

But I don't wanna cause any pain

173 Words

I wish I was in love

When he asked her to pull her hair back, she nodded. She'd meant to do that after she got out of the shower, but as she was a little distracted, it was no surprise that she forgot. Charlotte swiftly braided her hair and let it settle over her shoulder before she folded her arms in front of her.

Charlotte could feel her stomach twisting from the anxiety as she looked around at the mats. She took a deep breath in and let it out slowly in an attempt to calm herself. She took a step forward and chewed on her lip, "So, uh, w-where are we starting?" The trembling in her tone irritated her, but she hoped that he ignored it. She wanted to believe that she was ready, just as much as he seemed to believe she was.

But the way her stomach flipped was making her unsure.

But I don't wanna cause any pain