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Abbie was ready to get discharged from the hospital. The only hold up was her living arrangements. She was unable to return to her apartment considering it was on the second floor. She wasn’t strong enough to climb stairs yet. She needed to build up her muscle again, slowly. She needed someone to help her recover both mentally and physically. She wanted to include Charlie in the conversation but after two days of crickets she figured he wasn’t interested in being part of the equation. Abbie stared at the tv in silence with her father next to her. She tried to figure out her life.
“What are you going to do?” Her father asked quietly.
“I don’t know... I can’t stay with you since you live upstairs too.” Abbie claimed. She was already overwhelmed with thoughts.
“You could ask Charlie...” Her father offered.
“No, he hasn’t come here in two days.” Abbie sighed.
“You haven’t really reached out to him either. Maybe you should call him...” Her father answered, lightly.
“Why? I’m not his responsibility!”
“He cares about you. He asks me every day about how you are doing. I think he would have a solution if you asked him.”
“Dad, I can’t just ask the guy to take me in like that.”
“Fine. Your loss. I don’t know what you are going to do.”
“Neither do I... Ughhhh. I get discharged tomorrow.”
“Call Charlie.”
“DAD! We just talked about this.”
“What if he offers?”
“We aren’t manipulating him into taking me in. I do have some dignity... I can’t ask him to take me in. Especially after I talked to him the way I did.”
“I think you are being stubborn about this. We already talked about it... He offered without me asking. I just wanted to see if you would pull your head out of your ass to call him.”
“Seriously?!” Abbie yelled.
“Yes. Call HIM!” Her father urged again. “He is your only option right now. I can’t take care of you all the time because of my work schedule. Charlie lives in a house on the outskirts of the city. It’s a good location to get out of town, away from Ricky, and the case.”
Abbie held her head in annoyance. She hated the idea of living with Charlie, even temporarily. She didn’t want to blur the lines in their already weird relationship. Her head spun with ideas about where to live. She needed someone to help her gain her strength back since she was bed bound for a month. She felt paralyzed.
She released a shaky breath then fought with herself about calling Charlie. She picked up her phone to dial his number. Her father had sent over his phone number with pressure to fix things with Charlie. She just didn’t want to look like a fool. Before placing the call, she looked at her father to see a grin on his face. He was staring at the tv, but she knew what he was smiling about.
“Don’t look so smug, Dad.” Abbie sneered.
“I’m not smug. I’m genuinely happy for you to have a devoted and kind man in your life.” Her father retorted with a smile.
Abbie started calling Charlie. She felt a pit in her stomach and didn’t know how to handle the conversation. She didn’t want to ask out right to move in. She wanted Charlie to offer it to her, so she didn’t look like a fool. She already felt like a fool for resorting to a stranger she barely knew for help. She wondered if she could actually trust Charlie. She was about to hang up when he answered.
“Hello?” Charlie answered.
“Hey Charlie... This is Abbie.”
“Hello Abbie. How are you?”
“I’m... uh... okay. How are you?” Abbie asked, looking up at her father. He was cracking up laughing while watching the tv. She gave him a glare then tried to focus on the phone call with Charlie.
“I’m doing great... It’s nice to hear from you. Your dad kept me updated about your progress. I heard you get to leave tomorrow.”
“Yeah. I’m really excited to leave this place.” Abbie sighed. “The food still sucks.”
“I bet...”
Abbie didn’t want to ask Charlie for his hospitality. She didn’t want him to get the wrong idea about her. Although, he already saw her at her worst, in every way. She missed their deep talks although her father brought in a counselor to start sessions with. The woman looked really kind and seemed to know what she was talking about. She had been helping Abbie deal with her emotions and past, one step at a time.
She was happy to be dealing with her past with someone who could be disposed of after usage. With Charlie it was different. She didn’t want to get baited like a fish, only to get her heart broken further. It was one of the many fears Abbie had about life. To keep the awkward conversation going, Abbie switched topics.
“How’s the florist shop?” Abbie asked.
“It’s good.” Charlie offered. “Abbie, why don’t you just come out with it? Tell me why you called. I don’t want to have boring small talk. It’s not your style and we both know it.”
OUCH. He really does know me. That’s kind of scary actually. “I wanted to say I’m sorry. You were right about your evaluation of me... I’m really sorry for pushing you away, again.”
“Thank you for apologizing. Is that all?” Charlie asked coolly.
“Are you really going to make me ask?” Abbie questioned in awe.
“Yes. I want you to tell me what you want.”
Abbie was silent for a while. She was stubborn and didn’t want to tell Charlie how she felt. She looked at her father for support. He gave her a thumbs up then waved his hand to say, “Go on.” Abbie cleared her throat in an attempt to clear out her emotions.
“If you aren’t going to talk, I’m hanging up.”
“Wait! I’m sorry okay. You know I don’t like to do this.”
“Time to step out of your comfort zone for once.” Charlie answered quickly.
“Ouch. That one hurt...”
“I’m sorry. I was being blunt and guarded.”
“Maybe we shouldn’t do this.”
“Do what?” Charlie asked.
“Move in together...” Abbie muttered.
“I’m sorry, what was that?”
“I said maybe we shouldn’t move in together.”
“We aren’t until you ask me nicely.”
“You know, jerk doesn’t really suit your personality.”
“Nice burn. I’m hanging up now.”
“I’m sorry. I know you are just treating me how I treated you.”
“You don’t say?” Charlie said, sarcastically.
“Charlie, will you please let me stay with you for a couple days until I get on my feet.” Abbie spit out, finally.
“See? Was that so hard?” Charlie paused. “I’ll think about it.”
“WHAT!?” Abbie questioned, angrily.
“I’ll be there in fifteen minutes. We can talk then.” Charlie answered quickly.
“Okay.” Abbie muttered. Excitement started to brew within her at seeing Charlie again. After two days she missed him like crazy.
“See you soon.” Charlie answered, ending the phone call.
Abbie stared at the phone in shock. She didn’t know how to process Charlie’s attitude. She understood his guarded behavior. She knew he was proving a point to her. She was afraid of showing her true emotions to him. He was kind to even offer for her to stay with him. She just hoped he didn’t change his mind after seeing her again. Abbie forced herself to take a deep breath and watch her mouth for once. She didn’t want to mess up her only chance of leaving the hospital.
“What did he say?” Her father asked.
“Well first, he talked to me like a total jerk.”
“Good man. Then what?”
“He said he had to think about it!”
“I really like this guy.” Her father laughed.
“He said he will be here in fifteen minutes.” Abbie replied coolly.
“Do you want me to leave?”
“You don’t have to. I figure he will just say yes then leave after busting my guard even more. He does a good job by talking like a jerk to me. I guess kind people have a mean switch too.”
“I guess that means you could have a nice switch.” He laughed.
“Ha Ha. Very funny, father.” Abbie replied, staring him down.
Abbie stared at the tv to distract herself. She kept looking at her phone to check the time. Right on the dot, Charlie walked into the room. He smiled at her father to her left. He quickly stood to shake Charlie’s hand, as if congratulating him. Abbie looked away then rolled her eyes. Her father quickly came up with an excuse about an emergency at his apartment. Abbie stared at him in shock. He quickly hugged her then left the room after shutting the door behind him. Abbie was alone with Charlie once again.
“I was on my way here to talk some sense into you.” Charlie uttered first. “I offered for you to stay with me yesterday.”
“My dad just told me twenty-five minutes ago.” Abbie replied.
“I guess he wanted you to pick a good candidate on your own.” Charlie chuckled.
Abbie observed Charlie for a moment. He looked tired and winded from the walk. She wondered if he was sleeping at night from the small eye bags forming under his eyes. He seemed to be sleep deprived. She figured he was working a lot at his floral shop.
“So... What exactly are the terms of me moving in with you?” Abbie asked. “I don’t want to infringe on your life.”
“You won’t. I have a good-sized house. It was my mom’s. She gave it to me before she left for Africa five years ago.”
“What about stairs and getting me around the house?”
“No problem with either. There is a bedroom on the lower level with wheelchair access. Although I doubt you will need a wheelchair for long.” Charlie smirked.
“You are more confident than I am.”
“Have they let you leave the bed yet?”
“Twice. The first time I fell without being able to walk. The second time I took a couple steps to the door. I haven’t been able to really walk since my body is retaliating against me.”
“It’s probably happy about the rest after years of training.”
“Probably... What about rules between us?”
“I will have my own bedroom upstairs. You can call me if you need something in the middle of the night.”
“Okay. Rent?”
“No charge.”
“You can’t be serious.”
“I am serious.”
“Charlie, I’m taking up your space. You should charge me.”
“I’m not. If you want to buy groceries for yourself, have at it.”
“Why are you being so generous and kind to me?” Abbie scoffed. She thought Charlie had an ulterior motive that he wasn’t sharing.
“Because I care about you. I have been trying to tell you that since day one.” He laughed.
“No one would ever do this for me. I don’t know how to react.”
“Just say thank you.”
“You aren’t going to let me move in then get abusive or demand my virginity as compensation, are you?”
“NO! Why would I do that? How undignified and disrespectful do you think I am? Abbie, not once in the last month have I ever taken advantage of you. Why would I start now?”
“On the phone you were rude.”
“Yeah, to show you how you treat people. I’m not like that. With every word I felt sick to my stomach.”
“How do I trust you?” Abbie asked.
“I guess you will have to use blind faith. If I wanted to hurt you, I would have by now. All the times you were unconscious or sleeping, I didn’t do anything but sleep in this chair or observe you. It’s up to you to trust me or find a different way out of here.”
Abbie stared at Charlie sitting in the chair her father had sat in. The tv was still making noise in the background. Abbie tried to decide whether or not she could trust Charlie. She saw kindness filling his features like the first day she met him. Fear pounded with the beat of her heart. She reasoned within herself about living with Charlie.
“Have I done anything to hurt you or make you feel unsafe?” Charlie asked, quickly. Abbie gazed into his eyes for comfort.
“No.” Abbie croaked out. She reached for her water to moisten her mouth and throat. Her throat suddenly felt tight with emotion.
“Okay. What is the problem then?” Charlie asked kindly.
“We barely know each other.” Abbie urged after drinking a good amount of water.
“What do you want to know? We can play twenty questions if it makes you feel better... I don’t know much about you either.”
“Are you staying long enough to answer all my questions?”
“Yeah. I brought a bag with me for my last night in the hospital with you.” Charlie smiled. “Unless you want me to leave again.”
“No, I might force you to sleep with me though. I haven’t slept good since...” Abbie hit her forehead with embarrassment. “Oops.”
“It’s okay.” Charlie laughed. “I couldn’t sleep either. I was too concerned about Ricky assaulting you while I was gone.”
“Me too...” Abbie lied.
She knew her lack of sleep was due to her fear of losing Charlie. After feeling the peace and relaxation he brought to her body, she didn’t want to let him go. He was perfect for her life because he urged her to go after her dreams and do the impossible. She felt empowered and cared for when Charlie was around.
“Do you want to ask me questions? Or watch tv for a while?” Charlie asked. “We could always do questions while I lay with you.”
“How about we do a couple questions now then more if we think of any later?”
“Okay. Do you want to go first?”
“Sure...” Abbie paused to think of a good question. “Now my mind is blank.”
“May I go first then?”
Abbie nodded in agreement. She didn’t have any questions come to mind for interrogating Charlie. She wanted to make sure she could trust him before moving in with him. Her mind swirled with thoughts about their living situation. She was concerned about getting too comfortable with him. She didn’t want her heart to get ripped out of her chest.
“What is your favorite color?” Charlie asked.
“Easy question. Orange. What’s yours?”
“Green.”
“Favorite food?”
“Um... Probably pizza.” Charlie laughed. “What’s yours?”
“I also love pizza. It beats protein shakes every day.”
“Ew. I could never drink a protein shake.” Charlie flinched.
“They aren’t that bad.” Abbie laughed. “I got used to them.”
“Whatever you say. What do you like most about yourself?”
“I would have said my ability to knock out someone with one punch. That has since changed...” Abbie sighed.
“What about now?”
“I don’t know... I know how sad that sounds. Fighting was my identity and personality all wrapped up in one.”
“You are not what you do. You are you. What you do shows off who you are. The quality I like most about you is your determination. You are always determined to do what you set your mind to.”
“Thank you. I guess I didn’t think about that one. What about you? What do you like most about yourself?”
“My kind and caring attitude toward others.” Charlie smiled.
“That was too easy.” Abbie smirked.
“It’s true though. Not everyone is as kind as I am. Especially in New York! These people are rough.”
“Yeah... I kind of fit in with them.”
“Kind of?” Charlie laughed.
“Okay okay. I get it. Where did you grow up then?”
“Arkansas. My mom was born and raised there. She met my dad while on vacation in New York. She was touring the gardens when she ran into my dad. He was running late for a work meeting. They collided on the sidewalk. My dad called my mom every day until she agreed to one date.”
“Sounds like someone I know. He’s pretty determined too.”
“Yeah. I get that from my dad. I remember him telling me about meeting my mom. He said he just knew she was the one.”
Abbie wanted to change the subject from marriage and relationships. “Do you have any siblings?”
“Yeah, I have a sister named Sophie. She’s three years younger than me. She moved to Arkansas once she turned eighteen. She wanted to run away from mom and I.”
“Why?”
“The memories of dad. She didn’t handle his death the best. She didn’t speak to us for a while after she left. It was mom and I running the business until she decided to retire. Well partially retire. She loves her missionary work in Ghana. Do you have any siblings?”
“Not that I know of. Knowing my mom, she probably met a great guy and got married. Had more kids who fit her love level.”
“Do you miss her?”
“No. I hate her.”
“Why?”
“She left me at five years old. Dad launched into alcoholism at full force while abusing me physically. She was the catalyst.”
“I understand... Do you ever think about finding her?”
“What’s the point? If she actually cared about me, she would have made herself known or kept in contact with me over the last twenty years.”
“Oh, okay. So, you are twenty-five...?”
“Yes. How old are you?”
“Thirty. Does that bother you?”
“No. Does my age bother you?”
“No, I just didn’t realize how young you are.”
“It’s only a five-year difference. I’ll be twenty-six in August.”
“My birthday was in February.”
“See so we are only four years and a couple months apart.”
“Yeah.” Charlie answered. “Do you have any other questions?”
“We could switch gears to talk about relationship stuff...”
“What do you want to know?”
“First kiss?”
“Uh, I haven’t kissed anyone yet...” Charlie blushed.
“WHAT!?” Abbie stared at him wide eyed.
“Yeah... My mom taught me about purity and doing the right thing with the right woman. I haven’t done anything with any woman before because I wanted to wait. It hasn’t been easy by the way.” Charlie laughed.
“I uh... wow... so that’s why you wanted to wait for us to kiss...”
“Partially. I knew I wanted you to be my first kiss, but I wanted it to be special. I meant what I said about making it memorable.”
“So, you are a virgin too...?”
“Yep. The most action I got was the other night in your bed.”
“I see.”
“Does that bother you?” Charlie asked, looking concerned.
“It surprises me. I definitely don’t have to worry about you trying to get in my pants... Unless you are lying to me.”
“Why would I lie about that? Do you know how many girls turned me down after finding out I have no experience in the bedroom? It’s sad really that so many people just want a physical connection. I want to connect with them on all other levels first.”
“That explains all the questions in the beginning...”
“Yeah... Do you still want to move in with me?” Charlie asked.
“Yes, I do. I trust you won’t do anything to me. Just don’t cross the line... Okay?” Abbie uttered.
“Back at you.” Charlie laughed.
“This may be a personal question, but when are you planning on having sex with a woman?” Abbie asked, carefully.
“I am waiting until marriage.”
“Okay. That’s kind of refreshing to hear from a man.”
“Does that bug you?”
“No. I don’t want to get pregnant accidentally by having sex. That’s what happened to my mom and dad. They were drunk at a party one night. Dad used a condom but here I am. I was afraid of getting pregnant and losing my career. That’s why I’m still a virgin.”
“Interesting. I’m glad you are okay with me waiting...”
“I think it benefits both of us.” Abbie smiled.
“Any other questions?” Charlie asked.
“I think we are good. For now, at least.”
“Okay. Are you tired yet?”
“Not really, but you don’t have to wait to lay with me.”
Abbie smiled down at Charlie. He seemed to contemplate her proposal. She wondered if it was too soon for them to lay together. She hadn’t seen Charlie in two days and didn’t know if they could just pick up where they left off. Abbie watched Charlie to gauge his reaction. He stood quickly then grabbed his bag to change. Abbie wondered if he was going to crawl into her bed once again. She turned her attention to the tv to distract her from rising emotions.
The bathroom door opened to reveal Charlie wearing the same pajamas as before. He placed his bag on the chair to her left then grabbed the remote. Abbie wondered if he was going to shut off the tv or flip the channel. She had been watching cooking shows all day with her father. She hoped they would rub off on him. Charlie changed the channel to their cartoons then placed the remote by her bedside. She watched him slowly walk around to the other side of the bed then get in next to her without asking.
“Welcome back.” Abbie sighed against Charlie’s chest.
“Thank you, you too.” Charlie chuckled deeply from his belly.
Abbie snuggled her head against Charlie’s chest once again in an effort to get comfortable. She was careful to not stroke his side or chest. She felt ease wash over her body like a warm blanket. She wasn’t freaking out as bad as the last time although her muscles were tense. Charlie shifted slightly causing her to get closer to him. She took a couple deep breaths and tried to stay calm.
“Are you okay?” Charlie asked quickly.
“Yeah. I will be.” Abbie uttered quietly.
“Do you want me to shut off the tv so you can sleep?”
“No. I’m okay but thank you.” Abbie whispered.
Abigail heard the cartoons playing softly in the background as she started to fall asleep. She passed out on Charlie’s warm chest in comfort and sublime peace. She was happy to have Charlie back in her world, although she was afraid of him getting too close and hurting her. She pushed away her panic the best she could, but her dreams decided to follow her mindset.
She dreamt about Charlie hitting her and constantly abusing her while she lived with him. In her dream she couldn’t run away from him. Her father didn’t help and constantly spoke highly about Charlie. She was terrified about Charlie physically abusing her and raping her since she was helpless under his care. In the dream she tried to fight back but Charlie laughed like an evil villain in her face. She cried and screamed for help in the darkness surrounding her.
