ログインZac probably realized he had gone too far with that comment about her and Dylan getting all touchy.Despite all the chaos between them lately, he knew Charlotte.She had a fierce temper and loved or hated with her whole heart, but when it came to her principles, she had never crossed a line.Even if things got bad enough for divorce, she would handle everything cleanly, get the paperwork done, and move on with her head held high. She would never cheat while she was still married.He had overreacted.He pressed his lips together, then said, “My tone was out of line.”Two months ago, Charlotte would have already been pouting and going over to him for a hug and a kiss.But now, she just lowered her eyes and gave a flat little “Mm.”Zac’s gaze dropped to the hand pressed against her stomach, and his brows drew together.“I’m taking you to the hospital tomorrow for a full checkup. Stomach problems aren’t something you can just tough out.”“I’m not going.”“Don’t take this out on
Her hand slipped into her pocket and found the little tin of mints she always kept with her.She used them during class whenever she was trying not to smoke.With a soft click, the tin opened.She tipped out a white mint, tossed it into her mouth, and crushed it hard between her teeth.The cool flavor burst across her tongue and took some of the sharpness out of the ache inside her.“Fine. Then don’t.”Charlotte mumbled around the mint, her words a little slurred. “I’ll stop bothering you, okay? I’ll go find someone else.”She really was starting to lose heart.Zac’s heart was impossible to warm. The more she tried, the more she ended up hurting herself.In a fit of frustration, she unbuckled her seat belt and reached for the door. Before she could push it open, Zac suddenly grabbed her wrist.“What are you eating?”Charlotte froze and parted her lips slightly. Her tongue swept across her teeth, leaving behind a cool trace.“A mint.”“I want one too.”“What?”Charlotte w
It was the spring of her senior year. Everything seemed full of life.Charlotte had already lost count of how many days she had spent chasing after Zac.She had brought him drinks, blocked his path, and staged one fake run-in after another. She had tried every trick she could think of.But Zac was impossible. His heart was harder than stone, and his face was colder than ice. No matter what she did, he never gave her even the slightest opening.Then one night, everything changed.Sean, being his usual ridiculous self, insisted he had read his fortune and that his love life was finally about to take off. He dragged Charlotte to a bar with him to meet his so-called soulmate.In the end, no soulmate showed up.Trouble did.The guy looked polished and respectable, but underneath, he was just another sleazy player.A few drinks in, he started getting handsy with Sean. Then he called over a few of his equally trashy friends and tried to keep the two of them there by force, pushing dr
“The bracelet was recommended by a sales associate. She said it was a new limited-edition piece with a nice meaning behind it, so I bought two. Jodie’s was just a New Year’s gift for my sister. Don’t read so much into it.”Charlotte thought, So that made buying two identical ones okay?He couldn’t even be bothered to put in a little thought. He couldn’t even pick a different style.“Then if it was supposed to make her happy, you should have just given it to her,” Charlotte said. “Why give one to me too?”Zac went quiet for a moment. “I thought you’d like it.”His brother had once told him that no woman disliked things like this.And if she did, it just meant he hadn’t given her enough, or that what he gave her wasn’t expensive enough.A dull ache spread through Charlotte’s chest, but she kept her tone casual.“If the meaning behind it is that good, then give this one to her too. Good things come in pairs. She can wear it on her ankle for all I care.”Zac slammed on the brakes.
Dylan, on the other hand, stayed perfectly calm.“If you’re not interested, Mr. Cooper, then I won’t keep you.”He looked at Charlotte. “Ms. Jenkins, my proposal still stands. You can contact me anytime.”With that, Dylan gave a slight nod and walked away.Zac’s expression darkened.“What proposal?”“The insurance payout plan, obviously. That way, if something ever really happens to me, I can at least live off the payout.”“Don’t talk nonsense.” Zac frowned even more deeply and reached out to touch her forehead. “Why are you sweating so much?”Charlotte turned her head away. She didn’t want him touching her.“I don’t feel well. That’s why.”Hearing that she felt sick, Zac’s tone softened a little.“If you’re not feeling well, then let’s go.”The two of them went back to the private room.Everyone was still drinking and having a great time. Sergeant Zimmer was playing a drinking game. When he saw them come back, he was just about to call out to them when Zac’s cool look shu
The back of her tongue hurt. Her throat ached. So did her heart.She stood there for a long moment before finally turning on the faucet and rinsing her mouth with cold water.When she looked up at the mirror, her lipstick was gone. The only color left on her face was in her swollen, reddened eyes.She had let herself fall apart over a man who didn’t even love her.“Nice going, Charlotte,” she muttered to herself.Her gaze dropped to the bracelet on her wrist, and suddenly she yanked at it in frustration, desperate to get it off.But the clasp seemed determined to fight her. No matter what she did, it wouldn’t open.The more flustered she got, the worse it hurt. The worse it hurt, the more panicked she became.The skin over her wrist bone was rubbed red, but the bracelet still would not come off.“Ms. Jenkins?”A man’s voice sounded behind her, edged with surprise.Startled, Charlotte hurriedly pulled out a tissue and wiped at her face before turning around.Dylan was standi







