CharlieA moan escapes my dry, chapped lips as the stabbing pain of a migraine throbs from inside my skull. Almost zombie like, I whip the blankets off me, intent on getting some pills to ease the throbbing, but stop short. The room spins in a slow circle, causing my body to sway along with the imaginary movement. In order to ease the nausea that attacks my senses, I anxiously rub my palms over my thighs.The once smooth fabric of the dress that I wore last night is now damp from sweat and layered with wrinkles. “I’m going to kill that man,” I mumble as my feet shuffle across the floor.I reach the corner of the room where my bathroom should be. The backs of my hands rub aggressively at my eyes. Where the hell am I? I’m nothing but a bunch of nerves as I look around the room in search of the door. Or any clue as to where I am. The sudden movement of my head causes a twinge of pain to run down the length of my neck. Thinking I pulled a muscle, my hand automatically goes to rub it out.

CharlieMy office chair squeaks as I stretch my back against the curved seat back. I’m dreading having to tell Morgan of my departure. No doubt she’ll have questions I won’t be able to answer.I see her stand enthusiastically in the doorway. She almost skips to my desk. “Yes, Charlie.”“You’re awfully happy today. Is there something I’m not aware of?”There’s a blush that attacks her cheeks. “No, just stuff with James.” She crosses her legs only to uncross them. She repeats the gesture several times and after the third time I have to tell her stop. Her love-struck mood makes me want to gag. I place my hands on the desktop in front of me, intertwining my fingers.“Oh my gosh. What did you do to your hand?” She gasps.I see her extend her arm out as if to touch mine, but I slide my hands back onto my lap. “I broke a plate last night, nothing serious.”Morgan sucks in a breath and has a look of sheer horror on her face as she eyeballs me. “Your…your neck.”Shit. I forgot to cover my neck

CharlieMorgan acts strangely at work the next day. She constantly smiles in my direction as if she knows something I don’t. Every time I try to talk to her she scampers off claiming to be busy or pretends to be on the phone. She still doesn’t admit to hiding anything even after the phone rings loudly in her ear, catching her in her lies.In order to ignore her peculiar behavior, I stay in my office. I was planning on staying late to get as much work done as possible to make up for my departure, but at six o’clock Morgan leaps through my doorway. Her booming voice that fills the room causes me to fumble my pen as my body convulses in a tremor from fear. She runs over to my desk, piling up all my papers, insisting that I head home. My brain barely has time to register what’s going on before she starts pushing me out of my own chair.“What’s going on with you? You’ve been acting weird all day. You’re not having your boyfriend over here again, are you?” Keeping some authority in my tone,

Charlie“Charlie…Charlie, wake up.” I ignore Maxwell’s whispers by burying my head into my pillow. His voice sounds too close for comfort, but when my forehead is scratched by something that feels similar to facial stubble I freeze up.My mind analyzes the scene before my body starts moving. My head’s not nuzzling into a pillow, it’s snuggling into Maxwell’s shoulder. As the feeling to the rest of my body starts to perk up, I find myself curled up against his cold rock hard body all the way to my toes. My arm drapes across his bare chest, my leg intertwined with his. What seems like minutes, but most likely is mere seconds later, I leap backward, swearing under my breath.My body over jumps and is on the verge of falling out of bed altogether, but Maxwell’s strong grip pulls me fully back onto the mattress. “What did I do?” I point to myself in shame and immediately blame him instead. “What did you do?” But the blame settles on my shoulders as I contemplate if I actually could have do

CharlieFully submerged in the tub, limbs gently floating in the warm water, relaxation takes over every inch of my body or so I thought. My mind begins to wander. Maxwell’s supposed jealousy and Dave’s need to insert himself back into a romantic position. It’s too much and just a bunch of stupidity if you ask me.There’s not a doubt in my mind that Maxwell has this idea that coming here will bring us closer together, but part of me refuses to make him right. I’m not ready to admit that I think he’s attractive, caring, intelligent...Jesus I need to get a hold of myself. I’m not ready to lose whatever it is that I’d lose being with him, be it my beating heart or humanity. My head gently rests against the rim of the luxurious bathtub with heavy eyelids. Quietness mixed with the lightweight warmth the bath gives me is a bad combination. I shoot up from under the water, gasping for air. I didn’t realize I actually fell asleep until I tried to breathe underwater. Water runs in thick trail