Chapter 18
ELI
1 week later…
IHAVEN’T HEARD FROM CHARLI in a week, I have called and texted her every day and night, only to get her unanswered texts and her voicemail. She is ignoring me. I haven’t touched another woman, I haven’t even thought of
another woman since being with Charli.I’ve tried—I really have. It doesn’t matter what I try to say to her, or how many times I ask her to let me explain, she doesn’t believe me, and I’m not sure if she ever will.
I don’t even know if we are still together anymore.
I’m surprised Jensen hasn't been over yet to try and beat my
ass. I have been waiting for him, but I’m guessing Charli hasn't
told him anything. He texted me the day before yesterday and
asked me if I wanted to grab a beer this weekend. I want to stay
cooped up in my apartment alone, but knowing Jensen, if I don’t
show he will come over. I don’t need that.
What I need is Charli to believe me.
When the guys found out I was planning to propose to Charli,
they had told me I was crazy. That marriage is a big deal. I simply
told them when you know, you know and one day they would
understand how I felt. They had laughed at me and told me they
would never be tied down by one woman. I had chuckled, they
would figure it out—one day.
I can't be around the guys now, not drinking anyway, I am
more than likely to break down in front of them and I don’t need
them asking why.
I have gone to work and just come home beat every day, I
shower, then I call Charli and then I go to bed, it’s like I’m living
on repeat without her.
Getting her voicemail again last night had broken me down.
The thought of losing is too much. I can't lose her.
I need to find out who this girl is that is determined to destroy
our relationship, and find out why she had turned Charli against
me.
Maybe it is someone from my past. I try and think back on
girls I’ve have wronged over the years and it is a long list.
There was Lucy. I snuck out after we had sex before she woke
up, but I don’t think she is the type that would do this.
Maybe it is Kirsty, she had wanted a relationship with me,
but I had stopped that from happening. Nah, it isn’t. The last
thing I heard from her was that she married some rich guy.
It could be Hope…No way. It can’t be Hope. She has hooked
up with Carter and Jensen since we last got together, I think
chuckling to myself.
Hannah! That bitch is fucking crazy. Insane wasn’t even a
good word for her. We slept together once and I wasn't interested
in her, but she wouldn't take a damn hint. I have run into Hannah
a few times in the last few months, and I swear a few times I had
seen her behind me or I would catch a glimpse of her before she
would take off.
I need to tell Charli about Hannah. I try to call Charli I get
her voice mail again...
“Hey its Charli leave me a message, and I'll get back to you as
soon as I can." BEEP...
“Baby please answer my calls or my texts I need to explain,
it isn't what you think only you baby just you. Please call—”
Again, it cuts me out.
FUCK!
I am going to have to go see her, and beg for forgiveness, fuck.
I head to her place, I’m not leaving until she lets me explain.
I also see Jensen’s car in the driveway, shit, what’s he doing here? Maybe I shouldn’t do this now… No, I’ve got to speak to Charli. I’m not leaving.
I knock on Charli's door, waiting for her to answer.“Baby open the door, please we need to talk. Please baby
open up,” I beg as I bang on the door.
The door swings open.
“Hey,” Jensen says as he waves me in.
Okay, he seems calm he must not know anything… Yet!
Charli comes around the corner she stops once she sees me.
“What are you doing here?” she says.
The look on her face has my heart ripping in two.
“Seriously sis? That's how you welcome your boyfriend—or
wait, your fiancé?” Jensen says with a laugh.
He looks at me, I look at Charli, and she looks back at Jensen.
“Okay, am I missing something, guys? Did you guys have a
fight?” he asks.
“It's nothing, Jensen. Just stay out of it, okay?” Charli snaps
back at him.
“Dude, did you piss her off?” he chuckles at me.
“Something like that,” I say, not taking my eyes off my
woman.
“We need to talk, could you give us a moment?” I ask Jensen
Jensen turns, leaving us alone in the room.
She turns, leaving me standing there.
“I don't want to talk to you,” Charli says.
“Baby please," I beg.
“Baby?” she says, turning to face me with a look of disgust. “I
think you lost the right to call me that when you cheated on me.”
She takes a step back from me.
I blow out a deep breath, she isn't going to believe me no
matter what I say. It really is over. I can see it on her face.
“Someone is doing this to mess with us, to ruin what we
have?” I say softly.
Charli rolls her eyes at me.
“Really Eli, it was all some joke is that what you are saying?”
she replies.
“No, I never said that. I'm saying I want you to believe me
when I say I've been faithful to you. Why would I want to marry
you if I was hooking up with some other chick behind your back?”
She thinks about it for a moment and then turns opening her
draw. Charli hands me the ring box.
I won’t take it from her
“You were a player before me Eli, I’m sure you will be long
after me,” she says as she holds the ring box out to me keeping her
eyes focused on the ground. She won’t even look at me.
“So, it's really over, then?” I ask, looking at her, begging her
to look at me, needing her to look at me.
I know I have just lost the love of my life.
“Yes,” she whispers. She pushes the ring box towards me.
She looks at me then, the tears falling down her face tells me
all I need to know.
We are over and I need to move on.
I’m a broken man as I slowly take the box from her hand.
“I can't believe you, I'm sorry Eli,” she says.
I look away and wipe tears from eyes. I look down at the floor
as I put the ring box in my pocket.
If this is what she wanted I would accept it, I can't push her
to believe me or love me.
She had my heart but I don’t have hers, not anymore.
My breath is becoming ragged with every moment. What do
you do? When the person you love the most has given up.
“I guess,” I blow out a breath. Trying to stop myself from
grabbing her and begging for her to believe me. “This is it then,
I'll leave you alone. I won't bother you anymore, I know I didn't
cheat on you, but I can't make you believe me.”
Our eyes lock. I feel the intensity between us, the connection.
It is still there, I just hope she can feel it too.
“Just so you know, I do love you more than anything, and I'll
love you until the day I die,” I say, as I walk out of Charli's
apartment and out of her life.
I will never be able to love anyone like I love her. She was it
for me but I guess I wasn't for her.
I need to find out who is trying to destroy my life.
I have told Charli I'd leave her alone but I can't leave it like
this. I need to get her to see she is wrong, and that we belong
together.
Yes, I slept around before her, but I have been faithful to her
and only her.
I need to win her back and I’m determined to do whatever it
takes.
I run into Jensen on the way out of Charli’s house.
“Eli, what’s wrong?” he says.
I ignore him heading to my truck.
“Dude talk to me,” he presses.
I get into my truck without saying a word. I am dead inside.
Wiping a tear from my eye, I start my truck and head home,
I’m less than two miles from Charli’s place when I see my phone
ringing. It’s Jensen. I don’t want to, but something tells me I
need to answer it.