“It wasn’t really my plan, but...”
“But what? Now you’re kind of forced to come back to your old hometown, huh?”
“It’s not so bad. I’m kinda having a change of heart. My martial arts and fencing studio is doing way better than I ever imagined, and all my friends and family are here.” He gazed deeply into my eyes. “I never realized how much I missed this place until I came back home.”
“So you’re done sowing your wild oats?”
“I guess. I wanted to enjoy an adventurous lifestyle, and I’ve done that.” He paused, looked around, and decided to change the subject. “How do you like your room?”
“It’s wonderful,” I said, because it was. I was really looking forward to soaking in the spectacular tub later, so I could unwind and stop being consumed by my worries. At least for a day or two, I wasn’t going to think about the uncertainty of my future.
“I’m glad you’re happy here,” he said. “Mi casa es tu casa.”
“Thank you for everything.”
“Not a problem.”
I set my box of fried rice down and sipped my beer. “I’m not used to this.”
“What? Chinese on the floor?” he joked.
“No. People doing nice things for me, at least not on such a grand scale.”
“What!?” he asked, as if offended. “I used to do nice stuff for you all the time,” he argued and shifted Max over a little so he could scoot around the coffee table and lean against me.
I shoved him back. “That was a long time ago. As for all this,” I said, gesturing around the place, “I’m still not sure you’re doing it just to be nice. I know that deep down, you’re a great guy, but this is a little over the top. Personally, I think you’re just trying to woo me, because you need to get hitched as fast as you can.”
He frowned, sighed, and hung his head. “I’m still your friend, Jaime,” he said quietly. “That never changed, and it never will. I’m sorry if you think otherwise.”
My gut clenched with guilt, and I ran my hands through my hair. “Sorry,” I muttered under my breath, nudged him and rested my head against his shoulder. “I’ve just been through a lot of shit lately, and I’m trying to cope the best I can. I guess it’s making me a little, uh...”
“Witchy?”
“Hey!” I said, nudging him again.
He laughed and mussed my hair. “I’ll forgive you this one time,” he said. “You up for a movie tonight?”
“What do you have in mind?” I asked, trying to sound more chipper. As bad as I still felt, I couldn’t help but laugh as I watched Charlie scoot across the floor, the three big dogs following him and ruffling his hair with their noses. “You have a following.”
“I see that,” he said through a laugh and gently pushed Billy’s face away from his so he could dig through his movie collection. “I’ve got it! It’s an oldie but a goodie, with great swordfights.”
“Sounds good,” I said, “whatever it is.” I hopped up onto the large sectional and pulled Max up beside me to snuggle.
Charlie put the DVD in and set up the speakers and TV before walking around the room and shutting off the lights. He sat down a few cushions over, and his following of furry bodies surrounded him instantly.
“Wow. Your new family takes up the whole couch,” I joked.
“Yeah, but that’s okay,” he said.
“What are we watching?”
He grinned at me as the movie started playing. “Don’t worry. I know you’ll like it.”
A few minutes later, I was hugging a pillow to my chest and had a throw draped over my shoulders like a cloak. “The Princess Bride? Really, Charlie?” I said with a smile. Even though I tried to complain, Charlie knew it was my favorite, the movie we always watched together when I was younger, whenever I was upset or needed to escape for a while. We had so many fun times together, but I’d almost forgotten all the quiet nights, all the chats we had as we walked from his house to mine or hung out in my room, wondering about our futures. Back then, I was sure we’d end up being more than friends, but one day, he was just gone, without so much as a goodbye. One thing Charlie didn’t know about me is that if he had asked me back then, I would probably have gone with him.
“Of course The Princess Bride,” he said. “What else?” He then cleared his throat and recited, “Mawwiage... Mawwiage is what bwings us togethew today. Mawwiage, that bwessed awwangement, that dweam within a dweam...and wove, twue wove, wiww fowwow you fowevah and evah. So tweasuwe youw wove...”
“Very funny, Charlie. Just hush, or we’ll miss the R.O.U.Ses part.”