Pitbabe S2, Chapter 16 pg3

 Pitbabe S2, Chapter 16 pg3

   “And if I say you cheated on me?”

   “Then I’m the cheater,” Charlie’s gaze didn’t waver, not even a fraction. No matter how I slandered or twisted the truth, he seemed ready to accept it all, probably hoping this would atone for breaking his promise. I can’t believe someone like him. “Babe, say whatever you want. I won’t deny anything.”

   His serious, martyr-like attitude made me burst out laughing. I know the situation wasn’t exactly ripe for humor, but I couldn’t help it.

   “You think anyone would believe me?” I said, chuckling. “Don’t act so cool. You know even if I said something, no one would buy it.”

   It’s honestly laughable that Charlie was acting like a hero, ready to tarnish himself for me, when in reality, he’s already a hero without trying. Even without sacrificing or quietly doing good for me, people still admire him. Because he’s Charlie—the universally accepted good guy, no questions asked. Meanwhile, I’ve been labeled a lowlife forever. Think about it: if I announced we broke up because Charlie cheated, I’d be the one torn apart worse. Who’d believe a kid like Charlie would cheat? Even I think it’s more believable if I said I was the one who cheated.

   “Don’t worry, I won’t make things hard for you either,” I stood up, stepping slowly toward him, closer than I should. But Charlie didn’t back away. He stood there, meeting my eyes, unflinching, as if waiting to see what I’d do next. “I just wanted to know if you still cared about me at all. But now I know you don’t. That’s it.”

   “Babe…”

   “You don’t care, so don’t bother, Charlie. Do whatever you want.”

   I raised my hand to his cheek, leaning in to press a soft kiss on his lips. The touch of his kiss was still as gentle as ever—just a light brush, enough to melt my heart. Charlie didn’t reject the kiss, but what shocked me more was that when I pulled back, he leaned in for another, as if the first wasn’t enough. If we hadn’t touched, it might’ve been fine, but once we did, it was hard to stop.

   “It’ll probably be a while before I can kiss someone else and not think of you,” I whispered close to his lips, not pulling away but not letting us touch again. Even though Charlie’s hand came up to rest on my waist, that was as farthest as he could go.

   “you’re going to kiss someone else?” Charlie whispered softly. I might be imagining it, but his tone seemed to carry a hint of pleading in my perception.

   “Yeah,” I replied. “Why… can’t I?”

   “I can’t stop you.”

   “Right, what right do you have to stop me?” I let out a dry laugh, pleased that Charlie seemed a bit affected when I mentioned kissing someone else. I don’t know if he’s still jealous of me or not, but that possessive streak is definitely there. Even someone as rational as Charlie can’t escape this kind of selfishness. “Single people can do whatever they want.”

   “you’re probably better off single.”

   “Probably. No one to control me—must be way more comfortable.”

   “I’m not controlling you at all.”

   “We’ll see about that.”

   I’m not challenging him. I’m not trying to act reckless to get back at him. This is just a small celebration of being single again, and a reminder for Charlie, in case he’s forgotten what the solo Pitbabe is like.

   “Just don’t do anything that’ll make things harder for yourself,” Charlie said, knowing he can’t stop me. His large hand gripped my waist, like he was using it to rein in his emotions—though I’m not sure if it’s cooling him down or heating things up. “This is tiring enough.”

   “Who’s tired? I’m not tired at all.”

   “Good if you’re not.”

   Charlie took a deep breath, then slowly pushed me away. I didn’t resist but kept staring into his eyes, even as he tried to avoid mine. I bet he wanted to do more—hug, kiss, or something even beyond that. But being the principled guy he is, he’s fighting to keep his emotions in check, not letting them run wild and cause problems later.

   “Babe, go home,” Charlie said in a low, deep voice, like the one he used in his live stream. I get now why he always tried to speak in a higher tone than his natural one. This low voice is hard to catch; some words seem to get stuck in his throat, not making it out of his mouth. Still, I won’t deny it’s sexy enough to make me want to hear him talk more.

   “Why… you hiding something?” I couldn’t resist teasing him. Seeing that faint nervousness on his face made me want to torment him even more. “Need help?”

   “No, thanks.”

   “For real?”

   I tilted my head, lightly brushing his firm arm, knowing it’d stir up the hidden turmoil inside him even more. Even though my heart’s still nearly full of anger and resentment, I shamelessly admit that Charlie right now is adorable, practically begging to be teased. He wants something but won’t admit it because his pride and principles are holding him back, keeping him from straying even a hair’s breadth.

   But for a fleeting moment, I thought the darkness in his mind had swallowed Charlie whole. He leaned down, burying his face in the crook of my neck, dragging the tip of his nose along my skin so slowly I could feel his hot breath growing heavier.

   Heavier and heavier, matching the sound of his breathing. Charlie seemed to be inhaling my scent to soothe the longing screaming inside him. But instead of satisfying it, the more he breathed in, the more he craved.

   I tilted my neck to give the entranced young man more access, running my hand through his soft, freshly cut hair. It was still a bit stiff, but it didn’t kill the mood. It felt like the times we had sex in the bathroom at home or by the pool at Phii Alan’s house. The scent of shampoo and body wash wafted off Charlie, and it’s probably already clinging to me, since our bodies were pressed so close that even air could barely squeeze through.

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