Because She Loves Me by Mark Edwards Read Free Book Online Page B

on the platform with my sister.
    ‘Please don’t sack Rachel,’ I said. ‘She cares about you.’
    ‘Don’t fret. I won’t.’ She looked up at Charlie, who was holding on to my arm. ‘Be good to my brother. He can be an idiot but he deserves to be happy.’
    I expected Charlie to crack a joke but her response was earnest.
    ‘I’m going to make him happy,’ she said. ‘Don’t you worry about that.’

Six
    Hiya. Haven’t heard from you since Xmas. You OK? Been trying to call. Can we meet up? I need to see you. Call me! S Xx
     
    Charlie and I were in bed, again. Since our day out with Tilly we’d barely left the flat, only popping out to buy takeaways and wine, along with condoms and candles, which Charlie had insisted on for the bedroom. She’d bought scented bath oil too and some new pink-and-black underwear that had a Viagra-like effect on me. A couple of times, she’d popped back to hers to get clothes, check her post and so on, and I’d made a few solo trips to the off licence when it was raining outside, leaving Charlie snuggled on the sofa watching reruns of Sex and the City .
    I felt drunk. When I closed my eyes, Charlie’s face or body – her pierced belly button winking in the candlelight, the mermaid tattoo, the little chains of freckles that dotted her fle sh – would swim into my vision. My jaw ached from grinning so much. My muscles and skin felt alive in a way they never had before.
    It was as if a chemical explosion had gone off in my flat, Charlie and I the willing, happy victims. She didn’t have to go back to work till January 4th, which was now only two days away. I was going to have to call Victor, start doing some work too. I was dreading it. I wanted to stay with Charlie in our little bubble forever.
    My phone chirped and Charlie, who was closest to the bedside table, leant over and picked it up, passing it over. I read the text message.
    ‘What’s up?’ she asked, reading my expression.
    ‘It’s Sasha. She wants to see me.’
    ‘Oh – is she all right?’
    ‘I’m not sure. Sounds like something’s wrong. I’d better call her.’ I kissed Charlie’s cheek. She smelled of fresh sweat and lavender soap. ‘I feel terrible. I haven’t spoken to her all week. I didn’t even send her a happy New Year message.’
    Charlie and I had been planning to go out for New Year but had spent the night inside instead. Charlie said she wanted to be making love to me at the stroke of midnight, that it would be the best possible way to start 2014, and I had to agree.
    Charlie sat up and pulled on a long T-shirt. ‘I’m going to take a shower.’
    I sat up too. ‘Are you annoyed with me?’
    ‘No, of course not.’ She sounded irritated. ‘Why do you ask that?’
    ‘Oh, no reason.’ I smiled at her and watched as she left the room, worrying a little about her sudden change in mood. But I set the worry aside – it was probably just me being paranoid. Harriet was always telling me that I was too quick to guess her moods and try to fix problems that didn’t exist.
    I called Sasha. She answered on the second ring. We arranged to meet that night.
    ‘So?’ Charlie said, when she came back into the room, damp from the bath, a towel wrapped round her. ‘What’s up with Sasha?’
    ‘Boyfriend problems, by the sound of it,’ I replied. ‘She’s been seeing this guy called Lance. He’s married.’
    Charlie pulled a face. ‘Messy.’
    ‘Yeah, it is. Anyway . . . I’m going to meet her at seven in Herne Hill.’ I checked my phone. It was three now, just gone.
    Charlie lifted the towel to dry her hair, giving me a full view of her naked body.
    ‘That’s cool,’ she said, rubbing her hair. ‘I have some stuff I need to do, anyway. Like ironing all my work clothes.’ She groaned. ‘I’ll get dressed and go now.’
    I reached out for her. ‘Don’t get dressed yet.’
    She looked hesitant, just for a moment. Then she pulled the quilt aside and slipped underneath with me, her