The Determining (13 page)

When the elevator doors opened, she nearly fell inside. Blinded by the emotions that wouldn’t stop, she bumped into someone. “Sorry.” She mumbled, trying to dry her eyes. The young man grumbled a reply as the elevator began to move.

Rather than embarrass herself more, Charlie fought to keep her emotions in check. When they reached the lobby, she flew out of the car, dashing to the street. Outside the building she searched the crowd of people for Drew. A man caught her attention out of the corner of her eye, but when she looked, it wasn’t him.

With no hope left, she walked out of the City Center, heading toward home.

“Charlotte, come down for breakfast. Your father and I need to speak with you,” Margaret called through the bedroom door.

Charlie had been awake for hours. She’d spent the majority of that time staring up at her ceiling, thinking about Mason. Comparing him to Drew. Was Drew really the good guy she’d though? He’d just left her in the office at the first sign of struggle. Was that really someone she wanted to be married to?

Despite the uselessness of her contemplation, she couldn’t keep herself from analyzing the situation over and over. There had to be a loophole. Only the knowledge that the contract still hadn’t been signed provided her with any solace. She was free for a few more days.

But now, in the light of morning, exhaustion weighed her down. Facing her parents didn’t rank high on her list of things to do, especially when all she wanted was to indulge in some self-pity before going back to her obsessive analysis.

“Charlotte?” Margaret tried the doorknob, finding it locked. “Are you awake?”

“No,” Charlie grunted.

“You have five minutes before your father comes up to get you.”

The ominous statement sent a chill shooting up her spine. “I’ll be down.”

Margaret’s heels clicked as she walked down the stairs. Charlie listened to the sound fade. In the following silence, her thoughts wandered to Richard. The fact that he was home for breakfast sent warning bells ringing in her head.
It’s because of the Compatibility test.

Knowing her five minutes were up, she slid out from under the covers and padded to the bathroom. Dark circles rimmed her bloodshot eyes. She splashed some cool water on her face, hoping it might improve her appearance. It didn’t. She pulled her long tresses back into a messy bun. A pair of fuzzy slippers and a long bathrobe completed her casual ensemble. Without a glance in the mirror, Charlie walked to the door. She grabbed her phone and stuffed it into one of the bathrobe’s deep pockets.

Her slippers made a comforting shuffling noise on the stairs, the sound a clear contrast to the clack of Margaret’s heels.

“There you are.” Margaret glowered at Charlie’s slippers and robe. With a disapproving shake of her head, she turned her attention to the housekeeper. “Constance, you may bring Charlotte’s breakfast now.”

Charlie pulled out the chair across from her mother, eyeing Richard as she took her seat. His eyes scanned the tablet in his hand. Every few seconds they would flick to the plate of eggs in front of him, but as soon as a bite was skewered on his fork, he looked back to the screen. Charlie watched him, searching for some explanation for his presence. Constance reappeared, pulling her gaze away.

She frowned when the housekeeper placed a bowl of fresh fruit covered in plain yogurt before her. She shot a questioning look at Margaret.

“You need to watch your figure. When the contract is signed, we’ll have weeks to plan your wedding. We can’t have you looking pudgy.”

The comment stung. “I doubt a piece of bacon or an egg will have that much of an effect.”

Margaret exhaled heavily. “Don’t fight me on this, Charlotte.” She massaged her temples.

Charlie scoffed at the dramatic display. “Why was I summoned for breakfast?” She ate a few grapes and a piece of melon. “I assume Richard’s presence means it’s something important.” Out of the corner of her eye she watched him set his tablet down.

“It is important.” Margaret pressed her lips together until they almost disappeared.

Charlie leaned back in her chair. “Fine, what’s going on?”

When Richard deigned to speak, the tone in his voice felt like a violent slap. “This is about yesterday.”

“What about yesterday?” Charlie feigned ignorance.

“Don’t!” Richard punctuated his yell by hitting the table. “Don’t play dumb!” Charlie’s fork jumped and the china tea set rattled.

Her palms began to sweat and she worked to keep her face calm. “What do you think you know?”

“You and that scholarship boy had your Compatibility tested yesterday.” Spittle flew from Richard’s mouth, landing on Charlie’s breakfast.

She glanced down at her tainted meal with disgust. “Yes, Drew and I got tested. I won’t apologize for it.”

Richard’s eyes flashed. “Careful, Charlotte. You’re dangerously close to provoking me.”

Charlie’s pulse picked up. “What will you do, hit me? You’ve already done that so please, try it again.” Her eyes flicked to his hand, anticipating a blow. “I doubt it will make much of an impression the second time around.” Before she cold blink, Richard jumped to his feet, lunging toward her.

“Richard.” Margaret grabbed his arm. “Novack won’t accept damaged merchandise.”

His hands clenched into fists. “Don’t tempt me again. Next time, nothing your mother says will stop me.” He pulled away from Margaret, returning to his chair.

Charlie let out the breath she’d been holding. “What’s the point of this confrontation? You already know we weren’t Compatible, or this would be a very different conversation.”

A smug expression crossed Richard’s face. “No, you were Compatible. That’s why we’re having this conversation.”

The few pieces of fruit in her stomach threatened to make a reappearance. “I don’t understand.”

“I wanted you to know.” He took a sip from his coffee, savoring the flavor before going on. “You and that boy were Compatible, but it didn’t matter. It will never matter. I always get what I want. Even you, my obtuse daughter, won’t stand in my way.” His expression changed, turning what Charlie could only describe as deadly. “I don’t care what laws I break or who I have to manipulate. I always win.”

Charlie saw no point in arguing, but couldn’t control the rage she felt. “How did you do it?”

“Charlotte, are you that stupid?” When she didn’t respond, he just chuckled. “I wrote the program for the chip, the program for the Determining, and the program to test compatibility. The only thing I need is a computer and I can control every outcome. Do you see now, how pointless your rebellion is?”

Angry tears burned the back of her eyes. She blinked, refusing to show any weakness. “So you did all this to gloat?”

He shook his head. “I did it to prove a point. I want you to marry Novack and you
will
marry him.”

“I won’t do it,” Charlie vowed.

“Charlotte.” Margaret spoke up. “Think of the power and prestige you’ll gain by aligning two Council families.”

“Don’t you mean the power and prestige he’ll gain?” Charlie pointed an accusing finger at Richard.

Margaret remained impassive. “Everything we’ve done was to give you the best life possible.”

“No, it was to give you more power. I’m just a bargaining chip to you!”

“Richard stood up from the table. “No amount of arguing will change the fact that you’re marrying Mason.”

Charlie’s clenched so hard her fingernails cut into her palm. “I’ll fight this.”

“There. Is. No. Point,” Richard yelled. “The contracts will be signed any day now. Within a week, we’ll announce your engagement. You can’t fight this.”

“I’ll find a way.” Charlie pushed her chair back and stormed out of the room.

“Dying is the only way to get out of this,” Richard called after her, but she didn’t stop.

“I guess I’ll die trying, then,” she shouted back.

Time was running out. Two days had passed since the breakfast with her parents, but she’d come no closer to finding a loophole. Hoping inspiration would strike if she changed her routine, she left the townhouse with no destination in mind. All she wanted to do was walk.

The air held the sting of the coming winter. Stuffing her hands in her jacket pockets provided some relief from the bitter wind that whipped around her. The longer she walked, the less she felt in her extremities. She’d almost decided to hail a cab and go home when the scent of coffee reached her nose, filling her with the desire for something to warm her icy fingers. Following her nose, she spotted a coffee shop ahead.

The cold weather had enticed a number of people inside the shop. Patrons crowded around tables or stood in line waiting for their caffeine fix. Charlie joined the back of the line that almost reached to the door. Unfortunately, this meant that every time it opened, a bitter gust of wind stole the heat from her body.

Charlie watched the other customers while she waited for the line to move her into a warmer section of the shop. A couple in the corner caught her attention. Their heads were close together, deep in conversation. They were too absorbed in each other to notice the people around them. As she moved closer, Charlie noticed the couple’s hands twined together under the table. She felt a stab of longing and regret. It wasn’t too long ago that she and Drew had sat together like that. She looked away when frustrated tears stung the back of her eyes. She wouldn’t cry. Not here.

With a few deep breaths and some rapid blinking, Charlie managed to keep her tears from falling. It was after her eyes cleared that she noticed the familiar barista. She glanced through the glass door and spotted the boutique where she’d bought her coming-out dress. In her wandering, Charlie had found her way back to the coffee shop where she’d delivered Nemo’s invitation.

The night of the party hadn’t crossed her mind since she found out about her upcoming nuptials. Returning to the coffee shop brought memories of the night flooding back. She could hear Nemo’s voice and smell the cigarette smoke on the balcony. She remembered the shock of her first dance, almost felt the warmth of Thayer’s hands on her as he led her across the dance floor, as if he stood there now touching her. A shiver ran down her spine.

Her phone vibrated, pulling her back into the present. Her stomach dropped when she saw Drew’s name on the screen.

-
We need to talk.

The ring still hanging around her neck suddenly felt like it weighed a million pounds. She knew she needed to give it back, but after he left her alone in the office, she hadn’t been rushing to return it. Seeing him would be hard, but it needed to be done. The ring didn’t belong to her anymore. She couldn’t hold onto the hope it represented forever.

-When?

-Now…?

-I’m in the Parkside shopping district on 4
^th
Street. Meet me in the coffee shop across from the Parkside Boutique in ten minutes.

-See you soon.

“Next.” The barista’s voice snapped impatiently.

Charlie slid the phone into her pocket and stepped up to the counter. Locking eyes with the girl, she searched for any sign of recognition but found none. “A medium vanilla latte and a medium back coffee, please.”

“Nine credits.” Charlie scanned her chip, moving aside as the girl called, “Next.”

In an instant, their second encounter ended. Was that the same girl? Charlie watched her as she waited for the drinks. It was definitely her. Again, Charlie wondered how involved the barista was with Nemo.

A few minutes later, with coffees in hand, Charlie sat at one of the last vacant tables remaining. The table fit two people and stood in the front corner of the shop, right next to a big bay window that looked out to the street. From her chair, she easily spotted Drew walking through the door.

His shoulders slumped beneath his messenger bag and his eyes looked sunken in, like he hadn’t slept well in days. Charlie didn’t doubt it; she hadn’t slept either. He walked in and glanced around before spotting her in the corner. The strain in his face lessened, but didn’t disappear altogether.

“Hi.” He settled into the chair opposite her, his body tense.

Charlie slid the black coffee across the table to him. “I took the liberty.”

“Thanks.” He eyed the coffee. She could almost hear his mental debate, deciding whether to accept it or not. After a moment, he picked up the cup and took a long sip.

“What did you want to talk about?” Charlie tried to sound amenable, but she still resented that he’d left. Her voice reflected that bitterness.

Drew set the coffee down and glowered at her. “Don’t pretend you’re the only victim here.”

She bit her lip to keep from snapping at him. “I didn’t intend to make you feel like I’d used you.”

He scoffed. “So you wanted to use me without letting on?” Leaning back in his chair, he crossed his arms and shook his head. “Did you ever love me?”

Tears pricked the back of Charlie’s eyes. She blinked, keeping them under control. “Of course I loved you.” She sighed. “I’ll always care about you.”

“Loved. Past tense.” His anger changed to disappointment then resolve in a matter of seconds. “We need to decide where we go from here.”

Charlie suppressed a laugh. “There’s nowhere to go. We aren’t Compatible, that’s that.”

She reached up to her neck and unclasped the chain, pulling it and the ring out from under her shirt. The band slid off the chain into her hand. She considered it for a moment before placing it on the table between them.

Drew eyed the ring like it might be poisonous before grabbing it and slipping it into a pocket without a second look. “We may not be able to continue our … romantic relationship, but I don’t want to lose you.” He caught her gaze. “Can’t we at least be friends?”

Charlie shifted in her chair. She still cared for him. No test could change that. Could their relationship be one of friendship after all they’d been through? “I don’t know, but we could try.”

All his anger and hurt evaporated, leaving a hopeful look behind. Charlie averted her gaze, looking outside at the people passing the coffee shop. She didn’t want to see that look. It reminded her too much of the looks he gave her before the test. Before all hope had been ripped away.