The Redemption (Charlotte Bloom Book 2) (5 page)

“He was here. Alec…” I gulped, “was here.”

I continued to cry, my words stunted by sharp intakes of air.

“And he saw Charlie kissing me and he left,” I said, wailing the last word.

“Oh, honey. You poor thing. Let’s go upstairs.”

I pulled away from her and, like a crazy woman, ran away.

“I have to find him!”

I ran off in the other direction. I lived off of Laurel Canyon, so running barefoot on the sidewalk was not the smartest idea. Pretty soon, I was on the ground, clutching my foot, a huge shard of glass protruding from my big toe.

“Fuck. Fuck everything!” I yelled.

“Charlotte! Let’s go! Inside!” She grabbed my arm. “You are acting crazy, do you know that?”

I relented and let her guide me up to my door, where my clutch lay, left behind in a moment of panic.

***

“Charlie forced himself on me,” I explained over a cup of hot tea. I’d changed into fleece pajamas, and I was feeling slightly embarrassed about my behavior on the street. “I was trying to get away when Alec came up and punched him. He must’ve thought I was enjoying it or something. That’s why he left. He said I was his sun. He said I was a coward.”

Amara sat down next to me, massaging my back.

“He came back for you. Why do you think that is?”

“He had lilies.”

“Your favorite.”

“Yeah. I keep fucking this up, Mar.”

“What do you want?”

“I don’t know. How much simpler would it be if I just let him go? He’s not coming back. I had my second chance and blew it. Tonight was my third chance and I blew that, too.”

“Is that what you really want? To let him go?”

“I don’t know.”

“Can I say something?”

“Of course.” I sipped my tea.

“Those emails from you in Wales were so joyous and free. I’ve never felt such happiness through a screen before. You radiated happiness. I know it was mostly Alec, but also, I think it was Wales. And when I picked you up from the airport that day, when you came home… everything had changed. You were a different person. You were numb, depressed, and sad. You were a shell of your former self. That is, until tonight. Even though you were acting insane, I saw that same spark in you tonight. Your eyes had some kind of fire behind them, and even though you were crying in the street, you were alive, Charlotte. You were acting like yourself again.”

I shrugged. I knew she was right.

“It’s too late now. He’s gone.”

“OK, I hate to sound bitchy, but what the fuck is wrong with you?”

I was stunned.

“What?”

“You’re here, moping and sad because Alec left, and you know you made the same mistake twice, but do you know what’ll fix it?” I looked at her quizzically. “GO TO WALES! For fuck’s sake, Charlotte, go after him! Isn’t it obvious? You can either stay here, stagnant and alone, wishing you’d gone after him, or you can
actually
go after him.”

“He’s not going to take me back.”

“I’m going to say it one more time. GO TO WALES. You’ll never know if you don’t try. You’ll never know. You’ll live your whole life wondering… what if? You’ll ask yourself the same question over and over again. What if? What’s holding you back? You’re not married anymore. Your job is, no offense, just Sam taking pity on you, and this apartment…” She looked around. “This is not you. I think you can be happy again. In Wales.”

“Is my job really just Sam taking pity on me?”

“You mean you didn’t know that?”

We laughed for a few minutes. She was right. But it was something I had to sleep on. I couldn’t make any rash decisions.

“Donuts?”

***

The one good thing about my shitty apartment was that there was a 24-hour donut shop right on Laurel Canyon, literally one hundred feet away from my front door. Amara and I had taken frequent trips to this little gem over the last couple of months. I’d eaten donuts for dinner on numerous occasions. I may have lost weight, but I was probably going to be diabetic by age forty.

As the door chimed and we walked in, Amara went over to pay. She’d since taken on the responsibility of the “richer friend”, therefore paying for our lunches and meals, since I made just over minimum wage. I let her, only because I’d been the “richer friend” for the last five years before her recent promotion. I sat down and looked around as Amara picked out the best chocolate and maple bars for us to gorge ourselves on.

It was then that I saw her. Lainey, the psychic, was sitting at the booth next to me. She smiled and waved. My mouth hung open in a giant “O”.

“What I'm seeing isn't lining up with what you're telling me.”

I pulled my hands away at this.

“Excuse me?”

“What I mean...” she said slowly, enunciating every word, “is that what you are saying, and what I am seeing... they aren't the same. I can see that you're happy. Because you are. I see that. You are with your current partner and he makes you very happy right now. But… you are not with your forever partner. Your soulmate.”

“Excuse me?” My voice had gone up three octaves. I was practically screeching. “I love my husband, and how dare you say we are not meant to be together.”

That was it. I was leaving. My marriage was the one thing I was not going to let her muck up in some pseudo-psychic reading. She could bash my job, my childhood, or even my financial future, but not my marriage.

“Charlotte, please don't be mad. This is not my fault. Nor is it yours. It's the universe, and right now you're connecting with someone who can guide you to your future. This is fate. This is not a coincidence. You met him for a reason. You met me for a reason. Please, do not bring children into this world with your husband. I promise you, in three years, you will thank me. You will welcome twins with your future husband. That is all I can see.”

I got up, aggressively slipped on my shoes, and didn’t say anything as I walked towards the door. My hands were shaking. I was just pulling the door open to leave when I heard her mutter something I would never forget.

“Around Amara's wedding in June, things will start to unravel. It may seem hopeless for a while. But there is much happiness in your future. Just follow your heart.”

I sat there, gawking, as Lainey stood up to come talk to me. Oh no, oh no,
oh no
. The last time I’d talked to this woman, she’d completely turned my life upside down. I smiled as she sat down across from me at the booth. I looked over at Amara, who was bent over the glass trying to find the most delectable donuts. She was picky about the freshness. I didn’t care. I’d eat a 2-day-old donut any day.

“She’ll be there for a while,” Lainey said, dismissively gesturing to Amara as she leaned in towards me.

“What?”

“Amara. She won’t see me.”

“Oh.”

“How are you, Charlotte?”

“I’ve been better. All thanks to you.”

“Now, now.”

She’d aged in the last year. Her once dark brown, curly hair was now sprinkled with grey hairs, and fine lines ran across her face.

“Are you here to predict another life-altering event? You know, I always thought I might be a lesbian. What does my future say?” I chided sarcastically, anger tinting my words.

“You’ve met him.”

“Who?”

“Your soulmate.”

I sat there, still as a board. My breath stilled. Her words resonated with me.
Your soulmate.
It was such a heavy word.

“Alec?” I whispered his name.

“Yes.”

“But… he left.”

“You’ll go after him.”

“When?”

“Tonight.” She reached out for my hands, and I reluctantly let her take them. “Listen to me. You’re very hard to read, but your love life has always been very clear to me. That day I foretold your future, I got you to wake up. Harry was never the one. You woke up. You woke up to your life. Do you get it?”

“I think so,” I mumbled.

“Fate and destiny are very real, very powerful things. It was fate that led you to Alec, was it not?”

I thought about it. It was true. I’d hopped on the first flight to Europe, and I happened to flag down Tommy’s taxi, which took me to Parc-Le-Bouveret. All in all, if you thought about it, it made perfect sense.

“I’m scared.”

I was being honest now. What if he rejected me? What if he didn’t want to see me?

“You’re on the right path. Isn’t it nice knowing that? Go. Go tonight,” she commanded. She got up to leave.

“Wait. How do you know all of this?”

She smiled without answering and walked out the door. The bells chimed right as Amara sat down.

“You look spooked. What happened?”

“I have to go to Wales. Tonight.”

***

I inhaled my donuts as we power-walked back to my apartment. I threw the door open and immediately began unloading my trusty red suitcase. I’d left all of the clothes in there, including the muddy, green wellie boots and Mary’s yellow mohair sweater—my favorite item of all.

“Charlotte,” Amara asked, trying to get my attention. “Charlotte?”

I looked up.

“Hmm?”

She waved to the suitcase, and then to me.

“What’s going on? You dragged me home before I could fully enjoy my chocolate bar, insisting that you had to leave for Wales tonight. Why the change of heart?”

“Lainey was there.”

“Who?”

“The psychic,” I said, exasperated, throwing random clothes into the red suitcase. I was trying to be rational. It was December. It would be cold. I needed to pack warm clothes. “The psychic from January. The woman who started it all.”

“Lainey was there? In the donut shop?”

“Yes. That’s what I’m trying to say,” I sighed, getting slightly annoyed. “She said I would go to Wales tonight.”

“I see.” She handed me a jacket. “I assume you need a ride,” she said, grinning.

I couldn’t tell if she believed me. I wouldn’t believe myself right now. In fact, I’d probably check myself in to a mental institution. It was possible I’d hallucinated the entire evening. Alec, Lainey… maybe they were figments of my imagination. But then I glanced at the white lilies sitting in the vase—the lilies Alec had brought me just an hour or so ago, which had replaced the god-awful red roses that were now sitting inside my trash can.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I threw some sweaters and jeans into the suitcase.

“Because you finally realized what you need to do. I’ve been waiting for you to come to your senses for three months.”

“Very funny.”

I threw some makeup in, along with a blow-dryer and basic toiletries, and quickly put my passport in my purse. I was ready.

“Oh, no. You’re not going like that,” Amara said, looking disgusted. She pointed to my sweatpants and mascara-stained face. “A five minute shower would do you wonders.”

I agreed, and within fifteen minutes, I was dressed in skinny jeans, a black tunic sweater, a black beanie, and some white hi-top sneakers. I grabbed my navy pea coat, my suitcase, and my purse. Now I was ready to go.

“Much better,” Amara agreed as we got into her jeep. “Now… what are you going to say to Alec when you get to Wales?”

“The truth.”

We got to the airport in under thirty minutes, and I gave Amara a bear hug before heading in to the International Terminal. I approached the KLM desk and, much to my surprise, there sat the same woman I’d encountered in June when I’d first left for Wales. I looked around wildly. Maybe Alec was still in the airport. How many flights left for Swansea every day? It had only been a couple of hours since Alec had been at my front door. Maybe my chance to win him back would be now.

“Hi… Do you remember me?” I asked Dani, the woman behind the counter, who’d helped me the last time I was here. I was grinning like a crazy person.

“Ma’am, no offense, but I encounter hundreds of people every day.”

“Right. Well, have you seen a tall man with dark hair come through here?”

“Probably.”

This wouldn’t work. I needed a new approach.

“OK, well, was there a flight to Swansea in the last three hours?”

“Let me check,” she said in a monotone, typing wildly on her computer.

“No. The last flight to Swansea was at 2:00 p.m.”

“That’s great! Can you check other airlines?”

“Sure. To Swansea?”