In the Blood [ON HOLD]

"Do You"

Charlie didn't speak for the rest of the drive and Moira didn't seem to mind the silence. It wasn't until she turned onto Prytania and they saw Remi leaning against the Audi, hands in pockets, sunglasses on, that Charlie broke the silence. 

"He hasn't been waiting out here this whole time?" she asked, dismay creeping into her voice. Remi hadn't said so much as "boo" to her since the night Tanya had asked her to identify her mother's body. She hadn't been avoiding him, but she also hadn't been keen to see him.

If he was mad about something—which seemed the most likely explanation for him waiting on her—she was just too tired to deal with it. She had her own mood swings to contend with. She didn't need his, too.

Moira pulled in right behind him and put the truck in park. "Doubtful. He's just got exquisite timing. Always has." She threw Charlie a wink. "An important trick of the trade." 

That made Charlie frown, eyes sweeping along his lean figure. He was wearing all black, looking more sinister than usual. When he turned and cocked his head, Charlie heaved a sigh and opened the door. He was dressed to meet someone.

She would have preferred a quiet, private conversation. The idea of going anywhere exhausted her. With her ripped jeans and blue t-shirt, she just knew she was under-dressed. Stepping lightly to the sidewalk, she shut the door and swore under her breath. 

The slam of Moira's door closing made her flinch, forcing her into motion. She walked forward, stepping off the edge of the curb to head toward what would be the Audi's passenger side. Remi opened the door for her, resting his hand on the frame to block her way. 

He slid his sunglasses down his nose, green eyes vibrant in the afternoon sunlight. Charlie turned her head to avoid his stare, watching as Moira and the dog prowled toward the front gate. She punched in the access code, waving once over her shoulder before disappearing into the yard. Charlie let her eyes close for the briefest moment before turning her attention back to Remi.

Before he got the chance to so much as open his mouth, she shook her head. "Don't."

Remi frowned but let his hand fall, gesturing for her to get into the car. She all but fell into the low seat, Remi closing the door for her. Again, she closed her eyes. The exhaustion that had been her constant companion for the past couple days tugged at her, sleep tantalizing with the possibility of oblivion.

Of avoidance.

"Anything...interesting happen today?" Remi's voice cut above the soft purr of the engine. The question hung in the air as the car started moving.

Charlie's brows drew together in gentle confusion before her eyes snapped open. "What do you mean by interesting?" she snapped, her temper suddenly bubbling just beneath the surface.

Remi glanced at her, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "Interesting," he repeated slowly, enunciating each syllable. "Of note? Attention-worthy? Compelling? Fascinating?"

"Are you done?"

"No need to snap at me like a gator with a sore tooth," he said, his voice growing a little hard. "I just wanted to ask you about your day, Charlie. I haven't seen you in a while."

Unsure how to respond to that, Charlie bit her lip and stared at the tailgate of the truck in front of them. Her mind couldn't help but turn to her conversation with Tanya. Had Moira somehow tipped him off about their little coffee date? Did he not trust that she could handle herself around Tanya?

Then she frowned. Or...maybe he did trust her. Or maybe this was just a test, to see if she'd come clean about what had happened today. The thoughts spun violently through her mind, making a dull headache throb in her temples. Charlie closed her eyes, trying to track down anything resembling a coherent thought.