For the Empire - Inganno

Chapter 17

JOHN PAUL

"Damn, it'll be nice to get away tonight, right? And we're not even working, technically." Joey says excitedly as we walk out of the garage and head towards the front of the house.

"Yeah, sure."

"Are you going to be able to be around her?" Joey annoyingly questions. I shrug in response.

When did he become such a damn mind reader?

That damn kiss has been on my mind all week, and then the almost-kiss that we seemed to have in the gym yesterday only added to my frustrations—keeping me up at night, wondering if I should have taken control.

Charmaine and I haven't talked this week like we usually do, and everything feels off. I wanted to talk to her on Sunday after her shift, but the more time that went by, the more I talked myself out of it.

I didn't want to hear or deal with the rejection she'd more than likely give me. So I decided to avoid her for the first couple of days, but then I got more and more anxious to talk to her with each day that went by.

I knew I had fucked up by how angry she was when I tried to talk to her after her workout yesterday. The fire in her eyes was enough for me to know she wanted to break my arm off when she first got me down on the mat.

The moment she had pinned me down for the second time, I could see she struggled to maintain her anger and seemed almost confused as she kept staring at me.

I thought for sure I imagined things when she was leaning towards me as she looked down at me, but Joey's comment when the guys had come in to work out confirmed that she was definitely leaning in.

I never wanted to knock Joey out more than in that moment.

As Joey and I round the corner towards the front of the house, I see Dominic's car coming up the driveway and see Charmaine in the front seat. She doesn't look at me as they drive past us.

I watch as she practically jumps out of the car before he parks the car. What the hell was that?

I yell out for her, but she keeps running to go inside the house.

Curious, I walk back to the garage towards Dominic as he gets out. He looks upset and shakes his head at me. I look back at Joey, and he shrugs at me.

I decide to head to Charmaine's room and Joey, not having anything better to do apparently, follows me. As we get closer to her room, the sounds of loud, uncontrollable crying reach us.

It's been a long time since I've heard her crying so hard. Even after she came home from the attack at the library, it was nothing like this.

It reminds me of what it was like the first few weeks when we had first met. Charmaine had cried inconsolably over her mom being killed, and missing her. The nights were the worst then, hearing her sobs not knowing what I could do to help.

Joey shakes his head with his hands up in surrender when we get to her door, clearly not wanting to deal with a crying woman. I glare at him and turn to step up to the door and knock twice.

"Charmaine?"

She doesn't answer, but the crying or sobbing isn't as loud now; it's more muffled. I knock again. "Charmaine, please open the door." I decide to try to open her door, but it's locked.

"Go away, John Paul. I don't want to see you right now." Her voice thick from crying.

Always so fucking stubborn.

My temper gets the best of me as I pound on the door. "Open the damn door, Char!"

I hear the lock disengage before she opens the door, her tear-stained face is slightly puffy and pink, and her eyes are red-rimmed. "I'm fine. Go away." She says with no emotion. She tries to shut the door again, but I hurry and block her with my foot.