The Pretend Friend Ch. 05

It seemed like whatever sickness I felt two days ago finally caught up to me the following morning.

Charlotte had already left early in the morning to get ready for work, but I didn't get up until the afternoon, two hours past my shift. I woke up to several missed calls from Katie and Lewis, and Noah had already eaten cereal for breakfast and was sitting at my feet on the couch, watching TV.

I jerked up on the couch, and a wave of dizziness hit me hard and filled my vision with stars.

"Mom?"

My mouth started to flow with saliva as the nausea arrived, and I jumped off the couch and rushed to the bathroom. Fortunately, I made it to the toilet just as yesterday's dinner projected out of my mouth. Tears sprung to my eyes as I heaved, and when it was all done, I collapsed against the wall, panting.

Noah appeared at the doorway, his eyes wide with concern. "Mom, are you okay?"

I tried to smile. "I'm just feeling a little sick, honey. Don't get too close to me. You have your trip with Dylan tomorrow, and I don't want to get you sick."

"Should I call Charlotte?" he asked, and my heart lurched.

"No, she's busy with work today. I'm seriously fine, Noah," I reassured him. "I just need to gather my breath, and then I'll get up. Go back to your show."

He was still frowning, his brows knitted together with worry, and I forced out a small laugh. "Go, Noah. I'll be right out."

Reluctantly, he left, and my head fell back against the wall with exhaustion.

------------

When I finally mustered up the energy to leave the bathroom, I gave Katie a call to let her know I wouldn't be able to come in.

"Are you sure you're okay?" she asked.

"I'm fine," I sighed. "I'll probably be good to come in tomorrow."

"Honestly, don't even worry about tomorrow."

"But --"

"You're not coming in. I already dealt with the change, so just rest."

And that was that.

Noah wasn't in the living room anymore but had disappeared off somewhere. I went upstairs, gripping the handrail tightly for support as my body screamed in protest.

He wasn't in his room either, but I saw the suitcase I had set aside yesterday to pack his belongings for the trip. Now was a good time as any to pack it before I got too tired later and forgot.

I was halfway through with packing when Noah entered the room and immediately scowled.

"Mom, I can do that. You need to rest!" he scolded, and through my daze, I looked at him, confused and a little affronted.

"Noah, did you just yell at me?"

He let out a loud sigh. "Come on. I made you soup."

Maybe I was hallucinating.

Before I could contemplate more on that, Noah marched forward, grabbed my arm, and pulled me off the bed.

"How in the world did you make soup?" I asked as he led me back downstairs.

"It's just pouring soup out of a can and microwaving it, Mom." I could sense him rolling his eyes, but I was too exhausted to scold him. It still felt like he was scolding me, actually. "And I got you a thick blanket and Sammy to cuddle with."

Sammy was his sea turtle plushie. It was a gift from Sadie for his fifth birthday, which he was sick on, and since then, he has always requested to have Sammy with him whenever he got sick.

There indeed was a thick blanket on the couch, along with Sammy carefully placed on top of it, his head on the pillow. A bowl of the chicken noodle soup was already on the table, steaming hot, while Noah's show still played on the TV.

My heart squeezed tightly, and I felt tears rushed to my eyes.

I turned to him. "Noah, you are the best kid to exist on this planet, you know that?"

"Well, of course." He rolled his eyes like it was obvious but beamed with pride.

I pulled him into a tight hug, and he patted my back comfortingly. "How are you growing up so fast?"

"I think it's all the milk you make me drink."

I bursted out laughing and squeezed him harder.

---------------

Hours later, I woke up from a sweaty nap, and found Sammy resting on my chest and Laura sitting on the other end of the couch instead of Noah. My feet was on her lap, and she was massaging them gently as she watched a movie on the TV.

"Don't tell me Noah called you," I groaned as I tried to sit up, but then she gave my leg a jerk, pulling me back down.

"You really think you can get sick, and we wouldn't know about it?" she scoffed.

"We?"

Sadie entered the living room, holding two plates with sandwiches, and following her was Alex and Noah with their own plates.

I groaned again. "You guys. I'm seriously fine."

"Noah told us you threw up this morning." Sadie shot me a sharp look as she handed a plate to Laura. "You are definitely not fine."

A sudden thought crossed my mind, and I quickly looked over at Noah, who had settled on the floor with Alex. "You didn't call Charlotte, did you?"

"No, you said she was busy," he answered with a shrug and took a bite of his sandwich.

I let out a relieved sigh. The last thing I needed was to bother her with this when she was already stressed and exhausted from work.

"Oh, so Charlotte is too busy, huh?" Laura said lightly, but I caught the judgement in her tone and narrowed my eyes.

"She has a lot going on."

Her lips quirked into a small smirk, but she didn't say anything else.

"Right..." Sadie glanced between the two of us suspiciously. "Well, I helped Noah pack his things for tomorrow."

"Did you pack enough for the week?"

Noah groaned into his sandwich, but I kept my eyes on Sadie.

She rolled her eyes. "Yes."

"And his toothbrush."

"Yeah, Jess. I'm not--"

I sat up. "Oh, and sunscreen because he--"

"Oh no, how could we forget the sunscreen," Laura said sarcastically through a mouthful of her sandwich.

I shot her a glare. "Skin cancer is a very real thing, and Noah has sensitive skin."

"Oh my god, Jess, he has all of the necessities. Will you please lay back down and rest?" Alex sighed.

But then Sadie rubbed the back of her neck and smiled sheepishly. "Actually, I did forget the sunscreen."

I threw my hands up. "See, this is exactly why I wanted to make sure!" I threw the blanket off and swung my legs over the couch to stand. "Let me just go check to make sure he has ev--"

The moment I stood, a wave of dizziness hit me full force, and I sat back down.

"Mom!" Noah exclaimed.

Once my vision cleared again, I saw all of them standing in front of me with concern.

"I stood up too fast," I exhaled.

"Back down you go," Alex said sternly as she nudged me back into a laying position.

And then everyone began moving.

"I'll grab his sunscreen," Sadie reassured me and rushed upstairs to do so while Noah followed her to double check that they had gotten everything.

Meanwhile, Laura stretched my legs out on the couch and draped the blanket over me again while Alex rushed off to get a wet rag to cool me down.

"Jess, we got this," Laura said and pressed a kiss to my forehead. "Let us take care of you, okay?"

"Okay," I muttered with defeat, but I couldn't say I wasn't a little pleased that they were here. Even though I knew they cared a lot about Noah and I, it was nice to be reminded that they wouldn't hesitate to come when we needed them.

"Oh my god, are you crying?" Laura bit down on a laugh.

"Ugh, shut up," I groaned and wiped away the little bit of tears that had sprung to my eyes.

She actually laughed now and pressed Sammy to my chest. I wrapped my arms around the sea turtle just as Alex returned with the rag.

I was lucky to have them in my life.

--------------

Even though I knew it was night from the dark windows, I didn't know how late it was until I was woken up by Olivia's call, and I saw that it was close to midnight on the screen.

"Hello?" I rasped and pulled myself up on the couch.

Laura was knocked out on the end of the couch, and the others were nowhere to be seen. I assumed they had gone upstairs to sleep.

"Why do you sound like that?" Olivia asked loudly over the loud music in her background.

Wincing, I pulled the phone slightly away. "I'm sick."

"Wait, seriously?"

"Do I sound like I'm at my best self right now?"

She groaned. "So much for a fun week, Jess." Before I could say anything, she quickly said, "Wait, you're not flaking out on me, are you?"

"No, Olivia," I sighed. "I really would rather repeat everything we did Friday than be stuck at home vomiting."

"Oh, good," she chirped. "But also, gross."

"Noah won't be at home until Saturday anyway, so we can meet however much you want before you leave," I offered. "When I feel better, at least."

"Yeah, I definitely don't plan on getting sick," she laughed. "Alright then. I'll leave you to vomit or whatever you were doing."

"I wasn't--"

She hung up before I could finish, and when I pulled the phone away, I saw a couple of missed calls and messages from Charlotte.

Charlotte: Hey, I heard you were sick. Are you okay?

Charlotte: Is it fine if I come over?

Charlotte: Jess

Charlotte: I'm assuming you're sleeping, but I'll be there soon.

That last message she sent was from an hour ago. My fingers hovered over the keyboard as I thought about what to reply with. Then her name flashed on the screen, and I immediately picked up.

"Are you okay?" she immediately asked, her voice breathless and frantic.

"I'm fine. I just woke up and saw your messages," I reassured her. "And you don't have to come over. The --"

"I'm already here," she interrupted.

"What?" I scrambled off of the couch and winced from the dull ache in my head, but I forced myself to get to the door and swung it open.

Charlotte stood right outside, phone in one hand while the other carried a bunch of bags from several different stores. She was still dressed business casual. It seemed like she didn't go home at all after work before coming here.

Her brows furrowed worriedly as she scanned my face. "You don't look fine."

"I feel better than earlier," I said. "You really should have just gone home to rest. I know work has been crazy for you."

Charlotte shook her head and brushed past me with the bags. "Work is work, but that doesn't mean I can't make time to check on you and Noah. Besides, I can't in good conscious leave you alone when you're sick."

My stomach squeezed. "That's really nice, Charlotte, but I'm not alone."

She stopped in the middle of the living room, and I followed her gaze to the couch, where Laura was still passed out asleep.

"I see," she said quietly.

"Noah asked the girls to come. I told him not to call you."

I wasn't sure why, but I felt the need to tell her that. Perhaps, it was the way she clenched her jaw as she stared at Laura. The way she usually did when she was hurt or angry or conflicted. I couldn't tell what she was feeling now.

"It's good to know you weren't alone then," Charlotte said stiffly and then proceeded towards the kitchen. I followed her, not knowing what else to say to alleviate the tension.

But Charlotte seemed unaffected again as she set the bags down on the counter and began to unpack them while I watched her warily. "I brought some soups and prepped meals just in case you weren't up for cooking. There's also some juices. I didn't know which ones you prefer, so I got a little bit of everything. Oh, and there are some meds here. I didn't know what symptoms you have, so I got a couple of types."

Then she pulled out sunscreen and a couple of other items that were definitely not for me. "And I know Noah's leaving for his trip tomorrow, and I figured you didn't have the energy to go shopping today. I got some sunscreen since he'll probably be outside a lot, and there are these sunglasses too. Oh, and a life vest is important, you know. And I got these floaties, but they need to be blown up. And--"

My chest swelling with emotion, I launched myself forward and wrapped my arms around her tightly. I heard her drop the packets of floaties on the counter before her arms slid around my waist.

"Thank you," I whispered, and as tears filled my eyes, I buried my face into her neck.

Charlotte rubbed my back comfortingly. "Of course. I'm sorry I got here so late."

"It's okay. I'm just glad you're here."

She hummed. "So you did want me here."

"Of course I did. I just didn't want to bother you because you've been so stressed with work."

Charlotte gently pulled away, and I wiped at my tears, not bothering to hide my face while I did so.

Her face was stern as she gripped my shoulders firmly. "Jess, you are not bothering me at all. It's actually more upsetting that you didn't tell me you were sick. I had to hear about it from Katie."

My brows furrowed. "Why would Katie tell you that?"

"I stopped by the office to look for you, and she said you called out sick." Her frown deepened. "I was the last one to know even though I was the first to see you this morning, but I just left you there."

Now, I frowned. "Charlotte, you didn't know I was sick. Hell, I didn't know until I woke up." She still looked upset, and I sighed. "Okay, how about this. The next time I feel sick, you'll be the first person I tell."

Her lips quirked into a small smile. "Even a stomach ache."

"Even a stomach ache," I agreed with a chuckle.

Her expression grew serious again as she continued to scan my face, and I definitely noticed that she was still gripping my shoulders. It felt nice to have her here, staring at me with so much concern. It was nicer than I wanted to admit.

"So Charlotte finally showed up," Laura's voice broke through the comfortable silence as she appeared in the doorway.

Charlotte's hands fell off my shoulders, to my disappointment, and she stepped away. Laura leaned against the frame, an amused smirk sliding across her face as she glanced between the both of us.

"Laura. Good to see you again," Charlotte said politely, and it was jarring to see the difference of her face now and what it was moments before when it was filled with warmth.

"Hm, I bet," Laura said, and I shot her a warning glare. She ignored it. "Looks like you brought the entire store with you."

"Just the necessities," Charlotte replied tightly.

"Floaties, included?"

"I'm starving," I interrupted just as Charlotte let out a scoff. "Charlotte, do you want to join me for dinner?"

"What about me?" Laura asked.

"You already ate."

"Actually, no. I was waiting for you to wake up to eat together," she said, and her smirk widened when her eyes finally met mine again.

Fucking hell, she was infuriating.

"It's okay. I already ate," Charlotte said. I looked at her, and her expression softened as she gave me a smile.

My chest clenched tightly with disappointment.

"Yeah, I doubt you did. Seeing as how you bought out the entire store, and you look like you rushed here after work." Laura said with a scoff. Charlotte's eyes turned steely, but I noticed her cheeks beginning to flush pink. "Just join us for dinner, Princess."

I bit back a retort at her use of the nickname because I wasn't about to ruin the olive branch Laura was extending.

"Don't call me that," Charlotte said sharply, and I looked at her in surprise. Laura looked more amused than anything as she threw her hands up in mock surrender. Charlotte still looked annoyed, but the tension on her face lessened when she turned back to me. "I'll join you for dinner, then, before I leave?"

Smiling, I nodded. "I'd like that."

"Still here." Laura pushed away from the frame to walk further into the kitchen. "If anyone cares."

Annoyance flashed across Charlotte's face again, and I sighed. It was going to be a long night.

-------------

Dinner worked out... fine. Laura and Charlotte were civilized for the most part, and I knew Laura was only holding back because I was sick. I still appreciated it.

It wasn't perfect, though. There were a couple of jabs here and there, but I tried to redirect the conversations before it got too tense. Though, it seemed like Charlotte was more upset while Laura found everything amusing, which only added fuel to the fire.

I was just glad when dinner was over, but then I remembered that Charlotte had to leave and grew disappointed. I was about to invite her to stay the night since it was almost two in the morning anyway, but Laura spoke before I could.

"It's late. You should take the couch with Jess. It fits two," Laura said after we cleared the table. Charlotte and I looked at her in surprise, but Laura seemed oblivious as she headed towards the stairs. "I'll take the bed with Noah."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Bed over couch any day, Silva," she yawned.

I turned back to Charlotte, who was already staring at me with a strange look on her face.

"You don't have to stay if you don't want to," I said.

"Do you want me to stay?"

"Yes, of course I do," I answered immediately and grimaced. Too desperate, Silva.

But Charlotte smiled warmly, and the tension seemed to roll off of her. "Then I'll stay."

I breathed a sigh of relief. "Cool."

She followed me to the living room, and I switched on the lamp near the TV before I turned the overhead lights off. Charlotte stood at the couch, smiling, and waited for me to lay down first before she slid in after and wrapped her arms around me.

"Comfortable?" she asked, her breath warm against the nape of my neck, and I shivered.

"Yeah."

"Cool."

Grinning, I picked up Sammy to wedge him in between her arms and my stomach. Charlotte chuckled softly and snuggled closer.

As Charlotte's breath grew quieter, my thoughts raced over tonight's events. My heart pounded from the memory of Charlotte standing outside, her eyes sweeping over my face with concern.

Concern not just for me but for Noah too.

And Laura, she surprised me the most. I expected her to scare Charlotte away, and for a moment, I thought she would. But it seemed like she wanted Charlotte here with me. I didn't understand her at all.

"Hey, Charlotte?"

"Hm?"

"I didn't know you were uncomfortable with being called princess. I'm sorry."

She was quiet for a moment, and I thought she might have fallen asleep until she spoke. "It's not that. I just don't like Laura calling me that. Anyone else, really."

"Oh." My lips slowly stretched into a pleased smile.

"I'm okay with you calling me that, though." she clarified. "You've never made me uncomfortable."

"Cool," I hummed.

Charlotte tightened her arms. "Goodnight, Jess."

"Goodnight, Princess."

At that, Charlotte laughed, and the sound filled my chest with warmth.

--------------

I woke up to soft murmurs a few feet away and no Charlotte beside me. Rolling over, my eyes peeled open, where I found her standing near the kitchen with Sadie. They were both talking quietly while drinking what smelled like coffee, and judging from their relaxed smiles, it was a friendly conversation.

Thank god.

I sat up on the couch, grimacing from the soreness, but at least the headaches and dizziness were gone.

"Look who's finally awake," Sadie said, and Charlotte turned to look at me with a warm smile.

"What time is it?" I asked, though I didn't look away from Charlotte.

"It's about a quarter 'til nine," Sadie answered. "Everyone's still asleep."

I wasn't surprised. Other than Sadie, the others usually slept until noon if not woken up.

"How are you feeling?" Charlotte asked.

"Much better. I slept well."

Smile widening, she took a sip from her mug.

"Robert isn't coming by until noon, so I let Noah sleep in. Charlotte and I packed the stuff she got him as well," Sadie said.

"That's fine." I finally looked away from Charlotte to smile at her. "Thanks, Sadie. For everything."

"Of course," she said softly. "You know we would do anything for you and Noah. Don't even worry about it."

A lump formed in my throat, and not wanting to risk opening my mouth and crying again, I threw my arms open. Sadie laughed but quickly crossed the room to hug me. Behind her, Charlotte watched us with a small smile.

"Fuck, you're going to make me emotional," Sadie said as she pulled away and wiped at the bits of tears that had sprung to her eyes.

"I didn't even say anything!"

"Bitch, you don't have to." Sadie fanned her eyes with her hand. "Okay, now I have to go fix my makeup. Thanks a lot."

"You still look great!" I shouted as she rushed off into the bathroom, and Charlotte's chuckle pulled my attention back to her.

"You have a great support system," she mused and walked over to me.

"You're part of that," I said as she settled down beside me.

She looked down at the mug she was cradling on her lap. "I haven't known you for as long as they have."

"No, but you knew me before they did, and you know me now."

"Barely," she muttered. "I didn't know that you hate the beach, or well, deep waters. Sadie said that's why you don't usually go with Noah to the lake house."

"I went a few times, but I don't really go into the water anyway. There's no point."

"Why did you move here if you hate the beach?"

I shrugged. "I figured I hate it, but Noah might not. I wanted him to experience things better than I did."

Charlotte's lips parted slightly as she looked at me again. Then she took my hand in hers and interlaced our fingers.

"You do everything for your son, don't you?" she asked quietly.

I nodded silently. I couldn't imagine living for anything else but him.

"Does he like the beach?"

I bit back a smile. "He loves it a little too much."

She laughed softly. "You did good, then, coming here."

"Yeah, I guess I did." Especially since Charlotte was here now too.

She gave my hand a gentle squeeze. "So what made you hate the beach?"

My thoughts were cloudy with her hand in mine, but I managed to sort out the distant memory. "I used to live with this family of five, but it only lasted a month. We went to the beach for a weekend, and the two oldest brothers held me down in the water as a prank."

The memory grew solid. I still remembered the struggle for air as I fought against them, my cries muffled by the water. The pressure of their hands on my neck and back as they held me down had never left, and when they had finally let me up, laughing, my eyes burned. All I had tasted was salt, and rage had filled me. It was my first time feeling so helpless and angry. It was also the first time I punched someone, which, of course, returned me to the system.

"I'm sorry you had to experience that," Charlotte said, bringing me back to the present. Her brows were furrowed as she frowned. "I can track them down."

My eyes grew wide. "Please don't."

The corner of her lips lifted. "I was kidding."

I breathed out in relief.

"Maybe."

"Charlotte," I sighed.

She grinned. "Jess."

God, she really did look beautiful when she smiled. I looked away as that thought really settled in. Something was wrong with me. I couldn't be thinking of her like that.

Charlotte nudged my shoulder with hers. "Don't worry. I won't hunt them down even though I really want to."

I gave a light scoff, but I was still stuck on the feelings that I might have for her. Sitting beside Charlotte, I was very conscious of how her skin brushed against mine, and I wondered whether or not she could feel how fast my pulse was racing with our wrists pressed against each other.

It felt like I was sixteen again, sitting beside Charlotte on her bed, leaning into her and feeling her breath against my mouth.

Until her brother walked in.

"Hey, what's wrong?" Charlotte asked, pulling me back into the present before my thoughts could go back to the memory I hated the most.

"Nothing." Sighing, I shook my head. "I'm still a little tired from yesterday."

"We did sleep pretty late, and it's still early. You wanna go back to sleep?"

I shook my head again. "I wanna see Noah before he leaves."

She grew quiet, but I felt her gaze on me. I turned to meet it. I saw her throat moved as she swallowed. Her mouth opened and --

Charlotte's phone rang, and she released a sigh instead. I broke my gaze, heart pumping wildly, as she pulled out her phone and answered. I got up on unsteady feet and forced myself to walk towards the kitchen.

Moments before, it seemed like she wanted to say something important, but now...

I glanced back at Charlotte, whose brows were knitted together with what looked like frustration. Her jaw was clenched, so she definitely wasn't happy.

Giving her some privacy, I entered the kitchen and poured myself some coffee from the pot. I didn't drink it right away but leaned against the counter and cradled the mug in my hand to distract myself with the heat.

I don't know how long I stood there for until Charlotte's voice broke through the silence.

"Hey," she said exhaustingly as she stopped beside me and refilled her mug with coffee.

"Work?" I asked.

"No," she answered after taking a long sip. "That was my friend. She wants me to go with her to some party on Wednesday and won't take no for an answer."

"The same one who disappeared on you the other night?"

"That would be the one."

"Maybe you should put a tracker on her this time," I suggested.

That finally broke through her frown, and she chuckled. "That's actually not a bad idea."

"You're welcome." I held out my mug, and she clinked it. We both took a sip, and I grimaced after realizing I never added sugar or milk. Neither did Charlotte, but she drank it just fine.

"Are you seriously drinking black coffee like it's nothing?" I questioned.

Charlotte lifted a brow as she took another sip. "What's wrong with black coffee?"

"You're a psychopath."

She grinned. "So I've been told."

I frowned. "By who?"

"One of my ex-boyfriends."

"Is he stupid?" I scoffed.

She shrugged. "He was actually the top of our graduating class, but yeah he was kind of stupid when it came to dating."

"Not surprised."

"You haven't even met him," she laughed.

"Yeah, the fact that he called you a psycho and is no longer your boyfriend tells me everything I need to know." I took another sip from the mug before remembering, with a grimace, that it was still bitter. I set the mug down on the counter to pour in sugar.

"You called me a psycho just a moment ago," Charlotte pointed out as she headed to the fridge and pulled out the carton of milk.

"Yeah, but I was joking."

She set the carton down beside my cup and leaned against the counter again. "How do you know he wasn't?"

I paused to look at her. "Well, was he?"

Her lips tugged into a slow smile. "No. He was upset I tossed his laptop out the window after I caught him cheating."

"He cheated?" I exclaimed angrily. "Fuck the laptop. You should have broken his dick for that."

A burst of giggles spilled through her mouth, and the anger left me as I grinned.

"My friend took care of that for me."

"Same friend?"

She nodded.

"Maybe she isn't so bad, then."

Charlotte grinned in response, and I finally poured the milk into my coffee. While I stirred, Charlotte put the milk in the fridge and rejoined me at the counter.

"Oh shoot." I stopped stirring to look at her. "Don't you have work at nine?"

She drained the rest of her coffee and placed the mug in the sink. "I called off."

"Excuse me? You called off?" I scanned her face as she looked at me amusingly. "Did I get you sick?"

"No, I'm fine. I just wanted to stay in with you since Noah's leaving later."

And of course, my stomach fluttered.

"You really don't have to," I mumbled. "I don't want you to fall behind."

"It's one day of work." She rolled her eyes. "And I want to, so stop trying to push me away."

"Fine," I blew out a breath but smiled. "Get ready for a day full of movies, then."

She winked. "Sounds like the perfect day."

And damn it, if that wink didn't do something to me.