Thin Line- Charlie Dalton Love Story

Chapter 23: Attempts

{Valerie's POV}

This week has been a nightmare. Charlie has been so sweet and kind to me and all I can think about is how I'm literally about to break his heart on our 'fancy date' on Saturday. He pulled me out of class one day to tell me about the date and how he had something important to tell me. I told him I had something to tell him as well. And even just saying those words made me feel sick in my stomach. I did not want to be the cause of Dalton's pain, I'm sure I would have loved the honor three months ago.

To make matters worse, Charlie's friends had stopped to congratulate me on settling a man like Charlie down. How I'm the best thing that has happened to him. Protective brotherly friends, warning me not to break his heart or I'll have them to deal with. All of which I responded with a nod and a smile.

Then there was the issue with Stacey, Lily, and Jamie. Any chance they got they would make sly remarks about the bet. I tried my best to ignore them but it made it difficult when Charlie would pull me to the side and ask me what they meant.

Believe it or not, I even had a 13 year old girl come up to me and inform me about how lucky I was to be with Dalton and how he was way too good for me. This one I had fun with, though. I told her, in detail, about the sexual adventures Charlie and I have had and more to come now that we're dating. She didn't find it funny one bit, but Charlie sure did.

Whenever I look around in class and I see Charlie smiling at me, I feel this burning pit in my stomach. Whenever he holds my hand in public, I feel like the biggest phony bitch ever. Whenever we kiss and he touches me, I feel like I'm contaminating him with all my negative paint. There was this unspoken tension between us. The tension to tell the truth. The tension to confess our undying love for each other.

I wish Charlie will believe that I love him after I tell him.

{Charlie's POV}

I woke up really early today so I could get everything in order for my date with Valerie. Reservations were made. Flowers bought. Shower done. Brotherly reinforcement: check. Pretty much everything was done. I even wrote out a script, last night, of exactly how I would do it. But I ripped it out this morning because I wanted it to be natural.

I was already dressed in an all black three piece suit, and was handling the finishing touches in the boys bathroom with everyone there. Neil, Todd, Knox, Meeks, Pitts, and Cameron. Pretty much everyone knew about Valerie and I at this point but only these guys knew that I loved her.

As I was rubbing some gel in my hair, I couldn't stop smiling. The boys did well to point this out.

"I'm so proud of you." Knox said, "There you were playing with girl after girl and here you are now, in love."

He sounded like a mother dropping their kid off at college. I thanked him for his words even though they were a little weird.

"Are you nervous?" Todd asked.

Yes, I am.

"Fuck no. Me? Nuwanda? Please." I paused for a second and then added, "Yes, I am. I'm nervous."

The guys all laughed. My mouth was feeling incredibly dry and my hair wasn't doing me any justice today of all days. The guys tried their best to encourage me and support me. And while their words were going to my heart, I was still nervous and no words could undo that.

I grabbed the flowers that were ready and in Meeks' hands.

"Okay, I'm ready."

{Valerie's POV}

I didn't sleep at all last night because I was nervous for today. I went through a thousand ways of how I would go about telling Charlie the truth about the bet and no way seemed any less harsh than the next. When I finally decided to say whatever comes to mind at the date, the announcements rang for breakfast.