CHARLOTTE

“A peace offering? I didn’t think we left dinner on a bad note; the food was quite lovely,” I replied, gesturing to the sofa behind him. “Please, sit.”

“Thank you.” He settled onto the couch, glancing at the bottle and glass I had placed on the table before his arrival. “Yeah, everything else was lovely, but it still felt like something was... off. So, I came here to offer these, but I see you’ve already found the stash...”

I chuckled, easing onto the couch opposite him. “It seemed like a great way to distract myself from thoughts I’m trying not to pay attention to,” I admitted, catching his wistful...