"So you talk to yourself now huh?" Charlie chuckles rhetorically, leaning arms crossed against the large trunk above me.

"No I was just...thinking?" I state as more of a question than a fact.

"Of me?" He asks arrogantly, with a hint of humour in his tone.

Upon noticing my serious face, Charlie's demeanour seems to instantly change. His arrogant front beginning to slowly disappear, exposing a rather raw and vulnerable Charlie.

Something I gather most people rarely see.

"Charlie..." I begin slowly, trying to gather my thoughts quickly and form what I'm about to say.

"Vi, I was only joking." He chuckles, but rather dryly, with little humour in his tone.

"I ugh- need to talk to you." I say, to which Charlie nods slowly, taking a seat on the somewhat soggy grass in front of me.

"What is it?" He questions, slightly nervous.

"Well I-I umm..." I begin, at a loss for words, slightly regretting starting this conversation in the first place.

"You can tell me anything you know?" Charlie says earnestly, placing his soft hand on top of mine, causing my stomach to do flips at his touch.

Right at that moment I realized that I too had feelings for Charlie, and there was no longer any purpose in denying them.

As I look into Charlie's mesmerizing light brown eyes, the words that I have been depriving myself of saying for the longest time, escape...

"I like you too."

: short chapter but the next one is really long!! Oh! & as always, thanks for all of your comments/views/likes ❤️

Merry Christmas & happy holidays 🎄💓