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"Ow."
Charlotte was unaffected. It would take more than a paper whack to really cause him pain, especially when considering all the time Logan had spent preparing himself physically...for what he wanted to do in the future.
"Penny for your thoughts?"
"You'll regret asking that," she told him.
"Then forget I asked," he said right away.
"Too late!" And she cut to the chase right after, asking, "Are you really serious about enlisting next year?" She saw Landon's handsome face turn expressionless, but Charlotte couldn't help pressing on. "You really won't go to college?"
A few more moments passed before Landon finally answered her.
"Do you know you only have to be seventeen to enlist?"
Charlotte shook her head.
"I did. But I chose not to," he said quietly, "because I wanted to spend this last year with you."
Her heart pounded, but she refused to let it get to her. "Can't webothgo to college first—-"
"I want to serve, Charles."
Her shoulders drooped. "I know." He had been saying that since they were kids, like he had been born knowing he was meant to serve like his Uncle Billy did.
"It's my destiny."
The words should've sounded fake. No high school kid should've been able to utter something like that and sound credible. But because it was Landon, the words didn't just sound real. Theyfeltreal, too, with the way it made her imagine all the terrifying things that could happen to him,when -and not if - he finally became what he wanted to be.
"You believe me, don't you? I've always known it's what I was meant to do."
Charlotte could only nod. If she said just one thing, she was afraid she'd end up crying.
"Just like I've always known I was meant for you."
She reacted unthinkingly, her hand already balling into a fist, but this time Landon caught her hand mid-punch, and before Charlotte could draw her next breath, Landon already had her pinned down on the couch, and his tall, ruggedly hard body was weighing down on hers.
Charlotte's heart was racing so fast she was seriously worried she might soon run out of breath. He had never been this close to her before, and the hard heat of Landon's body was making her dizzy. She could feel him staring down at her, and it was making her mouth dry. But when she started to lick her lips, it was then she heard him curse—-
"Damn..."
Charlotte held her breath. Had she finally gotten to him? Were they finally going to do all the things that the other kids in schoolimaginedthey were doing? Was he finally going to—-
"Is that a double chin I'm seeing?"
—-get his ass kicked again?
Charlotte kneed him in the groin, and as he rolled off with a groan, she scrambled away and ran for the door. Enough was enough. There were times for jokes, but this wasn't one of it, and—-
"Charles, wait—-"
Landon managed to grab her wrist just as she was about to yank their front door open, but before she could push him away, he already had her back against the door as he spun her around to face him.
"I'm sorry, okay?"
She was usually a sucker for Landon's cajoling tone, but now it just made her heart hurt even more, and she saw Landon's gorgeous features lose color as she started to cry.
"God, Charles. I'm sorry—-"
