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Things had been easier when they were kids, and all they had was school. Lauren was always smart and had the best grades. It made sense she became a lawyer when she graduated, but her actual cases were … wrong.
Charlie sometimes couldn’t stomach it.
“I bet your day was the usual. Computers and stuff, right?” Lauren asked.
“Yep," Charlie said. “Nothing new there.”
“Hm. Maybe we need to mix it up.”
Charlie almost wanted to tell her about his deal with Violet. But he stopped himself before he could. Lauren despised Violet and wouldn’t take kindly to any sort of truce with her.
He needed to avoid fights with Lauren, not start them.
“Maybe," Charlie said, his voice quiet.
“We should travel. Maybe we can go to Fiji or something when I win this case.”
“I don’t think I have time for that,” Charlie said. Besides, a vacation with Lauren sounded like hell. She would push him to do things he didn’t want to do, and he found he began to hate her if he spent more than a few days in her presence.
Lauren pouted. “Not even for a vacation? With me?”
“I have a lot of projects I can’t step away from.”
“God, where’s your adventurous spirit? You’re so tame these days.”
Maybe Charlie was. But where Lauren thrived with chaos, he liked routine. Where she wanted to travel, he wanted to root to the spot. They say opposites attract, but sometimes Charlie wasn’t so sure.
“I have a house and a job, Lauren. I have responsibilities.”
“Your house is more of a shack still standing.”
“It was my great grandmother’s," Charlie said, feeling more than a little offended.
“Yeah, and she’s dead now.”
“She left it to me," Charlie said. “It’s been in the family since it was built in the 1800’s.”
“And you can definitely tell.”
Charlie grit his teeth but didn’t say anything. Lauren never changed her mind on things, but neither did he. This was his family’s home, one of the last pieces of his great grandmother. She had left it to him, asking he take care of it.
And despite its flaws, he loved the place.
That just meant Lauren would never move in with him.
Some days he was fine with that.
Lauren sighed, but it came out like a scoff.
“I’m sorry for insulting your shack of a house,” Lauren said. “I’m sure to some it’s charming.”
Well, it was an apology at least.
“It’s fine. Let’s enjoy our food. I have to be back soon.”
“Seriously? You’re already thinking about work again?”
Charlie sighed. “I’m only on my lunch. I have a lot to get back to.”
