Where The Ice Gives Way (Charlotte and Blake) novel Chapter 235

Where The deeptives War

Thidee

Chapter 255-A Small Fragile Opportunity

Charle

and wa? Bitan ways excitedly in my mind

She said akay, I remind him.

As the same thing

It is a very different thing in girl talk.

Titan huffs like I’m being difficult on purpèse.

It is an opportunity for you to fix things.

He’s right. It is an opportunity. A small one. A very small, fragile opportunity, but I will take it.

I take a deep breath, trying to calm my racing heart, then text her back and ask if she can meet me at the park on the edge of town. It is quiet there, tucked

close enough to the woods that I can show her what I need to show her without half the town wandering past.

When she sends back another okay, my whole body goes tight.

Okay.

Again.

Not good, happy, or excited.

Just okay.

I shake my hands out to rid myself of some of the jitters, then start digging through my wardrobe for something nice to wear. Something that says I have

made an effort. Something that says I know I messed up. Something that says I am sorry, I am a wolf, and I like you.

Mara has bought me a whole bunch of new things since we got here, so I know I have nice clothes. The problem is that none of them come with a label saying: wear this when you are about to tell the human girl you like that monsters are real and you’re one of them.

Titan is no help. He likes anything that lets him move. Which means his opinion is basically: no shirt, no shoes, get naked and shift now.

Very romantic.

A knock on the door pulls me from my thoughts, and Gareth opens it halfway.

“You doing okay in here, kiddo?” he asks, eyeing the clothes and shoes thrown everywhere. “Kind of sounds like you were getting robbed up here.”

I look around at the disaster zone that used to be my room.

“Not robbed,” I mutter. “Just emotionally unstable.”

His mouth twitches. “Good to know.”

Chapter 235 A Small Fragile Opportunity

Thick so threw her bit the bed 1 shore waving at the que “which and to be

beran et

edge of

ranged.

Gareth steps hikh, there the door behind is, and were some clothes as an he ran the the oilge if the bed. He does that linking examed. whili which is impressive, considering Like heen half the warbete and repeated it all for reasons

Depends what youre going for, sen.

I don’t under

I clear my throat and look away. “Jess/agreed to meet me tonight, after i mesard things op with her.

Gareth goes still for a beat, then neds. “Well that’s good”

“Maybe”

“Maybe,” he agrees.

4 sit down on the chair near my desk, elbows on my knees, hands clasped together so I don’t start teaming through my wardrobe again. “1 seed to tell her

About what I am.”

I tell him how less makes me feel, how she makes Titan feel. How I didn’t understand it at first, because she is human and I know she is not my fated mate, but I still want to be near her. I tell him about the talk with Blake, and how it got in my head, how I panicked. How I acted like a dick because I thought

avoiding her would somehow protect her, but all it did was hurt her.

I tell him I am trying to fix it now. Even if I don’t know how, even if she might look at me differently once she knows, and I might be walking straight

toward the part where everything falls apart.

When I finally run out of words, Gareth is quiet for a moment, and I brace myself for the lecture, or the warning. I wait for him to tell me Blake was right.

that humans are complicated, and I need to think with my head instead of whatever stupid part of me keeps wanting Jessica.

But he doesn’t do any of that.

He looks at the clothes, picks up a dark pair of jeans, a cream shirt, and a checkered jacket, then reaches for the black joggers by the bed.

“I think this would look nice,” he says. “Not too flashy, but it shows you’ve made an effort.”

I stare at him.

“That’s it?”

Gareth lifts one brow. “Were you hoping for a dramatic speech?”

“No.”

He studies me for a second, and the humour softens into something steadier.

“You already know the important parts,” he says. “Be honest. Be careful. Don’t make her feel responsible for your fear. And whatever happens, let her

choose.”

I nod once. “Yeah. Yep. I’ve got that.”

“And Charlie?”

2:01 pm

Chapter 235 Almall Fragile Opportunity

You are wrong for wanting to be loved.

My chest caves in arourul the sentence

1 look down quickly, pretending to inspect the shirt as if it were suddenly ery interesting, and Goreth gives me that marry. He dot point it eat fes’t

make me talk through it. He hist stands and heads for the docs.

“Thank you,” I say.

He inclines his head, then pauses with his hand on the handle. “I’m here if you want to talk about it. You know that, right?

“I do,” I say, quieter now. “Thank you.”

“Good.” He opens the door, then looks over his shoulder. “Good luck, son. I hope you get what you’re looking for.”

Then he tosses me his keys, and I catch them on instinct.

For a second, I stare at the silver weight in my

1. I couldn’t be more thankful for Gareth if I tried.

He came into my life and kept my head on my shoulders. He took me under his wing, taught me how to be a wolf, taught me how to be a man, and handled every single one of my freak-outs with a firm sort of gentleness I didn’t even know I needed. He’s got me training with some of the pack pups lately for a b

of cash. And most recently, he has been teaching me how to drive.

So now, I am dressed. I am somewhat calm. I have keys in my hand and panic sitting under my ribs like a second heartbeat.

I check myself in the mirror and decide it will have to do. Either she likes me, or she doesn’t.

Titan presses close beneath my skin, and I know he’s just as eager as I am to find out whether she will choose us.

I leave the room before I can lose my nerve.

Downstairs, Mara looks up from the kitchen as I pass. Her eyes flick over my clothes, then to the keys in my hand, and her expression softens in a way tha

tells me she already knows more than she is saying.

“Drive safe, honey,” she says.

“I will.”

“And Charlie?”

I

pause near the door.

“Breathe before you speak.”

I almost laugh, because it’s the most practical advice that I need.

“I’ll try,” I say, before turning back to kiss her on the cheek.

“Thanks, Mara.”

r

Where The lectives

Chapter 246-Let Me Show You

testtes

“Hey, I’m post heading out for a bit.” I tell my parents a 1 paves them sitting on the euch, watching one of My late-right shoes

“Well, hold on there!” Mom jumps up and rushes over before can grab my keys from de boat “trs a bit late, im’t it? Whers als poft fa?

1 roll my eyes. “Mum. I’m almost eighteen. And I’m just going to meet Charlie at the park

Her mouth tightens, and she hums under her breath like I have said something that makes her stomach hurt.

“I’m not sure about that boy, Jess.”

1 blink at her, shocked. “You haven’t even met him.”

“I’ve heard about him,” she says. “And his family.” She wrinkles her nose, as if she’s just smelt something disginting, which is very unlike Mum

“Well, unfortunately for you,” I say, grabbing my keys, “I don’t judge people on rumours.”

“Jessica.”

“I’ll be fine.”

Dad lowers the volume on the TV, glancing between us. “Who is Charlie again?”

“No one dangerous,” I say.

Mum’s eyes shoot to him in a way that makes me pause. I watch as something silent passes between them, but by the time she looks back to me, it’s gone.

“Just be careful,” she says.

“I will.”

I slip around her before she can say anything else and head for the door, but her reaction follows me out into the cold.

Mum has never been one to judge someone before meeting them. She’s the kind of person who rescues spiders with cups and talks to the old man at the

shops who smells like cigarettes and sour milk because she says everyone deserves kindness.

So why does Charlie make her look like that?

I haven’t even told her much. Just that I met a guy named Charlie, and I like him.

Liked him.

Like him.

Whatever.

I get into my car, push those thoughts away, and drive to the park on the edge of town.

12:01 pm

Chapter 236 Let Me Show Yo

the gravetta päd abent ave, and there before I en fan the age oft

He’s sting on the of the sing beneath the Night, eens knees, has clasped between Hem. His shoulders are fense; and one toor draga slowly

through the hark chips hechuth him t

ichest the wire quiet is to make vare & look hall decent Mut that I made a huge effort. I definitely cheer hy leggings that don’t have they wond httle fan bolls all over them, and I picked my biggest handia because if he decides to back my heart & Gistle more, I would as the comfortable white top dong

1 climb out of the car and tuck my keys into my pocket, and Charlie tooks up the second my dear closes.

He stands quickly and stuffs his hands into his jacket pockets as he walks over to me.

“Hey,” he says.

“Hey,”

The park is quiet around us, except for the creak of the swing that moves in the wind.

Charlie’s throat bobs as he swallows, then he looks at his feet before looking back at me.

“Thank you for coming,” he says.

I cross my arms. “So?”

“So.” He takes a breath and steps closer, but not too close. “I’m

I stay quiet, because he deserves to squirm a little.

“I hurt you,” he says. “And you didn’t deserve that. You were kind to me, and I got scared, and I made my fear your problem. I’m sorry for how I treated you,

Jess. It wasn’t right.”

“You made me feel stupid for caring,” I say.

His face falls. “I know.”

“No, Charlie. I don’t think you do.” My voice wobbles, and I hate it, but I keep going. “I sat with you because I wanted to. I asked questions because I cared.

Then today, you looked at me like last night was something you regretted, like I somehow ruined everything.”

“I didn’t regret it,” he says quickly. “And you didn’t ruin anything.”

Charlie lifts his eyes to mine, and I let the silence stretch. I’ve done my part. It’s him that needs to talk now.

He runs a hand through his hair before he keeps going.

12.01 pm

Chapter 236 ter M Chaw Yeu

તુ છે . આ ૨૨