The Bad Boy Next Room (Charlie and Taylor)

[Charlie, I won't be home tonight. I'm meeting an old friend and heading back to the manor.]

Reading Taylor's note, Charlie's heart sank. She checked her phone and saw that Taylor had sent the same message, only with more details.

The next part read: [I didn't want to wake you. I made chicken soup. Just heat it up when you wake up.]

"Is it just me, or does that sound a little cold?" Charlie muttered. She huffed, thinking about last night. Yes, she had been tipsy, but she still remembered what happened. They had almost kissed. Well, they did, but just a peck. Taylor had held back because their relationship was still undefined.

As Charlie heated up the soup Taylor had made for her, she wondered, 'Was he mad at me?'

Guardian Angel: 'Yes, he's definitely mad. He wants to control you, Charlie. Get out while you can!'

Inner Devil: 'That's a terrible thing to say, and it's so out of character for a Guardian Angel. Charlie, if he were mad, he wouldn't have made you chicken soup!'

Charlie shook her head, brushing off her imaginary inner voices. She started eating and called her sister.

It took a while, but eventually, Freya answered, "Hey, Sis. Good morning. How's school?" Then Freya lowered her voice and whispered, "How's your hottie roommate?"

Freya giggled, glancing around before adding, "Your trust fund can now raise a family of ten kids!"

Charlie laughed. She asked, "Where are you?"

"I'm inspecting my first-ever designs at Adley's main shop!" Freya exclaimed. Then she lowered her voice again. "But Mom and Dad are here. Let me just go to my office."

Adley was their family's jewelry brand. Freya, recently appointed as the lead jewelry designer, was now taking on a bigger role in the company. Soon, Freya turned on her camera. Charlie saw that she had settled in. "So, tell me."

"Freya, I..." Charlie gulped. "I want to tell Dad about Taylor."

Freya pursed her lips and asked, "What exactly will you tell him?"

"That I like someone, and I want to break the 25-year-old dating rule," Charlie responded.

"Are you guys together now?" Freya asked.

"No, but it certainly feels that way." Charlie took another bite before adding, "But it's complicated. Last night, we almost kissed again, but he pulled away because we weren't officially a couple. He wants me to be honest with Dad about us."

"What? But have you told him about Dad, who he is, who we are?" Freya inquired.

"No," Charlie admitted. "But I was open to the idea of him finding out. His mom wanted to do a background check on me."

Charlie had briefly mentioned her visit to the Carrington manor but left out details about the failed dinner. She skipped the part about Amber. Instead, she explained, "Someone tried to spy on them in the past, so Taylor's mom is cautious about who he dates. But they didn't check my background. Taylor asked them not to."

"Oh, Charlie. You must really like him," Freya commented.

"I do," Charlie confessed, her mind drifting to Taylor's handsome face. "He's not just super hot; he's sweet and smart. He's naturally caring. He also makes me really angry sometimes, you know, but...I can't hate him either."

She frowned, struggling to understand herself. "Maybe the things we argue about aren't that bad? I don't know. He gets under my skin and drives me crazy, but...I still look forward to seeing him every day. Like today. He's not home, and I feel miserable."

"God," Freya reacted. "Is that love? You know, there's something different about you now compared to when you were with Luke."

Charlie raised an eyebrow. "How so?"noveldrama

"With Luke, you never had this kind

of inner turmoil. Luke seemed perfect on the surface, but he turned out to be a complete loser. With Taylo your emotions are so much more intense, whether it's fondness or frustration. I feel like you're more attached to him, even though you've only known him for a few weeks."

Charlie sighed, asking, "What should I do, Freya?"

"Is he worth introducing to the family?" Freya asked.

"I certainly think so," Charlie responded.

"Then I guess you should try. I'll support you, but... I'm not sure you should tell Dad everything just yet

My first jewelry collection islutt

launch and I need Mom and Dad with me," Freya explained. "If you tell Dad everything now, he'll probably fly to Luxford this very minute!"