Loving Charley Read Online Free PDF Page B

phone. As much as we both don’t want to leave each other,
we know we have to. Cash has to go home and prepare for what is
bound to happen with Dylan. I, on the other hand, have to prepare
to talk to a lawyer as well, but I know that the ball is in my
court on this one.
    I walk Cash to his truck,
and we take as much time as we can to prolong the inevitable.
“Char-coal, I love you, and it’s gonna be fine. Now, go inside and
enjoy your friends, and I’ll talk to you as soon we get a plan
together.”
    “Okay.”
    He takes my chin in his
hand, and my eyes meet his. “I promise we will have our forever,”
he says as he takes control and crashes his lips onto
mine.
    When we separate, my lips
tingle from his touch, and I make my way back to the house. Mom,
the Kluft girls, Tessa, and Dad are in the kitchen. We sit and eat
Mama’s fabulous breakfast as usual, but things are a little quieter
than normal.
    As we finish, Georgia
speaks, “Char, we’re going to head back to campus today. We want to
stay with you, but we have practice, registration, and we feel like
you need to do this with your family. If something changes, we’ll
be glad to come back. We love you, but we feel like we’re in the
way.”
    “Y’all aren’t in the way,
but I understand what you mean. I’d want to get back to normal,
too. I should probably call Coach.”
    “No need,” Tori states. “I
already did. She said take your time, and your spot is there when
you get back. Oh, she also said that she’d get your registration
taken care of, too.”
    “Thanks, y’all have taken
care of it all. I don’t even know what to say.”
    Hayden starts to giggle.
“How about you take that mofo down?” We all start to laugh. I just
love these girls.
    After breakfast, the Kluft
girls get ready and pack up to go back to Southern. Tessa and I
meet them outside to say our goodbyes. I’m sad, but I understand.
There are a few tears shed when they leave, but Tessa is there to
help me pull myself together. Never in a million years did I expect
to find a group of girls that are this special to me.
    Tessa and I go inside to
talk to Mama and Dad. While we are discussing which lawyer we need
to see, Tessa says that Dustin has talked to the police about
Dylan, and he will be arrested as soon as he is out of the
hospital. Dad begins to make a call to a former classmate and now
lawyer in town, Becky Horn. She’s as good as they come, and she can
see us right after lunch today.
    Glancing out of the window,
I notice a patrol car passing my house. I look back at Dad and
begin to freak out. I know this is the moment. The moment that will
cause my Cash Money to have to pay the price for me. I start to
stand, but Dad stops me. There is one problem; I can’t.
    Jumping up from the table,
I run out the side door and head toward the Montgomery’s farm. I
have to get to him. I can’t let this happen. In the middle of all
this chaos, I see my world crashing and rebuilding at the same
time.
    Knowing that I can’t make
my way to him by foot, I grab my four-wheeler and haul ass to his
house. As I approach, I see the officers making their way toward
the front porch. They wait, and then Cash answers the door. I pull
the throttle more as I urge to get to him. I know I can’t save him,
but I need to be there for him like he was for me.
    As the officers stand and
begin to explain the charges and read Cash his Miranda Rights, I
close in on the house. Hopping off the four-wheeler, I sprint to
Cash as tears begin to fall as I watch them place him in handcuffs.
An overwhelming wail comes from within me, “Noooooooo! Please don’t
take him. I’m begging you!”
    As I reach for him, the
officers remove my hands, and I crumble toward the ground only to
be comforted by my dad. When did he get
here? I briefly think before continuing to
fall to pieces. Knowing that I need to be strong, I pull myself
from my self-pity with my dad’s help.
    Standing, I can see Cash
being placed into the