It's been a little over a month since the sickness scare with Piper. She's doing a lot better now and it seems to have actually strengthened her and her relationship with Henry which I'm immensely happy about. I haven't been at the Hart household since Piper was sick and that's entirely my fault. I've been wrapped up in studying for midterms and taking the SAT which I'm all set up to study with Henry for.

You'd think with all that time that's passed, things with Henry would have simplified but it's been complicated to the max. Sometimes he acts all coupley with me and other times he's closed off. During class he jokes with me like we're friends but during lunch he teases the hell out of me and makes real inappropriate jokes. At work he finds ways to make out with me but then doesn't talk to me at all. I don't know what's up with him and by now I'm tired of it. My ringing phone pulls me out of my thoughts.

"Charlotte." Bianca says sweetly.

"Oh goodness, I'm working. What is up?" I ask trying not to be too rude.

"Just wanted to tell you that if you've ever liked Henry or if you like him now that you two aren't a good match and it wouldn't work out. I know I just sound like a jealous ex but I've asked around school and no one disagrees with me." She says. I just stay quiet. Why is the devil testing me ?

"Hello ? Are you there ? I know it's shocking but come on, he's way out of your league. And if you -" I hang up the phone in the middle of her sentence. I put my phone down and get back to work.

"Why are you typing so angrily ?" Henry asks me. I turn around in my chair to see him strolling into the Mancave.

"Why are you talking to me ?" I snap at him. He scrunches up his face.

"Am I not allowed to talk to my best friend ?" He asks me, looking stupefied.

"Oh now I'm your best friend." I say dryly with just enough attitude.

"Charlotte." Henry says sharply. I just roll my eyes and turn back around to finish working. As I'm nearing halfway done in typing up a lab report for Schwoz my chair is pulled back. Henry is in my face.

"Charlotte. What the fuck is up with you ?" He asks me.

"Leave me alone Henry." I say, wanting to just forget everything.

"No, answer my question." He urges.

" I don't want to and I'm not explaining myself to you of all people." I answer him. He sighs and lets my chair go. I scoot back up to finish working.

"What does that mean for us then ?" I hear him ask softly. I turn back around for the final time.

"Henry, don't. There's never been an us." I force out and I watch his eyes slowly glaze up. I turn around expecting our conversation to be over. Before I know it I'm on the couch in the Mancave and Henry is in the same spot he was before about 4 feet away from me.

"How can you even say that ?! There's never been an us ? Charlotte, there's always been an us ! It's always been us ! God, I've liked you since I was 5! Why the hell do you think I kissed you in 1st grade? I lied about not having a date to both of our proms ! I dated Bianca because you made me promise we would never do anything to jeopardize our friendship like dating each other ! Fucking hell Charlotte, I didn't want to fuck you because your body is amazing, I wanted to make love to you because that is an experience I want with the woman I love and that has been and always will be you Charlotte Marie Bolton." Henry declares to me. I just sit in shock, soaking everything in. He looks at me and takes a deep breath. He seems to compose himself.

"But I guess you were right, there's never been an us. I've just always wanted there to be." He says softly. He smiles out of sadness and he's gone before I know it. That damn hyper motility is a blessing and a curse.

I'm an idiot. I've waited to hear Henry say he feels the same way I do for so long and when I finally got the chance to tell him I feel the same, I just sat there like an idiot. I get up from the desk and gather up my things. I go to the elevator and go to the store floor. I see Ray at the cash register.

"Ray I'm -"

"No worries, go get him." Ray smiles at me and I nod then race to Henry's house.

"Charlotte !" I hear a voice call. I stop walking to see Jasper running up to me.

"Hey Jasp, what's up ?" I ask him. He stops running and breathes heavily.

"Ugh Henry, he told me that he likes you a really long time ago and I finally worked up courage to just tell you." Jasper says. I let him catch his breath and stand up straight.

"How long have you known this ?" I ask him trying not to give away too much.

"Uh since we were 7. He always talked about marrying you." Jasper says and shrugs nonchalantly. I hit his arm.

"Jasper !"
" OWWW !"

"Sorry but dude, why'd you wait so long ?" I ask him.

"I always thought he was joking. But then I saw some posts on insta about chenry being trash and I figured that was Bianca." Jasper says.

"She told me." I cut in.

"Yeah okay but did you know that she's got millions of people to agree with her. No one in school thinks you guys should date." Jasper says.

"Including you?" I ask timidly. Jasper sighs.

"That's why you waited so long to tell me, you didn't even want me to date Henry. Wow Jasper, you broke your best friend." I sneer at him. His face turns into one of confusion.

"What do you mean ?" He asks me.

"He just blew up on me at work and ran off. The problem is if I'd have known he felt that way earlier we could have been together and going strong by now!" I say getting mad at Jasper. He immediately starts smiling. Before I can ask what's up he turns around.

"See Henry, I told you, " Jasper turns back to me " I'll give you guys some space to work this out." Jasper says and disappears  while Henry appears.

Henry stands right in front of me. His eyes aren't glossy anymore but he looks drained. I touch his cheek and he clenches his jaw.

"Everything I said was not out of pity. I've always liked you. All those times you were asking for girl help I thought it was finally my chance but then it was all for Bianca. I cried every night the whole first week of you two dating." I admit. He grabs my hand and takes it off his face. He interlocks our hands, our fingers and starts to walk with me.

"At first it was me asking for advice about you, then one night you made me promise we wouldn't do anything like that." He says. I shake my head and stop walking.

"You know, I don't remember ever saying that." I say trying to recall it.

"I do, I've never stopped thinking about it." He says.

"How long ago was this ?" I ask him.

"About 3 months ago." He replies. My face drops.

"Henry, I didn't tell you that. There was no way I told you that." I say bluntly.

"How do you know ?" He asks me.

"Because remember I went on a cruise and my sister had stolen my phone so I spent the rest of the month recovering it?" I ask him, trying to make him remember.

"So how did we talk that month ?" He asks confused.

"I came over to your house everyday and called from the house phone." I say plainly.

"So then someone else told me that because I definitely remember seeing your name on my phone, your picture popped up and it was almost your voice." He says. It's my turn to be confused.

"Almost my voice ?" I ask.

"It was a few octaves higher than normal but I figured I was just tired so everything was really loud." He shrugs. I hit his arm.

"Henry!"

"Ha, that didnt even hurt."

I roll my eyes at his ridiculousness. Who told Henry not to date me ? That's another person who thinks I shouldn't date him! Why is everyone wedging their opinion into our lives ? I groan and Henry kisses my forehead.

"Hey, it's okay. Fuck whoever it was okay. I'm here and you're here. Let's go to my house and relax. We can talk about today and see where to go from here. I'll make dinner so you can't say no." He says making me smile.

"Alright, it feels good to be going back home." I tell him and he nods in agreement.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Chloe, do you really think Henry and Charlotte would make a good couple ?" Bianca asks me.

"Bianca, get off my damn porch. They were your friends too so stop acting like a crybaby and go home." I scowl at her. She just sighs.

"But they shouldnt be together !" She yells exasperatedly. I roll my eyes.

"Girl, they've always belonged together, open your eyes. They've practically always been together, it's you who came in and prolonged them dating." I say, ready to close my door on her ass. Bianca just makes a hmph noise.

"Bye." I call after her and close my door. I return to my room upstairs to see my phone ringing. I answer it and plop on my bed.

"Hello ? This is Chloe." I answer.

"Did you tell your parents about us yet ?" Jasper asks me.

"I did not but I will." I reply sweetly.

"Good, do it now." He says and the doorbell rings.

"Jasper !" I yell into the phone but he hangs up.

"Chloe! The door!" My mom yells. I roll my eyes and go to my parent's room.

"Okay so I like this kid and I invited him over so you guys can meet him. We're not dating until we get your approval so please like him." I plead to my parents and they both just laugh.

"Go get the door. We'll see about him." My dad says and I nod. Then I race downstairs. I open the door and there is the amazing boy I've liked for a while now.

"Hey Chlo." Jasper says and he engulfs me in a hug.

"Ugh I hate you but I love that you're here." I say after we pull away.

"Come in, come in !" I say rushing him inside. I give him another hug and he kisses my forehead.

"No matter what, you and me ?" I ask him. He grabs my hand and kisses it.

"You and me." He confirms and we walk into the dining room.