A/N: I can't even begin to explain you guys how much I wanted you know and find out about this because it was one of my little big secrets of the story hahaha so it's a relief for me now that you will know it but don't hate meeee. Next chapter is the last chapter of the second part!

Song: Magnolia wine - Charlene Kaye (kinda ironic haha /watch?v=xkn_sQl4XI4 )

XVIII. Magnolia Wine

A big long yawn came out from Charlene's mouth when she woke up. She stretched herself a little on the bed before standing up. She put some clothes on and prepared a little breakfast in the kitchen. She was still getting herself used to that place. Whenever she used to be there before, it was clandestine, quick and hidden, nobody could know; and even though it wasn't supposed to be like that at that point, she still felt like so in a way. She still felt like an impostor.

She put the food on a trail; but when she came back to bed to have a romantic breakfast in there, she found the bed empty. She left the trail over the bed and walked to the bathroom to check if he was there.

Obviously.

She found him bending over his knees on the toilet, throwing up like if their guts were literally sticking out. It was the third time in a row he woke up like that.

Charlene felt a pain on her chest. It hurt her to see him suffer like that. His convulsions finally stopped, and he walked to the lavatory to wash his face and teeth.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly. She knew he wasn't. But he didn't reply. He looked miserable; tired and sick. He had some terribly dark spots under his eyes and he never looked skinner. "You need to go to the doctor, Joe." She reproached him sweetly, but his reaction wasn't good.

"Could you shut the fuck up?" he yelled. He realized something really, really bad was indeed happening to him but he didn't want to accept it. He didn't want to look weak, he couldn't.

Charlene's phone rang on the bedside table. She ran to pick it up.

It was Lauren. Her words were confusing for Charlene, she had her mind somewhere else. She said something about how was she, (they had barely seen each other after the horrible incident of the day when she helped her), that they needed to hang out. Charlene answered that wasn't possible right then and hung up quickly. The pain on her chest was harder now.

"Was that Lauren?" Joe walked in the room and sat down on the bed. She did the same thing, but she didn't even want to touch that breakfast anymore.

She hesitated. "No, it was… somebody else." She lied.

"I know it was her." He replied, looking away. "I don't care." He said, but Charlene knew he was lying.

She knew Lauren had been very important in his life and they've been through a lot together; and even though (very deeply) he knew it was his fault, it still hurt him when she left. He didn't expect it and that left him devastated for months; he wasn't capable of doing things by himself, and Charlene had to stay with him and help him every day in his chores. They've been together before, even when he was with Lauren; but never meant anything to them. Until then. At first, it was a shared secret smile, when she was trying to teach him how to correctly do the laundry. Then, it was a shared secret kiss so they could fall asleep faster. And slowly, without realizing, they started to fall for each other.

"She was a bastard." Joe continued. When things mattered to him; he always tried to make they care less with nasty comments. It wouldn't eventually work. "She did what she pleased all the time."

"She's my friend." Charlene defended her. But she was starting to doubt it.

Yes, Lauren definitely cared about her and was her friend to help her as she did the other day. But everything she did was lying to her. She didn't tell her about she and Joe because she didn't find it appropriate. Besides, she'd have to tell her he cheated on her when they were together with who she thought was her only friend. What kind of friend does that? She stroked softly Joe's hair while he closed his eyes, trying to get some sleep again. He looked so tired. Charlene looked at him and she just knew it.

It was better not to talk about certain things.