Chapter 4
Jamalee opened the door and then quickly slammed it back in his face. Charlie pounded on the door for several minutes before she finally opened it back up to see Charlie pleading and practically sobbing.
They had a long talk before Charlie left an hour later. When he left, Jamalee waved goodbye, her hand showing off a gold ring. He went back home, taking the long way to think it all over.
He thought he had finally gotten Jody back, the love of his life was finally in his arms to hold forever. Jody loved Charlie, and he knew that, but she always went back to Cooper. He could always fool her with his fake charm. He always broke her heart, be she was always there to go back. When would she ever learn?
Charlie pulled the picture of him and Jamalee from the photo album from his pocket and looked at it as he drove. When he pulled up in front of his apartment building he looked up at it and sighed. He took the picture and ripped it up. He threw it out his car window and sat in his car for 20 minutes thinking.
He turned his car back on and drove off again, angry at the whole world. He returned 40 minutes later and had thrown the gold ring out the gold ring out the window as he drove home.
Charlie sighed angrily and went back up to his apartment. There was a letter taped on the front of his door when he got there.
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Dear Charlie,
Why did you run off so fast? Was it because of Cooper? Don't worry. I live you, not him, only you. It's ok. He won't get in the way anymore.
Lots of love,
Jody =:^)
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Charlie sighed and shook his head. He had heard it all before. He walked inside and saw Jody standing there, waiting. She ran up and hugged him, while he just stood there, doing nothing.
Jody pulled back and looked at Charlie. She looked hurt and confused but Charlie just stared into space angrily.
"Charlie?" she asked.
"What happened to Cooper?"
"What?"
"Never mind." Charlie said blankly.
"Charlie, you don't have to worry about him. I mean, sure he called, he always does. But I told him to stop. And if he doesn't, I'll keep on telling him. I love you."
Charlie looked into Jody's pleading eyes. He just couldn't do it. Last time she had told him all this she had left him for Cooper, on their wedding day. She had left him for Cooper, pregnant with Cooper's baby. Sure, the pregnancy test had been wrong but still.
Jody could see the hurt and all the memories going through his eyes. "Charlie, I'm sorry! I know, it was so wrong! I thought I was going to die after the first 2 days without you! I was…. it was a mistake! I know, I know! Please?"
Charlie just looked at her, with tears forming in his eyes. He blinked and a tear rolled down his face. Jody lifted her and brushed it away. She leaned in to kiss him but he pulled away.
"Sorry." Charlie said, and then went into his room, locking the door.
Jody exploded and began sobbing into the small couch pillow. She pulled out her cell phone and dialed the number.
"Hello?" the voice answered.
"Hey it's Jody."
"Jody! Why are you crying?"
"Can I come over?" she asked.
"Sure, anything."
"Ok, I'll be over in about 20 minutes." She hung up and went to the car. When she reached the apartment she knocked on the door, still crying.
Erik opened the door and hugged her tightly.
"So, what happened?" Erik asked after they got settled inside.
"Charlie. He loves me. Cooper loves me too."
"Who do you love?"
"Charlie."
"Then what's the problem?"
"Well, you remember. I called of the wedding and left him."
"Well, at least it's not like you left him for Cooper, right?"
Jody bit her lower lip and looked down.
"Jody!" Erik screeched.
"I know, I know. But that's not the worst part." Jody said, beginning to cry again.
"Why? What else happened."
"I left Charlie for Cooper. I had to. I was……... pregnant."
Erik eyes got wider. "What? With Cooper?"
"Yes." Jody said, whipping her eyes.
"While you were engaged to Charlie?"
"Yes."
Erik starred at her speechless.
"The test was wrong, I wasn't going to have Cooper's baby." Jody explained, "But Charlie still got mad because I slept with him. I mean, I can't even really blame him."
Erik hugged her tightly for a while.
"What should I do?"
"I don't know. I'm not that good at advice, only dancing." Erik smiled.
I need…. I need…. A guy." Jody said, lost in thought.
"Huh?"
"I need a guy to be my boyfriend to make Charlie jealous."
"Number one: that guy won't be me. Number two: That plan won't work. Sure, Charlie will get jealous, remember how jealous he got with Cooper? But he's to Charlie-like to make you break up with anyone that you love. You know that better than anyone."
"I know." Jody said.
About two hours later Jody and Erik said their good-byes. Jody got into her rental car and waved to Erik as she drove off. She got drive-through dinner on the way because she hadn't had any. She parked the car in front of the apartment building and went up to the 2nd floor. When he reached Charlie's door there was a new note taped to the door.
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Dear Jody,
Welcome home. Where did you go? I missed you. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm so incredibly sorry.
I know you love me. But all I can think is, "How much?? Not that much, she slept with Cooper before we got married." Though, I know you love me a lot.
Jody, I love you. I love more than anything. Even after our non-wedding. I never stopped loving you even for a second.
When you didn't talk to me in 2 years, I thought you were happily married to Cooper with a beautiful baby that had all your wonderful features. Once, I even had a weird dream that you named the baby Charlie (it was a boy, so it didn't have all your wonderful features). Weird, huh?
I miss you like hell. Please come home soon. I'm waiting in side. Hurry up now, we have a lot to talk about.
Love,
Charlie
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Jody read the note twice before pushing the heavy wooden door open. She stepped inside and looked around. "Charlie?" she called when he wasn't there.
Charlie sprang from Jody's room and hugged her. He picked her up and spun her around until they became to dizzy.
"So," Jody said, "You forgive me?"
Charlie nodded slowly. "I know it's weird, considering the circumstances and all, but I love you to much not to. Just don't do it again, ok? Because I can't take you back again. It will hurt so much I probably really will die this time. Ok? But I still love you."
Jody smiled and they kissed passionately for a while.
Eventually they had to go to bed, so Jody crawled in bed next to Charlie and fell asleep in his arms. Charlie hugged her and fell asleep with a smile on his face.
When they woke up, Charlie went off to ABC for rehearsal and Jody came to watch with Jonathan.
When they got there Jody and Charlie went right to the rehearsal room. Jody greeted Jonathan and sat down in one of the chairs against the mirror wall. Charlie greeted him also, and then sat down next to Jody. He put his arm around her and watched the rehearsal, trying to decide who might be good in the new company ballet he would help choreograph the next fall.
Jamalee walked in after about an hour and took the only empty seat left, next to Charlie. Charlie made sure she noticed him leaning over and kissing Jody on the cheek. Jamalee turned away, pretending she wasn't at all hurt.
When the class was over, Charlie turned to Jamalee. "Uh, Jamalee, I want you to meet my girlfriend, Jody Sawyer."
Jamalee frowned. "The Jody Sawyer? The one who left you on your wedding day? The one who got pregnant with someone else's baby? The one who's a bitch? The one who's a total slut?"
Charlie stood up and stuck his face right into hers. "You shut up right now! She is not a bitch or a slut. I love her." He whispered angrily.
Jamalee glared angrily at Jody, who was close to tears, before turn to Charlie. "You ass-hole!" she yelled in his face, slapping him. Then she walked out of the large room.
Charlie stood there for a moment, his face burning, before sitting down to hug Jody. He glanced up at Jonathan and Juliette. They were looking at them with raised eyebrows. Charlie shot them a look that said, "Later!" and they quickly followed Jamalee out of the room.
Charlie hugged Jody for a while until she was okay. "I'm sorry." He said, "She was way out of line. When I told her what happened between us, I guess I was a little angry. But, Jody, I swear, I never ever called you a bitch or a slut. I'm sorry."
Jody smiled and nodded. "That's ok, it's not your fault anyway, it's mine. I make mistakes. Really bad ones, really often. But you always seem to forgive me, no matter how bad I screwed up. How come?"
Charlie looked directly into Jody's eyes and stated, "I love you."
Jody smiled and they kissed. They went out to lunch and then went home. There were 6 phone messages on the machine.
Charlie pushed play and listened as he and Jody kissed on the couch.
"Hello! You have reached Charlie Sims. If you are calling about ABC or ballet, please press 2 and leave a message. Thank you! Good-bye!"
"Charlie? It's Jamalee. I just left ABC and I'm in my car. Call me, ok? I miss you."
"Hey! It's me again. Uh, I guess you're out at lunch. I hope you're not with that slut. Call me."
"Charlie? It's Jonathan. Have you thought about the ballet steps any? Or who might be good in it? Well, we'll talk later. Be at ABC tomorrow at 7:30, ok? Bye."
"It's me again! Charlie? Pick up! Please! Pick up, pick up, pick up! Ok, I guess you're there. Well, call me."
"Call me, ok Charlie? I miss you. I love you. Are you there? Please be there! Oh well, call me, you know my number."
"CHARLIE!!! WE NEED TO TALK NOW!!!!! I know you love her and all, but I have BIG NEWS!!! You HAVE to call me! I'm really scared. Please? Charlie? Bye."
Charlie pulled back from Jody. "Maybe I should call her, she sounded really serious."
Jody bit her lip and nodded. Charlie always seemed to do the right, sweet thing.
Charlie got up and fixed his ruffled hair before picking up the phone. He dialed and then locked himself into his room.
Jody fixed her hair and straightened her shirt while she waited.
Charlie returned about 10 minutes later, in a daze. He went to go place the phone on the table, but missed and it landed on the floor. He sat down next to the phone and leaned against the wall.
"What?" Jody asked, concerned.
"She, she's pregnant." Charlie said after a moment.
Jody fell back onto the couch, nearly fainting. Neither of them said anything for a while. "Are you sure she wasn't just lying?" Jody eventually asked.
"I'm sure." Charlie said, banging his head on the wall several times.
After 10 minutes of silence, Charlie got up and stumbled to the bathroom. Jody could hear him throwing up his lunch.
Jody sighed painfully. She just could not believe it. Jamalee was pregnant with Charlie baby! Now she knew how Charlie must have felt when she left him for Cooper. Jody could hear herself groan as she thought about what Charlie would do. Would he leave Jody for Jamalee like Jody had Cooper 2 years ago? Would he stay with Jody? She just didn't know.
Charlie didn't know either. It had been such a shock, and then Charlie's mind was flooded with questions. Did he leave Jody for Jamalee? Did he stay with Jody? Was the test going to be wrong like Jody's? Was it going to be right? What did he do? He got so scared his stomach started doing flips and jumps.
When he finally decided what he was going to do, he emerged from the bathroom. Jody was sitting on the couch, lost in thought. When she realized Charlie was looking at her, she turned around, startled. She looked into his eyes, and all she could she was how much he loved her. "What are you going to do?" she asked cautiously.
Charlie gulped and began. "Well…………………."
