Detour, or a blizzard in a white winter forest

Chapter 6

Charlie was sitting at her desk that she had placed right in front of the window the moment she had moved in. She loved being able to watch the campus around her while she would study.

It was early spring, The trees on campus slowly showed their freshly green leaves. The window of her room was open, and she could feel and sense the first real spring day of the year. The air was still crisp, but there was something sweet in there too. She was playing with the pencil in her hand without even noticing. Her roommate had classes, so she had the room to herself. She found herself alone, at her desk, a couple of books open and her laptop in front of her. She should be studying. She really should.

But her thoughts went from her classes and the reading she still had to do to him and last Christmas.

She had clearly been exhausted from not getting a lot of sleep the last 24 hours. Most of those of hours she had spent very much awake and with him. She had fallen asleep on the couch, Miles snoring and Bass close, his fingers playing with a lock of hair and his hand close to her neck. When she woke up, the room was empty and there was a plaid on her and somebody had taken her boots of. She was warm and comfortable on the couch. Warm, comfortable and remembering the way his body had felt against her not too long ago. She closed her eyes again, and with that memory, she fell into a deep dreamless sleep.

It had been a Christmas to remember. The couple of days Bass spent at her house with Miles went by too fast.. They had shared some touches when they had been alone for a couple of moments, but Miles, or the rest of the family for that matter, was never far. They went to dinner, went to Miles' favourite place in the city and she really enjoyed herself. Her body had been screaming for him, but when she would lay awake at night, realising how close he was in the guestroom not far from her room, she felt a boundary to walk over to his room and sneak in with her family so close. She just couldn't .

The morning where he would go home arrived. She found herself alone with him in the modest guestroom. He was packing his stuff. Bass threw his bag over his shoulder in a casual way until he had seen her, leaning in to the doorway. He walked over and let the bag fall next to him on the floor. They did not talk. His mouth had found her lips and he pulled her in for a long deep kiss, when Charlie felt against her thigh how much he wanted her there. He cupped her face in his large hands and she had put her arms around him, her hands resting on his back when they both got lost in that kiss. It had been their last. It had been Miles' voice at the bottom of the stairs that had stopped the kiss before either of them wanted to, a protesting grunt escaping from Bass.

When Bass got in his car, a final wide grin reached her. When she watched drive away and turn the corner, she realised she did not have his number. And he did not have hers.

She felt a shiver going through her, the afternoon light slowly fading, while she got up from her desk and grabbed a little vest from her bed. She let it glide over her shoulders and watched outside the window.

She had not seen or heard from Bass again since then.

A couple of months before

Bass was out having dinner with some old friends at that Italian place he really liked. Old friends who brought some very nice and very unattached woman. A couple of weeks ago, he had not even thought about not trying to get at least one of them home. Maybe two. But that was before. Although he enjoyed their company, his thoughts went back to her. To Charlie.

When they had gotten back from the cabin, it was so familiar but yet so damn new to be at the Matheson home again, now he saw Charlie in a complete different way. There had been no time do the things he desperately wanted to do to her body.

On their first night back, he had to settle with her scent close and his fingers running over the soft skin of her neck, a cheesy Christmas movie on. He had slowly watched her lose the battle against sleep, when her head finally rested against the back of the couch. He waited for Miles to finally get his ass upstairs, and made up some lame excuse of forgetting something downstairs. Miles had only grunted something when he was already asleep from the other bed in the guest room. He found Charlie on the couch, her head now against the side of the couch. Her face so damn beautiful, her red soft and eyelashes on her cheeks. He grabbed the plaid, got her out of her boots slowly and had made sure she was warm for the night. She had moved in her sleep, and had let out a content sigh. He brushed a lock of hair out of her face and let his thumb slowly go over her jaw line.

The rest of the days had been good fun, but it was torture to know she was asleep two doors away from him, even more so when he had seen her in a tight blue tank top that left some skin of her stomach exposed one early morning.

Christmas was three weeks behind him, and he could still see her standing on that porch next to Miles, looking stunning when he had to get in his car and make his way home. Her taste still on his lips. He had not spoken to her since that winter day. He honestly could not remember how many times he had grabbed his phone and put it back in the pocket of his jeans again. She was driving him slowly insane. Part of him really wished he could taste and feel her again, the other part started to realise that he really fucking liked her.

Smart, strong, kind, warm and stubborn as hell. Charlie Matheson. But she was also Mile's niece. Ben's and Rachel's kid. She was ready to talk this world by storm. She was half his age. He was forty fucking seven. He was not exactly the long term relationship kind of guy.

There had been somebody once, many years ago. He had loved her. But Miles had loved her too and had been with her at that same moment. Bass had made one giant hell of a mistake, a mistake that lead to him and her and him on the kitchen counter in her parent's home when Miles had been not around. They had been so young but the end result of that one moment with her, with Emma, had been a life changer. That life changer was now 25 years old and had just graduated. Connor.

He did love Emma, he was the first woman he ever loved, but it should have never happened. It had meant a serious dent to his friendship with Miles. And then there was another woman, Shelly. The second woman in his life he had loved. She had been beautiful and warm. She had been pregnant until that one shattering day when they both lost their unborn child. Bass had never been the same after that, and so was she. The dark pull of grieve had changed him and their relationship had not made it.

He was hesitant to move forward with Charlie. The way she had gotten under his skin was unexpected and now he did not know what to do. What if everything between Miles and him changed again? What if he royally fucked things up. Again? What if he hurt Charlie? He was good at flirting, charming, quick or not so quick but always casual sex. But a long term relationship had been never his thing, for a lot of reasons.

So he fought that one battle in his mind, of calling her and not calling her. Of wanting her and realising that maybe it was better for him, and for her, to stay away from her. Let that night in the cabin be what it was: amazing sex and hours with her good company. That whatever the hell happened in that cabin between them, should stay there. And that somehow they could go back to what they were before. Yeah, because that is so going to happen. Fuck.

When he went to dinner with Miles some weeks later, when spring was finally on its way, his brother told him something that ended that battle inside of him.

He tried to keep a straight face when Miles told him. It hit him like a punch in the gut and Miles did not even seem to notice. Bass ordered another drink when he tried not to feel the dark sting. And then he ordered another drink. Got so drunk that Miles had to drive him home for once, when it had always been the other way around.

Miles gave him a lift home and in his car he did grab his phone from his pocket, and started a message. Miles made a smartass remark about him and the ladies, while Bass tried to look relaxed. The message was not for Charlie.

Summer

Of course Miles was already there, when Charlie walked into the small restaurant down town. Miles was in town and that meant, a nice dinner with her uncle and a free meal. A win win situation Charlie thought to herself with a smile. She hugged Miles and soon the table was full with drinks and a two plates of warm food in a corner of the restaurant.

They caught up on both of their lives while Charlie enjoyed the steak in front of her.

'Bass asked about you a while ago when I saw him in the city.' Charlie did her best to look casual, but her heart started to pound in her chest at hearing his name. He had asked about her. . .her.

'He did?' she said, swallowing a piece of her steak, while she quickly grabbed her drink to have something to do.

'Yeah, I told him all about your college adventures.' Miles gave her a fast wink.

Charlie felt uncomfortable all of a sudden. She raised an eyebrow and hoped her voice sounded as light as she tried to keep it.

'My college adventures, Miles?'

'Yeah kid, you know, classes, late nights with the books, the parties, that guy.'

'Which guy?'

Miles took another gulp from the whiskey in front of him. Apparently Charlie was very talkative, but hey, she was a woman and they liked to talk. A lot.

'I don't know', Miles frowned, 'that guy that you met in that restaurant and was all over you.'

Charlie's mind was racing. She got a nagging feeling deep down in her stomach. The last time she and Miles went to diner, Alex, a guy from one of her classes had come over to say hi and had greeted her with a huge kiss on her cheek.

'You mean, Alex?'

'I guess,' Miles answered her.

'Miles, you know how I like guys?' she paused, shooting him a grin, 'well, so does he.'

The look on Miles' face was funny, but somehow, her grin faded fast. So it had been dear Uncle Miles that had not been able to keep his mouth shut to Bass. Now he probably thought she...no. She sighed with frustration. She really really loved Miles, but every now and then she felt like punching him. Hard. Sometimes she did.

Miles was looking at Charlie, feeling like he was missing out on something important. Maybe that third drink did not help with solving what the hell he was missing right now.

'So, how is Bass doing?' Miles looked at her when she asked that question. It had been Bass at another time and another restaurant who had causally asked about his niece.

'Good,' I think. You know him. Working hard and enjoying the ladies.'

Charlie felt numb all of a sudden, and she had trouble keeping a sharp feel of disappointment of her face.

'He is seeing anyone?'

Miles put his glass towards his lips. It was almost empty now.

'Charlie, you know the guy, he is seeing all of them.'

Charlie ate the rest of her plate in silence while Miles tried to talk her out of her dark Matheson mood that was all around her all of a sudden. He knew it when he saw it, because he kind of invented the whole thing. When desert arrived, she seemed more than her old self. But still, there as something on her face that should not be there. What the hell.

When Charlie said goodbye to Miles and walked into her dark dorm room she felt hurt. She was exhausted of not showing Miles how she truly felt. She could not go around it anymore. She felt stupid for it. So stupid. He was Bass, the Bass from her uncle's stories. Of course he was not waiting for her somewhere out there. Why would he? She was still in college. She was Mile's niece, half his age. She had driven herself crazy, after Christmas if she should try and get his number to call him, or message him. She had not been sure what to say, what to do. And now, he had moved on.

But still, the thought of Bass with other woman hurt her more then she had expected. That night , and many others to come, she did not sleep well.

November

Miles got just back from work, he owned a bar down town in a former hotel that he had turned into a good business. Somebody in some kind of TV show had once said that if you turn what you really like into work, you will never work a day in your life. Or something like that. Well, he loved his whiskey. And now, whiskey was his work.

He was done. Really really done. Done with a moping and pouting Bass. His brother had not been himself lately. First he had gone through woman like he had gone through his whiskey. But then, around summer, the well had seemed to dry up and it was like Bass lost all interest in them, even when woman flirted their wonderful asses off right in front of him. He did some flirting back of course, but that was it. That couldn't be good.

He was also done with his moody niece. Ever since that one dinner earlier this year, the topic Bass had been a no go. Normally she had enjoyed his stories about Bass and his woman, but somehow she did not think they were so funny anymore. Charlie avoiding the whole topic and not wanting to know anymore who Bass doing was not like her. That couldn't be good either.

It was late, he was enjoying his late night drink at home when he was slowly connecting some random dots. He groaned in pure agony when the realisation hit him.

The next day he grabbed his phone. It was Bass' voice on the other side of the line.

'Bass, we need to talk. Now.'

'Can I just sit on my ass for five minutes Miles, I just got home from work.' Bass sounded tired and frustrated on the other side of the line, his mouth clearly full with some kind of dinner.

'No,' was Miles' simple reply, 'Listen, there is some crap I need to discuss with you.'

December

Charlie looked outside the window. She was grabbing the last things she needed from her closet. Of course the bag was already too full, so she decided to use some force and smiled happily when the end result was a closed bag, ready to go. She looked around her room one more time, and still felt some disappointment when there was still no snow outside. It was cold, icy cold. But no snow. Maybe it was for the better, it only reminded her too much of last year around this time. When there had been plenty of snow and...No. She was not doing this again.

She had buried herself in work, an internship throughout summer to keep busy. A new year of classes as a wonderful distraction from piercing blue eyes, curls, that one hard chest and the best orgasm of her life. No. She got into her winter coat and switched the light off. With her bag over her shoulder she closed and locked her dorm room behind her.

She pushed the heavy doors open in front of her, and walked into clear winter air. Students were on their way to their last finals, before everybody could go home for the holidays. She was already done, so that meant home.

Miles had called her a couple of days ago. Said that he wanted to be a good Uncle for her and that she had to check her mail. She had found an envelope with a train ticket home in it, for a couple of days later. She had smiled at the sweet gesture.

She knew she had too hurry, because she was late and the train station was a quite some blocks away.

She disappeared a little but further into the warmth of her coat when she started to walk. She was not really paying attention at her surroundings, and daydreaming a little bit when her eyes somehow spotted something familiar that made her heartbeat go faster. She stopped.

At the other side of the square before her building was Sebastian Monroe, leaning into his car. Black leather jacket, jeans, boots, scruff. All of him.

When Bass saw her, he swore she was even more beautiful than last year. She was still all fucking gorgeous curves, blonde hair and blue eyes. He saw the surprise in her eyes, followed by a frown on her face. And then, when he was starting to doubt if this had been a good idea, she had smiled at him. He realised he missed her.

When Charlie walked over he had this small grin on his face. Hands in his pockets, his eyes on her and only her. She stopped right in front of him. He did not move. Neither did she.

'Hey,' she said, when she stood in front of him. Where did he find that leather jacket? It just screamed Bass. She loved it, and him in it from that exact moment.

'Hey,' he answered, a bit hoarser than he had wanted to sound. Stop looking at her lips.

'You are going somewhere?' he looked at her bag around her shoulder.

'I was on my way to the train station.' She said, meeting his eyes head on.

' Yeah, I know. Miles told me.'

'Miles? Wait..what?' Charlie said, placing one hand on her hip, 'want to tell me what is going on?'

'You are very demanding, Charlie.' The tone of his low words, awoke something inside of Charlie that she thought she had left behind months ago, 'If you get in that car, I will explain all of it.'

Charlie hesitated for a moment. God, he sounded so sure of himself. Basterd. But Bass was here. Miles was somehow up to speed. Things were not really making sense. But then he smiled that really stupid smile of his, the one that made the word 'no' not an option anymore.

He offered to help her with her bag again, she said no.

She offered to drive the first shift again, he said no.

She was about to walk to the other side of the car when Bass stopped her.

'Come here,' his tone so low she could barely hear him.

She turned her head towards him, and before she could do or say anything, he leaned in to press his lips slowly against her. One of his hands landed on the side of her neck, his fingers around her cheek with a light pressure to tilt her head his way. The kiss was slow and before she could pull him in closer, the leather of his jacket only brushing against her hands, he had moved away from her, the little lines close to his eyes grinning together with his eyes at her.

He opened the door for her, and she rolled her eyes at him with a sigh before she got in. She kind of loved it, but she was not ready to show him that.

She got in the car next to him, and they both looked at each other for a moment while Bass started the car.

'You better start explaining why Miles send me that train ticket then, plenty of time before we get home,' She told him, one eyebrow raised at him.

'I am not taking you home, Charlie. Not yet. We are taking some kind of detour first.'

Where will this detour take them? And what did Miles tell Bass? What will happen next? Will that one review be right, and will we see that purple lingerie again that Bass noticed while Charlie went through her bag, before they had to leave Bass' car behind at the beginning of the story? It will all be in the next chapter!

When Charlie and Bass said goodbye after those wonderful days at Christmas, they both felt more, but misunderstanding and doubt kept them apart. When Bass found out that Charlie had another guy in her life, (a giant misunderstanding, thank you Miles), jealousy was not far behind. And well, we all know from that one episode what happens when Bass gets jealous. He doesn't handle it very well. But..they found each other and yes, of course, it was Miles, grumpy but understanding, that gave them both that little nudge that they needed. More in next chapter, thanks for reading! This story will be finished the next week and then I will go back to Words of Betrayal. I first wanted to close this story in this universe, but then we will go back to that story! Love from Love