Chapter 223: Reid
Charlie’s tucked into the corner of our couch with a mug of tea, ankles crossed, hair up like she means business. She gives us the rundown—what Finn and Liam broke (nothing), what they almost broke (one oven mitt’s dignity), what invoices came in, what permits pinged. We trade back our own briefing: contract signed, funding lines green, patrol grid split, paper and presser on the horizon.
Her face lights. “That’s huge.” She sips, pleased. I tell her we already passed her info to admin at the institute. She arches a brow. “Admin girl cute?”
Jake snorts. I play along. “By your standards? Yeah. Exactly your type.”
Charlie smirks. “Thought so.” Then she levels the mug at us. “But that’s not why you asked me over. So. What’s up.”
Jake and I look at each other, then drop onto the opposite couch like we’re syncing a dive. “Ohhh, serious,” she says, delighted. “Hit me.”
Jake blurts it. “We’re dating Madeline.”
Silence. She turns to him. “You’re dating Madeline?” She cuts a look at me. “No offense, but I thought Reid was the one madly in love with her.”
That lands harder than she meant it to. I see Jake flinch, just a flick, and it irritates me on his behalf.
“You’re not hearing us,” I say. “We’re dating Madeline.”
She blinks. “Both of you?”
We nod.
She processes for a beat, then grins, wicked. “I knew the girl had a kinky side.”
We bark a laugh despite ourselves.
“What do you think?” Jake asks, more careful than usual.
Charlie shrugs, honest. “It’ll be hard to explain to some people. But I love Madeline, and I know you idiots will take good care of her, so I’m glad it’s you. It might get messy eventually, so I hope you know what you’re doing.” Another sip, then a grin. “Also, you’re lucky. She’s the total package and I’m jealous.”
That gets us again. She’s not wrong; Madeline’s also Charlie’s type on paper—soft where Charlie usually goes sharp—but the overlap’s there.
“How long?” she asks.
“Right before we left for the institute,” I say. “But you weren’t wrong. I’ve been into her for a while.” I tip my head at Jake. “Him too.”
Charlie nods like she’s been holding that card. “Madeline too.”
We both blink. “What do you mean?”
“She’s been flustered and drooling over you for weeks,” Charlie says cheerfully. “I just couldn’t tell if it was because you’re hot—yes, I know you’re my cousins, but let’s be adult for five seconds—or because she actually liked you.” She wiggles her fingers, giggling. “What an interesting development. The town is going to judge you so much.”
We grunt in stereo, because… true. We don’t give a shit, but it’ll be a thing. We just hope more people land where Charlie did.
She sets her mug down and pops up. “If you’ll excuse me, I’m going to go tease her and ask for details.”
“Don’t tell Finn or Liam yet,” Jake says, half a groan, half a laugh.
She pats his shoulder like a saint. “My lips are sealed—until you unseal them. Then I want timelines, positions, and power dynamics.”
“Out,” I tell her, pointing at the door.
She winks on the way past. “Proud of you idiots,” she says, and disappears into the night like a grenade we willingly pulled the pin on.
After the door shuts behind Charlie, we both sink back into the couch and just… breathe. It feels good to have it out. We always knew she’d handle it like Charlie—chill, a little feral, absolutely on our side. I’m glad Mads has someone who knows, someone who already knows her worries and the shit she’s carrying. We’re not with her tonight, but at least Charlie is orbiting close.
“I’m spent,” Jake says, rubbing a hand over his face. He heads upstairs without waiting for me to argue.
I nod, hit the shower, let the water beat at the knots I can’t name, and then push into my room. The bed looks the same and not at all—the last time I lay here, Madeline was on these sheets doing indecent things that should be illegal in three provinces, cheeks flushed, eyes wild. I groan into the quiet and reach for my phone.
awake?
She answers almost at once.
Yes. My brain is full of movie explosions so I’m trying to read and calm down before sleep.
I smile at the ceiling.
tell finn to diversify his movie choices
A beat, then:
He kept saying “stunts!!” before rolling around the house like an armadillo
I laugh because, yeah, that sounds like Finn alright. I'm glad she has friends to spend the evening with even if, yeah, deep down, I'm fucking torn that she's laughing with Finn, Finn who tried to kiss her, and not me. But they're her friends, they're good guys, so I push it aside.
miss you, I type.
Me too, she sends. Not as cozy and safe without you two.
I swallow around that.
I know, baby. working on it.
I love you, she writes.
I love you too.
Goodnight.
A moon and a heart pop up—🌙❤️.
I smirk at the glow, set the phone on my chest, and do my damned best to sleep without my girl next to me.