Perfectly Damaged

I hear rather than see the front door open. Leaning forward, I crane my neck and eye the double doors. Both Je

Charlie’s small figure struts up before me. I have to look down to meet her eyes, as if I’m staring at a ten-year-old. With her arms crossed, she sizes me up, scrutinizing. Then she whips her head back to glare at me. “You better be good to my girl, or I’ll be making a few calls and you’ll have a Lorena Bobbitt case on your hands.” She shoots up a brow. “Or should I say…in your pants.”

I wrinkle my brows. This chick is kidding, right?

“Oh my God, Charlie.” Je

“Um, sure.” I grab Je

“Your friend is very…” I trail off, trying to find the right words without offending Je

“Weird? Aggressive? Direct? Dramatic?” she finishes for me. “You can choose one, but I’m sure all of the above apply.”

“Yeah. Definitely all of the above.”

She laughs.

We reach my truck. I, being the awesome gentleman I prepared myself to be, open the door and help Je

Je

“Open it and find out.”

Hesitantly, she runs her fingers over it, right above the headline regarding Philly’s City budget cuts. Licking her lips, she swipes a finger under a flap, beneath the clear Scotch tape, peeling off the rest of the paper and revealing the album. I take in the charm bracelet resting on her right wrist. She got it back. Yesterday she seemed pissed the hell off with the news regarding her mother having the bracelet this entire time.

I want to ask about it, but then I remember how Je

Je

Shit.

She’s going to kiss me. I can feel it. I can sense it. I calm my breathing, waiting, hoping for her lips to touch my…

Cheek.

Yeah.

Je

Talk, dickhead.

“Oh, no problem.” I breathe out, bringing my arm up to hang over the steering wheel, hoping it makes me seem smooth.

Moron.

Je

“I hope you’re hungry because I’m taking you to the best mom and pop shop in Philly.”

She looks up at me and smiles again. That smile alone is going to drive me insane tonight.

Pattie’s is definitely not an upscale, fine restaurant, but if you want a good home cooked style meal, it’s definitely the best spot in town. Besides, it’s also close by the next place I want to take Je

I help Je

Je

And then it starts to makes sense. The day I saw Je

Je

We’re settling back into my truck, and I turn the ignition on. I don’t pull away, though. If she feels this uncomfortable here, there’s no way she’ll like the next place. “I was going to take you to this small indie art show, but I think I purchased the last two tickets, which means there’ll probably be a lot of people there.”

“Oh.” Je

“Yeah.”

“I’m sorry, Logan. It’s just…I have anxiety around large crowds,” she whispers, bringing her head down, embarrassed.

“I figured.”

“I know it’s weird. I’m sorry.”

I chuckle softly. “It’s not weird, Je

She laughs. Good. “You’re so not a badass. You may look it, but you’re more of the good guy hiding behind the bad boy image.”

“Dammit. And here I thought I had everyone fooled. I need to work harder on this image thing.” I scratch the back of my head, trying to figure out what to do for the rest of the night. “I know this twenty-four hour diner that serves the best potato pancakes you’ll ever have in your life. It’s near my apartment. It’s usually crowded for breakfast or at like two or four in the morning, when drunk asses crave munches. But around this time, it’s usually dead. Wa