Chapter Text
Charles Bingley was many things. A social butterfly, youngest CEO of his father’s banking firm, and lover of all things sweet. He was also too open with his heart.
So two days after picking out a ring and informing everyone he knew that he was about to propose to the love of his life, he finds her wrapped around another man in their apartment. And to add insult to injury, she’s the one who kicks him out.
“Charlie, you can’t just lay in bed all day. Again,” his best friend says, tossing a pillow at him.
“This isn’t a bed, it’s a couch,” he grumbles, digging himself further into his pillow, “And I’ve only been here a week.”
His fortress against the world is snatched away and sunlight hits his eyes.
“You’re a cruel woman,” Charles grumbles, looking up to meet his friend’s satisfied smile.
“You know no one would believe you if you said that, right?” Jane asks him, laughing, “Not even yourself.”
Charles has to smile at this. In all the time he’s spent in New York City, he’s never met anyone with such a sunny disposition and merry temper. Besides himself. It was a welcome change in the moody, fast-paced city.
“How long is he staying here?” another grumble came from a doorway.
“As long as he pleases, Lizzie,” Jane informed her.
Jane’s younger sister, Elizabeth, emerged from her room and started rummaging for her coffee. Charles gathered his bearings and joined them in the small kitchen. He found the coffee, set the kettle, and made Lizzie a hot cup.
A few sips later, she resembled a human and blinked at Charles.
“Good Morning,” she said pleasantly.
Whistling, Lizzie left for her room and shut the door behind her.
“She’s a handful,” Charles joked, brewing a cup of tea for Jane.
“She is, but we have four hands between us.”
Charles laughs, the first one in the past few days, and feels his chest ache just a little less. Jane has a pleased smile on her face and she takes her tea.
“I need to shower before I go to open the store. You can shower after,” Jane told him.
“What would I do without you?” Charles sighed.
“Cry on the streets,” Jane jokes, though there’s a hint of worry behind this.
Charles can’t bring himself to smile and turns to the counter. He grabs a dishrag and sets himself to cleaning off the countertops. Once he hears Jane’s door close, he lets tears roll down his face.
Honestly he isn’t sure what he would do if Jane wasn’t there. Probably aimlessly wander the streets and then sleep in his office. Even though he owned the apartment he and his ex lived in, it was painful to go back there. His ex had packed all of her things that night and left. But her memory lingered everywhere.
Charles sets himself to be useful and makes eggs and toast for all of them. Lizzie is the first one out and she grins when he hands her a plate.
“Thank you Briggs,” she jests.
“I’m not your butler.”
“But you could be.”
“I don’t think there’s a man in this world ready to wait on you hand and foot,” Charles teases her.
“Having high standards isn’t a crime,” Lizzie sniffs.
She takes a final bite of her toast before grabbing her satchel and a travel coffee mug.
“I’ll see you two tonight,” Lizzie says as she rushes out the door.
“We’ll be going to my grandparent’s,” Charles reminds her.
“I can imagine it now, a roast pheasant that none of us will touch.”
Charles rolls his eyes. Her high energy and running mouth were strong assets inside a questioning room. Which is exactly where she was headed. She was on the rise in the investigative sector of the FBI branch in NYC. Charles was extremely proud of her.
“It wasn’t that long ago that she was just a scrappy college student,” Jane softly says, sitting across from him.
There’s a mist in her eyes and his heart warms for two of his closest friends.
“You should get to the store. And if you promise to keep a chocolate cupcake aside for me, I will be thrilled to pay you a visit during my lunch,” Charles quips.
He bats his lashes and puts on a pout.
“They are my best selling flavor,” Jane ponders, teasing him a little.
“Please, I was just dumped cruelly,” Charles pouts.
Jane’s lips twitch in amusement and so do Charles. It isn’t a moment later before they’re howling with laughter. It takes a few minutes before they’re set right again. Jane gives Charles a hug before heading for the door. Charles heads into Jane’s room to take a shower before he has to step back into his role as CEO.