The fight to get back to you. (Book 3)

Chapter 4

My family were ecstatic that I was back home early. When the military jeep pulled up outside my home, I could see my mum spying out the window to see what it could be about and when she saw me she ran out the house as quick as her little legs would carry her.

My dad followed her bellowing and when he spotted me he smiled and joined her in a group hug. My baby brother had moved into his own apartment with Domingo and Theo was off with Alfie somewhere so they babied me for hours until my mum suddenly demanded we have yet another party for my homecoming.

I groaned and my dad gave me a sympathetic yet warning look, she was happy and she just wanted to celebrate that I was alive and well. I may look well physically but mentally I was still exhausted and I just wanted to lock myself in my room for at least a week and sleep.

It was impossible on both counts though because first of all I knew there was absolutely no chance of me escaping this and secondly I haven’t slept properly in weeks. It would be nice to see everyone and get the hello’s out of the way then maybe I would be able to disappear after an hour or two.

When everyone had arrived that evening I was stood in the kitchen with a beer when Domingo came in. He asked to talk to me and told me I had to keep it a secret, a moment later Lucas followed him and told Dom that Charlie was suitably distracted.

I frowned and wondered what it could be about, I never expected what came next and when Domingo asked if he should propose to my baby brother I was thrilled. Charlie deserved this love, he was the nicest person I had ever been in contact with and he always put everyone else first. It was about time something good happened for him although I couldn’t deny the fact that he would be impossible when he found out.

We tried to come up with ways for Dom to ask but Charlie came in and I left the kitchen with Lucas close behind me. I went up to my room expecting him to follow me up so we could talk but when I looked back he was walking into the living room.

I was a little surprised by that in all honesty, I had expected him to run straight to me when he saw me after all I did promise we could try once I was home. Then I remembered how I had treat him and how I had constantly told him to move on with his life, maybe he had finally listened and this was now just awkward for him?

I shouldn’t have expected anything from him and I was selfish to think that he would wait around six months for me. I slammed my bedroom door shut and when people came looking for me I pretended to be asleep so that I didn’t have to face them. He never came to my room not even to say goodbye so I wondered if he had stayed the night. So at midnight I snuck downstairs for a drink and checked Charlie’s old room on the way to make sure.

He wasn’t there and my heart sank, I poured myself a stiff drink from my dad’s cupboard and leaned against the sink to neck it in one go.

“He went home soon after you disappeared.”

“Why are you still here, don’t you have a nice new flat to be christening?”

“Oh we have already done that several times.” Charlie laughed quietly.

I stood quiet but smiling at him as he grabbed a tumbler and dad’s bottle and took a seat at the kitchen island, gesturing for me to do the same. I placed my glass in front of him and he poured a couple for us as I took a seat beside him.

“He didn’t move on Elliot, he just became even more numb.” Charlie said solemnly. “He loves you a lot and he hasn’t been the same since you admitted it to him and now that I know what it’s about I seriously feel this has got to stop. He won’t tell anyone else the truth and his mother is so worried about him, I think she thinks its drug and that he has joined some drug cartel or something and I can’t tell her the truth because he forbade me to. But you’re back now, you want him now right?”

“It wasn’t a case of not wanting him Charlie, I always wanted him.” I bit slightly.

“Well then why didn’t you say anything tonight?”

“He didn’t follow me to my room, he always follows me to my room. I assumed he had moved on and left me behind.”

“So you have been moping up there ever since?”

“Yes I guess so.”

“Well it’s time to stop. The pair of you aren’t even together and you have been through so much, you give everything to others now it’s time to think of yourself. I know you kiss that photo you have of us all…Oh yes don’t look at me like that I was a teenager I went through your pack when I was curious and I found the photo and Lucas’ face was faded. You love him and it’s time to show it before its too late Elliot.”

“When did you get so grown up?”

“When I got my big boy pad all to myself…and Dom of course.”

He laughed, stuck his tongue out and downed his drink. Then he smiled and patted me on the back before retreating back upstairs. He was right I was home now and I’ll be damned if I have waited this long to hold Lucas and then let him slip through my fingers.

I couldn’t wait, I was still fully dressed from the party having pretended to just fall asleep so there was no excuse I needed to see him now. I grabbed my jacket from the stairs and ran all the way to Lucas’ apartment and the whole time I was just praying he still lived with his mum otherwise I would have one pissed off Fausta on my hands.

When I arrived I knocked gently on the door it took about fifteen minutes of gentle knocking before the door swung open to reveal a tired looking Fausta. I apologised to her and asked if I could speak to Lucas, she looked confused at first but then told me he wasn’t there, that he was sleeping over at someone else’s house tonight a girl named Vanessa.

I apologised again then walked away dejectedly. That name seemed familiar and hadn’t Charlie said he hadn’t moved on, maybe he just hadn’t told anyone. Feeling slightly broken, I made my way back home and to bed trying my best to push him out of my mind. I couldn’t keep him there anymore because he didn’t belong there, he wasn’t mine to keep and that hurt like a bitch.