Charlie |Complete|

Chapter 5 - Family ties

Charlies' POV:

I arrive home shortly after six to find everyone sitting around the dinner table. "Sorry I'm late." I make my way over the table.

"Tyler came around earlier." Lane mumbles with a mouth full of food. "He wanted to know why you haven't been returning his calls."

"Tyler and I aren't together anymore and I blocked his number so I haven't been getting any of his calls." I sigh "Sorry if this makes things awkward for you dad." I look towards my father.

"You and Tyler being together isn't part of my agreement with his father." He laughs "You have nothing to be sorry about, I'm just sorry it didn't work out."

"I'm not." Shay speaks up happily. "I'm glad they're not together anymore." She shoots me a why haven't you told them look.

"So, I employed Zayd today." Mom breaks the awkward looks between myself and Shay. "And you won't believe it." She turns to my father "He is Frankie's son."

"It's an unusual name, I'm not surprised really." My father shrugs "What's he doing back in town? Is Frankie back as well?"

"I don't know, we didn't have much of a chance to talk, but now that he's working for us, I'm sure I'll have plenty of time to ask." She shrugs.

"How did you and Zayd meet again?" My dad turns his attention to me.

"Uh, we um, we-" I stumble over my words. Why do I have to be such a bad liar?

"I know Zayd." Shay lies and everyone looks at her. "I met him at a club once, and we kept in touch." She shrugs "I introduced them."

"Right." Dad nods not believing a word she says.

♥

After dinner I make my way upstairs, shower and get in my pajamas. Seeing as it's the first night of holidays lots of my friends are out at parties, but I'd really rather just spend my night in bed reading, that way I avoid running into Tyler.

I'm going to have to get my story straight if I'm going to turn myself into a liar. I know that I need to my parents, but I just can't, I don't want them to think I'm weak.

"You have to tell them." Shay appears at my door.

"I know." I sigh and sit up looking at her. "I just, I don't know how." I admit.

"Charlie you have nothing to feel embarrassed or ashamed about, he is the one who was putting his hands on you, not the other way around." She walks into the room and sits down on my bed next to me. "They'll understand, and I know you hate lying."

"Yeah." I sigh "Thanks for covering for me." I give her a soft smile.

"You better be thankful, I've had Lane in there giving me twenty one questions about this guy I've never even met for the last twenty minutes." She laughs.

"Sorry." I laugh

Buzzzz, Buzzzz, Buzzzz

"Speak of the devil." I smile down at my phone.

"Ooooh Is it Zayd?" She raises her brows with a smirk.

"Yes, it's Zayd, now get out." I laugh shyly and answer my phone. "Hey Zay."

"Hey princess, I was just calling to see how you got on telling your parents."

"About that." I sigh into the phone. "I haven't told them."

"Still? Okay I guess you'll tell them when you feel ready, I'll drop it."

"No, it's fine. I think it's really sweet that you care, I'm just scared that's all."