Waking up wasn't a pleasant feeling. I really wasn't well rested, and grimaced slightly as I looked out of Luca's balcony door.
"Feeling okay?" Luca's voice asked suddenly making me jump, and I turned to see him looking down at me as he rested his head on his hand and elbow.
"How long have you been awake for?" I asked as he stroked my hair gently.
"24 hours?" He said and I sighed at him.
"You didn't even sleep for an hour?"
"Sleeping is a waste of time." He replied and I chuckled.
"Tell that to yourself later." I commented and he smiled at me. He then sighed and dropped his hand from my hair to stroke my arm gently. I felt myself shiver slightly when he kissed my shoulder and then lowered his head, making me feel his lashes against my back.
He then sighed again and I frowned. "Something is bothering you." I concluded and he looked up.
"Of course, isn't it bothering you?" he replied and I frowned.
Oh, is he worried about today?
"...What time is it?" I asked as I looked out of the glass at the gloomy overcast day.
"Nine something..."
"What? I need to be up already!" I worried and sat up making him groan in compliant.
"Five more minutes." He huffed as he gripped onto my arm with his eyes tightly closed in resistance.
"Seriously Luca you should be up by now too what are you doing?"
He sighed and opened his eyes, staring gloomily out of the window before sitting up.
"I need you to get my clothes or something." I said as I stood from the bed, trying not to feel awkward about being naked.
"I got them a few hours ago... on the drawers." He said while rubbing his eye tiredly and pointing in the direction of one of his cabinets. "Wear them and then go shower in your room quickly I guess."
"Oh, thanks." I quickly walked over to them and got changed, while Luca still sat sleepily on the bed. "I can see you're regretting staying up already." I pointed out as I did up my jean buckles before edging towards the door.
"Wait." Was all that he said and I paused, watching him curiously as he stood up and walked over to me.
"Uh, okay..." I commented awkwardly when he hugged me in his boxers. "Are you alright?" I asked after a few moments, and he just hugged me tighter. He took in a deep breath before sighing, relaxing against me. "Luca..." I said quietly after several moments of silence.
He kissed me on the temple before backing away slightly, having his hands resting on my shoulders. "See you later..." He said, smiling and stroking the side of my face gently.
I raised a brow at him. "Okay?" I was a bit confused at his behaviour but still turned around and left the room quickly. I made my way back to my room, trying to avoid people just for the sake of it, didn't want to risk causing any misunderstandings...well...conflict.
When I reached the door to my room however, Aaron was waiting there, crossing his arms and leaning against the windowsill. "Morning?" I questioned, slowing down as I walked closer. He just raised a brow at me, before quickly giving me a forced smile.
"Morning, are you feeling okay today?" He asked, fully transforming his slightly ticked off aura into a relaxed one.
How long as he been there...
"Uh...yeah." I answered awkwardly, side stepping into my room slightly.
"Okay, ready to go yet?"
"Um, I really need a shower." I explained and he turned his head away from me for a few moments.
"Ok...better be quick then!" He eventually replied, turning back to me with a smile.
Uh oh...He totally knows something. He must know I wasn't in my room in the morning...or maybe even all night...
"Um...yeah." I said quietly before turning around and walking towards my en-suite. I glanced back to see him still watching after me and he tilted his head, raising his brows.
"What's up?"
"Nothing..." I answered, and turned back, making a face to myself as I closed the bathroom door.
-
After I showered I dressed into simple black jeans, a top and a loose grey hoodie with converses. I don't think what clothes I'm wearing is going to be on my mind today, I'd rather be comfortable.
I sighed as I sat on the edge of my bed. I wonder how I'll be feeling at the end of today...
Most likely, really fucking depressed and worried.
Several minutes later I decided I had kept people waiting long enough, and quickly made my way down the stairs.
Of course at the bottom of the stairs Charlie and fucking Matias had to be there, and Matias did the usual thing of staring at me silently rather than saying hello or anything. Not like I wouldn't retch if he spoke to me anyway.
"Riley." Charlie greeted me in that posh way and tilted his head when he finally noticed me.
Yeah I'm not doing that back.
I just gave a hardly noticeable smile and took a step backwards, as they were in the way of the door to the main sitting room.
Um...I guess I'll go...hang out in the kitchen or something...
"What's wrong? We won't bite." Charlie commented when he noticed me edging away and Matias smirked.
I was about to glare at him but my view was suddenly blocked by someone's back. Aaron had appeared out of nowhere and stepped slightly in front of me, crossing his arms stiffly.
"We need to get going." He explained, looking back at me and smiling. I gave a small smile back and followed him when he started walking towards the kitchen.
Phew...
I don't why he always seems to be where I am, but sometimes I really do appreciate it.
"Are you ready for today?" He asked me, looking really worried and I tried to smile confidently.
"As I'll ever be, it'll be fine." I made my best attempt of reassuring him and he nodded.
"It will be fine, which ever outcome, I'll make sure you're okay. I mean, we, will make sure you're okay." He smiled and chuckled slightly and I gave him a genuine smile in reply.
"Thank you, that makes me feel a lot better." I said as Chance and Chester both walked out of the kitchen.
"Come on we need to go already." Chance huffed, seeming stressed and I bit my lip.
"Sorry."
-
I kept on feeling slightly sick as we drove there, and having to deny Aaron giving me these weird fancy nature bars as breakfast every few minutes really wasn't helping. The thought of eating anything at the moment made me want to retch, but Aaron seemed really concerned I hadn't eaten anything.
"You don't look so good Riley, you should really eat something." He persisted again after I glared at him when he slowly edged the bar towards me and I rolled my eyes.
"I'm just tired." I explained again for the eighteenth time. Everyone else had already left half an hour before us, so it was just me and Aaron in the back seat. Which was starting to get annoying because he was acting like the worry wart fussy mother I never had.
"Aaron could you shut up for like five minutes." Chester grumbled just as Aaron opened his mouth to speak and he narrowed his eyes at him.
"Okay, fine." He sat back and crossed his arms, only to start nudging the bar towards me again across the seat a few minutes later, making me chuckle.
"I feel sick, I'm not going to eat anything, that would be a bad idea." I made the error of trying to permanently shut him up and he gave me a concerned look.
"You feel sick? Why? What happened, are you ill? Motion sick?"
Ugh.
"STOP. Leave the worrying to Luca please it suits his personality better." I complained and he sighed.
"Right."
He then started silently brooding, crossing his arms and glaring out of the window.
...Great.
"I didn't mean to offend you or anything...it's just worrying too much is really annoying...If I'm feeling too bad I'll tell you."
"No, you wont. You always say 'I'm fine.'." He complained, making his voice really high pitched when he imitated me.
"Um, excuse me, that is not how my voice sounds." I grumbled and Chester snorted.
I kicked the back of his seat and he put his hands up in surrender as I started to notice Chance laughing quietly.
"You are all real mature." I rolled my eyes but couldn't help smiling in amusement. "It doesn't sound like that!" I had to add on after a few moments because it was bugging me.
"You're right, it doesn't." Aaron said seriously.
"It's a tiny bit lower." Chester commented and I gave him a look.
"You're really funny." I growled and crossed my arms.
"Sorry." Aaron apologised as both Chance and Chester laughed, and I rolled my eyes at the fact he seemed to think I was genuinely upset.
"Don't worry, I didn't take it seriously." I reassured him and Chester shook his head.
"Aaron was never one to understand either irony or sarcasm, it gets completely lost on him." He explained and Aaron tssked.
"Hey!"
"It's true." Chance added and Aaron crossed his arms, almost pouting.
I smiled at the fact they were seeming to be able to have sibling banter. I wish I grew up with a sibling, somebody that knew me, and that I knew back.
Siblings can fall out with each other but still silently know they would have each other's back. I'm really jealous of that relationship sometimes.
"I get sarcasm...sometimes..." Aaron defended himself, fidgeting insecurely and I chuckled.
"Don't worry, its cute when people are oblivious to it." I commented and Chester started laughing.
I kicked the back of his seat again. "Um, excuse you, I seem to recall sarcastic things I said to you that you still don't get even now." I commented and he frowned.
"Wait, what things?" He asked and Aaron chuckled quietly.
I just sat back in my seat and shrugged.
"What? Riley!"
"Enough, we're here." Chance interrupted any further conversation as he drove into the main parking lot.
"I think I'm going to throw up." I muttered to myself but somehow Aaron managed to hear and gave me an incredulous look.
"I'm not being serious, just feeling slightly off colour." I explained and he sighed.
"If you faint and hurt yourself..."
"What? I'm fine!" I huffed and got out of the car quickly.
"You're acting like I'm some Victorian damsel or something." I added in complaint as he closed his door and he smiled, raising a brow at me.
"Wait, you're not a Victorian damsel?? Damn, I thought the fact you were wearing jeans was a bit strange!" Chester teased and I scoffed at him, opening my mouth to fire some crude retort then stopped myself as I thought about how that would be a seriously bad idea in front of the others.
I just closed my mouth again and gave him a look, making him quirk his brow at me suggestively.
"Um, enough of that." Aaron commented as he walked away from us, and I bit my lip. How is he so oblivious when it comes to sarcasm, but able to catch that?
I felt myself become even more nervous as I walked up to the building, and stopped as I got to the steps.
"This is going to be fine, everything is okay...we're totally...going to win...this.." Chance tried to reassure me nervously and I chuckled.
"Don't bother, I'm not naïve, but I'll be fine." I said, my smile dropping quickly as I frowned at the building.
"What says it's going to go wrong?" Chester tried to smile and I gulped nervously.
"Everything." I replied before stepping forwards and quickly making my way up the steps and into the fancy old building.
The others were waiting down the hall next to the room the hearing would be in, and I approached them tentatively.
"Riley! Took you long enough, needed a lie in huh?" Hunter greeted as Alex purposefully turned away from me. Still trying to avoid me...
"Yeah I guess." I said, catching Luca's eyes for a second before looking away.
"We should get inside." Chance said and I took a shaky breath.
"About that, we've decided that the younger ones are waiting out here." Luca said, his voice serious and deep.
"Yeah, and WE decided that, since when were you the one to boss us around??" Alex complained and Nate nodded in agreement.
"Okay, you guys are staying out here." Aaron suddenly said, looking at them seriously and Alex's jaw dropped.
"...FINE. God." Nate complained and stormed over to a bench, sitting down on it grumpily.
"Don't worry, Zac will look after you all." Luca added and Zac's amused grin dropped.
"What??"
"Be mature, Zac."
He just glared at him and crossed his arms.
"Let's go." Chance persisted and I sighed as he brushed past me and opened the door to the room.
"You okay?" Luca asked me as everyone started moving in their assigned directions and the smile I tried to give him died before I even made it.
"I feel like the world is about to end actually." I said honestly, glancing at Aaron as he stood the other side of me.
"I can assure you that won't happen." Aaron said firmly, as Luca just stared at the ground.
"OK, I'm going to sit near the door, so I can run out when I need to puke." I said as I waited for the others to walk in before me.
"Shouldn't you have testified or whatever it was called?" Aaron wondered as we entered the busy room and I sighed.
"It's obvious it's not about what I think, this trial is purely a power struggle between my parents, wasting their money, and tax payers money. If I truly wanted I could just move out, you can when you're over sixteen here. It'll just make things harder...with the American visa and everything... I'm an immigrant after all." I made sure to explain most of what I knew, I didn't want him thinking I didn't do everything I could. There's enough anguish in this family at the moment already.
"You think your mother would at least be here then..." Chester suddenly growled from a seat behind us and I jumped.
"... She's probably given up, there's only so much you're willing to do for something you only kept around because you were salty." I sighed and he gave me a sad look.
"Don't look at me like that, I got over it years ago, she could have been a worse parent."
"What, abused you herself instead of letting others do it?" Aaron spat and I gave him a shocked look.
"Chill out hippie." Chester teased but I didn't think any of us were in the mood for jokes. Our side of the room was a little empty without the other bothers here, and Luca was sitting behind Chance who was at the lawyers desk.
The small lady looked nervous, unsure, I knew she didn't believe she could turn this around.
I started chewing on my lip and tapping my foot as the judge began talking about formalities. He seemed really fed up, well aware of the lack of legal importance this trial had.
"Mr Grenfield, I can see you're bursting to speak." The judge said dryly to the opposing lawyer and he quickly stood.
"Well, I want to wrap this up quickly. We found sufficient evidence of neglect in the subject's past, despite the abuser being unclear, it is enough to be sure the mother is an unfit parent, custody needs to change."
"Objection!" Our lawyer shouted and stood up, making me smirk slightly in amusement from that common line. The judge accepted her request and she straightened her tie with a determined expression, cute.
"That is not alone a reason for a parent to be unfit, if a child hides signs of neglect from their parents, due to shame or otherwise, you can't expect for the parent to have known! They aren't super human! Children keep abuse and even suicidal thoughts to themselves all of the time, to blame a parent of something like that is an insult."
"What about previous reasons I gave then Mrs Brookston, aren't those enough?" The man said stiffly, making her narrow her eyes at him.
Uh oh, it's getting tense in here.
"Exactly, there is a lot of reasons stacked against you, I don't see why I shouldn't hand over custody right now." The judge said making me sigh.
Kind of inevitable wasn't it.
"She had raised him for nearly eighteen years." She said, seeming angry.
"Barely." The other lawyer commented and the judge gave him a warning look.
"Where is she now then, when her son needs her most? Sunbathing in Hawaii was it?" The judge said, gathering papers up like he was getting ready to leave, and I started to taste blood from biting my lip so hard.
He was right though, no matter how much I wanted him to be wrong. No matter how much I wanted my mother to come bursting through the courtroom doors, arriving just in time and saving the day. Perhaps even making up for all the years she wasn't there. But that just isn't how it is, my mother isn't a mother, I'm just some of her baggage. I won't get to have a parent who loves me to save the day, but that's the price I have to pay for the family I was born into.
The little lawyer gulped, her cheeks slightly red, probably from embarrassment, she had just lost her case after all.
She then turned around, looking back to the lawyer's desk. But, she looked further than that, to Luca, despite me being unaware of them ever meeting.
Luca stared back, and then glanced to me, he looked scared almost, and then nodded at her.
"Your honour, I have one more case to put forward." She said, just managing to be heard over the excited chatter in the room that had erupted despite that being against the courtroom rules.
"...Go on." He said in boredom, probably irritated his day was going to be wasted more.
The lady looked at me before walking back over to the desk. I frowned as Chance watched her in confusion, he obviously had no idea what she was talking about.
"The main reason they put forward for changing custody, was because the mother was unaware of abuse that happened to her child in her care. But that is exactly what the other parent has let happen as well." She said, holding a familiar looking plastic sleeve in her hand.
Are...
You.
Fucking.
Kidding.
Me?
WHAT.
I sat up in my seat completely, looking at Luca who was staring intensely at the judge, ignoring my glare.
"He didn't." I growled and Aaron stiffened.
"Continue." He said, seeming intrigued.
"The father not only has no interest in raising his child, he allowed his own partner to-"
"STOP!! You're seriously not doing this right now." I interrupted her loudly and stood up. "Luca." I begged as Aaron grabbed my arm and stopped me from approaching them.
"Young man if you don't obey the rules of the court you will have to leave the room." The judge warned and I shot him an aggressive glare.
"Luca, please." I pleaded quietly, but he wouldn't look at me. I then turned to the lawyer. "Don't you dare." I warned her but she turned away from me.
"...He allowed his own partner to abuse and sexually assault his son in his own home, and if you don't believe me here is all the evidence you need to prove it." She shook the bag and I felt my blood run cold.
"Are you serious?! He's lying!" Matias stood up and complained.
"Mr Marston, I suggest you remain silent until you have hired a lawyer." She fired, raising her chin up at him.
"Are you fucking serious?!" I hissed, my breathing going off rhythm as my heart beated erratically in my chest.
"You don't need to be in here Riley...come on." Aaron persuaded quietly and tugged my arm slightly, making me glare at him for a moment before cursing and storming out of the room.
The door slammed against the marble wall as I quickly made my way further down the hall away from the others.
I reached a dead end hallway and just started pacing back and forth.
"What the fuck..." I said to myself, unable to comprehend what just happened.
"It'll be fine... it'll be okay... you can fix this..." I muttered, stopping and then kicking a chair next to me when I couldn't come up with any possible way I could.
I ran my hands through my hair roughly as I tried to control my breathing, freezing when the brothers who were sitting outside rounded the corner.
"What happened?" Caleb asked, frowning in worry.
I opened my mouth, but couldn't make myself say anything.
"Riley you need to calm down, you're going to pass out or something." Aaron warned as soon as he caught up, but I just shrugged him off harshly when he gently grabbed my arm.
I am feeling a bit light-headed, but that's because this scenario can't possibly be happening right now.
He couldn't have...he didn't...
He wouldn't...
I brushed past the others and started walking quickly towards the main doors.
I need some fresh air.
"Riley don't do anything stupid." Luca's voice stopped me in my tracks and I turned around to give him an incredulous expression.
"Anything stupid, huh? Like maybe, exposing someone to a room full of NEARLY EVERYONE THEY CARE ABOUT?? And risking the life of someone who relied on them to help them! And therefore defeating the whole reason for them GOING THROUGH THAT HELL IN THE FIRST FUCKING PLACE?!" I shouted, not giving a single shit about the people around us.
He just crossed his arms, not looking me in the eye but also not looking very guilty about it.
"You think you did the right thing, did you? That it's for the best? No, it's what you wanted and that's the only reason you did it. That's the only reason you lied to me and betrayed me, the only reason you actually went behind my back, even forged my signature?! Do you seriously think you're not mentally deranged?! To think you're doing the right thing, when you track my phone, search my room for items, take my passport, ruin my relationships with the only people I have left, tear my pride into pieces, and make me responsible for my friend, who's dying of cancer, getting in trouble with the police?!"
I started to feel a bit faint from the amount I was hyperventilating, but that was the last thing on my mind.
"You'll thank me for it one day." Was his response before he was sent stumbling back into Chester and Aaron behind him, and a splitting pain erupted from my fist.
"What the fuck Riley?!" Nate growled, and everyone rushed forwards getting between me and him and pushing me back harshly.
They all glared at me, reminding me of that sibling relationship they all shared, that strong bond that will nearly always make them take their family's side, and there was nothing I could do to change that.
"You think you're some righteous angel, but in reality you're just a selfish bloody twat like the rest of us." I spat before turning around and storming out of the doors.
"Riley!" Aaron called, and I glanced at him slightly to see him barging past the others and running up to me.
"Piss off." I growled, hitting his hand away and not even looking back at him before walking in no particular direction.
I just let my feet take me anywhere, not paying attention. I felt like I was wrong for being so angry, or punching him like that. But I was just so...betrayed. So humiliated. So lost.
What am I supposed to do now? What can I even do?!
What even happened in the court...I didn't find out the verdict.
Not like it matters anymore...
I stopped walking when I found myself in a familiar side street. I stared down into the shadowed alleyway, with bright billboards and fly posters littered all over the walls.
I automatically started walking towards it, trying to pin point how I recognised it.
Eventually, I reached a small little café, and it hit me. This was the café one of my nannys always used to take me to.
A family run hippie café, and I say that not just because they were vegan, and it always smelled of questionable herbs, but because I recalled the owner's never seemed to have escaped the 80's aesthetic.
That particular nanny was very spiritual, she was obsessed with peace, and harmony. To be honest, my father only hired her because he could trust her to only feed me items from my strict diet.
Peace and harmony sounds pretty appealling to me right now.
I entered the café, taking in the familiar atmosphere. The young waitress barely gave me a second glance, but the aged woman at the counter sat up slightly.
"Hello there..." She said, tilting her head. "Do I know you?" She questioned and I had to wait a moment to make sure I was fully composed before replying.
"Um, I guess I used to be a regular." I said, approaching the counter.
"How long ago was that?"
"Um...I was pretty young." I chuckled and she pointed the pen she was holding at me.
"Bonnie's boy! Oh no, you know, her child. Um.."
"Client?" I raised a brow and she scrunched her nose up.
"Oh don't say it like that, you two were close! What happened, got bored of here, why did you come back?" She narrowed her eyes at me and I smiled.
"I moved away, I'm only back for a visit." I explained and she blinked at me.
"Oh, sad. Bonnie's still a regular these days, visit her?"
"Oh, no...I didn't think that was appropriate, I'm glad she's okay though." I said, but the idea of it had me feeling excited.
I had even contemplated the idea of seeing any of the nannys I grew up with again, I mean they were just employees...
I should make sure I don't fall into that way of thinking though, I refuse to be as arrogant as my father.
"How's it been?" I smiled at her, the old memories warming my mood momentarily.
"Oh same old same old, Barry went off with some chick though." She said, making me blink at her. "...My husband...the guy who used to give you free cake?"
"Oh, right. I never knew his name... what's yours again?" I asked awkwardly and she pursed her lips.
"Marty, I guess you were a bit young back then...but you sure grew up fast, blimey." She commented, making me sigh.
"I kind of had to..." I muttered making her raise her brows.
"Kids like you always do. Have a seat, you can have a hot chocolate on the house... you don't look too good." She said and I watched her as she turned and walked into the kitchen.
Um, okay...
I sat down next to the window and stared at the run down wall on the other side of the alley. The rain was pattering down, and I recalled how I used to race raindrops down this very window when I was younger.
I sighed and closed my eyes, my heart aching painfully in yearning for the simple days, where my main worries were if my hot chocolate had enough sugar cubes in.
Wait...when did it start raining? Pathetic fallacy honestly...
How am I supposed to muster the courage to go back...there. I can't call it home...I don't have one.
"There were go sweety...R... something I recall." Marty placed the cup on the table and I smirked.
"Thank you. It's Riley, I don't think she ever called me that though, except maybe when I started begging really loudly for her to buy me more cake."
"You would have really bratty tantrums... probably the only reason I remember you." She smiled and I watched her leave again with a raised brow.
Um, okay...again.
I was a bit self absorbed though...I don't remember her in the slightest.
I got a pretty big slap of reality though...in a way I'm glad. The snobby brat life wasn't for me.
I sighed again and looked around the café. I was sure it has had an extension or something, because it didn't seem smaller than I remember, usually when you go somewhere you haven't been to since you were a kid it seems smaller than you remember, but here, it seemed even bigger.
Definitely an extension, maybe they got more popular... there were a few people in here, talking amongst themselves kind of loudly.
... You know what, contemplating wall extensions is better than thinking about my actual problems, so sue me.
"Riley..." A voice brought me out of my daze and I blinked in surprise when I realised Aaron was sitting opposite me on the two seater table.
"How did you find me? Don't tell me you tracked my phone too..."
"I never lost you." He explained, making me frown.
"Then why did you stay out so long in the rain, you're soaking..."
"I figured you wanted some time alone..."
"Why don't you hate me too..." I mumbled, looking down at the cup.
"They don't hate you, they were surprised."
"So was I, when he fucking betrayed me."
"I'm sorry Riley..." He said, looking out of the window guiltily.
"W-what? Don't tell me you were a part of it..." I said shakily, my stomach suddenly dropping for some reason.
"No! I made a promise to you. I just... Luca told me what he was planning to do...I told him not to..and I thought...I thought he changed his mind. And he hadn't... I'm sorry, I was naïve, and it cost you..." He explained, and I closed my eyes to try stop the tears dripping down my cheeks.
Damnit, I can always hold it in until I have company.
I sighed and fiddled with the cup handle in my hands.
"I'm sorry I'm acting pathetic... I'm fi..." I stopped myself. "...This time, I'm not fine actually, I'm not fucking fine." I started sobbing slightly and he grabbed my hand across the table.
"That's okay, you have every right to be upset...You have every right to be angry, and never trust anyone again."
"I feel so exposed and vulnerable...I can't believe that he could be with me like that and then..." I paused, realising what I was hinting too.
He smiled and stroked my hand with his thumb slightly. "I know you two were like that, I don't mind." He said making me scoff.
"How can you not mind?"
"It's none of my business, my brother's are old enough to do what they want, and they're responsible enough to make their own choices, I should know, I practically raised them, depsite being younger than some of them." He explained making me smile slightly.
I then frowned and sighed when I had a jolt of remembering all my problems again.
"What the fuck am I supposed to do..." I muttered to myself, then looked up when Aaron squeezed my hand.
"First things first, you're going to talk to me about it, because you don't have to worry alone." He stated, looking me in the eye firmly. His eyes were reflecting the light out of the window, making them a warm brown, similar to the hot chocolate...
"There's just so much wrong at the moment..." I said after a while of silence.
"You're worried about Erin the most, it's the reason you're here in the first place." He pointed out, and I felt my chest tighten.
"I can't believe I failed him like that..."
"You haven't in the slightest, because number one, I'll try my best to make sure your father doesn't even press charges. And number two, if he does, Erin's only problem would be giving the money back. Money I will replace as fast as I can, whether it's mine or Luca's for putting us in this mess in the first place. And I know you'll accept that offer, because you're not ruled by your pride like the majority of the people around us." He reassured, making me smile after a moment.
"... Thank you." I managed to say after a while, and gripped his hand tightly. He was here comforting me even after I punched his brother, and told him to piss off...and was such a burden.
"Will they all hate me now?" I asked automatically as the thought came to my head.
"No, why would you think that?"
"I'm not family, and all I've done is cause trouble... I keep thinking one day, maybe even now, they'll get fed up of me and tell me to leave."
"No way, you're worth much more than that to them."
"Why? All I've offered them is..." I sighed heavily, making him give me a serious look.
"If that's really what you're worried about, even if that is all they like you for, which is not true at all. I'll be here, always. And I promise you that I will never ask anything in return from you. I just want you to be happy and safe, okay?" He said, smiling at me genuinely.
"Why?" I questioned him, completely baffled at the concept and he sighed.
"If you need a simple answer for now, call it my parental instinct." He said making me roll my eyes with a small smile.
"Right."
"What's next?"
"What?"
"On your list of things that are bothering you."
"Um...how about, failing school, having no aspirations in life, being psychologically scarred, having parents that don't give a shit, feeling like I'm going to have a break down everytime I'm alone and...various other things." I ranted and he looked down at the table surface.
"Well, I can only dream of helping with some of those issues, but I promise to try my best to keep you from ever going through things like that again, and you don't have to be alone ever again either." He reassured and I chuckled.
"Really, never alone?" I smiled and he made a face.
"Well I mean, within the boundaries of privacy."
"What about college?"
"I don't need college to do what I want to do."
"Right, the animal sanctuary...you're so cute." I commented, not just at his dream, but at his unrealistic oath to comfort me.
"Not my intention in life..."
"It's not mine either, yet some people still call me cute, so." I chuckled and he rolled his eyes.
"I need to go talk to Charlie..." I suddenly remembered, and stood up.
"You didn't drink any of your...milk thing." He pointed out and looked down at it making me smirk.
"It's oat milk...this is a vegan café, can't believe you couldn't tell, fake fan." I teased and he paused.
"Oh...well now that's even more tragic..."
"I had some of it... you should have it, it'd be rude not to finish a free drink." I smiled and he raised a brow.
"Fine." He said and then literally downed it in one making my jaw drop.
"Do you drink? You seem like you'd be a good drinker." I commented as we walked out of the door
"Alcohol? No thanks." He replied seriously making me chuckle to myself. "What? It's unhealthy!"
I slowed my pace as we walked further away, becoming anxious as I thought of all the things that waited for me at the manor.
"Are you ready to face your problems? We don't have to go back yet, the day is still early." He suggested and I turned to him.
"I'm fine... I'll be fine." I said, making him frown and then pull me in for a hug.
"You'll be okay, you're strong. This will pass, and you'll even make up with Luca...eventually." He reassured and I smiled, taking a deep breath and inhaling his scent.
"Your body wash smells awfully strong for someone who seems to attempt to give off the manly vibe." I teased making him scoff.
"Who's says manly people have to stink?" He defended making me chuckle.
"Smells like Christmas."
"Cinnamon and pine actually."
"You have cinnamon and pine body wash?"
"Why not?"
I chuckled as I buried my face into the the side of his neck.
"My heart flutters every time I make you laugh." He commented making me blush and then move back to look him in the eyes.
"Most people wouldn't say things like that out loud."
"I find the more honest and open I am in life, the less regrets I'll have later on."
"I appreciate that, makes me think I can trust you."
"You can, but I guess I'll have to prove that to you first." He smiled warmly, and I couldn't help but return it.
"You mostly have already. I don't know what I'd be doing if you hadn't followed me... I'm glad you're so patient with bratty people." I chuckled, leaning our foreheads against eachother before we ended up getting any closer.
He looked me in the eyes, his eyes were bright and happy, despite everything, and it made me feel warmer.
"You ready?" He asked again and I smiled.
"Yeah...I actually am."
My hand has seized up because I typed all of this on my phone ow.
Do you think Luca and Riley's relationship will recover? probably, lol
Some of the edits I made aren't loading in the preview... wattpad is so glitchy. From posting half chapter's to disabling votes on my chapters when I upload....it's so annoying.
Anyway I was planning on labeling conflicted as a mature book, it will mean it can never get on the what's hot list again, but that only happens with books when you can update regularily anyway so....
I think it got to 11 once, good enough.