© Amber Kalkes 2014
Song: Hard Sun By Eddie Vedder.
C h a p t e r F i v e >
Robin has come to the conclusion that Grace is evil. She has to be; there can be no other explanation for seating her right between Luke and Richie. Robin is sitting rigidly in her seat praying to any great force out there willing to listen that she can survive the night. Especially with Luke’s addicting scent overwhelming her enough to make her squirm a bit away from him so she doesn’t do anything stupid.
Like make out with him at her parent’s dining table.
Charlie for his part missing in action after Grace asked him to go wash his hands before dinner, it’s been over five minutes and Robin knows her son enough to start worrying about someone’s personal belongings. Last time Richie ate with them Charlie put a frog in his boot and the squished aftermath smelled god-awful on the bottom of his sock.
Getting up from her chair she heads towards the exit of the dining room but jumps back when Charlie comes running in out of nowhere. He comes in with a huge beaming smile on his face and Robin is immediately looking down both sides of the hallway with suspicion. Crouching to his level she gives him a conspiratorial look.
“What did you do?”
Charlie, still grinning just shrugs, “Nothing, mama.”
“Come on, button, you can tell me.”
He looks into the dining room quickly before leaning forward to whisper, “I put mud in it.”
“What?”
“You’ll see.” He giggles.
Robin sighs letting her head fall into her hand unable to stop the smile spreading across her face. She is not only related to evil but has given birth to an evil genius. Peeking through her fingers at him he smiles hopefully at her nearly fluttering his lashes at her like the little conman he is.
“I should warn somebody.” She mutters.
“No mama! Don’t tell! It won’t be funny!”
Biting her lip she finally lets a small laugh out, “Fine. I won’t tell but if anybody asks I knew nothing about it and when I found out I was very disappointed in you. Now did you wash your hands?”
“Yes mam!” He chirps showing his small clean hands.
Robin nods, “Alright then, lets go eat before they send out a search party.”
“A party? I want a party!” Charlie exclaims while jumping up and down.
“Yeah, not that kind of party. Come on.”
Robin walks back into the dining room with her hands on Charlie’s shoulders to escort him to his assigned chair, between Gabe and Faith who both smirk at her. Robin makes a face at them completely annoyed with that identical smirk she remembers from years of babysitting them. It’s never a good sign.
In the looks department the twins look alike but totally opposite. They both share the dark auburn hair and blue eyes but that’s where the similarities end. Faith is barely over five feet and as slim as she is petite while Gabe is over six feet and built like a mac truck. Still that doesn’t stop Faith from borrowing Gabe’s clothes or Gabe from wrestling Faith like she’s just another guy.
“Oh hey Robin.” Faith begins innocently, her eyes sparkling deviously “I was just asking Richie how your date went.”
Shit.
Robin peeks up at Luke, bothered by the lost look on his face. Richie, on the other hand is grinning widely at her as she sits down between the two. He lazily throws an arm over the top of her chair and Robin tenses in her spot but Richie doesn’t seem to notice it. Luke on the other hand does and she feels his fingers wrap around hers until the table making that electric current course across her skin.
She should remove her hand. She shouldn’t be squeezing his hand back and she shouldn’t be happy to see a smile grace his face at the gesture. No, she should be keeping her distance but it’s so hard when the one she’s been waiting for is right there, right within reach. Giving his hand one last squeeze she slides it out of his with hesitation before picking up her fork to eat.
“Why are you here?” Charlie scowls at Richie.
Richie shrugs with a smile, “Just stopped by to say hi.”
“Then why are you eating with us?”
“Charlie.” Robin scolds with a narrow eyed warning written on her face. “Be nice.”
Charlie frowns, “You said I should never lie and I don’t like him.”
“Big surprise.” Gabe grumbles into his water glass.
“You shouldn’t lie.” Robin sighs, “But you should also be nice to people. If you can’t say anything nice than don’t say anything at all.”
“Fine.” Charlie huffs before glaring at Richie one more time. “I’m not talking because I don’t like you.”
Robin lowers her head into her hand as Luke chuckles silently beside her. Richie laughs a little too, seemingly unaffected by her bratty kid. Gabe and Faith snort laughs but cut themselves off when Grace gives them a look while Jessup, ever the strong silent type just smiles a little.
Silence descends over the group before Faith decides to break it.
“So I hear you’ve never worked on a car in your life, Luke.” Faith says around a mouthful of garlic bread.
“Faith Katherine James.” Grace scolds “Don’t talk with your mouth full!”
Faith, being the ever-mature one of out of the James siblings sticks her tongue out, food included making Charlie break into laughter and Grace to scowl at her daughter. This isn’t anything new to the group though. Grace and Faith are always at odds and since Faith is going through that teenager thing she’s gotten even more antagonizing towards her mother.
Robin’s tried to get Faith to cool it a little but it just hasn’t happened. After a while she’s just decided to let it go in hopes it all work out on its own. Speaking of kids…Robin moves her gaze to Charlie to see him trying to twirl spaghetti on his fork with tongue sticking out with concentration. The image makes her smile softly immediately.
“Uh, no I haven’t.” Luke answers eventually. “I was just lucky I made your dad laugh.”
“You made my dad laugh?” Faith asks with her jaw unhinged.
Robin’s dad smirks a bit, “Careful, baby girl, your gonna make me sound like an ogre.”
“Well you don’t exactly give off the warm and cuddly vibe, dad.” Gabe agrees with a nod, “Hell, I think you just hug people just to know what size hole to dig in the backyard.”
Jessup shrugs one massive shoulder, “Only for those boys who think they can date my girls.”
All gazes go to Richie who squirms in his chair; “Well I’ll make sure to stay on your good side then, Sir.”
“Or you could just not date her.” Luke mumbles but Richie hears him.
“And what’s it to you If I do or don’t? Last I checked you just met her.” Richie snaps, glaring at him over Robin’s head.
Luke sends him a smirk, “When the last time you checked?”
“What are you implying about my girlfriend?”
Robin’s head snaps up from its bowed position to stare wide-eyed at Richie in shock. What the hell is he talking about? Luke lets a low growl emanate from his chest that only Robin seems to hear though she does notice Charlie perk his head up from across the table.
“G-Girlfriend?” Robin stutters out.
Richie frowns, “Well…yeah.”
“Richie I didn’t agree to anything like that.”
Richie shifts in his seat again looking around. “Lets just talk about this later.”
“Or you could talk about it now.” Faith suggests with a shrug, her blue eyes glittering with the promise of action. “We can eat on without you.”
“Faith, mind your own business.” Grace whispers though they all hear her.
Robin drops her fork on the plate and stands up abruptly. She needs some space away from Luke, whose gaze she can feel boring into her face and Richie who keeps trying to get her look at him. Its all made even worse by the fact her son is in the room and her family is all butting into it with their own opinions.
“Robin.” Someone calls but she just shakes her head.
“I need a minute.” She murmurs before walking quickly out of the house and bursting onto the front porch.
Robin lets in big gasps of air as she feels tears prick her eyes. Confusion; that would the main emotion she would use to explain herself at the moment. With everything happening all at once she just doesn’t have enough to give to any given situation. She’s not even sure how she and Charlie will get by the coming week let alone any of this romantic shit.
The screen door opens and closes behind her making her straighten her spine. Part of her is hoping its Luke because she knows that he’s the only person, other than her father who can calm her down right now. She can’t explain this certainty she has in him but its there all the same. Maybe she’s just being stupid.
“Robin?”
She closes her eyes in disappointment when it’s Richie’s voice she hears. God, she really is stupid. Keeping her eyes forward Robin stares at the golden sunset before her not wanting to confront anyone right now, especially someone who doesn’t deserve it.
“Listen, I’m sorry about what I said in there, okay? I like you a lot and I thought we had fun on our date. I don’t know maybe I was reading too much into it.”
Robin isn’t comforted by his words; it just makes her feel more like shit.
“No.” She says quietly shaking her head. Turning to look at him over her shoulder his concerned look eats at her. “It not your fault, Richie. I shouldn’t have gotten involved with you when I’m not ready for it. To be honest I don’t even know what you see in me.”
Richie takes a few steps towards her and wipes a few tears off her cheek with his thumb giving her a sad smile. “You’re a good person, Robin. That’s why I like you.”
Robin scoffs, “Yeah, I’m such a good person I just broke your heart.”
“Ah that.” Richie smiles before shrugging, “Well I’m young and we young gentleman have hearts meant to be broken from time to time.”
“God, I wish I could date you.”
Richie chuckles, “You did and it didn’t work out for us but hey, we can still be friends right?”
“Yeah.” She says softly with a small smile. “We can be friends.”
“Good and as your first act as friend I will warn you that I think that Luke guy has a crush on you.” He says with shake of his head, “I’d wish him luck but I don’t like him that much as it is.”
Robin lets out a cathartic laugh before grinning at him, “Yeah well he’s not exactly the easiest person to hate once you get to know him.”
“So he wasn’t lying? You do know him.”
“Yeah.” She whispers dipping her head to look at her bare feet, “I know him.”
“Robin?” Richie asks hesitantly.
“Yeah?”
“Is he…Charlie’s dad?”
Robin sighs before running a hand over her hair, “Is it that obvious?”
“They look identical and he’s been staring at you all night.” Richie tells her dryly.
“Do you think the rest of them noticed?”
“Not Grace or Faith. Gabe was too into his dinner to even look at anyone but I’d say if Jessup hasn’t figured it out yet he will soon.”
Robin groans, “Great. He’s going to kill me.”
“Not if he doesn’t kill Luke first.” Richie chuckles. “Don’t stress too much over it, Robin. You’re a big girl now.”
Robin gives him a flat look, “Are we even talking about the same thing?”
He wraps an arm around her shoulder, “We are and I’m serious. Don’t stress over it and it’ll be fine.”
“Yeah, sure.”
“Well I should probably head out.” He tells her with a pat on the shoulder, “Tell Grace thanks for dinner for me, will you?”
“Yeah.”
Richie hops down the stairs but holds up a finger before turning to face her with a frown, “Has he told you where he’s been all this time?”
“No, not yet.” She says shaking her head, “We haven’t really had a chance to talk though.”
“Well when he does you let me know, huh?”
“Why?”
Richie smiles at her, “Just because I got my heart broken doesn’t mean I want that for you, Robin. Just call me and I’ll be there.”
“Thanks, Richie.”
“Anytime, Darlin’.” He winks before heading around his truck.
When its out of sight Robin collapses into the porch swing feeling a headache coming on. She’s just not built for all this excitement. Closing her eyes she doesn’t even notice Luke’s come out onto the porch until his voice cuts through the silence around her. His arms are crossed over his chest with his jaw clenched while his eyes narrow at her.
“Did you two kiss and make up?” He asks lowly.
“What does it matter to you?” She snaps.
Luke cocks his head to the side, “It matters.”
“No.” She sighs closing her eyes again, “We didn’t kiss but we did make up. We’ve decided to be friends. Feel better now?”
“Yes.”
“You know I really don’t get you.” She says harshly while lifting her head to glare at him. “I don’t hear from you for years and then you just pop out nowhere to invade my life while throwing all these demands at me. You can’t just do that, Luke. In the real world you can’t just come out of nowhere expecting everything to go your way.”
Luke searches her face for a few long seconds before coming to sit beside her on the swing. He lets out a sigh and Robin tries not to twitch when she feels his fingers graze against hers. He doesn’t seem to mind though and scoops his hands up in hers and rubs his thumb over the soft skin on top.
“I’m not an easy man, I know that.” Luke begins lowly. “I know that I left you in a bad situation but you have to understand that I never thought this would happen. It didn’t even enter my mind you would carry my pup though I know it should have. All I could think about was leaving before you got too caught up in my shit. I have things in my past and even in my present that I don’t want to touch you with its darkness, Robin.”
Robin just stares at him. She can’t think of anything to say.
“But I can’t stay away from you either. You’re a big part of me and I know that must seem strange to you but it’s the truth. I care about you too much for me to risk your safety but I’m selfish enough not to be able to let you go. That goes for Charlie too. I want to get to know you both and I want to be here to protect you from everything in this world.”
“That’s a big job.” She whispers, still a bit stunned.
“Yeah.” He smiles a little, “But I have a feeling it’ll be worth it.”
“Do you work at the garage tomorrow?”
Luke frowns a bit, confused. “Yes.”
“Do you remember the woods where you met Charlie?”
“Yes.”
Robin nods and stands up from the swing. “Meet us there around five. I think Charlie needs to meet you properly and…so do I.”
Luke smiles widely but shyly before nodding, “Okay.”
“Oh and Luke?”
“Yes?”
Robin bites her lip, hesitating before letting it out in a rush. “Thank you for coming back.”
“Anything for you Robin.”
And Luke means it but she doesn’t know how much yet.
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So there we go! Another update for you fine folks :} Hope it was as good as you were hoping :}
Any predictions for next chapter and how Charlie will take to Luke?
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