I’m so relieved that he’s trying to be friendly, even though I can tell he’s nervous and probably freaking out. I rub my left hand over my right, afraid for him to see the bruises on my knuckles. I know it probably doesn’t matter. It’s not like I can exactly hide my black eye and cut lip. So, I slowly lift my hand to shake his.
He shakes my hand gently, very obviously running his eyes over my knuckles. But when his eyes meet mine, he just keeps on smiling nervously and gestures to the three guys who are now standing beside him.
“These are my friends, um…” He trails off, waiting to see if the guys are going to introduce themselves.
“Liam,” the boy standing closest says, shoving Sebastian out of the way. He takes my hand enthusiastically, but still gently. He’s even taller than Sebastian is, and slightly more muscular. His auburn colored hair is short, his eyes are a chocolate brown, and he has freckles scattered across his entire face.
I turn my eyes to the other two boys. One of them is smiling, but the other is frowning. The frowning one introduces himself next. He hesitates before taking my hand in his.
“I’m Remy.”
His voice is deeper than the other two boys’, and he’s almost as tall as Liam is. He’s a bit leaner, and I can still see some muscle definition in his arms. His hair is jet black and curls a bit at the ends around his ears and forehead. His eyes are a piercing blue, and he’s wearing a pair of black framed glasses. Even through his glasses, I feel like he’s staring at me so intently that it’s like there’s no point trying to hide anything from him.
Before I start blushing under Remy’s gaze, I avert my eyes and look at the fourth boy. He’s shorter than the others, but he’s still completely towering over me. He’s more muscular than the others, and he has short brown hair and blue-gray eyes. He’s smiling at me with this half-smirk, and when he takes my hand he actually lifts it up to get a better look at the bruises on my knuckles.
“Damn, I’d hate to see what the other guy looks like now.” When I snatch my hand away from him, he chuckles. “I’m Elliot.”
It doesn’t feel like he’s laughing at me really, but the whole thing catches me off guard. Sebastian glares at Elliot and shakes his head, but when he catches me looking, he slaps a smile on his face.
Sebastian brushes his hand through his hair and glances back and forth between me and Arthur, still smiling nervously. “We ordered pizza just a few minutes ago, so um, it should be here really soon.”
Arthur raises his eyebrows at me. “I know we just ate before the drive here, but are you hungry yet?”
I’m not really hungry after devouring my burger. But god…pizza. When was the last time I had real pizza? Feeling the guys plus Arthur watching me sets me on edge, and it’s harder to find my words than usual. I simply nod and mumble, “Mhmm…”
Arthur seems satisfied that I’ve made any sound at all because he smiles triumphantly and starts animatedly showing me around the first floor of the house. It’s almost unnecessary because it’s so open. I can clearly see a large living room with two couches, a coffee table, and a huge flat screen TV with several video game consoles attached. There’s an open kitchen with a big island counter-top, and a fairly large dining room table. Arthur points out the downstairs bathroom, the doors to the garage and the backyard, and the door to his office.
For a house that’s lived in by only a teenage boy and a middle-aged man, it’s surprisingly clean and well-kept. Arthur marches me upstairs, hardly taking a breath between his words. There’s a balcony at the top of the stairs overlooking the first floor, and the boys are standing in the living room watching me.
Arthur points down one end of the hallway. “My room and one of the guest bedrooms are down there.” He gestures towards the other end. “Your room and Sebastian’s are on this side. I hope you don’t mind sharing a bathroom.”
I’m startled by the sound of someone stomping up the stairs. My mouth parts in surprise, and I turn to see Sebastian with a panicked look on his face. Brushing his hand through his hair yet again, he scoots by me with an apologetic smile.
“Sorry, um, I didn’t realize…I just want to make sure it’s clean really quick!”
He practically runs down the hallway and into the bathroom, slamming the door behind him. Within seconds, I hear a lot of crashing around in there. A tiny, mortifying giggle escapes my throat before I can fully compose myself.
Arthur smiles in delight. “See? He’s fine.”
I don’t know what Sebastian’s actually thinking. But for a guy who’s having a surprise like this dropped on him, he’s being unexpectedly welcoming. Even his cute friends were nice, introducing themselves to me like that. I know how I probably look to them with my fresh bruises, messy hair, and the jeans and flannel shirt that are way too big on me. Maybe once Arthur tells them where he just picked me up from, they’ll react a little differently.
We walk further down the hallway to the door across from the bathroom. Arthur opens it and turns the light on, gesturing for me to step in first. The space is fairly large, and it’s mostly empty. The bare walls are cream colored, and the only furniture in here is a double-size bed and a tall white dresser.
“I’m sorry it’s so plain right now,” Arthur apologizes. “But you can decorate it however you want, and we’ll move the stuff out of the closet tomorrow. Let me just grab you a fresh pair of sheets really quick.”
I’m left alone, and I use the opportunity to take a few deep breaths. Looking around the room, I can hardly believe I’m here. Why did I ever listen to my mom when she said my dad’s family didn’t want anything to do with me? Everything has been so miserable since my dad died, and all this time, I could have lived here and known my uncle and—
I stop the thought in its tracks. I still don’t know what’s going to happen. Who knows how long this is going to last? I’m sure it’s only a matter of time before I mess up again. But I’m going to try really hard to show Arthur I’m not a fuck-up like the state has deemed me. I set my backpack on the floor next to the bed and walk across the room to the window. It’s dark outside, but from what I can see by the streetlights, it looks like a decent suburban street with lots of houses on both sides.
“Alright, here we go.” Arthur walks back in with a stack of sheets, pillow cases and a quilt.
He starts stripping off the old sheets that look clean to me, but he seems determined. I jump up to help him and it only takes a couple of minutes for us to make the bed with the new stuff he brought in.
When we finish, Arthur rubs the back of his neck and glances towards the hallway. He lowers his voice. “Listen, I’m sorry Sebastian’s friends are over. I know it’s probably overwhelming. They’re over here all the time, so I should have known to warn you.”
“It’s okay.” I shrug, speaking quietly. I really don’t mind that they’re here. I just wish I looked more presentable, honestly.
Arthur stares at me like he’s trying to read me. I try to smile, but it probably comes off more as a grimace. He sighs. “They’re really good kids. Even if they say or do something idiotic, please know they’re just trying to make you feel welcome.” I nod in acknowledgment and he continues, “I need to go and talk to Sebastian. Do you need anything else right now?”
I shake my head and let him know I’ll come back downstairs in a few minutes.
Sebastian
“She’s, like, ridiculously pretty.” Liam cranes his neck to try and look up the stairs, even though Arthur and Charlotte clearly aren’t in sight anymore.
“Yeah.” Elliot laughs. “Why didn’t you tell us you had a hot step-cousin, Seb?”
I flip him off and glare at him, glancing at the stairs to make sure they’re not coming back down yet. “I’ve never met her. I think maybe I saw a picture of her when she was little before Arthur’s brother died, but…” I shrug and give my friends an incredulous look. “I have no fucking clue what’s happening right now.”
Arthur doesn’t talk about his brother muc
h, and he’s only vaguely mentioned his niece to me a few times. So, having him show up with her out of nowhere is completely jarring. Plus, I’m sure I looked like an idiot to her.
“Why do you think she’s gonna be staying here now?” Elliot asks with that stupid smirk still plastered across his face.
I shrug. I mean, I know her dad’s dead. Maybe something happened to her mom? But that doesn’t explain the black eye, split lip, or the cuts and bruises on her knuckles.
“She’s been in juvie.” We whip our heads around to stare at Remy. He shrugs and adjusts his glasses, lowering his voice. “I don’t know how to explain it, but I can just tell.”
Liam grins, not deterred in the slightest. “Should we bet on it?”
Remy snorts and shakes his head, but he smirks a few seconds later and shakes Liam’s hand. “Ten bucks.”
I roll my eyes. “Would you guys stop fucking around? This is serious.”
Elliot shoves my shoulder lightly and laughs. “Oh, come on. It’ll be fine! It’ll be like having a hot roommate who can obviously kick someone’s ass.”
Liam and Remy chuckle, but I don’t find it that amusing. When I saw Charlotte’s bruises, I felt angry. She’s so fucking tiny that her head barely reaches the middle of my chest, and it was clear that her clothes were practically hanging off of her. Who the fuck hit her and why? When I realized her knuckles were all bruised up, I felt terrible and was afraid I was going to hurt her hand even more by accident.
I hear somebody on the stairs and I stand up straight in alarm. I’m relieved to see it’s just Arthur, alone. He looks guilty as shit when he meets my eyes and I wave my arms at him while mouthing ‘what the fuck?’
He comes to stand around the island with us, rubbing the back of his neck. I’m about to flip out and demand he explain himself when he sighs. “I guess I’ll talk to all of you now, since Sebastian would tell the three of you everything later anyways.”
We stare at him expectantly while he fidgets. “So, Charlotte is my older brother’s daughter. He died a little over six years ago, and I pretty much lost all contact with Charlotte and her mom. I had no idea anything was going on with her all this time, and god, I’ve barely even thought of her in years. But then her social worker called me this morning…”
Arthur sighs and meets our eyes before continuing. “The short story is, basically, her mom is a piece of shit, and I can’t even…Jesus, I can’t even talk about it right now. About a year ago, she was sent to a juvenile detention center for something she should never have been punished for.”
Fuck, I can’t believe Remy was right. At least he doesn’t look pleased that he just won Liam’s stupid bet. He clears his throat and quietly asks, “How long was she there?”
Arthur shrugs. “Six or seven months, give or take? She went to live in a group home after that, until just under a month ago, when she was sent to the detention center again. Her social worker tracked me down, and I immediately drove up there to get her when she was released.” Meeting my eyes, he frowns. “I’m sorry I didn’t call you or give you any warning. I just…honestly, I didn’t know what to say.”
“It’s okay.” I grimace. “I’m not mad at you. Is she…” I think about the bruises on her hand and her cheek and fit her image into the brief story he’s just painted for us about what her life’s been like. “Is she alright?”
Arthur rests his elbows on the counter-top and puts his head in his hands. “God, I don’t know. She barely talks!”
Elliot pats Arthur’s shoulder and smiles encouragingly. “Hey, don’t worry about it! She’s here now and we’ve got her. It sounds like she fits the description perfectly to join our group of misfits.”
I give him another scathing look, though I can’t exactly disagree with him. But Jesus, why does he have to say it like that?
Arthur looks up at us and smiles sadly. “Thank you.”
Chapter Three
I try to stall going back downstairs for as long as possible. I’m sure Sebastian has a million questions for Arthur, and I admit I’m pretty terrified to be around him and his friends again. I’m sure they’re going to want to talk to me or ask me questions.
So, I dawdle around in my new room, though that feels strange to say. The bed is super comfortable and the quilt Arthur brought me is extremely soft. I’m half-tempted to curl up and go to sleep right now. But no, I promised myself and Arthur I would try to let him in. Plus, pizza.
Even though I’m nervous to leave the bedroom, I quietly dart across the hall to the bathroom. It’s really big, with a huge walk-in shower and two sinks. And it’s, like, sparkling clean. Either Sebastian was worried for nothing, or he cleans really fast. It doesn’t look like a teenage boy uses this bathroom either way, that’s for sure. After relieving myself, I wash my hands and face. I can only look at myself in the mirror for a few seconds without wincing. I look terrible! The bruise on my cheek under my left eye is an ugly purple color, and I’m pale enough that my freckles stand out like crazy on my nose. I try to smile, and that helps a little, but it hurts like a bitch on my cut lip.
My hair looks like something died in it, so I quickly run a brush through it. After straightening the hideous hand-me-down clothes I’m wearing and leaving my shoes in the bedroom, I slowly make my way downstairs.
Sebastian, his friends, and Arthur are standing around the kitchen island. They’re huddled close and talking quietly. I feel so awkward. I’m not really sure how to announce my presence, and I don’t want to interrupt them. So, I stand a few feet behind Arthur, trying to pretend like I don’t know they’re talking about me.
The red-haired boy, Liam, sees me first. He jumps about a foot in the air and shouts, “Jesus Christ!”
Everyone else turns around and gives me guilty wide-eyed stares. Arthur clears his throat and smiles awkwardly. “Oh, Charlotte, we didn’t hear you come down.”
I timidly smooth my hair down and mumble, “Sorry.”
The boys go still at the sound of my voice, making me feel more awkward. But then Elliot smirks at me like he did a little while ago and chuckles. “We should put a bell on her so we can hear her coming. Like a cat.”
I’m not sure what’s funnier, his stupid joke or the murderous looks the other boys give him. Unable to help myself, I let out a quiet laugh. It still hurts to smile, so I quickly bring my hand up to cover my grimace when my lip starts to sting.
Elliot looks extremely proud of himself and grins broadly at me. Liam punches him in the arm and grunts, “She’s laughing because you’re an idiot, not because you’re funny.”
The doorbell rings, startling everybody. Arthur jumps up first to answer it, leaving me alone with the four boys. They exchange quick glances, except for Remy, who hasn’t taken his piercing eyes off of me for a second.
Sebastian breaks the silence first, giving me a nervous smile. “So, um, Arthur said you’re going to be a junior?”
I nod my head, forcing myself to meet his pretty mismatching eyes. “Yes. You too, right?”
His smile quirks up on one side and he nods back. It looks like he might be blushing now too, but Liam captures my attention by answering the question first.
“Yeah, we’ll all be juniors. I’m sure you’ll be in some of the same classes as us.”
I’m surprised to hear that he sounds excited about that. Like Arthur said upstairs, I know the boys are just trying to be friendly and welcoming. I’m extremely grateful for it because they could be ignoring me instead or be pissed at me for barging in and ruining their night. I give Liam the tiniest smile before redirecting my attention to Arthur.
Arthur walks back into the kitchen and sets four large pizza boxes on the island. Sebastian is quick to pull some plates out of the cupboard and he hands one to me first. When nobody moves toward the pizzas, Arthur sighs and flips open all of the boxes.
“Go ahead and grab some pizza first, Charlotte.”
It’s incredibly nerve-racking having them watch me so intently like this. I really
wish they would stop. I raise one eyebrow and quickly inspect what kind of pizza is in each box, and then I take a buffalo chicken piece. I really want a piece of pepperoni too, but I don’t want to be greedy. I glance sideways at Arthur with my hand hovering awkwardly over the pizza.
“Charlotte.” He sighs again, rubbing his hand over his forehead. “There are four large pizzas here. The boys aren’t going to starve if you eat a second piece. You can have as much as you want.”
I feel really stupid. I’m internally cringing at myself and quickly look away from my uncle. I don’t know why I have to make the situation weirder and draw attention to the fact that I obviously don’t belong here.
After I grab a second slice of pizza, I step back far enough so that there’s plenty of room for the guys. It takes a couple of seconds, but they quickly start filling their plates with three or four pieces each. Remy hangs back from the other boys, and I watch him help himself by grabbing a couple of sodas from the fridge.
He surprises me by walking over and handing me one of the drinks. He leans down and speaks quietly to me in his deep baritone, “You can come and sit next to me if you want.”
He makes me more nervous than the other boys, only because his eyes are so intense. But I’m so grateful for his kindness, and for saving me from feeling weirder by having to stand around and wonder where to sit. With a slight nod, I follow him into the living room and sit between him and the arm of the larger couch.
Sebastian sits in the corner of the other couch so he’s relatively close to me. Elliot walks over with a wolfish grin on his face, moving to sit on the floor right in front of me. But Remy sticks his leg out and shakes his head.
“Come on, dude. Just leave her alone and let her eat.”
Smile Like You Mean It (Charlotte Reynolds Book 1) Page 2
