Chapter 9

Charlotte

“Mrs. Parkerson?” I couldn't hide the surprise in my voice the moment I saw Dalton's mother. It’s been four years and her radiant beauty still took my breath away. She looked like she hadn’t aged a day.

              Tears welled in her eyes and without hesitation, she rushed towards me and gave me a tight hug. Ow, that’s going to leave a mark on my ribs. “Oh, honey...” she cooed and there was a slight crack in her voice. “I have missed you so much.”

              I smiled and let out a soft sigh. “Me too, Mrs. Parkerson. Me too.”

              Laughing softly, she let me go and laid her hands on both ends of my cheeks, squishing them together. “Look at you.” With her scrutinizing eyes, she roamed starting from my feet all the way to my head. “You look gorgeous, sweetheart, and you are so skinny! I am going to fatten you up, oh yes, I am going to. I'm going to bake you tons of your favorite goodies and shove them up your mouth. What were you eating in L.A.?!”

            “My feysh Mssh Parkershon...” I somehow managed to say something from her squishing my cheeks, and mind you, it was pretty damn painful.

            “Oh, I’m sorry,” she apologized and let go, taking a step back. “I am not kidding about fattening you up because you are such a thin, young lady.” When she said this, her face became stern - she meant business.

            It was a sad thought that I had missed her more than my own mother. The comparison was beyond belief; she was the mother I never had while my own flesh and blood seems to not give a damn about me or value who I am. She always favored Caroline, because in her eyes, I was a big disappointment. Well, sorry for not being blond, mom.

            I smiled. “Well, I am looking forward to you fattening me up because I missed your famous chocolate chip cookies.” As I said this, I heard a muffled snicker from behind. Turning around, I narrowed my eyes at the culprit. “What’s so funny?”

            Mike looked constipated as he tried to control himself not to laugh. “Nothing…”

            Nothing my ass.

            “And who is this handsome young man?” Mrs. Parkerson asked. She shouldn’t have done that; he eats compliments for breakfast, lunch and dinner.

            Mike smiled dazzlingly, showing his pearly white teeth and went around me. “Piacere di conoscerla (Nice to meet you)," he said in his native tongue, taking Mrs. Parkerson’s hand and placing a kiss on her knuckles. He was really pushing it. “My name is Mike Lombardi, Charlie’s boyfriend.”

            Mrs. Parkerson giggled like a school girl. Oh, geez. “My, Charlie. Not only is this boy handsome, but a gentleman too...”

            “More like a suck up…” I heard someone grumble from behind, and far too familiar that I could place a face to go along with that voice. For now, I’ll just ignore it, because it’s not worth to act juvenile right now, not in front of his parents who I adored so much. I needed to be cool.

            “Don’t let him hear you say that, Mrs. Parkerson, or his head might blow up like a balloon,” I teased, smirking at Mike.

            Letting go of her hand, he smirked back at me. “You’re just jealous that I have charm and you don’t.”

            I rolled my eyes. “Uhuh, whatever you say, Michelangelo.”

            He scowled. “I told you not to call me that.”

            “Why?” I asked, raising an eyebrow. “Are you ashamed that it will make you sound old?” My voice was teasing as I tried to annoy the life out of him. He hated his given name and the only way to do it with a 100% success rate was through his name.

            “Whatever…” he grumbled.

            “Charlotte Eliza Grace.”

            I flinched, knowing who would call me by my full name. He never calls me Charlie; he thought it was a boy’s name and it was only proper to be called by my given name, which was feminine. Turning around, I smiled when I see a stern looking Mr. Parkerson, but I knew better. He may have the face of a drill sergeant, but when you look into his eyes, those piercing green orbs would reveal everything. That amusement glint told me that he's joking.

            Walking towards him, I embraced the big lug tightly. “It’s good to see you, Mr. Parkerson.”

            He laughed lightly, embracing me back with the same tightness. He was a tall man, built and muscled and he was too damn comfortable - like a teddy bear. “Same here, Charlotte. It’s good to see your beautiful face again.”

            Letting go, I smiled up at him. “When are you going to call me Charlie?”

            He rolled his eyes. “Never going to happen... Charlotte.” He ruffled my hair, which earned him a swat from me. I hate it when he does that.

            “Okay!” my mom’s voice chirped up, ending our moment prematurely. “Now that everyone is here, shall we go have our lunch, then?”

*          *         *

Dalton

If I could structure my own “awkward moment” line, that would be the moment when you are sat beside the person who was hell bent on eradicating you from her life. I was stiff and rigid; I had no idea what to do knowing that Charlie was right beside me. Almost skin to skin and I could feel the heat radiating from her body.

            Caroline was scowling across from me, on the verge of going out of her way in changing the sitting arrangements, but I shot her a look that meant, ‘Don’t even think about it’. We always sat together and it annoyed me sometimes that when she makes a scene, most importantly, when things won’t go her way, she would get whiny. I can handle that, but not today, knowing that Charlie is near me. However, it didn’t change the fact that Mike was beside her, too. Whoptidoo...

            When Mrs. Grace placed the last dish on the table, she went to sit to the left side of her husband, who sat at the head of the table. Once she was seated comfortably, she said, “Alright everyone, dig in.”

            Minutes passed, the sound of silver cutlery clinking together was the only sound heard. It was tense, with a dash of awkwardness. None said a word or two as we munch on our meal. Thankfully, my mom broke the spell we were in.

            “So, Charlie,” she began, “what are your plans after the wedding?”

            I went rigid as a stick. Was she going to stay or was she going back to L.A.?

            From the corner of my eye, I saw her place her fork down. “Um, I’m going back to L.A.”

            Oh. So she's going back then.

            My mom frowned as she placed her fork down. “Why are you going back?” Her voice was genuinely curious, but there was a hint of distraught in it.

            “I have a life in L.A.” she said. “There’s nothing for me here.”

            ‘No, Charlie. You have everything here. Your friends and family are here. I’m here.’ I wanted to say that out loud - Christ, I wanted to, but it was best to leave it in the depths of my mind.

            “Yes there is, Charlie,” my mom insisted. “Why don’t you stay here in Colorado? There are opportunities here.”

            As mom and Charlie battled it out, my throat felt dry, making it hard to swallow that chunk of meat I was munching on. I went to grab my drink on my right, but a hand also went to reach it as well. It was Charlie’s hand.

            She blushed. “Um, sorry,” she muttered. “I forgot I have my own.”

            I smiled, remembering a memory. When we were little, Charlie started a habit of drinking from my glass. I thought it was cute, and as we grew older, the habit didn’t go away. The times when we ate at fast food chains, the drink should be a large one.

            At least that didn’t change.

            “No, its okay,” I assured her, pushing my glass to her direction. “Old habits die hard. I understand and I don’t mind.”

            Taking this chance to look into her eyes, I was happy that her blue spheres were still sparkling, just as I'd remembered. It was my favorite part of her anatomy; her eyes were the most vibrant, spellbinding thing in the word. If one would look closely enough, you would understand how expressive they were. Her eyes were the words of what she felt.

            Though I wish I could tell what she was feeling right now, because all I was seeing was too complicated to figure out.

            A phone’s loud and strident beat sung out, slicing through our moment. She blinked; breaking away from the gaze we just had and proceeded to eat again.

            “Hello,” I heard my dad say and I turned my attention to him. All in a matter of seconds, his face took on a grim look. I knew right then and there something had happened and it was almost a daily occurrence to this family.

            Terry, my big brother, got arrested, again.

            “Okay, we will be there. Thank you. Goodbye.” And he hung the phone with a sigh.

            “Who was it, honey?” mom asked.

            “Officer Morrison called,” he curtly said. “He’s there again.”

            “Who’s there again?” Charlie asked no one in particular.

            “Terry,” I said to her, placing my utensils down, my anger making me lose my appetite.

            She frowned. “Why on Earth would a cop be calling about Terry?” she asked. “He was fine this morning when we bumped into him.”

            With a sigh, I didn’t even know where to start on how my brother became what he is now, so without a word, I stood up and said to my father, “Let’s bail his sorry ass out in jail.”

*       *      *

I hate police precincts. Even though this housed the people who were protecting our city from dangerous criminals, the place unnerves me.

            “What did he do this time?” Though my dad's voice was business, due to him being a lawyer, there was a hint of frustration in it. I understand where he came; ever since Terry became a gang banger, there was never a day that dad wouldn't bail him out. He couldn’t possibly leave his oldest son, who had so much promise, but decided to throw it all away, leave to rot in jail.

            The police officer snorted. “Started a fight, you know... the usual.”

            As we reached the detention cell, I saw Terry, looking at home in a damn cell with a bunch of crooks.

            “Ah, the cavalry has arrived,” Terry crooned, standing up from the bench he was sitting on and walked over to us. “About time you showed up.”

            The officer scoffed and proceeded to open the jail cell. My brother was now dubbed as a regular here in Lakeside Police Precinct, and the police officers got annoyed by him. When the bars slid open, Terry went out and patted the officer on the head like he was a dog.

            “Good boy,” he cooed.

            The officer swatted his hand away. “Get out of here!”

            Terry laughed hard, and we all got out of the precinct, heading back to the car where Charlie and my mom were waiting. Caroline, Meredith, Greg and Mike decided to stay at home, not wanting to intrude.

            We didn’t say a word as we walked out of the precinct. Each step closer to the parking lot; I was itching to do something, anything to straighten my brother out. How can he be so callous? Doesn’t he care that he's making dad look bad in his firm and mom for making her cry all the time? He's unbelievably an idiot through and through.

            As we reached the car, Terry just had the audacity to carelessly address us all like he hadn’t got arrested. “Well, it was nice seeing you all. Adios.” And he started to walk away to a different direction.

            That asshole!

            I love my brother, I really do, and I looked up to him as a role model, but his foolishness is enough to make my blood boil tantamount to molten lava. Without warning, I grabbed his arm, whirled him around and punched him square in the face. I didn’t even feel sorry for what I did. Screw brotherly understanding, enough is enough.

            “How many more breaking and entering, drug runs and a whole other shitload of crap will you throw into this family, huh?” I snarled at him. “How many more?!”

            “Dalton, stop it!” my mom wailed, clutching to my father’s arm for dear life. “You’re brothers! You’re not supposed to be fighting!"

             I snorted. “Sorry mom, but he needed some sense knocked into him."

             “You punch like a girl,” Terry crooned, rubbing the spot where I punched him. “A kid could punch harder than you."

             “When are you going to realize that all you ever did to this family was give us shit?” I seethed, glaring at him with intense anger as I ignored his insult. “Ever since you left and became a gang banger, all you did was create trouble with those no good assholes you call friends and dad had to bail your sorry ass out every time you got arrested!”

            “If I am in so much trouble, then you should have left me to rot in jail,” he growled.

            I shoved him hard on the chest. “Damn it, Terry! Don’t be so stupid!"

     He glared at me with so much animosity, and it was no ordinary one. It had a murderous glint in it, and fear struck me. My brother had changed so much after he left home.

            “Stupid? I’m the one who’s stupid?!” he asked in disbelief. “Speak for yourself, Golden Boy! I left that house because I couldn’t stand living with stupid, brainless people like you. Your stupidity astounds me, little brother. When are you going to realize that the only thing you will ever want has been right in front of you all along, huh? You should have fought instead of giving up. You should have proven yourself to that person that she was wrong!”

            “What the hell are you talking about, Terry?!” I yelled back, not understanding where he was heading with this. “Why are we all of a sudden talking about me and my stupidity? I am not the stupid one here, you are! And what do you mean about proving that she was wrong?! You are not making any sense, damn it!”

            “Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Charlie intervened, putting her hands on each of our chests. “Easy there, fellas. There’s no need for you to be like this. You’re brothers, for goodness sake!”

            Terry scoffed. “Some brother he is... An idiot for that matter.”

            “Will you shut the fuck up, Terry?!” she spat at him. “You are making things worse!”

            Charlie and Terry went at it while I was getting tired with this. Not only he was grating on my nerves, he was not making any sense with all his babble.

            “I am tired of your bullshit, Terry.” I really was too fed up with all the crap he was pulling on our family. “I am so fed up and I just want to throw in my hat and give up.”

            Anger blazed throughout Terry’s features and with quick reflexes, he shoved Charlie roughly aside, grabbed for my shirt and gripped it tight. He was all up in my face as the tips of our noses were touching.

            “Terry, stop it!” my mom screeched.

            “It’s okay, mom,” I assured her, still looking at my brother.

            “Listen, Dalton,” Terry started, voice low, but bone chilling. “I left home, because for some reason, I couldn’t stand a particular person, because he disgusts me. And you know what? That happens to be you, dear brother. You let go of something that was supposed to be the greatest thing in your life, but unfortunately, your idiocy came in the way. You were too blinded by your despair when you should have been fighting back. You let your weakness overrule the only thing you wanted in life. You’re pathetic. Your very presence in this world brings men a bad name.”

            “Terry, seriously, you are not making sense,” I told him, genuinely confused.

            He laughed bitterly, void of humor. “If you are smart, then, you will see what I mean, but hey, you never were in the beginning. Such a waste of education.” He let go of my shirt and before he walked away, he said, “The next time I get arrested, don’t bother bailing me out. I’d rather be in jail and be part of something that makes my stomach churn.”