Chapter Six
Twelve years earlier
Angels POV
"Do you know what I love about you?" I murmur into Charlie's ear wrapping my arm around her and pulling her into my chest.
"Hmmm" she replies thinking "my stunning good looks, my witty personality and the fact that I put up with you?"
Chuckling I spin her around "nah, it's your modesty" I reply sarcastically
Laughing she wraps her arms around my neck "Well someone has to compete with your ego"
"You two are disgusting" Johnny mutters
Charlie unwraps her arms from my neck and wraps them around Johnny's kissing him on the cheek "I'm sorry Johnny"
Wiggling out of Charlie's grip he playfully swats her arms away "give it up Charlie" he says laughing
"I will make you love me Johnny" she says chasing him trying to hug him again
"Alright you two" I call out laughing "I'm starving let's go get food"
All three of us pile into Coco's car, and head to Mays. Pulling into the parking lot I see Emily's car groaning I look at Charlie "any chance you don't want pancakes and we can go somewhere else?" I ask pleading
"Nope, plus you can't avoid your brother forever" she says climbing out of Coco's car
Catching Coco's eye he just shrugs lighting up a cigarette
"Don't even think about it Reyes" Charlie calls over her shoulder as she walks into Mays.
"So what happened this time with boy wonder?" Coco asks leaning against the hood taking a drag on his cigarette
"Same old shit" I reply leaning next to him "why can't you be more like Ezekiel?" I mimic my pops voice
"I'm sorry man" Coco says stubbing his cigarette out under his foot "we should probably head in before Charlie comes out and drags us in" he says offering me a small smile
Heading inside I see Charlie in our usual booth alone, scanning Mays I spot my brother and Emily at the opposite end of the diner, sliding into the booth next to Charlie I wrap my arm around her kissing her on the temple "thanks" I whisper in her ear, she doesn't reply she just rests her head on my shoulder.
"Does anyone else find it weird that May doesn't have menus?" Coco asks "Like she never actually asks you want she wants"
"Magic" Charlie says smiling
"Well you only ever want pancakes so your easy" I tell her
And just like magic May appears at our booth "hello my babies" she says warmly
"Hey May" all three of us reply
Sliding a huge stack of chocolate chip pancakes down to Charlie, she places a plate of chocolate waffles drowned in chocolate sauce in front of me and in front of Coco a giant bowl of chicken noodle soup with grilled cheese "For that cold you're fighting" she says rubbing his back
"You have a cold?" I ask Coco surprised
"Apparently" he replies tucking into his soup
We eat in silence, every now and then I glance down towards Ez and Emily, getting more annoyed by the minute.
Groaning Charlie pushes her plate to the middle of the table "I'm so full, please finish them" she says
"Nah I'm good" I reply stabbing my waffles
Johnny grabs the plate sliding it towards him "your loss" he mumbled with a mouthful of pancakes
"You know you could just go talk to him" Charlie tells me rubbing my shoulder
Grunting I shove a mouthful of waffles in my mouth ignoring her
Sighing Charlie rests her arms and her head on the table "wake me when you're done moping" she mutters
"I'm going to pay May" I mutter getting up and heading to the counter
Seeing me approach May heads out to the kitchen coming back a few minutes later with two bags full of takeaway containers
"May, you know I'm going to get fat if you keep feeding me right?" I tell her jokingly
"Oh hush my sweet child, now make sure you share with Johnny and Charlie and say hello to your pops for me" she tells me handing me the bags
"I will, how much do I owe you?" I tell her reaching for my wallet
'Your money is no good to me sweetheart, just make sure you take care of those two" she says nodding to Charlie and Johnny
Snorting I just look at her "I'll try my best"
Johnny and Charlie struggle out of the booth heading towards me whispering
"What are you two whispering about?" I ask as they approach
Charlie walks around the counter hugging May "Thank you" she says holding the old lady close
"You're welcome my sweet child" May tells her letting her go
Charlie waves to Emily and Ez as we head out of the dinner climbing into Johnny's car
I feel Charlie wrap something around my eyes "Hey what are you doing?" I ask trying to pull it off
"Leave it Reyes, it's a surprise" she tells me slapping my hand
Sighing I know better than to argue with her and I settle in to the seat waiting for Johnny to stop driving.
The car comes to a stop and I hear Johnny climb out of the driver's seat and Charlie climb out they pop the trunk
"Thanks, I owe you" Charlie says to Johnny and then my door is opened
"Come on" Charlie says unbuckling my seatbelt and taking my hand
Climbing out of the car I let her guide me, where ever we are its cold and I'm wishing I had a jacket
"Okay, we're about to walk up some stairs" she tells me her voice slightly strained
"Are you about to kill me?" I ask half jokingly
"Reyes if I wanted you dead you wouldn't even see it coming" she tells me guiding me up the stairs, we come to a stop as she opens a door
"Here we are" she says pulling off my blindfold
It takes a second for my eyes to adjust and realise we're on the roof of the warehouse, this spot had become our hangout since last year.
"What are we doing here Cooper?" I ask her
"I figured you didn't really want to go home" she replies holding up sleeping bags "So sleepover?"
Laughing I take the sleeping bags out of her hands kissing her forehead "You know me so well" I tell her "What about your mom? She'll kill me if I don't get you home before curfew"
"My mom is in Oakland visiting my uncle" she tells me
"Well then I guess a sleepover is in order" I reply
Beaming she heads over to the storage box where we've been storing all the cushions and blankets we use on the roof, pulling everything out she arranges them so we can snuggle up under the stars.
Unzipping her backpack she pulls out a hoodie and sweats and throws them at me, pulling off her jeans she quickly wiggles into an old pair of my plaid pyjama pants and a hoodie.
Climbing under the sleeping bags she snuggles into my chest, my fingers tracing patterns on her back
"I told my pops I wasn't going to college today" I tell her
"I take it he didn't take it very well" she says
"I don't even know why I'm mad at Ez, it's not his fault, I'm just sick of being compared to him, my pops doesn't get it though" I reply
Pushing herself up Charlie takes my hands "He just wants what he think is best for you, you can't fault him for that" she says softly
Pulling her hands up to my mouth I kiss her knuckles "we'll get through this" I tell her confidently
Laying back down she rests her head back on my chest "What if we don't Angel? We don't know what the future holds" she whispers
"I know you're my future, and that's all that matters" I tell her kissing her on the head
Chapter Seven
Angels POV
Pulling into Charlie's street I see her jeep parked in the driveway and her lights on, parking my bike behind her car I climb off grabbing the Tupperware container of leftovers Pops made for her out of my saddle bag.
Walking up her porch steps I knock on the door, a moment later there she is looking a little sheepishly at me
"I thought you were working tonight?" I ask
Stepping back from the door she motions for me to come in, I walk inside kicking my boots off, she heads off to the kitchen not answering me.
Following her I roll my eyes "Charlie, seriously am I that horrible to be around?" I ask her half joking
"Being in your house is hard without your mom" she says softly pulling two beers out of the fridge handing me one
I put the container down on the bench "You're telling me" I reply popping the top off the beer
She nods to the backdoor and I follow her outside, my eyes grow wide at her back deck, it's inclosed and there's a giant couch and lights everywhere. She flops down on the couch and I sit next to her.
"Why are you here Charlie?" I ask her avoiding her eyes
"I told you, I wasn't cut out for big city life" she replies taking a swing of her beer
"The club want to know more about you" I tell her
"Figured, what did you tell them?" she asks putting her beer on the table
"Your name and that you went to high school with Coco and I" I reply shrugging
"Is that it?" she asks softly
I just nod, finishing my beer and placing it down next to hers
"I'm not here to cause any trouble, or investigate the club" she says looking at her I realise she's rubbing her shoulder again "You of all people should know that"
"Should I? I haven't seen you in eight years, not one word Charlie" I say bitterly
"Whose fault is that Angel? Huh? You're the one who told me to leave" she replies her voice raised
"I didn't mean it" I tell her my voice cracking
"Yeah? Well it sure as hell felt like you did" she says leaning back in the couch her hand rubbing her shoulder harder now, a distant memory popping into my head.
Thirteen years ago
"Why do you rub your wrist like that?" Emily asks Charlie
"Huh?" Charlie replies looking up from the textbook open in front of her
Emily points to her wrist, Ez, Johnny and I watching the girls
"Oh" Charlie replies shrugging "soothes my anxiety, I have a scar there no big deal"
"What sort of scar?" Emily asks softly
Pulling her sleeve up Charlie shows Emily her wrist "I don't know, I got it as a baby I don't remember"
"What a weird scar" Emily comments examining Charlies wrist
Present Day
"What happened to your shoulder?" I ask her
"Don't change the subject Reyes" she says sighing dropping her hand
"That's the second time you've been stressed and rubbing your shoulder, don't think I don't know you" I tell her
"I got injured" she tells me, her hand rubbing her wrist "It's no big deal"
"I'm sorry" I tell her meaning it, after all this time I still hate seeing her in pain
We sit in a comfortable silence, I have no idea how long we've been sitting there, then I hear a soft snore out of Charlie, looking over at her I realise she's fallen asleep.
Smiling I grab the empty beer bottles off the table, taking them inside. Heading back out I pick her up, she snuggles into me a soft smile on her face.
Heading back inside I look around her small place, realising the bedroom is at the end of the hall I carry her down there, placing her gently on the bed and pulling the covers back, rolling her gently into them.
Leaning down I push the hair out of her face, kissing her softly on the forehead "sweet dreams Charlie" I whisper
I watch her snuggle into the covers and I head back down the hall, making sure I put pops leftovers in the fridge and turning all the lights off. Slipping my boots on I lock the front door behind me.
Straddling my bike I pull my phone out dialling Coco "Where are you?" I ask
"Vickie's" he replies slurring his words
"I'll be there soon" I reply hanging up, pulling my helmet on I take one last look at Charlie's place and turn my bike on, riding off to Vickie's.
Chapter Eight
A whole week had passed since Angel showed up on my doorstep, and I hadn't heard a peep from him, having a rare Saturday night off I ordered Chinese food and grabbed a bottle of my favourite wine, preparing to spend the night on my couch binge watching trashy reality tv, however, my phone hasn't stopped vibrating next to me for the last forty minutes while Emily interrogates me.
Em: 'So he just carried you to bed and left?'
Me: 'Yep'
Em: 'That's so unlike him, I'm surprised he didn't climb in next to you'
Me: 'It's not like that Em'
Em: 'Liar'
Me: 'It's been a long time and I'm sure he has a new girlfriend by now'
Em: 'No one since you left, like he sleeps around but they aren't you'
Me: 'the fact that you know so much about my ex's sex life is concerning, and also shut up'
Throwing my phone on the coffee table I sigh, grabbing my wine glass I gulp down the last two mouthfuls and fill it back up.
Laying down on my couch I start to channel surf, trying to find something worth watching a knock at my door catches my attention, I didn't hear a car pull up.
Reaching under my coffee table I pull out my .38 that is concealed under there, tiptoeing to the door I look outside the peephole
I see Johnny holding Angel up, he's bleeding and his face is messed up "Shit" I mutter.
Shoving my gun in the back of pyjamas pants I open the door "Hospitals 20 miles that way" I point down the street
"Come on Charlie" Johnny says softly
Sighing I step back letting them in, a large guy follows behind "Bathrooms down the hall" I say pointing in the direction as I shut the door behind them locking it.
I head into my kitchen pulling a bottle of whisky off the fridge and head down to the bathroom.
Walking in I find Angel slumped on my toilet seat with Johnny sitting on the bathtub and the big guy standing between them holding Angel up.
"Gilly, Charlie, Charlie, Gilly" Johnny says pulling out a pack of cigarettes from his Kutte
"I know you aren't planning on lighting up in my bathroom Johnny" I say as I bend down pulling out my first aid kit.
"Expecting trouble?" Gilly asks me
Pulling my .38 out and placing it on the sink "in this town you never know who is going to be knocking on your door" I tell him
Standing up I grab a face towel, soaking it in water and wringing it out, I start to clean up Angel's face.
"So what happened?" I ask holding a barely conscious Angel between my fingers
"Club shit" Johnny says from the bath fiddling with his lighter
"What happened to not bringing club shit to my door?" I say looking at him, Gilly watching us closely
"Yeah well" Johnny replies trailing off "Shit happens"
"Hold him" I tell Gilly as I open the bottle of whisky, Gilly grips Angel tightly as I pour a decent amount over Angel's face
Angel winces and lets out a pained moan "Good, I hope it fucking hurts asshole" I tell him
Reaching for the first aid kit I grab out the needle and thread turning to Johnny "full warning I've had almost a whole bottle of wine so this might be sloppy" I tell him
"You can't make his ugly mug any worse" Johnny says smirking
Pulling the thread through Angel's eyebrow, I apply four stitches and apply tape to make sure they stay in.
Gently touching his nose I feel the break "his nose is broken, can you hold him again?" I ask Gilly
"Sorry asshole" I say as a manoeuvre it back into place
"Fuck" Angel exclaims as his nose starts pissing blood
"You alright?" I ask pushing the face towel to his nose mopping up the blood
"I am now" he says smiling up at me slurring his words
Rolling my eyes I continue to clean up his face, Angel slumps his head back passing back out
Cleaning up the sink, I put the first aid kit back where it goes "Alright, can you put him in the bedroom?" I ask Gilly and Johnny
They nod lifting Angel up and carrying him to the bedroom I head back to the lounge room, putting my gun back under the table, Johnny and Gilly head into the lounge room. I walk into the kitchen grabbing two beers out of the fridge and hand them to them.
Grabbing my wine off the table, I finish it in a single gulp "Want to tell me what the fuck is going on?" I ask the two of them
Johnny sits down on the couch opening his beer "Shit went sideways with the rebels and Angel got into a fight with one of them" he mutters
"She knows?" Gilly asks Johnny
"Yeah, I told her and Angel doesn't know, so keep your mouth shut" He replies
Rubbing my temples I look at Johnny "How bad did things go?" I ask
"Nothing that can't be fixed" he says taking a swing from his beer
Looking at Gilly I can't get a read on him, he stands completely still his face expressionless
"Well you can leave him here and I'll take him home in the morning" I say
"Thanks Charlie" Johnny says "it's good to have you home"
Snorting I get up taking my wine glass to the kitchen, Johnny follows me
"I'm sorry, I didn't know where else to take him" he says softly
"It's fine" I reply wrapping my arms around him "You're a good friend"
"I'm a terrible friend for dragging you into this" he replies
"You're call came at the right time, I needed an excuse to leave" I say resting my head on his shoulder
Breaking our hug, Johnny looks at me "You ever going to tell me about that?" he asks
"Nope" I reply heading back into the lounge room, opening the front door "Goodnight gentleman, please let's not make this a habit"
Both Gilly and Johnny mutter their goodnights heading outside "If he gets worse let me know" Johnny says
Nodding I close the door locking it behind me, sighing I look down the corridor, heading into my bedroom I grab my pillow and a throw blanket.
"Charlie?" Angel mutters from the bed
"Yeah" I whisper looking at him, realising he's asleep
"Hazel please" he mutters under his breath, pain on his face
Tears spring to my eyes, taking a deep breathe I head out of the bedroom, quickly getting changed I turn my tv off and curl up on my couch, only once I'm engulfed in darkness do I let the tears silently fall.