The Boxer (editing)

Chapter Eighteen

Chapter Eighteen

I felt bad for Charlie as we stood in front of his parents. My hand squeezed his harder than ever before and he barely even squirmed. 

"It's just a tiny conversation." Charlie chuckled lowly, almost like he enjoyed my freaking out over something so normal, for once. I couldn't figure out how I should act around him. What would I say to them? I could tell they didn't like me, I could tell they didn't like the way I was dressed, or my hair, or my face, or my everything. This was one of the girliest moments I had ever experienced, nervous over the boyfriend's parents. 

I wish lightning would just strike me down and I could just disappear.

"Chances of lightning on a sunny day are slim to none, babe." Charlie nudged my shoulder with his, "You can do this."

"Mindreader." I couldn't look at him, I could only look at my shoes as my heart pounded heavily.

He dragged me to his parents who stared at us. I was sure they were really staring at me because of my scrunched up expression from being so tense, I knew I probably looked like I had just shit myself. Great first impression.

Charlie's mother zeroed in on me with a deep ferocity. She was the exact opposite of him. Perfectly straight blonde hair with a mix of gray. She stood tall and stiff with a very firm posture. And gorgeous like her son. The only thing she gave him was the bright green eyes. Her eyes held a coldness I never knew Charlie to have, it was one of the few things that could rattle me to my core. She stared at my like I was a piece of garbage, smelly and ugly and something no one wanted. With one glance she could make me feel completely unwanted and self conscious. I never feel self conscious.

Charlie's dad on the other hand was a spitting image of Charlie. The same square jaw, tall frame, and dark black hair but most importantly, same warm and inviting smile. Without a doubt my favorite out of the two.

"Mom, Dad, this is my girlfriend," Charlie put an emphasis on girlfriend, great. "Sadie." I wasn't ever one for subtlety but I really wished he was at that moment.

"So you're the girl keeping my son in line. Ever since we've moved here all Charlie could talk about was you." Charlie's dad smiled and stuck out his hand, I tried to smile but I felt it come out as a pained wince, amazing. "I'm Rick."

I shook his hand and smiled. "Sadie." I nodded curtly, ew, I was such a stiff. 

His mother snapped. "I'm Juliet. I cannot understand why he would talk and waste time about such a thing." Juliet's eyes took a slow disapproving once over at my outfit. 

My heart crashed, she hated me. Cool.

Ricco was scary, getting a D on a test was scary, but this was horrifying. I swore that I almost broke his hand when his mother said that.

"I wish you would be nicer to a guest of our house and my girlfriend, Mother." Charlie's tone was cold, it didn't take a detective to see that his mother was not his favorite. I heard his iciness, maybe this was why he didn't talk about his family. I loosened my vice like grip on his hand which was my way of saying he should relax by showing I would be. 

I was taken aback by this whole experience but mostly because of the side of Charlie I was seeing for the first time. This cold manner of his only masked his emotional pain, and that made me hurt. My stomach knotted in guilt, Charlie had been listening and helping with all my garbage for so long without asking anything in return. He selflessly gave up so much time dealing with me but he didn't ever ask for me to give up my time to listen to him. I should have asked more, I should have been more persistent to talk to him about his family since it pained him so much.