What is Home

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Grayson's hand found its place on my thigh as I sat in the front seat of his car. At first I wanted to pull away but I knew I needed to accept this. By the end of the ride having his hand on my thigh felt... comfortable. I didn't want to pull away, honestly, I felt like I'd want it back the moment he moved it away.

"I'm glad you let me take you Charlee girl."

"I'm trying." I looked over at Grayson resting my head on the headrest of my seat. "It's just hard letting people in. Especially, when I tried to let you in and you kind of blew up in my face. Kind of like my parents." His grip on my thigh tightened as I compared him to my parents.

"I know you're trying Charlee." His eyes glanced at me for a few seconds, taking his eyes off the road. "I will never be like your parents. Fuck your parents. They made someone fucking incredible who puts everyone before themselves, but that's the only good thing they put into this world."

"Thanks Gray."

He pulled up to the front of my house. Grayson kissed my cheek, letting go of his grip on my thigh. I thanked him for the ride and made my way indoors.

While I waited for Pierce to arrive I hung out with the twins. Mostly helping them with their homework. I had shut them out as much as I had my friends in the past few weeks. They never got that from me before, so it was something they were having to learn to deal with. I wasn't the same Mama Charlee that they knew their whole life. I was cracked and shattered in a different way.

"Charlee?" Lucy said looking at her phone instead of working on the homework she had in front of her.

"Yeah Luc?" I glared at the phone in her hand, letting her know in just one look, to focus on her work and not her phone.

"Who is the cute boy that dropped you off?" I laughed at her question.

"None of your business." I tapped her empty page of homework. "I think you should focus on your homework and not the boys that drop me off at home."

Luca and Lucy hadn't attended any football games yet to know about Grayson, or Pierce. They spent that time with a neighbor, that was also a therapist. She was helping them cope with their nightmares and the past. Our parents thought that football games might be too overwhelming, too much stimuli.

"Sis, come on! Who is he?" She adjusted her seating position sitting up on her knees trying to get me to fall for her excitement and crack.

"A friend of Reece and I's. He was here Monday but you were at a friend's. He plays football with Reece, and offered to bring me home. Does that satisfy you enough?" I said shaking my head at her, letting out a little laugh. But my answer hadn't satisfied her.

"Do you liiike him?" Her emphasis on like had me holding back a belly laugh. She was so concerned about Grayson and what his purpose in my life was. That should have been something Luca was questioning. But then again Lucy probably wanted him to herself. She did have crushes on any and every boy she's ever met. They were all her boyfriends; they just never knew. It was cute.

"It's complicated. Now do your homework. I've answered your question." I stood up and walked off into the kitchen where my mom was making dinner alone. It was rare to see her doing so, but dad was stuck in his office late.

"Mom?" I said as I placed my hands on the edge of the island that separated the two of us. She looked up at me wanting me to continue with what I had to say to her. "Pierce is coming over with pizza tonight so I won't be joining dinner. I hope it's okay he comes over. I know I'm supposed to ask I've just," I sighed, "I need him."

"Why don't you two just eat with us?" I stared at the counter trying to think of some lie but I was lost. I wanted to come clean to my mom, I just didn't know how to. I also didn't want to admit to myself, officially, that I was starving myself.

"We both just want pizza." I shrugged off my mental thoughts. "So it's okay then?" She nodded her head hesitantly.

I walked back out to the living room, hoping that Lucy would have at least written something down on her homework. Not surprisingly, she hadn't. I sighed and sat down on the couch and curled up with a book I had begun reading earlier in the week.

Reece and Pierce entered laughing causing a huge commotion as they took their shoes off at the front door. "Delivery for Ms. Charlee Baker." I heard Pierce call from the foyer.

I instantly jumped up off the couch, dropping my book on the coffee table where Luca and Lucy where still sat, not doing their homework. "Another boy?" I heard Lucy say, which caused me to glare at her.

"Pierce." I said walking over to him and wrapping my arms around him.

"You two are gross." Reece rolled his eyes and ran up the stairs to his room.

"Your pizza has arrived." He wrapped his free arm around me, holding the pizza out to the side, making sure I didn't knock it out of his hand.

"Pizza-Shmizza. You're what I really want." I smiled up at him, feeling the happiest I had all week. 

"You're cute." He smiled as I grabbed his hand to lead him up to my room. The moment we walked past the opening to the living room though, Lucy stopped us.

"Charlee who is this?" She questioned standing up. She took in how this boy was not the same as the other. Her shyness didn't show when it came to Pierce though. Like me, she felt, comfortable. I could see her confidence showing which rarely happened around any guy she didn't know. Pierce had this pull to him, it made you want to be the best you could be around him.

"Pierce." I pulled him close to me trying to get him to follow me up the stairs.

"Is this the famous Lucy and Luca I've heard so much about?"

Lucy's face flushed a light shade of red as her hands came to her face as the embarrassment flushed over her. The only thing she could get out to answer him was a nod.

"Well your sister is going to break my arm if she pulls me any harder." He looked back at me as my arm continued to pull him. "Before I head out for the night I'd like to get to know you both when someone stops being less needy." He nodded his head in my direction causing me to narrow my eyes at him. Lucy nodded, Luca stayed silent, as he had the whole time.

With that, we ascended the stairs to my room.