𝗧𝗛𝗜𝗥𝗧𝗬 𝗢𝗡𝗘 - 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗘𝗡𝗗

•••

In war there is no such thing as an unwounded soldier.

But this wasn't war, it was love.

So why didn't it feel as such?

I felt emotionally battered, left scarred both physically and mentally from the turmoil that was Charlie and I.

He's spent four and half months in whichever prison he was sent to.

Twenty weeks.

I hadn't the heart to ask which one and I hadn't visited him. I couldn't. I wasn't emotionally strong enough to do it, no matter how much I cared for him or how much I wanted to tell him I forgave him and that I'm the one who should be sorry.

That I love him too.

I still had the fucking godforsaken flowers on my desk. Almost having a complete and utter breakdown when my mum offered to throw them out for me. They were the last thing i would ever get from him for the next two years.

I could wait two years for him, I'd wait ten if it meant being with him.

But the question was would he want me in two years? Two years in a cell with nothing to do but think is a long time.

More than enough time for him to decide he hates me, to never want to see me again.

"Stop doing that" Alex sighed.

I stop staring out at the distance and brought my mind back to reality, looking at the two boys who sat opposite me at the lunch table with sullen expressions.

"Doing what?"

"Looking sad and pathetic"

"I don't look sad and pathetic" i tut, kissing my teeth.

He gave me a pointed look, daring me to challenge him.

"I look sad and pathetic" i mumbled, putting my head down to look at my fingers in my lap.

"He'll be out soon enough" He tries to comfort me but it almost has the opposite effect.

"What, when he's nineteen?" I scoff, snapping my head to look at him with a glare.

"Well he'll barely be nineteen, maybe eighteen with good behaviour"

It was my turn to give him a pointed look.

Alex holds his hands up to me, showing innocence, "i was just trying to make you smile"

"Yeah and how did that work out?" I bite.

"Not very well, obviously"

"Alex, leave the poor girl alone" Noah finally butts in.

"I'm just trying to cheer her up"

"Well maybe stop trying" Noah snaps, sounding cold.

The conviction of Charlie had brought out a cold side of Noah, not one that I had ever seen. His usually fun and lively personality only to be seen in small glimpses.

Alex was about to say something when he got cut off by the shrill sound of Noah's phone, which he refuses to put on silence as he's expecting what he calls an important call.

"I have to take this" he jumps up, snatching his phone off the table as he simultaneously grabbed his bag from the floor.

"You think thats the call he's been itching for?" I ask, looking over to Alex.

"I hope so, he's been acting like a bitch waiting for it" he shakes his head.

I laugh at his statement, knowing it was entirely true.

•••

Neither Alex or I had seen Noah for the rest of the day. Not even the teachers had for that matter.

None of us questioned it though, he had lost a friend too.

Once waving off Alex at the end of the day, I scurried to the art department eager to avoid all the students flocking to the exit.

Since the incident, the whispers and stares had started again, worse than ever before. I knew some students blamed me for his arrest, others looked at me with pity, comparing me to a lost puppy without him.

My second period art class had been cancelled today and no teacher could sub so we ended up with a free period.

During this time my art teacher, had found me, ensuring that the extracurricular that i agreed to was still on after school.

I had been throwing myself into my arts, hoping that painstakingly painting individual hair strands for hours at a time would take my mind off of the gaping hole in my life, that was Charlie King and for the most part it did. So when my art teacher had asked me to help her with a mural on the classroom wall, i was all too happy to accept the challenge, knowing it would take me at least a week, maybe even two if I took my time on it.

I round the corner of the hallway and entered the class room, immediately noticing that she wasn't sat at her desk like she usually is.

I froze.

Instead, in the far corner of the art room, sat at their usual desk was the last person on earth i thought I'd see.

I willed myself awake, thinking this was a dream.

No, a nightmare

A terrible, torturous nightmare.

I took a step back, fearing the worst.

He stood from the desk, picking up the biggest bouquet of red roses I had ever seen.

"Nyx?" His voice softer than ever before.

"Charlie" i whispered, before dropping my folder and making a run for him.

I tackle him into a hug, not realising I was already crying, Charlie wrapped his arms around me, holding me as close to him as possible.

Charlie pulled away eventually, gently grabbing my chin with his finger and thumb, angling my head upwards so I would look at him.

In my previous state of shock, I hadn't seen Charlie, like truly seen Charlie.

Although it had only been about four months. He had filled out a bit, his body harder than I remembered and i could see tattoos peaking out the collar of his t-shirt, ones that weren't there before.

He looked good.

"How, how are you here?" I croaked out.

"Sit down munch and i'll tell you" he offered.

And i accepted.

I took a seat at his desk, perching on the edge on my seat, ready for whatever he's going to throw at me.

"So?" I started, nervousness edging away at me, I honestly think I could be sick.

"My parents appealed the original sentencing, thank the lucky stars, it went from two years for a felony level aggravated assault and possession of cocaine to a class A misdemeanour for assault, dropping the charge for the cocaine since the bag was empty" he chuckled before continuing, " i ended up doing one month in prison before being moved to juvie for three months and paying a two thousand dollar fine"

I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.

"Kinda shitty for no one to tell me"

"I told my parents not to" he admitted, " I wasn't too sure what my plan of attack was for when I got out"

"Who else knew?"

"Noah knew about four hours ago"

It all started to click, the highly anticipated phone call was Charlie.

"I wanted to talk about what happened before though" he said almost nervously.

"No, no its okay, I shouldn't have reacted that way" i blabber out, too eager to ensure him that what happened was not his fault.

"I know but I need to clear some things up"

I nod, wanting to know more.

"The whole reason I was at that party was because Scarlet called me from Noah's phone, saying he was too fucked up and needed to go" he divulged, "Noah wasn't even at the fucking party, he had lost his phone the day before, or more likely had his phone stolen"

The pieces were beginning to click.

"I don't know what their plan was, if all they set out to do was make us argue or jump me or something, but it was a set up. Right from the text you got from Parker"

"He never told me where he got my number from, I just thought it was Mollie to be fair"

"I got Harvey to do some digging me, he was asking around at the tracks for it not long after I mashed Connor's head into the bathroom wall"

We both smile at the memory.

"It makes sense you know, Scarlet was dating Connor, Connor and Parker being best buds and Parker and Scarlet are related"

Charlie nods, "yeah it does, i just don't know what their end game was"

"Connor walks with a cane now" I revealed, not sure if Charlie already knew.

He cracks his knuckles, already looking livid, "He'll be in a fucking wheelchair if i catch him again"

"Did you not learn your lesson the first time" I joked, having spent some time with him, it was almost as if we had never even been apart.

"No and apparently he didn't either"

I roll my eyes at his antics, I don't think he'll ever change.

"How about we get out of here" I say, looking around at the darker room, only the ceiling lights keeping it somewhat bright in here.

"I thought you'd never ask" he smiles.

Charlie and I walk out hand in hand, in the corner I spot his infamous car, one I was all too happy to ride in again.

I basically dragged Charlie to his own vehicle but when I got there, he tugged on my hand lightly, stopping me just outside the passenger side door.

"I wanted to show you something"

I nod, slightly confused.

My eyes barely catch what he wanted to show me under the darkness of the winter sky and dim parking lot lights. In small, calligraphy writing on the handle, was my name engraved delicately into the metal.

"Its embossed into the leather of the passenger seat too, i just wanted you to know that that'll always be your seat" he smiles honestly at me, "I didn't want to get the cliche tattoo of your name or something, I mean I will but I thought this was better"

I wrap my arms around him immediately, not realising I had let a tear slip until I taste it's saltiness in my mouth. Charlie scooped me up, and I wrapped my legs around his waist.

I pull my face away from the crook of his neck to look him in his cerulean eyes. The same eyes I was so scared I wouldn't see again.

The eyes I love.

"I love it" I exclaimed, it was perfect,

I don't know how or when he got this done but it was perfect.

"I was so afraid to lose you, even though you aren't mine to lose"

"I think I've always been yours Charlie" I tell him wholeheartedly.

"Does that mean what I think it means?" He asks eagerly.

"Yes, of course yes!" I exclaim

Charlie attaches his lips to mine, feverishly kissing me, I take my hand and tangle it in his hair, tugging it gently.

After a moment or two, he places me on the hood of his car, laying my back against it lightly as he hovers over me, still kissing me desperately making up for lost time.

One hand cups my face and the other on my waist, his finger toying with the hem of my shirt.

The butterflies in my stomach erupt, going wild at his skin on my own once more.

Charlie pulls away after some time, both of us out of breath, our hot breath turning to condensation in the air, contrasting to the cold night.

Charlie puts a thumb to my lips, pulling down my bottom lip sensually. I look deep into his eyes and he does the same, I see nothing but adoration on his handsome face.

"I love you, Nyx Ross"

"And I love you, Charlie King"

•••

AN:

What a fucking ride.

I decided to leave this as an open ending unsure of my next moves. It could be another book following Charlie and Nyx or it could be their children? Maybe something completely unrelated?

Does anyone have a preference?

Any feedback or suggestions is always wanted!

Thank you so much for reading if you've made it this far. I never thought I'd actually finish this.

Comment, vote, whatever you want.

Bye for now :)