Chapter 28 - "I want them to get back together."

"Happy birthday Charles!"

The moment Charles walked down the stairs, soon followed by Asher, he was greeted with cheers and claps. He forced a small smile, glancing through the crowd of people who eventually started giving him hugs.

The first person was his friend Emma, who he had gotten really close with throughout high school. There were other friends there as well, but he wasn't close to them. The only reason they were invited was because they had been much closer in their second year of high school, before Natalia passed. In all honesty, Charles hadn't really spoken to them since that year.

Then came his uncles that crowded him as though he was a big teddy bear they could squish. Bronsted, Jules, Jake and even Cesar all gave him separate embraces, and the only person he genuinely squeezed back with warmth was Cesar. Cesar had been the only one that didn't remind him of all that had happened, and the only one Charles felt could understand him.

Sarah had started slowly but surely reintegrating herself—as long as Lucius wasn't present—and it was no surprise that she was there with her new fiancé. They started dating three years ago and became engaged around half a year ago.

After greeting everyone there, Charles discreetly distanced himself from the crowd of people, headed to the front porch outside to light himself another cigarette. He hated these sorts of gatherings, especially when it was for him. Being around all these people made him nauseous, because the only thing he could think of was the fact that they had all forgotten about Natalia as though she had never existed.

It was no surprise that he heard the front door open. "I think they want to blow the cake," he heard, before footsteps approached his side. Emma sat next to him, motioning for the cigarette, to which he handed to her.

"You can blow the cake for me."

"I would love to," Emma snickered as she exhaled, glancing down at the cigarette before bringing it to her lips again. "But I don't think your family would like that."

Charles groaned, sending his fingers through his black hair. "My family doesn't like anything I do, so this won't make a difference."

"Yeah, because you're extremely rude to them," she admitted bluntly, shrugging her shoulders when Charles' eyes turned to her. "What you said to Dante today was beyond rude, and you really should apologize."

Charles was handed back his cigarette, and he inhaled deeply from it before he responded, "I'm not apologizing for shit." Emma rolled her eyes. "I'm moving out as soon as I get the money anyway."

"And pay for rent when you don't need to?"

"It's better than living here with them," Charles argued. "I'll have my own space and do whatever I want—"

"You're moving out?" Charles and Emma both glanced over their shoulders, seeing the blond Asher close the front door behind him. His tone had been cold when he said that, hence Charles knew this was definitely going to be an argument between them.

He shrugged his shoulders. "I want to."

"And leave me here behind?" Asher questioned with sharpness through his tone.

Charles kept his gaze locked on his for a moment. He wasn't the only person that had changed, Asher had changed as well. The nineteen year old was not the young innocent tattletale anymore.

His hair had grown longer, which he kept up with a clip most of the time, with curtains bangs that fell beside his face. He had gotten much more toned, taller, and since he had practically no fat on his body, all his muscles were clear and visible. Even his skin had gotten tanner, and he was growing into his manly features as his jawline grew sharper, his eyes narrower and his lips perkier.

Ever since the death of his sister, he had been training much harder to be able to protect everyone around him. He had reconnected with his mother ever since her departure, although he decided to stay in Dante's home. He had a couple conversations with Lucius, but Lucius hadn't been stable ever since the death of his daughter, hence it was hard to have a relationship with him. Lucius had been focused on finding Kane, which he had been unsuccessful, but Asher still tried to talk to him as much as he could, or as much as Lucius let him.

It had been a random unusual night that he had gotten with Charles.

Even now, something still felt limited in his relationship with Charles, but he tried to ignore it. It always felt as though Charles was either hiding something, or refraining from investing in being a couple. There wasn't any confusion though, they had agreed that they were considered together, but for Asher, it still felt as though they weren't.

Such as moments like these, when he walked into their conversation that Charles' wanted to move out, which he had never mentioned to him.

"I thought we'd move out together when I'm done my bachelors."

"I'm not waiting two more years for you, Ash," Charles snickered as though that idea alone was ridiculous. He scooted over a bit to give Asher some space. "It's not like we won't see each other, I just want to be on my own."

"We won't see each other, Charlie," he murmured. "I know it. You're always busy doing something that you shouldn't do."

Charles' brows furrowed, bringing his cigarette to his lips before he grumbled, "I'm not really in the mood for a lecture so let's talk about this later."

"I know you and there won't be a later."

"This time, there will be," Charles growled, narrowing his eyes in his direction. "So drop it."

They both glared at one another, and Emma awkwardly shuffled a bit away from them; she hated being present when they were bitching at one another, and it happened more often than not. Thankfully, they both heard the wheels of a car that turned into their driveway, and they instantly knew who it was, which surprised all three of them.

"Did you invite him?" Asher asked, his eyes widened as he turned to Charles. When Charles shook his head, Asher immediately stood to his feet. "Mom's inside with her fiancé, they haven't seen each other since she left the house."

"They haven't even talked?" Emma asked, standing to her feet as well. When Asher shook his head, Emma began to panic. "Should I go inside and tell her?"

"I mean..." Asher bit his bottom lip; he knew his mother was going to be uncomfortable with it, but... "I want them to get back together, so no."

"He's been ignoring me ever since all of that happened four years ago," Charles exhaled, staring at the figure start approaching them.

It was true, Lucius hadn't spoken a single word to him, which was a surprise that he was even here in the first place.

Lucius eyes darted across the three kids at the front porch. He had no clue who the girl was, the middle one he despised, and the last one, he adored—but barely showed it. The problem with him was that there were a lot of things that he didn't care about, and showing affection was one of them, especially since he had been alone for years now.

He didn't even smile when he approached Asher, neither did he acknowledge the other two sitting on the porch.

Charles kept his gaze lowered; there was no way he was risking getting on Lucius' nerves by making eye contact. As for Emma, she was starstruck by him, her dark chocolate eyes in a daze as she observed every single detail of Lucius. Even the way he was chewing his gum was mesmerizing to the point that she wondered how it tasted.

"Ace, what's going on in there? Why is there so many cars?" Lucius nodded his head towards the home.

Asher followed him to the door. "It's Charles birthday today. Is that not why you're here?"

"Don't be ridiculous, Ace," he hissed, his eyes narrowing for a moment—Charles' felt his heart sink deeper in his chest. Lucius reached the door handle. "Is Dante in there?"

"Yeah, they all are."

Lucius sighed, as though he had no interest in speaking to any of them. He didn't respond though, instead pushed open the door and disappeared behind it.

The moment the door closed, Emma squealed. "I'll never stop telling you how hot your dad is, Ash. You never told me his eyes were red, that's so cool."

"Shut up," Asher said, rolling his eyes before motioning towards the door. A mischievous look covered his blue eyes as he whispered, "I want to go see what happens when dad sees mom with her new man, want to come with me?"

Charles leaped to his feet, and Emma raced behind Asher who pushed open the door.