✦ ✧ ✩ Curtain Call ✦ ✧ ✩ - Charlie Gillespie

Chapter 51

I woke up the next morning before the sun and reached out to the right side of the bed to find no one there. I quickly sat down wondering where Charlie was, but my questions were all answered when he walked through the door already dressed. He was wearing a cute yellow overall that was so bright it was almost blinding.

I was covering myself with the sheets, and he threw himself on top of me, taking them out of my hands and throwing them at our feet.

Taking his hands to my bare waist and gripping it tightly he rested his head on my neck and took a deep breath. My feet curled as he kissed my shoulders, his fingers tracing my stomach down to my hip bones.

"Well good morning" I said, throwing him to the side and getting myself on top of him, returning the favors. My lips were almost touching the end of his stomach when he interrupted me through a giggle.

"I wish we had time for that but your dad and I already have everything ready, he is waiting in the truck for us."

"Well" I said, standing up and throwing a shirt on before heading to the bathroom, "It's ok. You mentioning my dad kinda killed the mood."

He shook his head biting his lip as he watched me walk into the bathroom. I came out wearing cargo shorts and a black turtleneck, throwing my dad's big jacket on top last minute.

"Ok, let's do this!" I said, grabbing his hand and taking him out of bed. After a half an hour drive, at the crack of dawn, we arrived at the lake. As my dad and Charlie unloaded our stuff from the car I unhooked our boat from the line and brought it near to the bank, so we could all get in easier.

Charlie jumped in and sat next to me watching me stuck my tongue out, concentrating to put the string in the rod.

"You surprise me every day" he said, putting his hand on my thigh giving it a quick squeeze before we were interrupted by my dad sitting in between us, giving Charlie a look while he towered over the both of us. I just shook my head and rested it on my dad's shoulder, both laughing at a ruffled Charlie.

"Stop torturing the boys" I said, standing up to start the boat once everything was accommodated on it. I sat down at the rudder in the back and left the both of them in the seats in front of me.

As the sun finished coming out the conversation between them started to flow, and I just stared at my two favorite people, with the fresh breeze hitting my face, looking for a good place to fish.

"Ok honey, here's good?" My dad said, turning to me when I stopped the boat.

"Yes, I think so" I said, dropping the anchor after he gave me a confirmation nod.

"So kid, Eri tells me you are a musician" my dad said, and Charlie turned to him.

"I like to think so, yes" Charlie replied, and I smiled at how flustered he suddenly looked.

"Don't act humble kid. I know you can play. This one gushed about you the whole half day she stayed home before running back to you" my dad said and Charlie couldn't hold his laugh in, much to his bad luck because I immediately pushed him into the lake.

"Hey, you'll scare the fish" my dad said, while Charlie took his head out of the water and shook his head. He started swimming to the other side of the lake away from the boat. He came out, and I couldn't help but stare as the water went down his bare back.

"Be careful, you're drooling" my dad said giving me a side eye.

"Do you want to go into the lake too?"

We both sat together in silence as the boat was rocked by the water rippling. The leaves from the trees around us danced with us in the same rhythm, and the sun shined directly on us causing our eyes to squint. We both refused to cover our heads to feel the warmth of it on our skin, embracing every cooling breeze as if it was the last we would get.

My dad looked up and around, as if he was taking a mental picture of the lake to take with him everywhere he went. I took a big breath and turned to him but before I could say anything he said the very words I wished all my life to hear again.

"Erato" he said, throwing the line into the lake again, "I want you to know I'm very proud of the person you've become."

I let myself cry in front of him for the first time since I was 14 as he put his arm around me.

"Don't let yourself be lost again." As he said those words I looked up at him, and he silently nodded, letting me know he understood, allowing me to peacefully make amends with the fact I strayed from them the last few years with just a filled with pure love look.

"And don't ever forget you're your mother's daughter." He continued, making sure the commandment was engraved in my heart forever, "Take care of her, she'll need you here" he finished, wiping the tears away from my face.

We sat again in silence, letting go of the poles, just splashing our feet in the water when we heard some branches cracking in front of us at the riverbank. We looked closely and saw Charlie waving at us, running back and gaining impulse before jumping into the river again. After doing so he swam towards us.

"He is a great kid" he said in my ear, before standing up as Charlie was getting closer. I just nodded at my dad and helped Charlie get on the boat. He sat next to me and shook his head like a dog drying off. 

We spent the rest of the morning trying to unsuccessfully catch something. I tried to get them both to sit silently but after a couple of morning beers on an empty stomach the two of them were babbling so loudly every single fish escaped the torment. I sat there shaking my head, kinda wishing I could join them. 

"Well there's no use" my dad said, sitting at the rabble, "The two of you pick up those things and let's get going." He pointed at the trash in the boat's floor. Charlie and I got up and as we did my dad started the boat and went in full speed, causing the both of us to fall into the lake. As he drove the boat away from us, we could hear him laugh, "See you at home" he said, waving his hand without turning his head. 

Charlie and I look at each other in disbelief once we could stabilize ourselves in the water.  We swam to the bank and threw ourselves on the wet land. The turtleneck I was wearing was soaking wet and almost asphyxiated me as it stuck to my skin and my neck. Without thinking anything of it I took it off and threw it on a tree branch. I was about to turn around when I felt his chest against my back.

"I don't think that's why he left us alone here, Gillespie" I told him over my right shoulder, his head on my left. His lips softly nibbling my ear.

"We can't walk back in wet clothes" he replied, playing with the button of my shorts between his fingers.

"No I don't think we can."

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Bye I'm ✨touch deprived✨

I couldnt find an HD version of a pic of Charlie in the yellow overalls but I'm kinda obsessed with them.