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Chapter Thirty-Nine

I sat in the main hang out area while I waited for Pierce to pick me up. I was afraid of what was headed my way. I looked up after I saw Maya's facial expression change. My eyes were met by anger filled blue eyes. I got up and walked over to my forever, wrapping my arms tightly around him.

His rigid body when soft the moment my body touched his. Pierce pressed his lips to the top of my head as his arms ran up and down my back.

"I'm sorry." I looked up at his softened expression.

"Don't ever do this again." Pierce's tone was serious.

"All I ever do is ruin things for the Leightons'. I didn't want to do it anymore." I held back tears as I looked at the love of my life.

"You are a Leighton now Charlee. Just because Reece is having his man period doesn't mean you run away from your family. From me."

"Can I run away with you?" I felt Pierce lace his fingers through mine.

"No, we aren't leaving Ryatt. We will never run away from her Charlee. We are stuck where we ended up for life now. Things may get hard but that's life. We learn to work through things. I know you aren't happy right now. I know things fucking suck because you can't see me. You have to keep your cool. I'm a phone call away, a FaceTime away. I'm not letting you leave me Charlee."

"I don't want to go home Pierce."

"I know you don't. But you have to face the consequences again for your actions. You're just digging yourself a bigger hole."

"Because I fuck up everything." I let go of Pierce's hand.

"Charlee, stop." Pierce cupped me with his now free hands. "Get out of your fucking head. You have a family that loves you. You have all your siblings. You don't get abused anymore. You have me, a boy who fucking loves you more than life itself. A boy who tried to kill himself until you showed up."

"But still hurt himself even with me around. Even I can't save you. I can't save anyone." I looked away from the boy I loved as a tear rolled down my cheek.

"You saved your siblings Charlee stop. You save me every day. Every god damn day I see your name, I see your face, I hear your voice, I stop myself."

"You didn't stop until-" I began but Pierce crashed his lips into mine cutting off my sentence.

"Until I finally left Ally and only had you to focus on. She made me want to do it. When I'd see her, I'd go home and do it Charlee. It wasn't you. You weren't there to stop me. Your name wasn't there. Your face wasn't there. You weren't there to stop me from doing it because she was."

"Don't hurt yourself anymore." I looked at Pierce, tears still running down my cheeks.

"I made a promise to you to stop, just like you made a promise to me to stop Charlee. I need you to hold up your end of that promise. No more leaving. No more running."

"Can I just stay with you tonight?" I reached up to wipe my tears from my cheeks.

"That's not going to teach you a lesson Charlee. I'm taking you home."

Pierce led me towards the front door of the building, walking us past the wall of photos. I pulled us to a halt as our picture caught my eye one last time. I reached out and pulled the photo swiftly from the wall, sliding it into the pocket of the black leather jacket.

"Stealing now?" Pierce said as he opened the front door.

I didn't respond as I kept my hand in my pocket running my thumb over the image. A comfort if you may.