Charlie.- Completed

twenty seven

"I didn't think I'd be this achy." I laughed as we walked back out of the dressing room.

"Is it bad?" 

"Not terrible right now. You know after you've had a good gym session and you know it'll be bad tomorrow. It's like that." I stretch my arms out and sighed as Ryan checked her phone. 

"The guys are in the smoking area out back. Security wouldn't let them in." I nodded and we walked up the side of the stadium. 

"Charlotte." I gripped Ryan's hand tight and stopped walking. Of course it wasn't just a rumour. I sighed and dropped Ryan's hand, turning around slowly. "You dyed your hair." 

"I did." I crossed my arms. "Didn't know you two were coming." 

"Well we didn't know this was happening until a week ago." My father crossed his arms defensively and I raised my eyebrows at him. 

"Yeah you kind of miss things when you disown your children." I looked at Ryan who was stood awkwardly. "This is Ryan, Oscar's girlfriend." 

"Nice to meet you Ryan." My father held his hand out and I grabbed Ryan's before she could, shaking my head at her. 

"No need to be like that Charlotte." 

"Like what? Like you're strangers? You don't have a daughter who performed here tonight. You shouldn't even be back here." 

"You're being dramatic again Charlotte." I rolled my eyes and turned around, walking quicker towards the back of the venue and dragging  Ryan with me. I knew they were following me but I had no interest in speaking to them again until I had my boys behind me to witness it. They weren't getting away with speaking to me like shit again. Not after this year.  I smiled at security as we walked through the doors and I looked back. My parents were a good chunk of feet behind me. 

"There she is!" Georgie shouted at me and ran over, picking me up and spinning me around. 

"My parents are right behind me. They're trying to be all supportive." I hugged him tight and he put me down as they came outside, going back to the other guys as they stepped behind me. 

"Oh so now you'll stop?" 

"Now I have other people to witness everything that's about to come out of both of your mouths? Hell yeah. I'm not being gaslit again." Fin put his hand on my lower back and I took a deep breath. "You remember everyone right? Fin, Oz, Georgie, Harry and Alfie." I looked for Noah and Fin rubbed my back. Oh. He'd gone. 

"Of course we do. Hi guys." They all waved at my mother begrudgingly. "Charlotte can we talk in private." 

"No. Anything you can say to me you can say to these." 

"I don't think it's appropriate Lottie." I looked at my father and tilted my head. 

"Why are you going to lecture me about my job again?" 

"Its not a job Charlotte." 

"Oh no? Tell me why I'm officially one of the youngest millionaires in the world then." I watched as they both looked at me in disbelief. "Thought that would grab your attention." I chuckled slightly. "I own 2 homes. One here, One in Gran Canaria and between the 2 of those and the £600k I have in savings." I shrugged my shoulders. 

"Charlotte-" 

"No don't even fucking try it. I sat there 2 days before my 21st Birthday and you called me a slag, a prostitute and told me I was disgusting for literally just posting pictures of me, in clothes by the way. Not a single one of my photos am I naked in. Then you told me I could not be in the family and keep the job so if I was insisting on keeping it I was being taken out of the will and my sisters would loose all contact with me until they were adults. Well keep your fucking inheritance. I don't need it. But don't come crying to me when you need something. I won't be answering." 

"That's not what we meant Charlotte." 

"No it is and you guys know it. You know exactly what you said to me in the kitchen. You know how it got so heated and I came home with a slap mark across my face from where you hit me and called me a bitch because I called you out on your shit.  The car park is that way. Get in your car, drive away and don't even think about bothering me again. Because I'll just call the police." I turned my back to them and looked at Fin. "Let's go home" I smiled brightly and he looked back at my parents then me, nodding and turning with me and walking away. 

We stood at my car and I dropped my bag into the back. 

"Who's going home with who then?" I closed the boot and looked back at the group no one was speaking. "Don't let them ruin tonight. They've fucking taken enough from me. They're not having this too." 

"I think we're skipping over the whole millionaire thing WAY to easily here." Oscar raised an eyebrow as he held Ryan close. 

"Oh yeah. I got an email a few days ago. It's still really new. But essentially the interest I'm going to make on my savings this month, paired with the 2 houses. It all adds up." I shrugged. "No big deal. We knew it was coming this year right? I was nearly there." 

They all stared at me and I put my head back. 

"Can we go home?" I raised my eyebrows. "I'm exhausted and I just want today over with." They all nodded and Fin took charge. 

"Okay. Charlotte and me in here. George and Fred in mine. Scratch it and I'll kill you. and then Oz and Ryan." 

"Who's grabbing food?" George asked as he took Fin's keys.

"We will." I raised my hand and they all laughed. "Text me your orders." 

"Maccies?" George looked around the group and it was filled with a collection of mumbles in agreement. 

"Okay cool. Let's go." I opened my car door and Fin put his hand on it, stopping me as everyone else dispersed. 

"You are not driving. You're about to crumble after that."

"I'm not Fin. I'm good." 

"Hmm." He mumbled and pushed me away so I'd go around the other side.