Half a heart ( Book 1)

Chapter 17

⚠️Tw: anxiety, crying, death of a loved one⚠️
Charlie's pov:
I sat downstairs, ready for school, waiting for Niall who had kindly offered to take me. He brewed another cup of tea, and I sipped it slowly, the warmth soothing my nerves.

Footsteps approached, and a familiar touch graced my hair. "Good morning, Charlie," came Harry's voice. I turned, greeted by his warm smile as he sat beside me, taking my hand.

"Good morning, Harry. Sorry about falling asleep on your shoulder last night," I apologized, feeling a tinge of embarrassment.

Harry squeezed my hand reassuringly. "Hey, Charlie, you don't need to apologize. Honestly, I didn't mind it at all. Louis and the boys do it all the time, so it's completely okay to nap on my shoulder anytime," he said, his sincerity shining through.

"Thank you," I whispered, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders.

"It's okay, Charlie. Have a great day at school, okay?" Harry pulled me into a hug before I gathered my things and headed out with Niall.

"Ready to go, Charlie?" Niall asked as I settled into the passenger seat. I nodded, feeling a mix of nervousness and anticipation.

Before I could step out of the car, Niall handed me a set of keys. "Hey, Charlie, I want to give you these," he said, explaining that they were my own set of keys to the house.

"Thank you so much," I replied gratefully, tucking the keys into my pocket.

As we arrived at school, Niall took a moment to input his and the boys' numbers into my phone, ensuring I had a way to reach them if needed.

"Have a good day at school, Charlie, and I'll see you when you get home," Niall said, offering me a warm smile as I waved goodbye and headed inside.

Entering the classroom, I hoped to avoid Nick, still feeling embarrassed about our interaction yesterday. Yet, there he was, sitting in his usual spot.

I couldn't bring myself to meet his gaze, feeling a knot of anxiety tightening in my chest.

"Hi, Charlie," Nick's voice broke through my thoughts, soft and concerned.

I finally mustered the courage to look at him, feeling a rush of emotions welling up inside me.

"Charlie, look at me. Have I done something wrong?" Nick's worry was palpable, and I couldn't bear to see him upset because of me.

Slowly, I turned to face him, my voice barely a whisper. "I'm so sorry about yesterday. I shouldn't have said any of that," I admitted, my gaze fixed on the floor.

Nick gently cupped my face in his hands, urging me to meet his eyes. "Charlie, you don't need to apologize for yesterday. It was okay, honestly. I was just a bit shocked, but I think it was really sweet and cute of you to say that," he said, his touch sending shivers down my spine.

Unable to hold back the flood of emotions any longer, tears streamed down my cheeks as Nick enveloped me in a comforting embrace, his warmth and kindness a balm to my soul.

"Charlie, are you okay? What's going on? What happened?" Nick's concern was evident as he held me close, his voice gentle and reassuring.

I looked up at him, my heart heavy with grief and sorrow. "My sister died last night, and now I'm in foster care," I whispered, the weight of my words hanging heavy in the air.

"Oh, Charlie... I'm so, so sorry. If you need somewhere to stay, you can stay with me," Nick offered, his kindness overwhelming me.

"Thank you, but I've already been placed with a new family, and they're really nice," I replied, managing a small smile through my tears.

The rest of the day passed in a blur, but with the support of my friends and the comforting presence of Nick by my side, I knew that no matter what challenges lay ahead, I wouldn't have to face them alone...