Chosen Families

Chapter 1

TW: ED

Reece's POV

"Reece, why are you so nice to me all the time?" The question feels like a stab through my heart. I knew the reason deep inside of my soul, but did I want Carly to know? "Well, I mean," I start speaking from the forefront of my mind, making up my reason as I go along "I just feel like it, you're a good kid Carly and a lot of people just graze over that." Carly just looks down and smiles, continuing to eat her sandwich, taking small and calculated bites, inspecting everything before she does. I use this as an opportunity to move my food out of eyesight, I'm really not hungry today but I'd prefer for Carly to eat. I know enough about Carly's eating to know that if she notices anything wrong with me then she'll mirror my actions, and I don't want her to know that. I have other things on my mind but Carly deserves to be happy.

She keeps trying to strike up conversations with me whilst she eats and quite frankly I can't pay attention with the weekend playing over and over in my mind. Even Marjorie doesn't know what's happened. No one needs to know, just me. Before long I see Carly standing in front of my face, waving her hands in front of me.

"Reece, hello? I'm trying to tell you the juiciest gossip around here in the longest time and you've floated away to the moon. Are you okay" 

"Sorry Carly, yeah I'm fine, I'm just really tired, had a big weekend"

Carly's POV

"You sure?" I attempt to gesture towards the uneaten food which is now moved behind him but I don't think he noticed. "Yeah, don't worry Carly, I'm all good"

I hear the clicking of heels before the door swings open. Autumn forces herself through the door, nodding her head at me and walking over to Reece's desk. "Big brother, we need to find evidence of the accounts that father owns before we can do anything." As the brunette says this, I can tell that she's also noticed the food. Her face dropped a little further as she gave me an almost sympathetic look, to which I returned a confused one back to her. "Okay, I'll get on it, thanks Aut." He stutters his words out. I know he's really not okay but know he will just become more irate the more I pry. Autumn shifts her glance to me, a worrying tone on her face. As she turns to leave, I hear a gentle sigh escape her mouth. I turn back to Reece who is sitting there rolling his eyes.

"Come on Carly, you should probably head back, you don't have long left of your lunch," the blonde man instructs. I head up to the staffroom, checking my phone before I put it away. I have a brief thought that causes me to text Autumn.

'You noticed that Reece was not his usual self today right?' I hit send, anxiously awaiting her response.

'Don't worry, I'll deal with it'

My phone lights up so I glance at the reply and put it away. I watch Autumn leave the nursery from the staffroom window, then return to work.

Reece's POV

Autumn definitely noticed, and from the look she exchanged with Carly, she did too. As long as it's just the food they notice then I'll be fine. And as long as they don't tell Marjorie anything, then things will be even better.

A/N: Sorry this is so short, I have big plans with this fic so I hope everyone enjoys