Live Again // Bradley Simpson

Chapter 28: Definition of Home

Charlie quickly got back to the car, where Brad was now in drivers seat, scrolling away on his phone. His hair lazily covered his tired eyes and dried lips.

"Brad." Charlie sighed.

Brad grunted his reply.

"I saw Lucy. In that van getting breath tested, actually more like arrested." Charlie told him.

Brad sat up, and looked at Charlie. "Then we'll just drive away."

"Great advice." Charlie muttered.

Brad knew everything about Lucy, from the therapy and everything that went in between. But Charlie seemed to think Brad would never fully understand this. She felt like could never get away from Lucy, no matter where she went in life, she always found her way back to her.

Maybe it was right person wrong time, but in a fucked up way. Right person to show you what life could be, but at the wrong time.

Concerned, Brad tried to take Charlie's mind off Lucy. "On the good side, your brother's tour starts soon, so they'll be here in a week's time. You can see them again!"

Charlie already knew this. In fact, she felt it was all her brother ever messaged her about.

Brad's plan to distract Charlie's thoughts did no good, before he knew it she began to ramble on about the surprise sighting of Lucy.

"Aren't you shocked? Surprised? I don't know. This isn't just a coincidence." Charlie pestered him, ignoring his comment on Jason.

He shrugged. "Honestly. You freak out too much. It's normal to bump into people you know, small world..."

Slightly annoyed, Brad then started the car, and soon enough they were off again. Charlie looked out the window as the drug bus got smaller and smaller, and she got further and further away from her...

Charlie tried to concentrate her mind onto the odd  music blasting out of the car radio. It was hard to take her mind off someone who held so much of herself in their hands, but she knew it wasn't going to be healthy to keep tossing her up in her mind.

Breaking the silence, Charlie spoke. "Jason doesn't know I saw Lucy again."

"You just saw her." Brad responded.

Charlie shook her head. "No, stupid. He doesn't know I went to rehab! He's too narcissistic to ask anything about my life. Jason only thinks about himself."

Brad didn't know what to say. He wasn't good at things like this. But he remembered all the pain that Charlie had endured and how much he loved her. He knew that he had to push her or else they wouldn't get anywhere.

"Charlie, you have a week to forget everything. Just breathe, and we'll figure it all out."

"Brad. I love you and all, but I have spent my whole life trying to stop and breathe. I know you've helped me live again, but-"

Brad stopped Charlie mid sentence. "Charlie, you only saw Lucy in a drug bus, getting arrested. She'll be in jail, no more chances of you bumping into her. Jason will understand everything, he's your brother, and was there for everything when you were younger. He might be able to help you get better?"

Charlie sighed. "You're right Brad. You always are."

Brad smiled, and intertwined his fingers with Charlie's. Charlie watched carefully as Brad drove one handed down an empty country road.

'You're a good driver and all, but I can't stand people who drive one handed." Charlie laughed, and directed Brad's hand back to the steering wheel. "Watch the road noob."

"Noob?"

Charlie laughs again. "Yes, noob."

The night slowly passed, and when morning came the two woke up in a small bed, in a sketchy motel. Brad traced Charlie's face with his fingers, she was a heavy sleeper and didn't even notice. Brad savoured these moments, where nothing mattered and nothing was in between them. But Brad wondered if life would ever be this way, where Charlie was truthfully his, and they could live a life as normal as they could.

Charlie moaned suddenly, and turned her body around to face Brad. "Bradley. Can we go home?"

"But our holiday?"

Charlie still had her eyes closed, and muttered, "I just want to go home."

Brad ran his hand through Charlie's messy hair, and kissed her forehead. Charlie might have finally annihilated her addiction to drugs, but her depression still remained, though only quite mild, it still lingered. He had to respect that.

Brad gulped. "We'll head home then."

Charlie wrapped her arms around Brad's waist, and snuggled her head into the crook of his neck. It was her way of saying sorry, because she knew deep down Brad was disappointed, since he too deserved a holiday.

Her life had changed with Brad, changed for the better. She knew to thank him for that. But she still felt pain like she used too. It wasn't the same pain, but it was familiar, and she knew it will continue to linger no matter what Brad could do for her. Depression was in her hands, and it was her responsibility to conquer it.