Along The Way

Chapter 9 - When I Made the Choice

- Two years ago -

| Dylan |

TWO HARD RAPS against the office's door took my attention away from the screen where I was filling out an order for parts we were running low on stock.

I raised my eyebrows as Reed stuck his head through the slight opening, his eyes doing a sweep around the room before finally settling on me. "Tate gone?"

"Yep." I replied, watching the tension leave his shoulders as he sauntered into the room, letting the door close behind him.

As our legal guardian, Tate---that is our uncle---had taken over the responsibility of raising two boys just out of elementary school. Reed an I were just entering the teenage phase when our parents died on a car crash. They were coming back from a date when dad lost control of the wheel and crashed against a tree. From one moment to the next they were both gone, and as we were growing up it sucked. Our folks were wonderful and I f**king missed them every day.

Tate and Carol were great though. They were good solid people with whom we could always count. As a matter of fact, I idolized Tate. He was my role model, tenacious, determined, always had his shit together. Reed on the other hand had a strained relationship with our aunt and uncle. Not for their lack of trying though, Reed was just...Reed. He took the loss of our parents the hardest and life kept dealing him shit. It was hard to watch him spinning out of control, even more so when I knew all he was trying to escape. Sometimes I felt I was the only thing holding him back from blowing up his life.

I studied him as he dragged a chair from under the desk, the legs scrapping the floor as he sat straddling it, his arms supported on the backrest. Now that the weariness had cleared out of his gaze he looked relaxed, he wasn't high or anything which lately was saying a lot.

"You'll never guess what I found out today." His eyes dropped to the papers scattered on the desk eyeing them with little interest. He was never much for helping the family's business, choosing instead to hang with his buds. Usually I joined them because it was probably the only way I could keep an eye on him without raising his hackles, but I also felt duty-bound to help Tate out in the shop.

I returned my attention to the screen at the same time I gave him a distracted "What?"

"Been trying to figure out who the blonde chick you showed up with the other day was..."

I didn't need him to clarify what day he was referring to, just the mere mention of Charlotte had me sitting to attention. I'd spent hours the past week recalling the feel of her slim body against mine, the touch of those incredible eyes I got to fully appreciate at the 7-Eleven. I'd finally surrendered to the impulse like a pu**y whipped fool and looked her up on social media.

Let's just say Charlotte was quite a popular name in the U.S.

"Yeah?" I tried to sound disinterested, as if I wasn't hanging on his every word. Didn't want Reed to catch on to the fact that I fancied this girl, having her in his near vicinity at that party had been an eye opener. I didn't want her near Reed or around his punk friends, she was too soft, too trusting for that. Unfortunately, that decision also placed her out of my reach. My mind was reluctant to accept that.

There was something about the girl that intrigued me and I'd been berating myself for not asking for her cellphone number or at least a surname to go along with the name. That would have made my social media search way easier.

When my brother wasn't spurred to share I was forced to take my eyes from work again. He was wearing a calculating scowl, his eyes studying me closely.

"What?" I asked roughly.

"Why were you with that chick anyway?" He suddenly asked, as if the fact that I'd arrived at the party with the girl hadn't crossed his mind until now.