Being Wrong | ✓

Part 20

It was getting pretty late by the time Travis finally dropped Charlie home, so he was surprised when Charlie's grandma stopped him with a hand on his arm before he could leave. "Do you mind if we have a bit of a chat?"

Travis glanced behind her for Charlie, but he'd already retreated back to his room. Well, this was awkward. "Uh, yeah. I guess that's fine."

She stepped aside to let him in. "How is he? He looked a little better, though he's so good at being a mopey teenager that sometimes it's hard to tell."

Travis made a face but held his tongue. "Yeah, he's doing better. He was just tired, I guess."

"I swear, I don't know what to do with that boy."

Travis glanced around the living room. It was so unnecessarily and unwelcomingly fancy. They had plates on display in a glass cabinet. "I don't know. Get him a therapist, probably, because we're definitely not qualified for this."

Immediately, her demeanor changed. "No, I— there's nothing wrong with him."

Travis just looked at her for a moment. He didn't have the energy left to put up with this shit. "You do nothing but tell me about all the things that are wrong with him."

"Yes, but, well. Not like that, of course."

"What? Look, his mum died and then his dad kidnapped him and was not the greatest and most responsible caregiver. Of course like that."

Her whole posture had tensed up now. "I don't appreciate your attitude."

Travis sighed and looked away. He didn't like her and she wasn't right, but arguing with her when she was getting defensive wouldn't help anyone. "Sorry. My mum once made me and my brother eat dog food for a couple of weeks because she couldn't be bothered to make us proper food, so I may have some issues with maternal authority figures."

Travis had thought that was going to be a funny way to defuse tension before it came out of his mouth, but when he glanced back at her she didn't look at all amused. She didn't look annoyed at him any more either, though. The way she was looking at him now... that was much worse. He didn't want sympathy. He hadn't intended to open up to her about his tragic past. He never would have said it if he'd thought she actually might care.

"Well." She was silent for a moment. "Have you had dinner?"

"Oh, uh, yeah. Charlie's fed, too. I'm not an amazing cook, but he's always happy with eggs or whatever."

"There's plenty of leftover pasta. Come on. I'll put some in a container for you."

"Oh, uh, that's—" Travis started to say, but she'd already started in the direction of the kitchen. Travis made a face as he followed. "Okay."

Charlie's grandpa was sitting at the kitchen table looking through some bills. He looked up as they entered the room. "Come to ask my permission for my grandson's hand in marriage, have you?"

"Charlie told you we're—" Travis started to ask, and then abruptly shut up when the mixture of surprise and confusion on Charlie's grandpa's face made it clear that no, Charlie had not told him they were dating. Shit.

"I thought you were dating that other young man who sometimes hangs about?" Charlie's grandpa asked. "Hair shaved all short like they do in the military, looks like he spends too much time at the gym..."

"Robby?"

Charlie's grandpa shrugged. "Don't know his name. I never talked to him."

"He's my brother."