* * *
Charley hurried up the stairs. Although with every stairwell she felt her heart beat a little faster, she was now eager to speak to Bolton. Her nerves had drifted away now she was so close and the nausea had passed.
On the fifth floor, she pushed through the heavy door and into the corridor. She sniffed her top awkwardly, realising that she was wearing the same clothes she’d been in since last night. It would have to do.
She stopped outside Flat 93. The door with its cracking red paint was all that kept her from Bolton now. She knocked twice.
She could hear noises from inside, voices and then the sound of a door slamming. She knocked again, more tentative this time.
The door was opened by Julie, Bolton’s mother.
“All right love, you after Bolton?” Julie asked, a cigarette hanging precariously from her lips and a bundle of washing in her arms.
“Yeah,” Charley nodded. “Is he in?”
Julie stepped aside, and Charley stepped into the narrow hallway, pressing herself against the wall to pass.
“He’s in his room,” Julie told her.
Charley went through the small, over-cluttered lounge to a door on the far side. Bolton’s bedroom. She could hear music playing through the closed door.
“Tell him to tidy up in there,” Julie called after her, and Charley smiled.
She liked being here. There was an air of ease in the flat. Bolton was an only child and Julie clearly didn’t have the same issues with him as Toni did with her. They were comfortable in each other’s presence and Charley always felt welcome here.
She knocked once on the bedroom door before she let herself in. The smell of weed smothered her instantly and she had to peer through the gloom and the smoke to make out where Bolton was sat on his bed, flicking through music channels on the television on his desk.
“All right babe?” he called to her, hastily putting the joint out in an overflowing ashtray on the floor. Charley stepped over clothes and game consoles to the far side of the room, where she wrenched open the curtains and the window.
“You not at school today then?” he asked her, grinning broadly.
“I figured I had better things to do,” Charley smiled and sat down on the bed.
She felt the butterflies take flight in her stomach once again. That was the effect Bolton had on her. He was tall and lean, his skin a bronze colour and his hair shaved close to his scalp. An earring glistened from his ear and his eyes were dark.
“What’s with the surprise visit anyway?” he asked, looking at her inquiringly. “I could have had a couple of girls back here, you know.”
Charley looked up at him, eyes wide, but his perfect face crinkled into a smile and he burst out laughing. Charley felt her body relax and allowed herself to laugh along with him after slapping him playfully on the leg.
“You need to stop worrying babe,” Bolton said softly, pulling her closer to him across the bed, “You know you’re the only girl for me.”
Charley smiled. She couldn’t help herself.
“And you’re the only boy for me.”
“That’s a relief,” he grinned, nuzzling her neck with his lips, “I’d hate to have to go beat some guy up, especially this early in the morning.”
“You shouldn’t talk like that,” she chastised him, though she felt her chest swell at his words.
“Why not?” he whispered, his lips hovering inches from her own. “I’ve got to let people know you’re my girl. And I don’t do sharing.”
“I love you,” she said, clasping his hands and looking into his eyes.
“I love you too.”
His fingers intertwined with hers and he kissed her. Charley felt all her thoughts and worries from earlier disappearing, replaced by a contented bliss as he pressed against her.
She had to tell him though. She slowly moved her lips away from his and put her hand on Bolton’s chest, separating them. Bolton leaned back, curiosity in his eyes at her withdrawal.
“What is it?” he asked. “Did I do something wrong?”
“No, nothing like that,” Charley said quickly, eager to appease the worry in his eyes. “I just need to talk to you about something.”
“That doesn’t sound good,” he said, his eyes narrowing. “You sure everything’s okay?”
“Yeah,” she insisted, “It’s just –”
“Just what?”
“It’s nothing bad, really.”
Charley winced at the pleading tone in her voice. Now that the moment for truth had come, she wasn’t sure if she could do it.
“Come on, Charley, you got me worried. What’s wrong? You can tell me anything.”
His voice was sincere and Charley felt the butterflies slow down.
“I’m –”
“You’re what?” Bolton prompted, laying his warm hand reassuringly on her leg.
“I’m pregnant.”
Charley looked down at the dark blue duvet and her folded legs, Bolton’s hand still casually lying on the hem of her skirt. She couldn’t bear to look at Bolton’s face as he registered the news. She wondered what he was thinking as silence filled the room. Her heart was pounding hard again. Would her mother and Leigh-Ann be right? Would he leave her?
After what seemed like an age, Bolton broke the silence.
“You’re pregnant?” he managed, the shock evident in his voice.
“Yeah,” she nodded. She kept her voice low. “Are you okay?”
“And it’s mine, right?” Bolton was hesitant.
“Yeah,” she replied, trying to keep the defensiveness out of her voice. “I haven’t been with anyone else. Ever. I promise.”
“Okay.” Bolton’s face had drained of colour and a bead of sweat formed on his forehead.
“Are you sure you’re okay?” Charley asked, though her voice shook, awaiting his answer.
“Yeah, it’s just a shock. That’s all,” Bolton said, regaining some of his composure. “I thought we’d been careful, you know, but –”
“I think it was that time at the party,” Charley interrupted, “We were drunk and –”
“And you didn’t –”
“When I got back, mum grounded me for the rest of the weekend, and by Monday it was too late to take the pill. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be sorry,” he said gently. “It’s not your fault.”
Silence descended over the room again, and she clutched at Bolton’s hand. He looked up at her, but quickly looked down again.
“So, are you going to...you know...keep it?”
Bolton was clearly nervous and hesitant, but Charley couldn’t read through his words. Did he want her to keep it? She struggled to keep from shaking at the thought of the alternative.
“Yeah,” she replied, “I mean, if you –”
“It’s up to you. But, you know, if you want to then –”
“I think I do,” she said. She was surprised her words didn’t waver.
There was another pause as they both absorbed her words.
“So we’re going to be parents, huh?” Bolton said, looking up and meeting Charley’s eyes. He smiled and Charley felt her body relax.
“Bit scary, innit?”
“Just a little,” Bolton agreed, squeezing her hand gently in reassurance.
“I’m sorry I didn’t tell you sooner,” Charley said. As she said it, she realised that she really was. After the weeks of worry and doubt, the moment she had been dreading had not been half as bad as she had feared. Bolton still loved her. Just like she had always known he would.
“How long have you known?” Bolton asked.
“Only a few weeks.”
“Who else knows?”
“Just Leigh-Ann,” Charley replied, then quickly added, “Only because she helped me with the test. Oh, and my mum knows, too.”
“Shit. What did she say?”
“What do you think? She wasn’t exactly planning the baby shower when I left.”
Bolton laughed despite
himself and Charley allowed herself to smile. Bolton had been on the receiving end of too many of Toni’s rants not to know her reaction.
“She never liked me,” he said.
“Who cares what she thinks?” Charley snapped. “All we need is each other.”
“We should care, though,” he sighed. “We’re going to need a lot of –”
“We don’t need anything from her.”
“Charley, this is serious. We can’t do this, not just us.”
“We’ll manage. We love each other. That’s all we need.”
As if to confirm it, Charley wrapped her fingers in his and kissed him lightly on the lips.
“Babe, love ain’t going to feed this baby. Or get it clothes. Then there’s nappies, and where we going to live?”
Charley knew he was right, but she couldn’t allow herself to think like that.
“We’ll find a way, though, won’t we?”
Bolton nodded and wrapped his arms around her. She relaxed against him, smelling the soothing scent of the shower gel he’d used earlier mixed with the weed he’d been smoking when she’d walked into his room.
“Yeah, course we will,” he reassured her. “I’ll take care of you.”
Charley smiled, trying to ignore the flicker of panic she’d seen in his eyes.
“You promise?”
“I promise,” he answered, and she knew he meant it. He slid a hand around her waist and rested it gently on her stomach. “I promise both of you.”
CHAPTER THREE
When Asher let himself into the flat he could hear his mother in the kitchen, humming along to the radio.
At the sound of the door closing, the humming stopped and Toni poked her head around the doorframe.
“It’s only me, mum,” Asher called down the corridor, dropping his keys into his pocket.
“That was quick,” Toni said when he entered the kitchen. “Did you see her?”
“Yeah, I saw her,” Asher replied, looking down.
Toni placed the mop in the corner of the room, resting against the freshly-scrubbed Formica counter, and sat down at the table, motioning for Asher to join her.
“So, what did she have to say for herself?”
Asher sat down and placed his hands on the table, looking at his mother.
“Not much,” he admitted. “She’s going to see Bolton.”
Asher watched as something flickered behind his mother’s eyes, but her face remained calm and he knew that it was taking all her strength to maintain her composure.
“Anything else?”
“She feels bad about what happened last night –”
“And so she should,” Toni interrupted. “Causing such a scene like she did. Half destroyed my kitchen and all.”
“Seriously, I could see it in her eyes,” Asher persisted, “She wants to make it up with you.”
“Then why isn’t she here herself?” Toni asked, eyeing him suspiciously.
“I told you, she was going to tell Bolton.”
“Huh,” Toni grunted.
“Where will she go after Bolton kicks her out?” Asher asked, determined, “She needs us, you know that. We can’t just leave her out on the street.”
“She’s made her decision.”
“So she’s not allowed back?” Asher asked, voice rising slightly, “Just like that?”
Toni, sensing her son’s frustration, rose from the table and picked up the mop. Asher watched as she began mopping the tiled floor again.
“Mum?” he questioned.
Toni sighed heavily and leant against the mop.
“It’s out of my hands,” she replied. “She’s made her decision.”
“If she comes back here, will you let her stay?” Asher asked, trying to keep the frustration out of his voice.
“We’ll see,” was Toni’s reply, before she turned up the radio and continued mopping, signaling an end to the discussion.
* * *
Bolton sat across from his mother in the lounge and watched her face register the news he’d just imparted to her.
“And you’re okay with it?” Julie asked her son, eyebrow raised slightly.
“Of course,” Bolton replied. “I love Charley.”
“Well, I don’t see a problem then,” Julie shrugged.
“Really?” Bolton asked, surprised.
“It was only a matter of time,” Julie explained. “And I’m hardly one to judge, am I? At your age I’d already had you, love.”
“Still, I thought you’d be more –”
“Angry?” Julie asked, amused. “I can’t say I’m thrilled. But I’m proud of you.”
“Proud?”
“Of the way you’ve handled it all. You’re being a responsible boy. Or man, I suppose I should say. That’s why I’m proud. A lesser man would’ve walked away.”
“I wouldn’t do that,” Bolton said. “Not after dad.”
“You’re a better man than he ever was,” Julie smiled. “But there are some things you need to think about now.”
“I know.”
“Like getting yourself a job,” Julie pointed out. “And then there are all the hospital visits and check-ups. And what about living arrangements?”
“I thought, maybe, Charley could stay with us for a bit?”
Julie grimaced.
“You know I’d love to have her,” she sighed. “But I can’t afford it. It’s hard enough keeping our own heads above the water, let alone supporting a pregnant girl as well.”
“You know she can’t go back to her mum’s,” Bolton argued. “And I swear, I’ll pay for her to stay, you won’t have to worry about that.”
“I admire you’re determination,” Julie said, “But I just can’t allow it. She’ll just have to sort things out with her mum and stay there until we can figure something out.”
“What if she can’t go back?”
“Trust me, her mother won’t let her sleep on the streets in her condition.”
“But mum –”
“Enough Bolton,” Julie said, holding up her hand. “Now, I’ve been more understanding than most mums would’ve been. Let’s drop it now, okay?”
Bolton nodded in resignation.
“Congratulations,” Julie smiled and hugged her son.
“Thanks, mum,” Bolton replied, and retreated to his room.
* * *
Charley lay on Bolton’s bed and watched the sun glance off the windows of a nearby block of flats. She wondered what her mother was doing, but quickly pushed the thought from her mind. It no longer mattered what her mum thought. Bolton was fine with the whole situation. She had always known he would be and although she longed to boast about it and prove her mother wrong, Bolton had made her promise to keep quiet until he had spoken to his own mum.
The bedroom door creaked open and Bolton walked in. He looked downcast and was frowning slightly. Charley sat up, smoothing down the duvet covers that she had ruffled with her sudden movement.
“What did she say?”
Bolton sat heavily on the edge of the bed and Charley shuffled beside him, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder.
“She didn’t go mad, like I thought she would,” Bolton said. Charley nodded, and he continued, “She just said she was proud, that we were doing the right thing.”
Charley felt relief flood through her body. She laid her head on Bolton’s broad shoulder, inhaling the smell of freshly laundered cotton, Lynx and the lingering smell of weed.
It was a few moments before Charley realized that Bolton hadn’t moved, still sitting upright, his body tense.
“What’s wrong?” she asked, though she had an idea of what was coming.
“Mum was all right with everything, but she says you can’t stay.”
Bolton’s voice was quiet and thick with guilt. Charley squeezed his shoulder, hoping it would reassure him.
He turned to look at her, frowning.
“I’m sorry,” he said. “I’m really sorry. I thought she’d �
�”
“It’s okay. I understand where she’s coming from.”
Charley kept her voice as light as she could manage. She felt disappointed, but she had known, in the back of her mind, that a chance to get away from her mother was always going to be too good to be true.
“I’ve already let you down,” Bolton said. “I can’t even give you a place to stay.”
“We’ve got months before the baby comes. We’ll have plenty of time, don’t worry, you haven’t let anyone down.”
“Where are you going to live though?”
Charley sighed.
“I’ll go back to my mum’s,” she said.
Bolton looked at her doubtfully.
“But you don’t want to, that’s the point. I should be taking care of –”
“Stop worrying about it, I’ll be fine,” Charley said, smiling. “Mum ain’t that bad.”
Bolton raised an eyebrow and Charley laughed, hitting him playfully on the shoulder. Bolton smiled properly this time, his white teeth bright against his caramel skin, and Charley felt the pull of him.
“Okay, she’s that bad, but I can deal with it. I’ve had years of practice. And we could get a council flat if we wanted, couldn’t we?”
“Yeah, we could. Anything to get you out of there.”
“Then we’ll be living together,” Charley said, not bothering to hide the immense pleasure these words brought her.
Bolton wrapped his arm around her shoulders and kissed her on the cheek. Charley leant back against him. Going back to her mother’s would be hard, but she would survive it. At least she knew that it was only a temporary measure, before she and Bolton could get a place of their own. Then everyday would be like this, wrapped up in his arms, feeling nothing but love and happiness.
* * *
That evening, Charley walked down the street feeling both cheerful and apprehensive. She had spent all day in Bolton’s bedroom, talking and kissing. When Julie had popped out to the shops, she and Bolton had slipped under his covers. Bolton had been gentle, as he always was, and Charley had been lost in pleasure.
When she’d left Bolton’s flat, Julie had hugged her and congratulated her. Knowing what awaited her when she finally made it home, Charley had taken a diversion and visited Leigh-Ann to tell her all about her day and Leigh-Ann had said all the right things and hugged her close, even if she had still looked doubtful.
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