chapter fourteen !
❪ anywhere i want. . . just not home ❫

▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄▄

GWEN STOOD in front of her house, panic rising beneath her. She hasn't seen her mom or her brother since she ran away to Mexico. But now that she was back, Gwen doesn't know how she'll react.

She swallowed down her nerves, going up the front porch stairs. Gwen took a huge deep breath in before her fist met the door. She bit her nail nervously until the door opened.

Her mom's eyes widened slightly at the sight of her daughter. "Gwen," she mumbled out.

"Hey mom." Gwen slipped past her mom, inviting herself into her own house. She tried to avoid a situation that was about to escalate but her mother decided to speak up.

"So how was your little trip to Mexico?" She began. Gwen flinched at the door slamming behind them, "Did you take photos? Visit any places? But I think you forgot to do one thing, which was to call your own mother."

Gwen whipped around to face the woman. "I think you forgot something also. Maybe your marriage?"

"Give me a break." She sighed. "You didn't even call me."

"I needed time away from everything." Gwen admitted. "I lost the All Valley. I lost because of you. You brought Eric to the tournament and it distracted me from my fight with Sam. And you're worried about me not calling you? I mean, do you understand that? It's not all about you."

"Yeah." Her mother scoffed. "That's exactly what I was thinking when I was up every morning at five am, worrying if you were okay or safe at least. I was definitely thinking 'This is all about me.'"

The Payne teen glanced down as her mom continued. "You really treat me like shit, Gwen."

A scoff escaped Gwen's mouth after hearing her mother's words. "I treat you like shit?" She narrowed her eyes. "You treat me like shit! You're ruining our family for some random guy at work. All you've been doing is lying to me, dad and Kenny!"

"Why should I say the truth when all you do is lie to me!"

"When have I lied to you?!" Gwen raised her voice.

"Gwyneth, enough!" Her mother shook her head. "Everything you're doing is for that Keene boy."

"It's about Robby now." Gwen rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"It is always about Robby. You're putting him above everything else. No wonder why you've been treating me so badly!"

Gwen laughed dryly at her mother. "At least he treats me like I'm somebody, okay!" She defended. "I don't have to be perfect around him, or try to prove myself to him."

"I have to do all those things with you!" She explained. "He shows me what comfort is and what love–" Gwen decided to cut herself off, finding herself shock about the words she was about to blurt out.

Love.

She loves Robby Keene?

Her mother stared at her in disbelief. "I don't think you understand, sweetie." She took a few steps closer towards her daughter and cupped her hands.

"He's just some teenage boy that will break your heart." Gwen frowned at her mother's words. "You don't know what love is."

"Oh and you do?" She snatched her hands back. "You're sneaking around with Eric!"

"Keep your voice down," Her mother gritted through her teeth. "Kenny's upstairs."

"Don't you think he deserves to know the truth?" Gwen furrowed her eyebrows. "How you've been cheating on dad–!"

Gwen's impulsive words earned her a burning slap on the face. Silence filled the room. Her hand reached up to hold her cheek as she looked down, not daring to look at her mother's eyes.

She was taken back by her harsh action, the tears she's been holding in finally escaping.

"This is why I hate coming back here," Gwen mumbled out.

"You hate coming back here?" Her mom laughed bitterly before making her way towards the living room sofa, grabbing one of Gwen's laundry baskets.

"Mom, what are you doing?" The girl's worry began to rise. Her mother shoved past her, opening the front door and with that, threw all of Gwen's clothes over the front porch.

Gwen's jaw dropped in shock. She rushed outside and leaned over the railing, seeing her clothes on the grass. "You don't have to worry about coming back here anymore." Her mother snarled. "Get your shit and get out of my house!"

Gwen's eyes were tearful while blinking rapidly. She walked down the porch stairs and picked up her clothes that were thrown on the ground.

When she grabbed the last bit of her clothing, she didn't look back and walked away from the house filled with ugly lies.

ˑ༄'

THE GIRL FOUND herself outside of the familiar apartment in Reseda. She knocked on the door, her clothes still in her hands.

Her mind kept replaying that moment. That slap. She didn't know how to feel. Mad? Sad? Maybe both. But all she knew for sure is that she was never going to go back there.

Her thoughts got interrupted by the door finally opening, revealing Robby. He immediately noticed her teary state and the pile of clothes with her. "Gwen, hey," He began, his eyes filled with confusion and worry.

"What's wrong?" The Keene boy asked as he took a step closer to her.

Gwen sighed. "My mom went a little crazy and... kicked me out." She confessed.

"She did what?" Robby's face scrunched up in anger.

"It's not even a big deal," Gwen reassured him. "I just need a place to stay for a few days. Is that okay with you?" Her voice was low and gentle.

"Of course." He quickly answered. "My dad wouldn't even mind. You can stay in my room." Robby told her.

Gwen gave him a small smile before stepping closer to him and closing the gap between them. The kiss was short and sweet but to Robby it meant everything to him.

It gave him confirmation that everything between him and Gwen was okay.

Robby pulled away with a smile. "I missed this," he admitted. "Us."

Gwen returned one back, "Me too." She responded with. "The only good thing about my life right now is you, Keene." Gwen stared into his green ones. "Just promise me that I won't lose this."

Robby looked deep into her brown gaze, his face covered with seriousness. "I promise," he nodded.

Gwen smiled at the two words and laid her soft lips back onto his.

━━━━━━━━

mars speaks!

everyone after reading this chapter:

also the next chapter may or may not be smut... but we not going to talk about that rn... 🙂‍↕️

please vote for this chapter and don't be a silent reader <3