After 2

Chapter 172.

I remember my anger towards Ken when I heard the origin of Hardin's nightmares. I remember wanting to slap him right across his face for ever letting anything hurt Hardin in that way, so when he says this it stirs my stored anger.

"I will never be able to take any of that back no matter how hard I wish that I could. I wasn't good for her and I knew it. She was too good for me and I knew that too, so did everyone else. Now she has Robin who I know will treat her the way she deserves to be treated. There is a Robin for you too, I know it." He tells me.

"My son hopefully will be lucky enough to find his Karen later in life when he grows and stops fighting everything and everyone along the way."

At the mention of Hardin with 'his Karen' I swallow and look away, I don't want to imagine Hardin with anyone else. It's way too soon. I do wish that for him though, I would never wish for him to be alone for the rest of his life. I just hope he finds someone who he loves as much as Ken loves Karen so that he can have a second chance to love someone more than he loved me.

"I hope he does too." I finally say.

"I'm sorry that he hasn't contacted you." Ken says quietly.

"It's okay.. I stopped expecting it a few days ago."

"Anyway, I better get upstairs to my office I have some phone calls to make." I'm glad he's excusing himself before we get any deeper into the conversation. I don't want to talk about Hardin anymore.

"Be careful tonight and if you need anything give us a call." He smiles before walking out of the kitchen.

I close my eyes and take a few breaths but it doesn't calm my racing mind so I reach for my phone and dig my headphones out of the pockets of my sweater. The Fray blasts through the small buds and I am calm by the chorus and I check my text messages while I walk upstairs to grab my purse.

*Tristan's sick we can't come, sorry babe!* Steph sent.

Great. I hope Zed and Nate can come. Maybe they will bring other people too so I am not the only girl, just not Molly I hope.

*Can you still come tonight?* I send to Zed and wait for a reply.

"I will be your guardian when all is crumbling, I'll steady your hand.." The lyrics pour into my ears and I skip the rest of the song.

*Yea, can I catch a ride with you? Truck won't start* Zed replies.

I text him back and tell him that's fine and I will be there at six. It's five thirty now so I may as well make my way to Zed's place. If he needs to ride with me does that mean it will only be him and I tonight? I'm not sure how I feel about that but I don't want to overthink it, the way I do with every aspect of my life.

When I pull up in front of Zed's apartment building he is waiting outside with a cigarette behind his ear.

"You smoke?" I ask and crinkle my nose.

He seems puzzled as he climbs into my small car.

"Oh, yeah. Well sometimes, I haven't smoked in a while but I found this one in my room."

"So not only do you plan to smoke, you plan to smoke an old cigarette?"

"I guess so. You don't like cigarettes?"

"No, not at all. But hey, if you want to smoke you can. Well, not in my car obviously." I tell him.

His fingers move to the door and he presses one of the small buttons. When the window is half down he takes the cigarette from behind his ear and tosses it out the window.