Crashing Waves

24

I hadn't expected to wake up with Hardy's arm around me, but I had, and it was nice.
There were no worries for either of us today, since I knew he and Ellie were taking a few days off whilst the station was quiet. After all it was approaching the winter season, there weren't any tourists and the crime rate was a lot lower than it had been.

A small grumble from behind me made me carefully turn over, gently moving Hardy's gangly arm so that it wasn't resting on my wound. He wasn't quite awake, which meant yet again he was mumbling about something in his dreams. Hardy was a very loud sleeper, which was nice, it kept an atmosphere to the room rather than letting me mull in silence, which as I've proven over the last few weeks is not the best thing to do.

"I suppose you're waiting on breakfast then." His voice was hoarse after the night, and as he opened his eyes he looked across at me, sighing. Hardy always looked so sad, and even with his thin frame, he was looking a bit underweight. His cheeks had sunk in, although compared to last night his dark circles were a lot better.

"When did you last sleep?" I asked, placing my arm over his. I was concerned about him, and I know that he was overthinking the court case, because it was exactly what I was doing. No kind of protocol was followed at all, and I knew that Hardy would be fully blamed for that.

"I can't remember." He turned over, taking back possession of his arm and stared up at the ceiling, the arm closest to me laying on his chest. "Miller and I have been busy compiling evidence for your case." I sat up, placing a pillow long ways so I could lean against it.

"Oof." I sighed, taking a deep breath and baring the pain from my waist. "You've seen all the videos." I knew that's what he was trying to say. "That's why you've been avoiding me and Ellie has been smothering me. She knew how you'd react."

"You need to be put through to a SIF."

"I don't need an advisor, Alec. It's way too late for that. What I need is for you to able to look at me in the same way." I saw him glance at me before sitting up, copying my position.

"And I need you to follow procedure and talk to someone about this. Someone that isn't me, Alice. I can't be involved until this case is over."

"Then why the hell did you just stay in the same bed as me?" I was getting worked up now, he was so contradictory with this!

"Because I want us to-urgh!" he groaned and stopped, looking at me before suddenly leaning forwards, kissing me. I relented at first but soon found myself kissing him back, lowering ourselves back into bed and about to go further, until my waist acted up.

"Ack!" I pulled away, still mad at him. "No. You can't just do that. Say you don't want it and do that. That's not fair, Hardy. I've been messed around enough. You know what I've been through. Apart from the guy who did this to me, you're the only one who knows." I stood up, taking a deep breath before grabbing my dressing gown. "I need to know what you want, because you've been married before and I don't know how that went wrong. I'm terrified of being used again." Before I could say anymore to him I slowly made my way out of the bedroom and downstairs into the kitchen, where a cup of tea was calling me.

"I'm not a romantic." He startled me, but as I continued making the tea he stopped me. "This whole case is reliant on you being of sound mind, and when I'm around you seem to do fine, but when I go to leave you act like I never can. Alice I can't be with you in court. I'm not allowed in until we've both testified."

"I know that." I'd been in court before, but never where I was the main focus. "I want to know if this was all an affair for you. That's it. If it was, then you need to leave. If it wasn't... then." I wasn't sure what to do if it wasn't just an affair for him.

"I think I'll stay. Now, sit the bloody hell down woman, and I'll make us a cup of tea." I couldn't help but smile softly at that, hearing a knock at the door.

"Thank god you get dressed when you get up." I said, making my way to the front door. "Hey, Ellie."

"I see Hardy's car outside?" She points, letting herself in.

"Yeah, he's just making tea. You want some?" I ask, not wanting to mention that he stayed over. We still weren't sure what was happening yet, and like Hardy said, he wasn't a romantic. I doubt he even did the whole dating thing.

"I'll make my own. Still can't stand that strong brew he calls tea." She'd started already. "You sit down." I nodded, letting her go off into the kitchen and no doubt start a spat with Alec.

"Take it before it ends up down his shirt." Ellie appeared with two cups, sitting in the single sofa. I side eyed her as Alec walked around and sat on the two seater with me, all of us taking a sip of our tea.

"Hardy said you'd been compiling evidence for my case." I realise I had dropped him in it, but I wanted to know what they had seen.

"I'm sorry, we have to make sure that the evidence is solid. Your lawyer is coming around later today, isn't she?" Ellie leaned forward, crossing her legs.

"Shit, I'd forgotten about it." I went to stand up, but I felt Alec's hand on my knee.

"She's not due until about five." He said, noticing that he had touched me. Pulling away Hardy reached for his tea again, holding up to his mouth to avoid more conversation.