I Hate You More

Three Weeks

"Are you coming," Remington walked back into the kitchen with a small smile on his face, and took my hand in his to lead me out the door. I got caught up in his appearance as I took in his outfit. He was wearing a white muscle shirt with a skull on the front of it, black leather pants, and a pair of black combat boots, "what are you staring at?"

"Your mom."

A stifled laugh left his lips as he opened the door to his black jeep, and waited for me to get in before closing the door behind me. I twiddled my thumbs, and waited for him to get into the driver's seat, and start his car.

"You're something else," Remington mumbled, "do you want a coffee or anything?"

"Why do you treat me like I don't know how to take care of myself?" I smiled after shaking my head.

"I'm not," He looked at me momentarily, then his focus was back on the road, "I just- want to do everything I can for you."

That was sweet.

"But why," I asked, focusing out the window at the city building passing by, "what have I ever done for you?"

He mumbled something but, I couldn't tell what he said.

"What?" I said.

"I-," He was going to say something else but, he obviously changed his mind, "why don't you ever let me help you?"

I just shrugged my shoulders, "Maybe I'll have to try it sometime."

"Yeah," Remington chuckled, "maybe."

———————————————————————————
Remington

I rubbed my hands up and down my pants, trying to get the sweat off of my palms. The last time Harlen saw her father, we didn't see her again for two years. I couldn't go in with her while she was giving her statement. All I could do was wait. Anxiously, I would like to add. I looked up instantly at the sound of a door opening but, turned my focus back to my phone when I saw someone else. This happened about seven times before I saw Harlen's face. I stood up and walked towards her quickly.

"How'd it go?"

Darren answered before she could, "We'll have to reconnect several times between the trial date-"

"Which is when?" I asked.

"January fifth. Now-"

"That's in like three weeks." I muttered.

Why would they give her such a short amount of time to prepare herself?

"Rem," Harlen sighed, "just let him talk. You asked what was going on."

I threw a glance in Harlen's direction, and the hard look on my face softened at the pleading look on hers.

"Ok. Sorry."

"You have the dates so I'll see you in a couple of days?" Darren turned towards Harlen with his words.

"Yea." She mumbled, warranting him to nod his head, and leave us.

"Are you alright?" I asked, stepping closer to her after taking in the paled look on her face.

"Can we just go?" Harlen shrugged, warranting me to nod my head and lead her out the door of the station, and down the street to where I had parked.

"Where do you want to go to eat?" I asked after pulling out of the spot I parallel parked in.

I glanced at Harlen due to her lack of response, and noticed her staring out the window, "Harley?"

She looked at me, as if she was trying not to cry, and I almost broke right there and then.

"How about Marley's?"

She slowly nodded her head, warranting me to switch into the turning lane.

"They told me that the most time he'd do is eight years," Harlen mumbled out of the blue, "and I guess that's reasonable but, I just never wanna see him again. I don't ever want to worry about him getting to Gianna. I guess just a little part of me was hoping he'd rot in a cell."

I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times, trying to find the right way to respond.

"Isn't that what he deserves," She asked after I failed to respond completely, "to sit in a locked room with nobody to help for the rest of his life? That's what he wanted to do to me, so why shouldn't he get the same thing?"

This time I knew not to respond, and instead took one of my hands off of the wheel and into one of her hands. Three weeks.

This was gonna be the hard on all of us but, especially Harlen.