The Broken One

Chapter 22- Nothing Was Ever Easy

Harley's Point of View

"Babe, give me your math homework," Ryder whined.

"No, what kind of unofficial tutor would I be if I did that?" I said smirking.

"A good one," Ryder tried. I rolled my eyes and handed it to him while taking his history notes.

We were currently on my bed trying to finish our massive amount of homework and it was already pretty late. Suddenly the door opened and Matt burst in. "You guys are still doing homework I thought you started when you got home?" he asked.

"We may have gotten a little distracted," I said smiling while looking at Ryder who was also grinning thinking about our make/out session only an hour before.

"Ugh gross I don't need details on my baby sister's love life," Matt whined noticing our faces. He took our unfinished pizza box and went back downstairs.

"Speaking of distractions, I like to take a break," Ryder said leaning closer to me. I rolled my eyes and let him kiss me. We continued to make out until my phone started to ring.

"Ignore it," Ryder said in between kisses. That worked for about ten seconds. Then the phone rang again. Then again. I sighed and Ryder reluctantly got off me. I went to answer the call.

"Hi Hailey," I muttered putting it on speaker.

"What am I interrupting something?" She said wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

"How did you know?" Ryder asked smiling at me.

"A twin sister always knows when her sister is pouting because someone spoiled her make out session."

Ryder looked shocked to hear that.

"I'm kidding," she said laughing. "Matt just called me."

"So Hailey do have a reason for interrupting us." I said.

"No, I just wanted to talk."

"Great." I said pouting at Ryder.

"So what's new with you other than Ryley finally happening?" She said grinning.

"Ryley?" I asked.

"Don't ask." Ryder muttered.

After talking with Hailey for awhile. I finally hung up and I went back to the bed to finish all our homework. By the time, I had finished both mine and Ryder's work  it was past midnight. I got up to change while Ryder got in my bed.

When I returned, he opened his arms and I went into bed and snuggled into his embrace. We fell asleep but around two Ryder started to move around. I tried to go back to sleep but I soon I stared to hear muffled crying. I got up and turned to look at Ryder, tears were falling down his face. I shook him a couple times and he finally woke up.

"Ryder are you okay?" I said concerned. He looked at me with those gorgeous green eyes, and I saw the pain in them and took his hand comfortingly.

"You can tell me," I said softly. "Were  you have a nightmare?" I asked.

"I never told you why I was so keen on sleeping with you even though I had just met you," he said quietly. "I have insomnia too."

"I'm sorry," I said. "Is it really bad?"

"Never as bad as yours, it doesn't happen too often, just when I think about it too much," he murmured.

"Think about what?" I asked

"My parents, " Ryder whispered. "They died when I was 14." He says quietly. I took him in my arms to soothe him.

"That's what you meant, when I came back and you told me your life was twisted before I met you."

"It was bad. There was fire one night. I don't remember much just that it was really hot and I couldn't find my parents, a firefighter brought me outside and I blacked out," he explained. "All I remember was waking up at the hospital. My aunt and uncle took me in and I lived here since."

"How did you sleep at all before I came?" I asked.

"Alcohol."

We sat in silence for awhile until I turned and I looked over at him. "Ryder?"

"Yeah?"

"Blake told me you came to live with him at the beginning of freshman year, did they die around this time?" I asked quietly.

"It's tomorrow, today actually," He said checking the clock.

I held Ryder in my arms until he relaxed again. He soon he fell asleep but I continued to lay there wide awake. Ryder woke up around eight and we didn't say a word as we get dressed.

"Harley, could you come with me?" he asked. "I don't want to see them alone."

"Of course," I said smiling warmly. An hour later we were at the graveyard where his parents were buried but Ryder wasn't leaving the car.

"It's so hard every year to see them," he murmured.

"Take all the time you want," I said reassuringly. About twenty minutes later, Ryder and I got out of the car and went to where his parents were buried. When we got there, we both sat down on the bench in front of their graves.

"Hey guys I miss you," Ryder said quietly. "This is Harley, she's my girlfriend."

He continued to talk and I saw tears fall down his face. My heart broke. Once he was done he started to head back to the car and I followed, but before I did, I turned back around.

"You have such an amazing son." I whispered.

When we got back to the car Ryder took my hand. "Thanks for coming, I don't think I would have done it without you," he said. He leaned foreword and kissed me. "Even though we can't escape our past, we can still move on, I will never forget them, but I want to move foreword and start a new chapter of my life, with you." He said looking at me.

"Ryder that's the sweetest thing you've ever told me," I said smiling and kissing him. "I want to have a future with you too."

"You know I'm pretty sure I'm the only person who can do that," he said.

"Do what?"

"Make your eyes warm, I see the way you look at people, even to your friends and family, they always stay cold and distant, but when I'm with you they are so warm and full of life," He said beaming.

Ryder was right, he was the first person to make me happy. Why? I don't know, but it made me happy to know it was him that got me where I was today.

I run my fingers over the locket Hailey had given me, with all three photos. I felt at peace, sure I made mistakes with friendships and my mom and I...well that was another story, but I had the most important people in my life right by my side. I didn't need to run when it got tough because everything I needed was right beside me.