Crashing Waves

10

"No. We're not going to the Traders, and that's the end of discussion." Hardy's voice raised slightly, he was mad that I wasn't listening.

"I'm not staying in the house where you kept a murderer safe and probably slept with her." Hardy stopped at the point, wounded by my comment. "That's what Ellie means by conflict of interest, isn't it?" All of a sudden he approached me, threateningly until I heavily flinched.

"No." He answered, and eventually I gathered the courage to look up at him without the fear of being hit.

"Don't you ever approach me like that again." I said, my eyes tearing up. "You looked like him, then." I said, holding onto the side to prevent my legs from buckling.

"Shit, Hardy what happened to your window?!" Ellie yelled through the house, snapping us out of our intense stare contest.

"Alan." I said, walking out holding my arm, struggling to walk away but holding my nerve.

"Alice." Shoving the fish and chips into Hardy's hands, she wrapped me in a hug. It was just what I needed, so I returned it.

"I'm ok. A bit shaken, but I'm fine."

"He drove off in the direction of the high street, but it's too dark I couldn't catch a plate. Did you see anyone speeding along the roads?" Typical Hardy, straight back to police work.

"No, roads were dead, as they usually are. Let's eat." Rubbing my non scratched arm we all ventured back into the kitchen.

***

"So he really just collapsed?" I asked, entertaining Millers stories about their cases.

"Yup, flat as a pancake on the harbour floor." Ellie paused, looking to him with worry. "I really thought you were gonna-"

"Yes, well, I didn't." Ellie went back to her food as Hardy's eyes went to me, staring for a second or two before getting back to his own chips.

"Jesus it's cold in here." Ellie commented, the coastal breeze was nice in the day, but during the night it got rather bitter.

"After these we're going to-" he looked up at me before finishing, even though I wasn't looking I could tell that's why he paused.

"Where I took Claire. It's safe there." I scoffed, shaking my head.

"I've already told you I'm not going there." I looked up at him. "I'll take my chances at the Traders."

"Oh for gods sake, then both of you cut it out. Alice as much as I agree with you about the house, we're trying to help you." It was unlike Ellie to snap, but she wasn't done.

"And you." She pointed at Hardy with her fork, "you are a bloody bastard. You know what you did there."

"For the last bloody time I didn't sleep with Claire!" He exclaimed, almost hurt that anyone would even mention it.

"But you liked her." I said, making them both shut up. "And that's why it became a conflict of interest."

"She's good." Ellie laughed, packing away her chips. "Come on then, lets go." Hardy went upstairs to pack some clothes, and within a few minutes came down with my rucksack too.

"Let's go." He said, not letting me take my bag as I went to sit in the back passenger seat.

"No, you're in the front with Miller." He said, chucking the bags in the door I had just opened and slipped in before I could say anything.

"O.K then." I mumbled, climbing into the front seat. Ellie started her car and drove off up the road, leaving the small town of Broadchurch and turning onto a country road before turning off again, leading up to what looked like a small, quaint cottage.

"This is yours?" I couldn't quite believe he would own a place with so many... flowers.

"Unbelieveable, I thought you'd sold the thing when you decided you were moving." Ellie pulled up, the sensor light illuminating the drive allowing us all to see where we were going.

"Thank you Ellie." I said, walking around to hug her. Even though most of my time here was spent with grumpy, I had been around Ellie to know that she forced Hardy to care. Between the two of them, they made a good team.

"Just stay safe. And don't go wandering off, no matter how much he wants you to." We both had a laugh, before seeing that Hardy had already gone inside.

"See you tomorrow." I waved goodbye, feeling Hardy approach my back.

"If you put me in the room she was in, I swear." I smile at Ellie leaving, turning around and slamming into his torso.

"It's been stripped and everything has been replaced." I looked up at him, suddenly feeling my cheeks flush.

"Still." I moved to one side, entering the cottage to see a quaintly decorated place. "This is way more you." I looked around, seeing the old auger cooker, the plush sofas and low beam ceilings. The door shutting made me jump, but turning around and seeing that he was slightly too tall for the entrance to the house made me chuckle. "Wow." I put my hand over my mouth, trying not to laugh at the funny moment I had in front of me.

"Yes, alright." He shrugged off my joke, rinsing the kettle out with water and flicking it on.

"Have you not got something a little stronger?" I joke, taking a seat on the sofa.

"No. And careful, I'm on that tonight." I looked down at the sofa, puzzled.

"I thought this would have been a two bedroom place."

"You said you weren't going to sleep in Claire's room." He stated.

"Which means you can." Suddenly I knew why he wanted to sleep here. "You don't want to either." I sighed, leaning back as Hardy made us both a cup of tea. "Fine. You've done nothing but care for me the past few days, I suppose I can manage sleeping in a bed that hasn't been slept in before." He didn't say a word as he handed me my tea, taking his jackets and tie off, opening a few of his shirt buttons.

"I'm going to take this to bed." I stood up, feeling oddly exhausted after today. "Did Ellie take Beth's trousers to give back to her?" I asked, seeing him nod.

"I'll show you your room." He said, keeping his tea where it was and opened the old wooden cottage door, leading to a small staircase that led up to another narrow hallway, where two doors sat opposite each other. "There." Opening the door I saw a simply decorated room, much like Hardy's other house, and like that house, it smelt of him.

"I'll get Miller to go into town tomorrow and buy you some clothes." He said, turning the light on as I put my tea down on the bedside table, drawing the curtains.

"It would be nice not to wear my bosses clothes." I laughed, but he obviously didn't find it funny. "Sorry. That was meant as a joke."

"Good night, Walker." He said, allowing me to turn around before shutting the door, a soft smile coming off his lips as he did so.

Groaning I flopped onto the bed, loudly letting the air escape my lungs as I caught my face on the stitching. "Ow." I let out, muffled by the duvet.

The smell of Hardy was comforting, which was annoying me, because I liked how he smelt. It sounded weird, but the subtle scent of him in the room and from the clothes I was wearing, it was enough to make me fall asleep without even making it into the covers.