Ride (h.s)

14

Jane

Four days after my birthday both my sisters left, but Holden stayed an extra day to change the system of the library to a new version.

Since the dinner, Holden has been ignoring Harry whenever he came around. Today, for instance, it was Saturday and Holden was just about done fixing the computers. I sat on the floor in the kid's section with the twins while their mom spent the afternoon making a special dinner. Harry came by to bring me his research paper so I could proofread it for him. He was called into work and couldn't stay long.

"I'll be right back," I told the kids walking with him to the front desk where I kept my school bag. Harry stood there looking confused as Holden walked away. "Hey."

"Hey." He pecked my lips, something I was getting very used to. "Here, thank you for reading it for me, I really didn't want to fail at this." He seemed down about something so I walked him out back to his bike. He was dressed in a black t-shirt so all of his tattoos were on display.

"What's wrong?" I hugged him as we walked out into the parking lot.

"I don't think your brother likes me very much." He shrugged. "He's been giving me some looks, I ignored them, but I think I may have offended him without knowing." He seemed almost desperate for my brother's approval.

"He's just being overprotective, you're the first guy I've dated in a while, so it would make sense," I explained hugging him again. "Don't worry he'll come around."

"I hope so, I don't want him to hate me." I smiled reaching up to kiss him. "I have to go, I don't want to be late."

"Okay, be safe." We kissed one last time and he got on the bike.

"Bye baby." He said riding off. I stood there for a few seconds feeling my stomach flip at his new nickname for me.

I went back inside and Holden was looking at the computer. "Hey Holden, we're closing in ten minutes, are you done yet?"

He looked up and nodded. He didn't say much so I chose to ignore him.

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After dinner, my mom helped my brother and Maria, his wife, finish packing. I sat on the couch reading over the research paper Harry had given me. "So kid?" My dad asked me. "Does Harry have any family or anyone here?" It was weird for my dad to ask a question like this all of a sudden. It did make me think about that, but we had never talked about it. I knew Harry had parents, but where are they?

"They live in England, he has a sister, but she passed away," I explained to him.

"Well why does he live here, no judgment, but it's a little strange for a person to just get up and leave their country unless their running away from something, or I don't know." I looked down at the paper and suddenly couldn't think of what to say.

"I guess, you have a point, I know him but you can always know more about someone." I looked over at him and my dad just shrugged. "Did Holden say something to you?" I whispered.

He made a face to confirm my suspicion. I rolled my eyes getting up to go upstairs to our guest room. The upstairs bedroom had my parent's room, two guest rooms, one which used to be my room before I decided to take Holden's old room downstairs. I walked into where they are staying and saw Holden making the bed. My mom, Maria, and the kids were in the other room.

"Hey, can we talk?" I asked him. Holden had always been an overprotective brother. Especially to me since I was the youngest. When we were kids Holden used to fight kids for picking on me and my sisters.

"Sure what's up?" He didn't look up fixing the last pillow onto the bed. He had a late flight back to Chicago so he was leaving soon.

"I know you didn't really get to know Harry, but what do you think of him?" I stood by the door with my arms crossed. He paused sitting on the edge of the bed.

Holden looked nothing like me, in fact, we all looked like my mom while he was an exact replica of my dad at that age. He made the exact face my dad made when he was trying to think. His hair was dark brown and neatly combed. He always wore the same button-up colored shirts that tucked into his blue jeans. "He's, okay I guess."

"Holden." I walked over to sit on the chair by the window. "Seriously, I saw the way you looked at him. He thinks you hate him and you shouldn't because you don't even know him."

"Exactly Jane and neither do you!" He stood raising his voice. "You don't know him, yet you just bring him around. You're going to do exactly what Phoebe did and move too quickly and end up getting hurt." I was confused for a minute but then I put two and two together.

"She broke up with her fiancé?" He sighed in frustration.

"He had a family in the next town over, she begged me not to tell anyone when I found out. Jane, you think you know a person, but trust me you don't." I stood there for a minute letting what he told me to sink in. "I can't, and I won't stop you from seeing him. You're a grown woman, just promise me you'll get to know him before you become a serious thing." He pleaded. "If a guy can have a secret family in the next town over, a guy from England can keep a lot more than that."

"Okay, just know that I do know a lot about him," I said getting ready to leave the room.

"That's what Phoebe told mom and dad." I looked back at him with a look to stop talking, leaving to go back downstairs.

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Thanks for reading. Xx