Alongside You {Owen Grady/Jurassic World} (Sequel to By Your Side)

chapter one

-three years later-

     Hadley woke to the sound of a hammer pounding against a wooden board outside, groaning at the repetitive thuds that seemed to vibrate between the walls of the trailer. Wrapping a pillow around her head to cover both ears, she rolled over to face the digital clock on the small table next to the bed. The bright red numbers flashed 6:14 am in her face, as if it were laughing at her well-founded irritation. She sighed and squeezed her eyes shut for a brief moment, ridding them of the fogginess that seemed to greet her every morning. With a harsh breath outward, she hauled herself into an upright position, tossing the pillow that she had just been using as earmuffs to the side. 

     The cool morning breeze that drifted in from the open window brushed over her bare legs, causing small bumps to pepper her skin, and a brief shiver to run up her spine. Before Hadley lost all motivation, she pushed herself out of bed and maneuvered to the pile of clean clothes that resided on top of the small, wooden dresser. She slipped on a pair of black leggings and a light hoodie before throwing her long auburn hair into a knot on the top of her head. Slipping on a pair of slides, she made her way through the kitchenette, pausing only to grab a granola bar off of the counter to stash in her pocket for later, and stepped out of the trailer.

     Hadley squinted up at the silhouette of Owen perched up on a ladder, adding to the frame of the cabin that he was currently constructing. Her feet slid silently through the damp grass as she made her way over to the bottom of the ladder, shielding her eyes from the vibrant yellows and oranges of the sunrise while she waited for Owen to come down for more nails. She wrapped her other arm around her midsection, doing her best to keep the early morning chills at bay. Soon enough, Owen began to descend, his tool belt moving along with his hips as he took each step. Once his feet hit the ground with a dull thud, he turned around, just about jumping out of his skin at the sight of the girl.

     "Jesus, Hadley!" he shouted, clutching his heart with his left hand while his other grasped for his hammer, as if he were ready to attack her with it. "You gotta stop sneaking up on me like that."

     "Were you going to swing at me with that?" she asked, pointing to the hammer in Owen's hand, even though she knew he would never do such a thing.

     Owen sighed, shaking his head, a faint smile taking over his original look of fear, "Of course not," he put his hammer back into his tool belt and wiped the back of his hand across his sweat-coated forehead. "But you might want to, you know, tell me when you're coming up behind me. Unless you have some strange desire to get smacked in the head with construction equipment."

     "Oh, shut up," Hadley laughed, pulling the sleeves of her hoodie over her balled fists. Owen smiled at the sound of her sweet laughter and stepped closer with arms open, pulling her into his embrace. She hummed, satisfied, and lifted her head to look up at him, chin resting on his chest.

     Owen pressed his lips to her forehead, mumbling against her skin, "How'd you sleep?"

     "Good," Hadley muttered, her eyes fluttering shut. "Well, until you so rudely woke me up with your nonstop hammering."

     "Sorry, Ley," Owen said, pulling away far enough to look down at the girl. She opened her eyes at the sudden loss of contact, peering up at him. "I wanted to get a head start on it today."

     Hadley smiled and pushed herself up onto her tiptoes, resting her hands on Owen's chest as she pressed her lips to his briefly. "Have you had anything to eat yet?" she asked after pulling away, playing with the fabric of his faded blue Henley.

     "No, I was going to wait for you," Owen replied, a guilty smile etched on his face. Hadley was constantly making sure that Owen had at least had a small snack before he began working, like the concerned girlfriend she was, and he knew that. She didn't need him falling off of a ladder anytime soon.