"I found a hospice" Harley says from beside me as I fill two glasses with alcohol.
I swing my head to look her way. "Oh yeah? Where is it?" I ask. I want to ask if this had been a joint find between Hex and Harley but I doubt it. The last thing he's wants to do is talk about his mother, let alone talk about picking a hospice for her.
Hex had gone back to his routine last night. I had awoken to the dip in the bed he had made when he crawled back in. His chest was freezing from the air outside as he cuddled into me. He's getting better at leaving the bedroom without me noticing.
"Just down the road, ten minutes from here" she answers "it's the only one that's not on the Eastside so it's our only option" she continues on. I nod.
Hex may refuse to see Wyonna but there's still no way that Wyonna can be placed on the Eastside and make it completely impossible for Hex to see her if he ever chooses to.
"Have you had a tour?" I ask as I set alcoholic drinks on the bar and Sarah runs it to a table near by that's occupied by two men.
"Going tonight" she says as she places a cleaned glass on the rack. "Do... do you think I should ask Hex if he wants to come with me?" She asks hesitantly. I look back at her warily.
"I mean, I would ask... j-just don't hold out hope" I say quietly. She nods, agreeing with me.
I watch as she places the tea towel down and whips out her phone, her fingers typing quickly before she backs out of it.
"Send" she whispers to herself before placing her phone back into her pocket. I watch as she wrings her hands nervously.
"Hello ladies" we both jump as Kevin slaps his hands down on the bar "woah, sorry" he chuckles.
Each time he comes into Darby's happy, healthy and sober I believe more and more that he'll stay sober.
"Hi Kevin, how are you?" I ask as I fill a glass of water and place it on the bar for him to grab.
"Good darlin'. The suns shinin' and I get to see your two pretty faces" he grins. Both Harley and I laugh, watching as Kevin leaves the bar and takes a seat at the table with the two men Sarah had served earlier.
Harley pulls her phone from her pocket and I wince, waiting for the disappointment to show once she reads Hex's texts.
Instead she gasps "Poppy, he wants to come with me" she doesn't give me time to react before she's shoving the phone in my face, showing me the texts Hex had sent her.
Sure enough, Hex had agreed to tour the hospice.
She takes the phone back just as another text comes through. "He said he'll come here after work" she reads.
I nod, still slightly shocked. I'm also worried now too, what if he decides to go to the bar again after the tour. He was lucky to get away with alcohol once, the chances of him getting away with it again is slim. Besides, Charlie hasn't dropped in to test Hex in a while so I know he'll be around some time soon.
"Oh my god, he's actually coming" she speaks to herself before putting her phone away. I grin, happy that Hex had made this decision and I want nothing more than to see him but I'll have to wait until he makes his way here later on.
Just as I open my mouth a shout cuts me off. "Harley! Phone away!" It's Stevie, yelling from the doorway of his office. We hadn't seen him in a few days and to be honest I had mostly forgotten that he even exists.
Stevie turns and walks back into his office.
"Don't Harley" I say as I watch the anger roll onto her face. Her fists clench and her cheeks redden as she squints her eyes in his direction.
"Oh, fuck off Stevie!" She says back, loud enough for him to hear. I wince, waiting for Stevie to reply but instead he slams his office door closed behind him.
"I hate that prick" Harley mumbles to herself. I hold back a laugh, not wanting to encourage her.
The rest of my shift goes as usual, the time passes surprisingly quickly as I wait for Hex to show up. It never gets old waiting for him to show up at Darby's. Each time is like the first, it's like a prize at the end of my shift.
There were no further interactions between Harley and Stevie, thank god. Even Sarah was thankful after I watched her relax throughout the day. She seems to be getting the hang of everything and soon it won't be long until we can stay open later.
Rex is nudging the last few stragglers along out the door as the three of us clean up. Each time I hear the door open I shoot my head up to look but it's only more customers leaving.
"Do you think he'll show up?" Harley asks me as she passes me to get to the other end of the bar.
I nod "of course" I exclaim. Hex never broke his word.
Sure enough five minutes later the door opens and this time it's not a customer, it's Hex. I watch as Rex turns to look at whoever had entered only to turn back around when he recognises Hex.
"Hey baby" Hex greets me as I round the bar. His lips find mine briefly before pulling me into a hug.
"Hex, this is Sarah" I introduce him. Sarah gives a timid smile back with a shy wave as Hex nods his head in greeting.
"Give me a sec Hex, I'm almost done!" Harley calls out from the back as she carries a carton of beer from the back freezer to the bar.
Sarah leaves shortly after with a goodbye as Rex follows her, making sure she gets to her car safely.
I wait around with Hex as Harley finishes small last minute things before she's finally done and shutting the lights off and locking the front door of Darby's behind us.
"Bye Poppy, have a good night" Harley wishes me with a hug as she starts off in the direction of her car.
"Bye Harley, hope the tour goes well" I wave at her. Hex walks me to my car, his arm brushing mine as his fingers loosely grab at mine by my side.
He opens my car door when I unlock it. I take a seat behind the wheel as he leans one arm on the roof of the car and the other on the open door as he bends down to be eye level with me.
"Thank you for doing this with Harley, she's really happy" I whisper in the quiet air as I run my left hand over his stubbled cheek. Hex turns his head and kisses my hand before looking back at me and nuzzling his cheek against my hand.
"Don't thank me, baby" he says back just as quietly. He doesn't physically show it but I can feel the anxiousness seeping into the air between us.
"I love you" I lean forward and press a kiss to his mouth, he grabs the back of my neck not allowing me to pull back as he deepens the kiss.
A honk of Harley's horn breaks us apart; Hex releases an annoyed sigh as he pulls back.
"I'll be home later tonight, have dinner without me" he gives me one last kiss before closing my door and walking to his car. I lock my car and turn it on but don't leave the car park until I see Hex enter his car safely.
*
I had expected Hex to be back within an hour of mum and I having finished dinner but when 8pm rolls around I start to get nervous. The only thing keeping me calm being the fact that Harley hadn't called me to say that Hex had either lost it or left in a bad mood.
I think I hid it well from mum because not once did she give me a strange look or question me. Well, the only strange look I received was when I said goodnight at a surprisingly early hour but I just want to be alone for a moment.
I sit awake for a while, leaning against the headboard with the lamp on. The room turns gold from the light, it's peaceful. I hear mum head to bed not long after I do as she shuts the TV off and her bedroom door closes.
9pm rolls around and I'm stuck between a stage of nervousness as I fidget and relaxation as I sink into the mattress.
I don't have to worry for much longer though. I hear Hex's car come to a stop in the driveway. The sound brings me out of my relaxed state as I turn to look at the door and wait for him to enter the bedroom.
I hear the car door shut and the car make a noise as he locks it but I don't hear the front door open.
I lie in bed for a few more minutes, waiting for him to come inside and just as I'm about to get out of bed to check on him I hear the front door open. He closes and locks it behind him.
I listen as he walks into the kitchen, a cupboard opens and closes before the tap turns on.
When he finally enters the bedroom he appears okay. His eyes are clear and he doesn't stagger as he walks.
"I'm not drunk" he mumbles when he notices me watching him closely. I ignore the statement and steer the conversation in another direction.
"How was it?" I ask as I watch him kick off his shoes. He crawls onto the bed in his clothes and lies in my lap, his head coming to rest on my pelvic bone with his mouth brushing the top of my thigh as he talks.
I ignore the smell of cigarette that clings to him. That must have been why he took so long to come inside. I'm glad he chose to smoke a cigarette instead of drink this time.
He's quiet for a second as he thinks about what to say "I fucking hate that I liked it" he finally answers. I run my fingers through his hair in an attempt to calm him.
"Did Harley like it?" I question. He nods.
"It's fucked that I know where my mothers going to die" he mumbles against my leg. I flinch as he lightly bites at the skin.
"It's the best place for her, Hex" I reassure him. We sit in silence for a while as I continue running my hands through his hair.
He starts to fidget as a hand comes up beside him and grabs my thigh while his other hand snaps the elastic of my underwear.
"These need to go" he mumbles before pulling at it again with his teeth.
The conversation change doesn't surprise me. Hex has decided he's done with the conversation and turns to something he very much enjoys; sex.
"You haven't eaten dinner" I remind him. I left the leftovers in the fridge for him to eat.
He sits up in a push up position and grabs my waist, pulling me down from leaning on the headboard so that I'm under him, with him between my legs.
"Don't worry, I'll be eating" he mumbles as he buries his face in my neck.