Harlen
My body jolted me back into consciousness. I hadn't gotten more than an hour of sleep in over two years, and at this point, I was over it. I looked at the clock and mentally groaned at it being 5:15 in the morning. I had to be at the station around eight so I figured I could just take my time getting ready, and rolled out of bed. The hot water running from the shower, stung my cuts and bruises but, only the few that were still in the early stages of being healed. I sang along to the song playing through my speaker.
Breaking my back just to know your name
Seventeen tracks and I've had it with this game
I'm breaking my back just to know your name
But heaven ain't close in a place like this
Anything goes but don't blink, you might miss
Cause heaven ain't close in a place like this
By time that song, and about ten others had played through, I was climbing out of the shower and wrapping a towel around my body. I put some hair oil and leave in conditioner in my hair and detangled it before styling it, and getting dressed.
"You know you should sing more often."
My heart dropped at the voice, and I spun around instantly to be met with Remington's face, "You scared the shit out of me you ass! What are you doing here?"
I walked past him and down the stairs to throw my towel and pajamas in Renee's washing machine.
"I was gonna go with you to the station," He shrugged, "figured you wouldn't want to go alone."
"I'll be fine," I climbed the stairs and noticed the look on his face, "but ok. Thank you."
Remington nodded with a small smile on his face.
"You want something for breakfast?"
"No," I grabbed a glass out of a cupboard in the kitchen and filled it with apple juice, "if I eat anything now, I'll throw up. Maybe we could get something after?"
"Sure."
Remington walked up behind me, wrapped his arms around me, and kissed the back of my head, "Are you nervous?"
I finished the juice, and sat the cup in the sink before turning around, letting his hands move on either side of the counter to keep me in front of him.
"A little," I tried to lie but, I cracked under his gaze, "ok a lot. I never really thought about the fact that I'd have to see him again, you know?"
"That makes sense. He put you through a lot."
I pulled myself into Remington and rested my head on his chest. Our height difference was big enough that he could rest his chin on top of my head.
"It's all gonna be ok," He kissed the top of my head, "he's gonna get what he deserves."
"But what if he doesn't?"
Remington pulled back, and tilted my head up so he could get a good look at me, "I won't let that happen."
"You can't control everything," I scoffed, "trust me I wish you could protect me from everything but, you can't."
"Well sure I can't," He scoffed, "but I sure as hell can try."
Without thinking I pushed myself up in my toes, and pecked his lips. Our kiss got more heated but, after a moment he pulled away and left his forehead resting on mine, "We should probably get going."
I nodded my head, and felt the confusion bubbling up inside of me. We obviously had yet to talk about the conversation we had the night we got back from touring and, I don't think anything was truly different. Except, now we kissed sometimes, and were more affectionate. Ok, so I had now idea what the hell was going on between us, and it was conflicting the hell out of me. I wanted to ask him but, there was so much going on, and I didn't want to add more to the whole thing.
"Are you coming," Remington walked back into the kitchen with a small smile on his face, and took my hand in his to lead me out the door. I got caught up in his appearance as I took in his outfit. He was wearing a white muscle shirt with a skull on the front of it, black leather pants, and a pair of black combat boots, "what are you staring at?"
"Your mom."
A stifled laugh left his lips as he opened the door to his black jeep, and waited for me to get in before closing the door behind me. I twiddled my thumbs, and waited for him to get into the driver's seat, and start his car.
"You're something else," Remington mumbled, "do you want a coffee or anything?"
"Why do you treat me like I don't know how to take care of myself?" I smiled after shaking my head.
"I'm not," He looked at me momentarily, then his focus was back on the road, "I just- want to do everything I can for you."
That was sweet.
"But why," I asked, focusing out the window at the city building passing by, "what have I ever done for you?"
He mumbled something but, I couldn't tell what he said.
"What?" I said.
"I-," He was going to say something else but, he obviously changed his mind, "why don't you ever let me help you?"
I just shrugged my shoulders, "Maybe I'll have to try it sometime."
"Yeah," Remington chuckled, "maybe."
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Remington
I rubbed my hands up and down my pants, trying to get the sweat off of my palms. The last time Harlen saw her father, we didn't see her again for two years. I couldn't go in with her while she was giving her statement. All I could do was wait. Anxiously, I would like to add. I looked up instantly at the sound of a door opening but, turned my focus back to my phone when I saw someone else. This happened about seven times before I saw Harlen's face. I stood up and walked towards her quickly.
"How'd it go?"
Darren answered before she could, "We'll have to reconnect several times between the trial date-"
"Which is when?" I asked.
"January fifth. Now-"
"That's in like three weeks." I muttered.
Why would they give her such a short amount of time to prepare herself?
"Rem," Harlen sighed, "just let him talk. You asked what was going on."
I threw a glance in Harlen's direction, and the hard look on my face softened at the pleading look on hers.
"Ok. Sorry."
"You have the dates so I'll see you in a couple of days?" Darren turned towards Harlen with his words.
"Yea." She mumbled, warranting him to nod his head, and leave us.
"Are you alright?" I asked, stepping closer to her after taking in the paled look on her face.
"Can we just go?" Harlen shrugged, warranting me to nod my head and lead her out the door of the station, and down the street to where I had parked.
"Where do you want to go to eat?" I asked after pulling out of the spot I parallel parked in.
I glanced at Harlen due to her lack of response, and noticed her staring out the window, "Harley?"
She looked at me, as if she was trying not to cry, and I almost broke right there and then.
"How about Marley's?"
She slowly nodded her head, warranting me to switch into the turning lane.
"They told me that the most time he'd do is eight years," Harlen mumbled out of the blue, "and I guess that's reasonable but, I just never wanna see him again. I don't ever want to worry about him getting to Gianna. I guess just a little part of me was hoping he'd rot in a cell."
I opened and closed my mouth a couple of times, trying to find the right way to respond.
"Isn't that what he deserves," She asked after I failed to respond completely, "to sit in a locked room with nobody to help for the rest of his life? That's what he wanted to do to me, so why shouldn't he get the same thing?"
This time I knew not to respond, and instead took one of my hands off of the wheel and into one of her hands. Three weeks.
This was gonna be the hard on all of us but, especially Harlen.