You can fit me
Inside the necklace you got when you were 16
Next to your heartbeat
Where I should be
Keep it deep within your soul.
"Wait for me to come home."
Three years later (Coda's POV)
I run my hands down my jeans, a long smear of black running down the length of my leg.
It's hotter than hell in this room and the smell of gasoline and rusted metal is so strong, it even makes me want to run for the hills and throw up this mornings breakfast.
Running the back of my hand across my brow, I squint against the beating sun to examine the men around me.
While some are under cars, others are manning the hood area of the rusted cars.
Taking a head count of the cars around me, I am pleased to note that the men are working hard on repairing them all. What started out as a few rusted, run down cars here and there turned into a reasonable size garage full of cars that we would repair and resell for decent money.
When Hazel's father first asked me to take over the family business for him, I didn't take him seriously-I couldn't.
Why would he ask a deadbeat nobody fresh-out-of-jail like me to take over his business?
He wasn't joking though.
I guess I should've know the Reeds didn't have a sense of humor because the next thing I know, he's handing me the keys to a new garage and I'm looking at a dozen boys who call me boss.
Hell if I knew this was the kind of job I'd get fresh out of jail, I would've gone a lot more willingly.
I'm kidding. Don't tell Hazel. She'll have my balls for making a joke like that.
Jokes aside, it's been a year since I've taken over the business.
Since then, I have hired all new workers, gotten new cars to repair and have shaped up the business. It was easier to start all over with a new garage in a new location. Even though Hazel's dad never mentioned it, I'm glad he sold the old garage and bought a new one. The old one had too many bad memories that even a bottle of bleach couldn't clean away.
Even though its nearly been two years since I've gotten out of that hell hole of a jail, my past still lingers. Sometimes I'll dream about Ridge's death again and see Hazel bleeding out on that dirty floor all over again-
Those nights are bad-I'm not going to lie.
It's bad for both of us some days.
Sometimes I'll catch Hazel eyeing that big scar on her stomach in the mirror, her lips downturned in a frown. No matter how kisses I place on her skin, that sad look in her eyes remains. I guess we both bear the physical marks of that night.
Once in a while, she'll still panic at the sound of a gun going off in a movie we watch and the only thing that'll help her is holding her tight enough to remind her that we're okay. Those days have gotten fewer though.
Despite it all, Hazel puts a smile on her face, adamantly denying that the past still lingers for her.
When I first came home from jail, she tried to convince me that she didn't have nightmares anymore. I didn't believe her but I didn't say a thing. Two nights later and she woke up screaming with a sound so guttural and so full of fear that I couldn't stop shaking for the next hour.
It's been rough for both of us to say the least.
Some days we both need our space-time to think and have time to repair a bit of ourselves on our own.
It doesn't last long though.
At the end of the day, we always come back to each other.
We both know that no matter how much we try to forget our past, we need each other to help make the past less painful.
The days since I've gotten out have slowly begun to make the past dwindle away.
Nowadays, we take it slow and easy on a day-to-day basis.
Tossing my dirty towel onto the hood of the car I'm working on, I ring the large bell by the counter a few times.
"Break time boys," I call out. There's a murmur of relief and the sound of shuffling as the men prepare to head home for a few hours.
I wish I could say I decided to insert a two hour break into everyone's schedule because I was just a cool and caring boss, but I'd be lying to you.
That two hour break was reserved for selfish reasons.
Getting the medium sized cooler out of the fridge, I get into my pickup truck and start the engine.
After a fifteen minute drive, I pull my car into park and roll down my windows. I see her before she sees me.
She's taking to her friends, her books cradled in her arms and her hair swept into a messy pony tail because she woke up late this morning.
Her two friends look up and see me, their smile widening as they say something to Hazel.
Hazel turns around and I flash her an easy smile, laughing when I see her cheeks tinge pink.
She turns back around to quickly say a goodbye to the girls before half jogging to my truck.
"I swear, the entire female population thinks you're like the next coolest thing since packaged Poptarts and sliced bread," Hazel complains, hoping into the passenger side.
I take her books and toss it into the back seat and she continues to talk.
"I told them that you may look pretty on the outside but you've got a bad side."
I raise my eyebrow. "A bad side? Baby, I'm picking you up for lunch after your classes."
She frowns. "You didn't close the toilet seat this morning... and you put the forks facing up in the dishwasher."
I throw the car into drive and grin at Hazel as she eyes me warily, like she's expecting me to get angry. I grin wider. Sorry baby, but you're not winning this one today, I think to myself.
"Keep going. I want to see you try and make me seem like an obnoxious boyfriend."
She bites her lip, trying not to smile.
"Okay, so maybe you're a perfect boyfriend that cleans up after his girlfriend and makes sure she's okay," she says, giving in. She grabs my hand, wrapping her fingers around mine tightly.
"That's what I thought. Besides, it's not my fault I'm hot."
She rolls her eyes. "You're cocky."
I shrug, parking at the base of the grassy hill. "It's my only flaw. I'm only human."
Hazel snorts in laughter as I open her door and pull her down onto the ground.
"Did you make lunch?" she asks, her body pressed against mine.
"Of course."
Lies.
She rolls her eyes, turning around to briefly stick her hand under the passenger seat.
She pulls out a few crumpled paper bags from the local deli shop and I scratch my head awkwardly.
"We both can't cook. Someone has to get food," I say defensively.
Hazel hands me the cooler filled with the food, briefly standing on her tip toes to kiss me on the lips. "I know. Thank you for the food."
Intertwining our fingers, I lead us up the hill. "Anytime, baby."
After eating for nearly an hour, Hazel collapses onto her back, her head resting on my stomach. "I'm stuffed."
"Good," I say sleepily, staring up at the sky above us.
After a few moments, I am half asleep when I hear Hazel's soft voice.
"Coda?"
I make a noise of acknowledgement, struggling to open my eyes.
"I love you," she says, holding up my hand and examining the rough callouses and old cuts. There are a few smears of black on my hand that won't go away with just a single wash but instead of appearing grossed out, Hazel only holds my hand tighter.
I wrap my arm around her midsection, pressing my lips against her hair. "I love you too Tesore."
After a few moments, I try to stay awake because I know that Hazel is thinking about something and she's going to vocalize it any minute now.
Another minute passes and I stifle a yawn.
Hopefully she'll say it soon-like within the next thirty seconds-
"Thank you for working everyday to help support us," she says unexpectedly.
I open my eyes, staring into her dark brown ones.
"You don't have to thank me," I murmur, our faces inches apart.
"While I'm in college, you're working day and night just to afford the rent on our apartment and-" she stops, taking a deep breath and trying to stifle her tears.
"Crying again?" I murmur, brushing a kiss onto her forehead.
She shakes her head but her eyes are watery.
"At the end of the day, it's our apartment that I'm working for. As long as I'm with you, the work doesn't matter."
She buries her face into the crook of my neck and i hug her tighter, half pulling her on top of me.
"Don't worry about it Tesore," I tell her, again. "I planned a two hour break everyday so we can eat lunch together and relax, so no more crying. Please."
She nods against my skin and I close my eyes again, more relaxed.
"I promise I'll make you a delicious dinner tonight when you get back from work," she says.
I laugh, opening one eye to see her looking as serious as she can.
"Okay fine I'll order pizza."
"Without Jeremy there, we'll have the whole pizza to ourselves," I say jokingly.
When Hazel and I first moved out into our small apartment, Jeremy protested-as expected-but he eventually accepted it.
Now, he just visits every now and then with Addy.
I'm not going to lie though, even though Jeremy and I have gotten closer, I'm glad we don't live under the same roof.
I'd stab my own eye out of frustration.
With that gruesome image aside though, everything's going pretty well right now.
I'm out of jail, I have a job and I'm living in a decent sized apartment with this crazy girl.
Don't tell her I called her crazy.
She'll make me sleep on the couch again and I don't think my back can handle that piece of crap again.
Joking aside though, life is good right now.
Yes we will never fully forget our past scars or the people that helped shape them, but like I said, we're going to take it day by day.
If I can have this time to hold her in my arms everyday, I'll be okay-
We'll be okay. I'll make sure of it.
I'd go to the moon and back for her just to make her smile.
She's the woman I'm going to love for the rest of my life and I don't care how many people tell me that we're just two young adults that are going to fall out of love.
Because here's the thing they don't know: I'm not going to let us fall out love-and neither is Hazel.
Life may not be one big happy promise but I've made a promise to Hazel and I intend to keep it.
She'll get that big, beautiful house overlooking that lake one day because I won't stop working until she gets it.
As for a family, the thought of kids scares the crap out of me, but if she wants them, then I'll be okay with it.
Because let's be honest right now, a happy wife equals a happy life right?
Oh wait, she's not my wife.
I guess I'm going to have to change that real soon.
So wish me luck. Pray that she says yes when I ask her to spend the rest of her life with me and pray that she doesn't stab my eye out from frustration later on down the road. We all know I'll need your prayers.
Also, don't tell her I told you her punches hurt. She'll never let me live it down and I can't be looking like any ordinary scrub when I ask her to marry me.
Hazel and I were never meant to end up together.
Before Hazel, I was in dark times. I didn't see any worth in my life. I was literal scum on the earth. I stole cars for a man who murdered innocent people.
Despite my mistakes, Hazel hasn't left my side.
It took a series of weird events, a contract and far too many near-death experiences to bring us together but let me tell you something-
I love this girl.
I love her more than my 'hired boyfriend' contract allows me too, but screw it because one thing's for sure-
I'm not her hired boyfriend anymore.
I'm her boyfriend-
And you can tell her that.
~*~
(The End)
(Proceed to super important Author's Note- Next Chapter).