Hardin's POV.
"Do you like the chicken?" Tessa asks Smith and he nods.
"It's good." I tell her to soften the blow of the kid still not wanting to speak to her.
She gives me an appreciative smile but doesn't meet my eyes.
The rest of the meal is eaten in silence.
While Tessa cleans up the kitchen I head back into the living room, I can hear the small footsteps following me.
"Can I help you?" I ask him and plop down on the couch.
"No." He shrugs, turning his attention to the television.
"Okay then..." There is literally nothing on tonight.
"Is my dad going to die?" The small voice next to me asks.
"What?"
"My dad, will he be dead?" Smith asks.
"No, he is just sick with food poisoning or something."
"My mom was sick and she's dead." He says, making me choke on my own breath.
"Erm...yeah. That was different."
Poor kid.
"Why?"
Christ he asks so many questions. I want to call for Tess but something about the worried expression on his face stops me. He won't even speak to her so I don't think he would want me to bring her in here.
"Your dad is just a little sick.. and your mum was really sick. Your dad will be fine."
"Are you lying?" He speaks well beyond his years, sort of the way I always have.
I suppose that is what happens when you are forced to grow up too quickly.
"No, I would tell you if your dad was going to die." I say and mean it.
"You would?" His bright eyes are shining and I am terrified that he may cry. I have no fucking idea what I would do if he cried right now. Run. I would run into the other room and hide behind Tessa.
"Yep. Now lets talk about something a little less morbid."
"What's morbid?"
"Something that's twisted and fucked up." I explain.
"Bad word." He scolds me.
"It's okay for me to say because I am an adult."
"Still a bad word."
"You said two of them earlier, I could tell your dad on you." I threaten.
"I will tell your pretty girl on you." He counters and I can't help but laugh.
"Okay, you win." I give in.
"Smith, do you want to come in here with me?" Tessa peers around the corner once more to ask him.
"Can I stay with Hardin?" He looks at me.
"I don't.." She begins but I interrupt.
"Fine." I sigh and hand the kid the remote.
Tessa's POV.
I watch as Smith settles in on the couch, scooting slightly closer to Hardin. Hardin looks at him with caution but doesn't stop him or say anything about his close proximity. It is ironic that Smith seems to like Hardin when Hardin clearly despises children, Smith may or may not be included in that.
"Never." He said to him.
Never. He never plans on having a future with me. I knew this but it still hurts me to hear him say it, especially the cold and confident way he said it. He could have softened the blow, even just a little. I don't want to be married right now obviously, not for years but it's the idea that it isn't a possibility hurts me, a lot. He says that he wants to be with me forever but yet he doesn't want to be married? Are we supposed to just be 'boyfriend and girlfriend' forever? Am I okay with never having children? Will he love me enough to make this all okay, despite the future I had always planned for myself?
I honestly don't know and my head is pounding from thinking about it. I don't want to think about the future right now, I am only nineteen. I don't want children or to be anyone's wife yet, but it is something I have always, and most likely will always want. I just need to stop thinking about this, for now at least. We have been getting along so well and I don't want to ruin that.
After the kitchen is clean and the dishwasher is loaded, I check on Hardin and Smith once more before going into the bedroom to get my things ready for tomorrow. I am looking forward to going to Vance but I also had a nice first day back at classes yesterday. I wonder what PE class Hardin will choose for us? I hope it is nothing too humiliating. I really did enjoy yoga but I know he was miserable.
My phone rings as I lay out a long black skirt for tomorrow. It's Kimberly.
"Hey, is everything okay?" I ask after answering.
"Yeah, everything is okay. They are giving him some antibiotics and we should be getting sent home soon. It may be late, I hope that is okay." She says.
"Of course it is, take your time."
"How is Smith doing?"
"He's good, he is actually hanging out with Hardin." I tell her, still not believing it myself.
"Really? Hardin?" She laughs.
"Yeah, tell me about it." I roll my eyes and make my way back into the living room.
"Well that is strange but it is getting him prepared for when you have little Hardin's running around the house." She teases. Her words tug at my heart and I bite down on my lip.
"Yeah.. guess so." I want to change the subject before the lump in my throat grows any larger.
"Well, we will be done soon hopefully. Smith's bedtime is ten but since it's already ten, just let him stay up until you want him to go to sleep. Thank you again." Kimberly says and hangs up the phone.
I make a quick stop in the kitchen to pack a small lunch for tomorrow, I will just bring leftovers from tonight.
"Why?" I hear Smith ask Hardin.
"Because they are trapped on the island."
"Why?"
"Their plane crashed."
"How aren't they dead?"
"It's a show."
"A stupid show." Smith says and Hardin laughs.
"Yeah, I guess you are right." Hardin shakes his head in amusement and Smith giggles.
They look alike in some ways, the dimples, the shape of their eyes, and their smiles. I imagine that except the blonde hair and shade of eyes, Hardin looked much like Smith when he was younger.
"Is it okay if I go to bed or do you want me to watch him?" I ask Hardin.
"Uhm.. that's cool. We are just watching mindless television anyway." He tells me.
"Okay, goodnight Smith. I will see you in a few hours when Kim is here to get you." I tell him. He looks over at Hardin then back to me and smiles.
"Night." He whispers.
I turn to go back into the room but I am stopped by Hardin's fingers wrapping around my arm.
"Hey, no goodnight to me?" He pouts.
"Oh..yeah. Sorry." I hug him and give him a kiss on the cheek.
"Goodnight." I say and he hugs me again.
"You sure you're okay?" He asks, pushing my shoulders back so he can look at me.
"Yeah, I am just really tired and he wants to hang out with you anyway." I smile weakly.
"I love you." He tells me and kisses my forehead.
"I love you." I respond and hurry to the bedroom and close the door behind me.
Hardin's POV.
"Can I have a drink?" Smith asks after Tessa goes to bed.
"Of what. beer?" I joke.
"Eww.. no."
"Water? We don't drink soda really."
"Water." He answers.
I leave the room to get him a glass of water and of course he follows me. I choose not to say anything about it. I still feed bad for him asking if his dad was going to die.
"Thanks." Smith says and takes a drink of the water.
We spend the next hour watching Lost, the five year old who acts twelve points out things that I hadn't even noticed about the show. Around midnight he falls asleep and his small body shifts, making his head fall on my arm. I want to move him because, why is he touching me.. but I can't bring myself to wake him up.
Tessa's POV.
My alarm wakes me with the most hideous shriek. Hardin groans next to me, as usual and I reach over to shut it off. After I am dressed and ready to leave I try to wake Hardin but he isn't having it.
"Too tired." He whines and rolls back over, I lean down to give him a kiss and leave the apartment to head to Vance.
I hope today goes by quickly. I have no idea what I am going to do tonight while Hardin is at the hockey game with Landon. I need to go by Conner's and get a few groceries and do some studying, that settles it then. The weather is nice today, no snow and minimal slush on the sides of the road. Kimberly is sitting at her desk when I walk in and she smiles at me as I grab my usual donut and coffee.
"I didn't even know you came last night, I fell asleep." I tell her.
"I know, Smith was sleeping too. Thank you again." She says and her phone rings.
When I get to my office it feels strange to be there after being on campus yesterday. Sometimes I feel as though I live a double life, one half a college student life, and one half a full on adult life. I have an apartment with my boyfriend and a paid internship that honestly feels like a job not an internship. I love both halves and if I had to choose I would choose the adult life with Hardin.
Even though there is no future? My subconscious just has to throw that in there.
I dive into my work and lunchtime comes quickly. The manuscript I have been reading is really captivating and I want to eat fast so I can get back and finish it. I hope they find a cure for the main characters illness, I will be heartbroken if he passes.
"Hey." A male voice snaps me back into reality.
"Hey Trevor, how are you?" I ask and take a seat in the small cafeteria.
"I am good, just getting ready for the move." He smiles.
"That is exciting, I thought you weren't moving until March?" I take a bite of my lunch.
"That was the plan but I will be going the beginning of February, so in about two weeks."
"Wow, I am nervous for you." I smile.
"I am only a little nervous, mostly just excited to be in Seattle and start my life."
"I would love to live in Seattle."
"Why don't you?" He asks.
"Well I plan on it, after college."
"I mean now, I know Christian would love to have you at the Seattle office. Both him and Kimberly will be there next month as well." He tells me.
I hadn't thought about Kimberly and Mr. Vance going too.
"I can't. I have classes."
"WSU has a Seattle campus." Trevor says and wipes his mouth on a napkin.
"I know..it's just.."
"Hardin won't." He answers for me.
"It's not that.. it's just.." I am at a loss for words. He is right but I don't want to admit it.
"Well it's none of my business but I think you should really consider it. It would be a great move for your career."
He must notice the way I shift uncomfortably because he changes the subject.
"Did you hear that Krystal in marketing is pregnant?" He asks.
"Is she? I will have to congratulate her." I smile.
I have only spoken to her a few times but she is very sweet.
"Yeah, her and her fiancé are pretty excited. It's funny though because their wedding is next month and now she is pregnant." He laughs.
"The irony." I giggle.
"I have been to three weddings in the last two months. What ever happened to summer weddings?" He smiles.
"I am glad I have only been to one wedding this winter." Ken's wedding was one of the best nights of my life.
"I love weddings." Trevor says.
"You do?"
"Yeah, don't you?"
"I don't know.. I guess so." I roll an olive around my plate with my finger.
"It will be better once it is my own of course." He says and the olive rolls onto the floor.
He bends down to pick it up and tosses it into the trash behind him.
"You want your own wedding?"
"Who doesn't? Not really for myself as much as for whoever my bride is." His cheeks redden and I look down at my plate again.
"You don't want your own wedding? You are the first woman that has ever said that." He laughs.
"I do.. I just didn't know men felt that way." I try to smile.
This is the most ironic conversation to be having right now.
"We do. Well most of us, even the ones that don't would still do it for the woman they love." He says.
"Oh." Except Hardin.
"Shit, I need to get back. I will see you later." Trevor says and checks his watch before leaving me alone in the cafeteria.
(After and After 2 are now Rated R so they can't be ranked anymore :( But that is okay because I love writing the story and the numbers don't matter. I love you guys! Even though I can't be ranked anymore please still vote and comment because it lets me know what you think and if you still like it hah. )