After 2

Chapter 197.

"I told Steph we would meet her and Tristan to get tattoos tomorrow." I tell Hardin as we walk down the stairs with my suitcases in hand.

"Why?"

"Because she asked me to and I want to go."

"To get a tattoo?"

"No! Of course not! To watch her get one, I guess. I don't know, I thought it would be nice to hang out with another couple."

He turns to look at me with curious eyes.

"So this is your idea of double-dating then?"

"I suppose so."  I shrug.

"So we are dating then, you and I?"

Why did he ask that now? Everything is going so well.. well only for two days but still, it's been nice to not be on edge with Hardin.

"I.." I search  for the words.

"Thought so." He huffs and we reach the end of the stairs.

Landon is still sitting on the couch but he stands to his feet when he sees us.

"You're leaving then?" He questions, no judgment in his voice at all.

"Yeah, she is."

"Yeah, I am." Hardin and I answer at the same time.

"Okay, well I'll see you Monday in class." Landon smiles at me and I nod as Karen walks into the room.

"You're leaving? I thought we agreed you would stay here until you graduated." She teases and even Hardin smiles.

"Sorry." I tell her and she wraps her arms around me in a warm hug, the type of hug I wish I could receive from my own mother.

"Don't forget we are going out on the boat next weekend." Karen reminds me.

I feel Hardin's eyes on me and I assure her that I haven't forgotten and I'm very much looking forward to seeing their boat and spending the weekend with them. I say my goodbye's, nothing too formal seeing as I'm not really going anywhere, yet. Ken comes downstairs at the last minute and gives me a quick goodbye, barely acknowledging Hardin. Did something happen between them before I arrived?

Seattle is the last thing I want to think about right now, but it's the first thing I need to be thinking about.  When we get to the car Hardin places my suitcases in the trunk and I climb in before he has the chance to open the door for me.

"When were you going to tell me about going away with them next weekend?" He finally asks as he switches lanes on the busy freeway.

"I wasn't keeping it from you, it just didn't come up and you've been..busy."

"You know it's like a six hour drive to the coast right?"

"Yes?"

"Hmm.."

"What?" I turn to face him.

"Nothing."

"I'm sure they would love for you to come along with us. Have you been on his boat before?"

"Fuck no, I haven't. I don't want to."

"Why don't you want to? It could be fun, we are going whale watching. How nice would that be?" I try to sound excited.

"Why do you sound like you're talking about slaughtering puppies then?" He calls me out.

"I'm excited.. I'm just a little nervous, that's all." I look out the window.

"Nervous to be stuck with those prudes for an entire weekend on a boat?"

"No! They aren't prudes, and I'm not too fond of water."