After 3

Chapter 204.

The ride up the elevator to our floor is silent. I'm too disappointed in Hardin to argue and he's too pissed at me to speak without screaming. He handled the news better than I thought he would but how could he make me choose? He knows how important Seattle is to me and he doesn't have a problem with me giving it up for him, that's what hurts me the most. He always says he can't be away from me, he can't live without me, yet he's giving me an ultimatum and it's not fair.

"If he took off with any of our shit.." Hardin begins.

"Enough," my exhaustion is heard through my soft dismissal.

"Just saying,"

I push my key through the lock and twist, momentarily considering the possibility of my father actually doing what Hardin had mentioned. I don't know the man, really.

The mild paranoia disappears when we walk through the threshold. My father's body is slumped over  the arm of the couch, his mouth wide open, deep snores escaping from his parted lips. 

Wordlessly, Hardin walks into the bedroom and I decide to go to the kitchen first. I need a glass of water and a minute to think about what my next step should be. The last thing that I want to do is fight with Hardin but I am beyond sick of him only thinking of himself. I know he has changed so much, tried so hard, but I have given him chance after chance resulting in an endless breakup-makeup cycle that would make even Catherine Earnshaw cringe. I don't know how long I can keep my head above water when I'm fighting off the tidal wave that we call a relationship, every time I feel like I am treading the water, I'm taken back under by yet another problem.

With a final drink of water, I put my glass in the dishwasher and head to the bedroom. My father is still snoring, I would find it amusing if my mind wasn't so preoccupied. Hardin is lying on his back, his arms tucked under his head as he stares at the ceiling.

"I got expelled," he breaks the silence. "In case you were wondering."

"I'm so sorry, I should have asked earlier,"

I thought for sure Ken could get his son out of this mess.

"You were otherwise occupied with Zed, remember?"

I sit on the edge of the bed, as far from him as possible and try my best to bite my tongue. It's a wasted effort.

"I was trying to find out about the charges against you, he says he is still.."

"I heard him, I was there remember?" He interrupts me.

"I have had enough of your attitude, I know you're upset but you need to stop being so disrespectful." I speak slowly, hoping the words sink in.

He's dumbfounded for a moment but he quickly recovers.

"Excuse me?"

"You heard me, stop talking to me like that."

"I'm entitled to be a little pissed off,"

"Yes, you are but you aren't entitled to be a jerk. I was hoping we could actually talk about this and work it out like adults, for once." I say.

"What's that supposed to mean?" He sits up but I keep my distance.

"It means that after six months of this back and forth I thought we could possibly solve a problem without one of us leaving or breaking things."

"Six months?" He may need help picking his jaw up from the mattress.

"Yes, six months. Well since we met."

"I hadn't realized it's been that long,"

"Well it has,"

"It doesn't feel like that long.."