Hearts on Fire (Book 5: Creek-Harbor)

Chapter 5// Emma

Who the hell does he think he is? Sitting there with that smug look on his face, arms crossed over his chest, exposing his arms of tattoos, looking me up and down. And the nerve of him to sit there and question my daughter, about my family. Especially her father, the last person who gets to ask about Drew is Elliot fucking Argent.

I swear the moment I walked back up to the table and I heard him asking Cadi about her dad, I wanted to punch him in the face. Because he has no right too, we're not friends, we're not even friendly co-workers, we're just.... I don't know what we are but whatever if it is, it's uncomfortable and it's raw.

And I don't like how it messes with my head, since starting at the firehouse and our first meeting, sometimes I can't help but stare at him. I'm woman enough to admit that his handsome, he's tall, he's loyal to men who work under him, to his friends and he has an edge to him.

Elliot Argent knows what he does to women when he looks at them. And I spend twenty-four hours a day with him in a small firehouse, which is confusing even more when I feel his eyes on me, and I see him looking at me like I'm a puzzle he can't quite figure out.

I feel guilty that apart of me likes that he looks at me like that, I feel guilty that when I feel his blue eyes on me, my body response to that in ways I'm not ready to admit to myself or anyone else. Because even though Drew is gone, I'm still someone's wife.

Snapping out of my own thoughts and knocked on my son's bedroom door and waited. I thought things were getting better with Hunter, but then the other day I got called into his school because he hit another kid at baseball try-outs.

Hunter hasn't talked about the fight, but the coach heard his father bring brought up in the conversation, and that's when he lashed out, I know that it's harder for him then it is Cadence.

Hunter is going to be ten soon and taking away the two years Drew wasn't involved in his life, and nearly the two years he has been gone. Hunter still had his dad for a good six years, Cadi she was only three she has some memories of him but not like her brother does.

And it breaks my heart that my son is hurting like this, and I don't know what to do to help him heal in some way.

"Can I come in?" I ask him as I push open the door when he doesn't answer me.

Taking a step into Hunter's room just as my eyes zero in on him and he looks up at me.

"I brought you some lunch" I added and handed him the plate of food, I got from Maggie's café earlier. He looks at me for a moment and takes the plate from me "Thanks mom" I hear him mumble just barley.

Taking a seat on the end of the bed and sighed for a small moment.

"We need to talk about the fight at school bud" I say to him, he looks at me and drops his food before shrugging his shoulders towards me.

"You want to tell me what happened? Why you hit that other boy?" I added.

About the fight I only know what the school has told me, I know that Drew was brought in that said fight and if that's the case, I understand why Hunter lashed out. Because for the last two years he doesn't talk much about his dad anymore, and when I try to bring it up, he yells and runs off before I can fully talk to him about his grief. I've even tried to get him to see a children's therapist, but he wouldn't get out of the car that day and I didn't try again to take him. I figured that when he was ready to talk about it, he would come to me, but I don't think that's going to happen anytime soon to be honest.

"What's the point mom? You're only going to tell me I shouldn't have started fighting" He replies to me sounding defeated, and I hate hearing that in my kid's voice.

"How do you know? If you don't tell me your side of the story" I asked. Hunter looks at me for a moment and sighed.

"Jace he was saying things about me not having my dad there. And I just lost it and hit him-;" Hunter breaks of for a moment, I see his eyes glossing over with tears, but he quickly covers them up from me.

"I'm sorry I hit him mom, I really am but he talked about dad even when I tried to tell him, he wasn't here anymore" He added quietly, nodding my head and pulled him closer into a side hug and kissed the top of his head.

"I get it and I appreciate your honestly and apology. And I know how difficult it is for you, especially without dad anymore-;" I break off and pushed my own tears back, before looking down to my son.

"But just know that I am here, if you every want to talk about your dad. If you want to know anything, because even though it hurts, and he isn't here with us anymore. He is still in our hearts and it's okay to miss him, and it's up to us to keep his memory alive and celebrate all the good times with did have with him"

"I miss him so much mom" Hunter cries and wraps his arms around me, hugging him tighter, just as my own tears now begin to fall.

"I know bud, so do I every day. But he loved you and your sister so much, and he wouldn't want you to be sad all the time, because he is always watching over you both" I whispered to him.

After a moment of us both crying, Hunter pulls back from me and smiles slightly at me.

"Can I have my Xbox back now?" shaking my head and laughed a little.

"You can play for hour, but remember you are still grounded okay. And no more fighting" I say getting up to head out of his room,

"Okay mom-;" He stops for a moment and looks at me "I love you mom"

Feeling a smile on my face and nodded my head "I love you too Hunter"

Walking out of his room and took a second to breathe, I feel like that was a small victory because that was the first time he has ever really opened up about missing Drew. And maybe eventually we are going to get through this together as a family. And all that matters to me right now is making sure that my kids are healthy and happy, and that I am enough off a parent for them because they deserve the moon and more, and I believe that Drew is watching over them and guiding them.

As much as I miss him and will always love him. what I said to Hunter I meant it, he wouldn't want us to be sad all the time, and I need to start accepting that too even order for the kids to accept it too. And it is hard to say goodbye to the man I loved since I was fifteen and because of that my heart will always be half broken because he is gone but I know deep down that Drew would want me to start living fully again, and try to at least make new happy memorises with kids, ones without him in anymore.

Logically my head knows all this, and I think my kids know it too, but my heart still misses him and longs for him. But Creek-Harbor was supposed to be a fresh start for us and I need to start making it one, and start letting go of my past, and that starts with no longer mourning Drew but celebrating him by living for him, from myself and for our kids.

And that's what I'm going to do, because Creek-Harbor might just have a lot to offer us.