After being separated in a dramatic move, Connor Harding is moving back home. His ex-best friend Hope Stryker, is terrified and torn. After three years without contact and lots of family drama, the two have fallen off. Their friendship isn't the sam...
"Woah." Connor's voice echoed throughout the kitchen.
"Woah, what?" I asked as I was putting a premade pizza into the oven for Connor and me to eat.
It had been a couple of weeks since he had gone with me to the doctor, and ever since then, we have been hanging out a lot more. Layla was spending a good deal of her free time with Jaylin before basketball season officially started, and my parents were out often for mayoral duties, so it was nice to have Connor around.
"You look so... Oh my God."
"What are you talking about?" I turned around, confused over what was so shocking.
"I knew it would happen, but I didn't think it would happen overnight." Oh.
Looking down at my stomach, I subconsciously placed my hand over it. Connor was right, my bump had really 'popped' seemingly overnight. I actually looked pregnant now, instead of just bloated.
"Yeah, I know. I guess I won't be able to hide it much longer, will I?"
Connor let out a deep sigh and walked towards me. "Why are you still hiding it? There's always a girl that gets pregnant."
"That's exactly my point." I rubbed my hand over my face. "I'm already the girl who got her nudes leaked, and now I'm going to be the girl who got pregnant her senior year."
"Why does it matter so much?"
"Easy for you to say..." I scoffed.
Connor sat down at the bar in front of me and tilted his head. He was analyzing me, and I felt like he could read me like an open book. He was way too good at noticing the little things that set me off or realizing what made me upset. It was sweet but at the same time, a little weird.
"Can you tell me why it makes you upset?"
"C, can we please not talk about-"
"Please, Hope. I want to understand." He pleaded.
"I am tired of everything falling apart. I mean, everyone talks about how high school is supposed to be the time of your life, but I have hated the last four years. And I guess a small part of me was hoping that senior year would be better, but it's just... I don't know... exploded."
I felt kind of dumb talking about my feelings out loud. I was so used to keeping these emotions bottled up unless I was talking to Layla. But sitting here spewing words out to Connor made me feel strangely relieved.
Connor stood up from his seat and walked around the kitchen island to where I was standing. "Hope, in nine months, we are going to be getting ready to graduate. Nobody is going to be thinking about you and your baby by then. Everything we will be about prom, the senior picnic, and graduation."
"I know, I know. But that doesn't make me feel better." I sighed. As I tried to sidestep Connor to go check on the pizza in the oven, he grabbed my wrist.
"Hey." His hand grasped my chin and then slid his large hand behind my ear and into the side pieces of my hair. "I don't know what it feels like to be where you are, obviously, but I want you to know I'm here for you. I always will be, H."
Peering up, I stared at Connor's face, taking in everything about him. The freckles that dotted his nose that were ever so present due to his time in the sunlight. The way that the edges of his blond hair turned up at the end. His deep blue eyes that were full of love and compassion.
Slowly, Connor bent down and pressed his lips onto mine. My hands were quick to wrap around his neck, and Connor's large palms were nestled on my hips. As the kiss got deeper and we pulled each other closer, Connor's hands found their way underneath the edge of my shirt.
His touch was gentle but firm, and I could feel the heat from his hands pulsating throughout my body. But before the kiss could deepen any more, Connor pulled away, leaving me with a series of short pecks.
"Now," Connor cleared his throat. "How about that pizza?"
"Really? The pizza?" I laugh.
"Mhm. You really thought I drove all the way over here just to see you? Trust me, Hope, I came for that pizza."
For the next couple of hours, Connor and I pigged out on pizza and ice cream while watching shitty reality TV. Connor always complained about watching it with me, but I knew he secretly liked it, otherwise, he wouldn't have put up with it.
But now, the sun was long gone, and the cicadas were loud in the otherwise silent night.
"Are you sure you'll be okay tonight?" Connor asked.
"Yes. I'll lock the door as soon as you leave. I'll be fine."
"I really just don't like the idea of you being out here, by yourself." My parents were gone for the night, and with Toby and Raeanna back at college and Beau away at a friend's house, I was home alone.
Truthfully, I wasn't very fond of staying by myself either. Don't get me wrong, I was thankful for the peace and quiet, but being in the middle of nowhere at night could be a little scary. I could never tell if the random noises I heard was the house settling or someone trying to break in.
"Well," I whispered. "Do you want to stay?"
There was a long pause before Connor said anything, and I was almost afraid that he hadn't heard me.
"You want me to stay?"
"I mean, you can if you want. I know you probably have to work on the farm tomorrow, so I get it if you want to go home." Fuck, I was a mess. Maybe I was reading too far into whatever our situation was I thought, what if he doesn't even want to stay?
"Are you gonna take up all the covers?"
"Connor, I never do. You're the one that always steals the blankets."
"You are such a liar." Connor laughed.
"Nuh-uh."
"Well, I guess we'll find out, tonight won't we?" Connor started making his way up the stairs, and I followed behind him, a carefree smile on my face.
That night, with the low glow of Jersey Shore on the TV, I fell asleep with Connor behind me, and his arms loosely draped over me. And for the first time in a long time, my life didn't feel like it was falling apart.
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