Yours, Forever.

Chapter Six

(Harper's POV)

The Next Morning:

I woke up the next morning, drenched in sweat. Another nightmare. I took a deep breath, swung my legs over the side of the bed, and stood up. After brushing my hair, washing my face, and getting dressed, I applied a bit of makeup. My eyes fell on the pill jar on my desk, and I popped two pills into my mouth, dry swallowing them—my usual method of trying to feel less like an emotionless, broken zombie.

Isaac had already left for school, leaving just me and Talia.

"Hey, Harper! How'd you sleep last night?" Talia asked as she scrambled eggs.

"Shitty, but I've slept worse," I replied.

"Did you have another nightmare?" She pressed.

"No, I was just hot and couldn't get comfortable," I lied, opting for a white lie instead of getting into it with her.

"Oh, okay. Want some eggs?" she offered.

"Nah, I'm not hungry right now. Plus, I'll miss the bus if I don't leave soon. But thanks anyway," I replied.

"Well, alright. See you after school then," she said.

"See you, love you," I called back.

"Love you too," she smiled warmly.

At School:

After chemistry class, Alex came over to my locker. "Hey! How are you feeling?"

"Uh, what do you mean?" I replied, unsure of why he was asking.

"Oh, well, last night you mentioned you weren't feeling well, and with everything Rebecca said, I wanted to make sure you were okay," he said, his unique navy-blue eyes shining sincerely into mine.

"Oh, yeah, I'm okay. I felt better once I got home," I smirked.

"That's good! Oh, but the main reason I came over was to ask you something," he said.

"Shoot it," I smirked, taking a sip of my Gatorade.

His bright eyes radiated joy and innocence—as if he didn't have a care in the world.

"Okay, so me, Sam, and my sister Aria are going pumpkin carving tomorrow. I was wondering if you'd maybe want to join us, and we could finish our science project at my house afterward."

"Sure, sounds fun!" I smiled.

"Cool! I'm not sure what time we'll be leaving tomorrow, so do you want me to text you tonight once I know?" he asked.

"Yep, that sounds good!" I grinned.

"Awesome! Well, I'm heading to study hall now. I'll see you tomorrow," he said, smiling brightly.

"Okay, sounds good. Text me tonight!" I replied, giving him a thumbs-up as I headed to class.

(Alex's POV)

The Next Day:

"Hey!" I shouted, waving to Harper while gripping my duffle bag with the other hand.

"Hi! I'm just on time!" she laughed.

"Yep, Sam and Aria are already in the back. I made them let you have shotgun since you're the guest," I smirked.

"Well, how courteous of you!" she laughed as she hopped into the passenger seat.

The drive took about 30 minutes. Finally, we arrived at "Alicia's Pumpkin Patch," a family-owned farm open annually from mid-September to late November. It was a place rich with childhood memories for me.

We made our way to the patch, with Harper and me walking about 15 feet ahead of Sam and Aria, who were moving at a snail's pace.

"I'm surprised my parents let Aria come without an adult. I guess they were feeling generous today," I laughed.

"Why wouldn't they let her come? Isn't she, like, 18? That's an adult." Harper asked.

"Yep, she's 18. So, like, one time when she was fifteen, my parents caught her making out with a guy in her room. Instead of having a healthy conversation about it, they just decided to lock her up for what felt like an eternity. Literally, the only times she's allowed out of their sight are for band practice at Sam's house, and I have to go with her," I replied.

"Damn, I feel bad for her. I can't imagine the strain that puts on all of your relationships," she said.

"Yeah, we're not the picture-perfect family we might seem to be," I admitted.

"I suppose no family is," she stated.

"Yeah," I agreed.

(Harper's POV)

Finally, we arrived at the patch and found four large pumpkins to carve, which we took to the carving station. I felt myself becoming more at ease around Alex and his friends, even though I'd known them for only a short while. Alex had a calming presence about him—a simple aura that made everything seem natural. His wardrobe usually consisted of jeans and a T-shirt or sweatpants and a hoodie. His voice was low yet soft, and even his movements were gentle, as if he moved through life effortlessly.

Sam, in stark contrast, was a huge jokester with a big personality. He also wore jeans and T-shirts, but often mixed in linen shorts, skinny jeans, and muscle shirts. I sensed that the seriousness of life made Sam a bit jittery; he always managed to crack a joke or lighten the mood whenever a conversation turned serious. As for Aria, I could tell she just wanted to feel wanted.

Later that night, Alex dropped me off after dropping Sam back at his house and Aria back at hers. I placed my carved pumpkin on the porch banister.

"Thanks for taking me to the pumpkin patch today. It was really fun," I said.

"Of course! I had a great time too," he smiled.

"Well, I guess we should start working on the project; it's upstairs in my room," I said.

"Yep, sounds good," he replied, following me upstairs.

We worked on the project for about three hours before finally finishing. Glancing at the clock, I realized it was nearing one in the morning. Both of us were tired, so we agreed he should head home and get some sleep since he had church the next day.

That night, I lay in bed, thinking about how I felt. Alex made me feel safe. I thought of Peter—he had never made me feel safe, not in the same way as Alex. What if my experience with Alex ended the same as it did with Peter? What if it turned into a repetition of last summer? Even if that wasn't the case, even if Alex was genuinely kind, I was afraid of getting too close. If I did, I might tell him everything—the messy, bloody truth about last summer. I couldn't risk it. What happened last summer could NEVER get out.