Prove It (H.S)

Chapter Thirty Nine

Claire's POV~

I roll out of bed, my body stiff from sleep. I stretch my arms out and crack my knuckles, a bad habit. When I look in the mirror, my eyes are red and puffy from crying myself to sleep last night. I look away, not wanting to be reminded of the cause of my tears.

I slowly pull on sweatpants and an oversized t-shirt from the bottom of my drawer. Judging from the fact that I smell pancakes, I know my parents are up. I make my way down the stares, making sure to apply makeup onto my face to cover up the swollen bags under my eyes. I'm supposed to be strong.

My mom is standing at the counter, drinking a cup of coffee next to a big plate of chocolate ship pancakes. My dad is sitting at the small table and digging into a high stack of them as he reads the newspaper. I silently take a seat next to my dad and my mom smiles brightly at me.

"Good morning, sweetheart," she says and hands me a plate of the warm pancakes and a glass of milk. "Morning," I yawn and thank her for the breakfast. My dad winks at me, his hair messy from sleep. I smile and stuff a fork full into my mouth.

After cleaning my plate and making some small talk with my parents, I return to my cozy room to drown my thoughts in that of The Great Gatsby by F. Scott Fitzgerald. I open the book and my eyes immediately are glued to every word.

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Harry's POV~

My plane ride was filled with anxiety and anticipation. As I drive along the busy Portland streets in this crap rental car, I begin to wonder if I didn't think this all the way through. If I she doesn't want to see me, what will I do? What will her parents think when I show up on their doorstep? My fingers tap along the steering wheel.

Before I even realize it, I'm pulling into the narrow driveway of the Hoffman residence. I park the car and pull the keys out of ignition. The sky is cloudy, perfect for the occasion. I take a deep breath and close my eyes. Exhaling loudly, I unbuckle and step out of the car.

I make sure to take my time as I walk up the stone walkway to the familiar brick house. My feet reluctantly move to the front door and I knock loudly, clearing my throat.

The door opens quickly, and revealed is Geoff, wearing plaid pajama bottoms and a white t-shirt and hazel eyes that stare back at me with a coldness that is very different form the first time we met. "What are you doing here?" He asks harshly, his lips pressed into a straight line. His tone sends a shiver down my spine and I stuff my shaking hands into my pockets.

"I, uh, was, um, hoping I could come in and, uh, talk to Claire," I say softly, my eyes looking sheepishly at Geoff. He eyes me up and down, his broad body blocking the doorway. "I don't think that's such a good idea," he says sternly. I sigh, running my fingers through my hair.

When I don't respond, he continues. "You broke my daughter's heart, Harry. I can't just look past that," he says and I can't bare to look in his eyes any longer. I nod slowly, using all my energy not to start crying. "I, I know," I say with a sniffle.

Just then, Ruth walks up from behind him. She puts her body next to his, touching his shoulder. "Hello, Harry," she says, seemingly unsurprised to see me. "Hello," I say with the only smile I can pull.

"He wants to talk to her," Geoff says to Ruth, his eyes still on me in a glare. I look to next to him and Ruth is looking at the ground, inhaling deeply. She exhales and puts her other hand on her husband's chest. "It's okay, let him in," she surprises me by saying.