Keeping It Secret

Keeping It Secret (Pilot)

Harper P.O.V

"I still can't believe we're back." I sighed and placed a picture of me and my mom on my desk, "I miss you like crazy Mom. I wish you could see me now."

"Harper, we're going out to eat, you want to come with us?" Dad peeked his head into my room.

I rolled my eyes, "No. I'll find something myself, anything Julia and her sons I'm out on attending."

Dad came in and shut the door behind him, "You're going to have to warm up to them eventually, they're family now. I thought you were gonna be more open to them."

"Uh Julia, Greg, Luke, and Ethan are not my family, the way they treat me is not something a family member would do." I said throwing the last box of clothes in my closet.

"I don't understand you sometimes Harper, you can never accept anything." He started to leave.

"You're right, I don't accept the fact that my mom disappeared so suddenly and you got remarried within a month of it happening to the woman who hated her most. Just seems a little strange to me." I smirked with my back turned to him.

"Harper we've been over this your mom was depressed and committed a suicidal wreck, there was a funeral and everything! What don't you accept?" He yelled.

"The fact she would leave without saying goodbye, we both know she was fine until.." He turned around and grabbed my mouth.

"You don't ever speak of that! Ever! Understood?!" He released my face from his grasp.

I didn't respond and he took that as his cue to leave. I grabbed my car keys off the desk and rushed downstairs.

"Oh wow Heavy Harper is actually running? What a surprise!" Greg yelled from the kitchen.

I made my way out to my car and got in. This is why I didn't want to come back, because they were going to be here, they always make jokes out of my appearance and intelligence, the funny thing is I'm the most in-shape and smartest person in the household. The only thing getting me through this year is that I am graduating with my degree this year and I can move out for good. I thought that after all the hard work I went through to graduate high school early and work my ass off in college would impress my dad, but I guess a successful owner of an investment company thinks his 19 year old daughter already graduating college isn't a thing of beauty.

I backed my car out of the driveway and drove down to Underwater, it is a secret underground bar which only a few know about. Before I moved away my friend Wren showed me Underwater and they let me become a member, I have so many memories down there, it was like my safe haven when my dad would be drunk to the point where he inaudible. I also met a lot of great people down there.

I parked my car and went down the stairs to the door. I knocked three times.

"Name?" Mitch asked through the door.

"Harper Lincoln." I laughed.

He gasped, "She's back guys!" Mitch yelled.

He swung the door open and showed me in. I smiled, it felt good to be back.

"Harper!" All the familiar faces yelled.

"Hey Wren, look who is back!" Someone yelled.

And up from behind the bar counter popped up Wren.

"Wren?!" I gasped.

Next thing I knew Wren threw herself over the counter and into my arms.

"Harp you're back?!" She practically yelled.

"Yep for now." I started to tear up.

"Come on let's get you something to drink." She leads me over to the counter and gave me a "strawberry lemonade" which is code for a Bloody Mary, "I work the entire night shift, but we should hang out tomorrow."

"Sounds great to me, just text me and we can meet up." I smiled as she got back to work.

I looked around and this place hadn't changed a bit. It still has the neon signs everywhere and ocean waves painted on the wall, with glow in the dark stars on the ceiling. There are no windows so all the light comes from the blue and white Christmas lights strung around all the walls. To me it is just amazing down here.

"So, I'm gonna take it that you're Harper?" The guy a few seats away from me said, and may I add how freaking hot he is.

"Uh yeah." I started to blush, usually guys like him don't pay attention to girls like me.

"That's cool I'm Jaxton by the way, would it be awkward if I asked you where you got your shirt?" He gave me a breathtaking smile.

I looked down at my shirt, it was my 'stay golden' shirt in reference to the Robert Frost poem, "I got it from a bookstore back in my old town."

"I love his work, it is just perfection." Jaxton said.

"Me too, his poem Nothing Gold Can Stay really hits home with me after some things that have happened." I sighed, "Anyways, what do you do for a living?"

"Oh, I'm going to be a teacher at Cryptic High School, I start in two days. What about you?"

"I think I'd like to become a teacher, but I'm not completely sure yet, I mean college is all about finding yourself."

"Cool, what is your major?"

"English."

"Funny, that's what I'm teaching."

"Oh, and I like to write too but it is mostly about personal experiences."

"Wow, I'm very impressed."

"Why?" I let out a light laugh.

He moved a few seats closer to me, "Well I made an attempt at writing but it didn't go as planned. So you're lucky that if you're writing for yourself it's a passion. Maybe you would let me read some of your work?"

I was thrown back by his question, "Yeah, I mean if you would want to?"

"Definitely, you're smart, you've been unique places, you have amazing taste in poetry, not mention you're beautiful and I'd loved to know more about you." He smirked.

"I'd like to know more about you too." I said as he tucked a piece of hair behind my ear.

"Follow me." He stood up and grabbed my hand.

He leads me to the back room and locked it, "This is my favourite place in the whole building." I said as I ran my fingers over the starry night painted on the wall.

"Mine too." He came up behind me.

I turned around and the vibe he gave off just made my heart flutter, it was like we were brought to Underwater tonight for a reason. He brought his hand up to my cheek.

He closed the space between us, "May I?"

"I don't know if it is the bloody Mary talking but, yes." And with that I got lost in his touch.

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A/N: Okay so this is my newest book, I hope you guys like there will be some plot twists but I promise everything has a happy ending!! The first few chapter will be short because I'm going to try to fit in as much backstory as possible.