Falling For You

-LVII-

Finally got inspiration to write more of FFY. Maybe it's all this quarantining that's driving me crazy.

Happy reading!

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Harley

You know that saying, time will heal your wounds? To an extent, I would agree. 

A couple of months have passed since my mother decided to burst the bubble we were living in. Lots of things have changed yet everything has remained the same. My mother moved out taking all the stuff she owned, including a few pieces of furniture which made the empty house even lonelier. In the beginning months my dad was merely a shell of the outgoing man he used to be. Every day there were small improvements, but hurt was always present in his eyes. He was betrayed by someone who he thought was his best friend. The perfect snow globe like family my mother attempted to portray she easily shattered. 

The only thing my father focused on was work now. I could tell that it was the only thing that could keep his mind off of the divorce. But he never stopped being a father to me. He is the strongest man I know for stepping up to the plate and not losing himself to the overwhelming emotions. He and I have grown even closer than we were before. 

And how could I forget my two best friends? Ally and Drew have tried as hard as they can to get me to laugh or smile - just to be happy again. Most nights of the week Drew stays over holding me while I sleep, comforting me whenever I needed to cry. 

Unfortunately, since my mother didn't altogether die, I was not pardoned from school. The first couple of weeks were tough, dumb high schoolers hear everything through the grapevines. Rumours seemed to be flying around until the next best thing to gossip about came around. I'm thankful that Cody and I patched our friendship as he made bio more bearable. 

With only one more month of school left all of the assignments seem to be due all at once. The big bio project about genetics is one of them, which brings me to this moment. 

I release a breath trying to ease the tension building in my shoulders. Raising my hand I knock on the foreign door. 

It is only a matter of minutes before the door widens revealing her. The first time I've seen her since I heard about the divorce. 

"Hi mom." I greet without an ounce of emotion. 

Per usual I can't gauge her feelings but she weakly smiles. "Harley, come in." 

I step inside leaving a big space between the two of us. It's like I'm staring at a stranger right now instead of my own mom. The mom who cheered me on as I road my bike for the first time without training wheels, the mom that laughed with my dad and I when we made ginger bread houses but got more of the icing on us, the mom who would come to my school activities to support me, the mom that- 

"You said you needed to pick up something?" My mother interrupts my spiralling thoughts.

"Uh, yeah," I blink a couple of times banishing those happy memories of what our family used to be. "For school I need a piece of DNA from both my parents for a project." 

She frowns. "Why do you need both of ours? Can't you just use your father's?" 

"Because the project requires both parents." I repeat calmly. "Look I just need like a single strand of hair-" 

I'm shocked with by her next actions.

"I'm sorry but I'm very busy right now, maybe we can do this another time." Not really giving me a choice the woman I once called my mother opens the door expectantly. 

Suspiciously I oblige and shoot her a final look over my shoulder. The woman in front of me has changed so drastically I have no idea what happened to her. No more is the warm caring mother I was raised by, instead, replacing her is a rude indifferent woman. 

Driving back to the building I call home, my head swarms with questions that I hope my father can answer. What is she hiding?

Stepping through the front door I drop the car keys on the small table that sits nearby. 

"Dad?" I call out. I'm surprised I don't hear an echo with how bare it's become. 

"In here!" 

I follow his voice to his office. He is sat on his leather computer chair with a laptop in front of him and various sheets of paper sprawled on the hidden desk. 

"What's up?" He slides his reading glasses off of his nose. 

"So you know that bio project I have, the one about DNA?" When he nods I continue. "Well I just visited mom to get hers but she avoided the question and kicked me out." 

"Fuck Myra not now." He mutters under his breath softly but not enough for me to not pick it up. He rubs his face tiredly before glancing up at me. "I'll call her about it okay?"

I now feel guilty for bringing her up again. His body immediately sags and becomes tired when she is mentioned. "Is everything okay?" 

He pauses, "maybe."

Even though I desperately want to know what his hunch is I don't pry. "Thanks Dad." 

After giving him a tight hug I leave him to do his work. My phone buzzing alerts me of an incoming call.

Drew.

"Hello?" 

"Hey, how did the visit go?" 

Carrying myself to my room I fall back onto my bed staring at the ceiling. "Uh, not so great."

"Stay there, I'll be right over." Before I can say anything else he cuts the line making that annoying beep to sound. 

Knowing that he'll be here in a matter of minutes I wait for his arrival. The front door opened and closes signalling his presence. His feet loudly thump up the stairs making a smile form on my lips, the big oaf is terrible at being graceful. 

"Hey Drew," I turn my head to watch him walk in my room. 

"How are you feeling?" He eyes me concerned.

I change my focus to my worn ceiling again. "Confused." 

Wordlessly, he rounds the bed to his side and pulls my body into his warm embrace. My body immediately relaxes and warmth spreads over me. Throughout those months since I first felt those ridiculous butterflies, they've only intensified whenever Drew holds me. A warm tingly feeling that I have begun to crave. Without words being said Drew always knows how to help me feel better. Looking back over the years of our friendship he's always been there for me. It's like those teenage feelings I harboured when I was thirteen never left, they have only grown. 

 Denial is supposedly the first step right?  I think I'm passed that now. So I guess acceptance is the next?

I like him.