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...
It didn't just rain that afternoon, it poured. I had sat outside and watched the water fall until the last drop hit the ground. Then the humidity had set in and it was time to go. Air conditioning was definitely a great thing.
My dad didn't bother to talk to me when I passed by his office. Our relationship was going downhill fast. I didn't know what to do. If he wouldn't believe me and treat me like the rest of my siblings, I wasn't willing to put in an effort to fix our relationship.
"Hope?" A deep voice asked from behind my bedroom door.
Tobias stepped in and gazed sheepishly at my figure laying in bed. I was curled up with two blankets on top of me, hoping that my bed would swallow me up. It didn't look like that would be happening anytime soon.
"Toby please leave me alone." My voice came out weak and quiet. I just wanted to cry and take a nap.
"You know I can't do that." He laid down in bed behind me and wrapped me in his arms. He let me cry and didn't say anything. He didn't rub my back and tell me it would be okay. He just held me and let me cry.
"Toby, what do I do?"
"Just wait. You can't sit here and constantly think about him. Worrying about him is not going to help you. Don't let him have control of your life." He rubbed the tears from underneath my eyes and kissed my forehead. He was just like mom.
"Do you think he'll talk to me?"
"Pshh, he better not. I'll beat his ass if he even looks at you." It was a typical big brother answer that I knew Tobias wouldn't follow through with, but it did make me laugh.
Tobias left shortly after but his blunt advice had clicked in my head. He made me realize that I wasn't going to just sit around and pout.
I got up from my bed and went into the bathroom to take a shower and get myself together. Putting on makeup made me feel like I hadn't been consistently crying for the past 48 hours. It was less of an 'Oh I can't go outside without makeup because boys will think I'm ugly' and more of a 'makeup makes me feel pretty' type of vibe.
I slipped into new clothes and strolled out of the house. I was in full bad bitch mode. With no hesitation, I got into my car and began speeding down my driveway.
The drive to Layla's house was short and sweet. By the time I got there, she was standing outside waiting for me.
"Took you long enough," she huffed.
"I was here in five minutes Lay." I slammed my car door shut and we made our way to her front porch.
Layla had deep chestnut skin and sparkling green eyes, and curly hair down to her shoulders. All the boys adored her. She had moved here when we were eight and quickly became friends with Connor and I. Her and Connor had never grown as close but Layla was like another sister to me.
"Five minutes too long Hope."
Inside Layla's mom was in the kitchen cooking while her dad sat at the bar watching.
"Hi Mrs. W." I kissed her mom on the cheek and gave her dad a fistbump.
"Hope, you staying for dinner?"
"Always Mrs. W. I wouldn't miss it." Mrs. W made some of the best food in town and dinner came with the added bonus of no drama. Thank God.
I followed Layla up the stairs and into her bedroom where she promptly shut the door.
"Spill."
"What?"
"Hope we've known each for like a million years. I can tell when something is wrong."
I looked Layla in the eyes and chewed on my bottom lip, "He's coming back."
Layla's mouth visibly dropped, "Him... as in... him?"
"Yes."
"You're kidding."
"Absolutely not." I shook my head.
"Oh my God."
We both leaned back onto Layla's bed and stared at the ceiling. Although Layla and Connor didn't have the same relationship, him leaving still hurt her.
"When," Layla asked quietly.
"I'm guessing this summer. I don't really know."
"Wait a damn minute," she sassed as she sat up," how did you find out?"
"You're never gonna believe this... Raeanna and Katie never stopped talking."
Layla's mouth dropped open again and she sank back into the bed, "Holy shit."
"Mhm," I hummed.
After another couple of minutes of blindly staring at the ceiling, Mrs. W called us down for dinner. She had made my favorite: chicken casserole.
Layla and I quickly dug in and mad no conversation. The Walker's table was usually filled with our laughter and so the silence was new.
"What's happened?" Layla's mom sat down her fork and looked at both of us.
"Nooothing," we drawled out.
"You didn't hear Allison?" Mr. W reached for more casserole, "The Hardings are moving back."
I started choking and Layla patted me on the back. Man, he was blunt.
"How the hell did you know dad?"
"I thought everyone knew?" He looked at us all and then shrugged his shoulders.
"We most definitely did not Trevor." Mrs. H looked at her husband as if he had grown another head. I'm sure he would be getting an earful tonight.
"So what do you know dad?"
He sighed and set down his fork, "Listen all I know is that they're moving back to the ranch. I don't know why, but I'm assuming it's because their grandfather needs help running things."
Mr. Harding's dad owned a ranch that had been in their family for over 100 years. They raised some of the most beautiful horses that I had ever seen. Connor and I used to spend hours upon hours riding and feeding them.
Their ranch was one of the places that I had the best memories of the two of us. Now that they were moving back, would we be making new memories or would the old ones continue to haunt me? --- hey guys! welcome to the end of chapter 3!! do y'all think that Connor and Hope will reconnect? will they make new memories? comment below.
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
