Baby || Hardin Scott ||

Twenty four

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Victoria's pov.
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The next morning I got out of bed and I needed to start packing since I'm leaving for Seattle soon. I had to focus on this amazing opportunity Vance has given me. I had to figure out if Hardin was coming along.

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Hardin finally came out of our room and he already bringing up Seattle.

"So you're shipping me out? You okay?" He asks
"You know, it's not like I want to leave you," I say
"You don't have to" he looks straight at me.
"Vance's offer, it's a dream come true. I've wanted to visit Seattle since I was tired of New York. And the only thing that would make it better is if you came with me." I say holding his hand.
"I don't know why you want me there. You know, I don't fit into that flashy lifestyle and you grew up in that lifestyle that's all you know and you lost that lifestyle for choosing me." He says letting my hand go.
"I want to make a life together," I say
"So do I, so stay here and we can."
"You're not listening to me."
"I'm listening"
"I need this job since I lost.." I say he cuts me off
"I know. I know. I know. You have a great job in Seattle. That's is great. I'm happy for you but I don't. I don't have anything there." He says
"You'd have me"
"Okay, that's not enough." He says

| I just look at him how the hell is I not enough for him. I gave up everything for him and I don't mean anything to him. |

"You know I didn't mean it," he says not even looking at me.
"Well, if I'm... If I'm not enough that's your problem but you're not gonna stop me." I say and head to our room and I start to pack.

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I headed over to Vance publishing to see Kimberly.
I knocked and Vance was there.
"Victoria," Kimberly says
"I can come back"
"No, come in. I'm just heading out. Um, you have a safe trip" Vance says to Kimberly And kisses her goodbye.
"Driving by yourself?" I ask
"She's not going by herself," Vance says
"I'm taking smith with me. Besides, I prefer to get us settled up there while Christian finishes things here. Have you decided what part of town you'll be staying in?" Kimberly asks
"No, I'm still deciding between two places," I say.
"No Victoria just with us. You know until you get situated." Kimberly says
"No, it's fine I find a place soon," I say
"Come on. It'll be fun. Christian will be thrilled. He's been trying to spend more time with Hardin." She says
"He's not coming with me."
"Well, when he comes to visit, then you know, between us Christian was pretty disappointed Hardin turned him down on his job offer," Kimberly says
"What job was that?"
"Basically anything he wanted." She says
With that being said I excused myself and headed down to the cafe and I told Hardin to meet me here.

He finally arrived and I ignored him for not telling me anything about a job offer.

"Hey, hey, hey. Don't walk away from me." He says
"So don't follow me."
"Victoria I'm sorry. I didn't mean it. I shouldn't have said it" he says
"Can you stop saying things you don't mean? I can't tell what's true and what's not."
"Can you maybe stop making decisions without talking things through first?"
"Okay. Kimberly invited me to stay with them in Seattle If that's not weird" I say
"It's not weird. It's good. It's great."
"Vance always gone on business trips, so I think It'll be a win-win."
"How do you think they make that work, the long-distance?" He asks
"I don't know, they communicate?" I say start walking away from him
"Wait, wait. Wait, wait, wait. What was that?"
"What?"
"You know, the thing underneath the thing that you just said."
"Why didn't you tell me that Vance offered you a job in Seattle?" I ask
"Cause I wasn't gonna take it."
"Why didn't you tell me that you weren't gonna take it? Because here I am begging you to come with me. Just to find out that you had something there" I say
"He kept harping on me. It wasn't something I wanted to deal with. Remember, at the time I had no idea you were going."
"We need to stop keeping secrets from each other."
"Yeah. Agreed." He says and caresses my arms and kisses my forehead.
"We'll have fun this weekend, okay?" He says and leaves

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We made our way to the cabin where we are staying with his family.
That afternoon we went on a boat ride and Hardin was doing his thing always writing in that notebook.

"Are you still going to New York?" I ask Landon
"Yeah I mean, I've got everything set up at NYU, so I'm just gonna. I guess go with the flow. You know?"Landon Says
"Okay. Just be careful don't mess with the social lights cause they will end your life." I say
"Having seconds thoughts?" He asks
"I don't know. I'm just worried that I made the wrong decision. It's just apparently Hardin wanted me to go to England with him after graduation. And I don't know maybe I should." I say
"Victoria you have been trying to do what you always wanted to do which is do what you wanted instead of being told what to do all the time," Landon says
"You're right"
"Yes, you have to do you." He says
"Yeah, and what about him?"
"What about him? Mr. grumpy if he loves you, he could follow you. Just saying some hard truths. Tough love." He says
"Thanks for the talk. Talk later?" I say
"Yeah"

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I went to sit with Hardin after my conversation with Landon. I laid my head on Hardin's shoulder we looked out to sea.

"I don't want to lose this," he says
"I don't either. If adventures will not befall a young lady in her own village. She must seek them abroad." I say reciting a line from Jane Austen's "Northanger abbey"
"But there is nothing like staying at home, for real comfort," Hardin says
"You pierce my soul, I'm half agony, half hope."
"We are all fools in love." He says
"I thought you were Darcy, and you've just been Jane Austen the whole time," I say and he giggles and kisses me.
"So are you ever gonna show me what you're writing in there?" I ask looking at his notebook.
"Maybe someday." He says smiling
"Maybe"

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