Separately Together

Chapter Four: Not a Gentleman 1/2

The night air that was leaking in from my cracked window did little to clear my brain. The whole cab of the truck was full of Harley's presence making it hard to think about anything else. "So, what has little sweet's been doing these past four years?"

"Nothing. Reading, lots of reading." It sounded lame but I didn't want to mention the bakery or the culinary classes right now for fear that he would think it was a silly idea. He chuckles at this surely about to make a joke about my younger self.

"I do vaguely remember you walking around with your nose so close to the pages you had to have been able to smell it." He grabs the stirring wheel with one hand and glances at me then back at the road. Trying to read my reaction to his teasing.

"Oh, yeah? Going there, are we? I remember when you kissed Sandra Willis, and her braces caught your lip. You told Finnic that you got in a fight, but I heard her talking to her friends about it in the bathroom." I say smugly, crossing my arms over my chest, feeling as though I had for once won this one. He probably didn't even know I knew about this.

"I lied for her sake; she was embarrassed." He confesses. "See a gentleman." He says smugly.

Harley wasn't a gentleman by any means. Sure, he wasn't mean to women from what I know of, and he has basic manners but over the time of watching him navigate his teenage years has ruined that view of him for me.

"Such a gentleman that you took Lily Grey right there under the bleachers, after the game." I stared out the window biting my lip to hold in my laughs because I knew I had won this one. There was nothing he could say to justify that.

"Tu shay." He concludes as we pull into the full parking lot. "A lot of people. You good with this?"

"Not really." I chuckled nervously. "But so, be it, right?"

I start to open my door, but he stops me. "I'll do that."

Maybe he was a gentleman now, but I've heard too many stories growing up to think of him as anything but wild and reckless.

He and my brother were a feat no one wanted to cross. Harley did catch most of the punishments, though. Not that my brother pushed them on him, but Harley wouldn't let Finnic take them. Something about too big of a future ahead of him.

Finnic had played pro for a couple of years until he sustained an injury that made him quit. Now he is the coach at the local college.

That's where he met Asher at.

Harley opens my door and holds out his hand to help me out. I hope he didn't notice how clammy my skin felt from the nerves of so many people being here. We walk up to the entrance but before I open the door, I fill Harley's warm breath caressing the back of my neck. Chill bumps instantly cover my arms, the tingles strong.

Almost throbbing under my skin.

Once again, I have to open my mouth to allow more oxygen in my deprived lungs.

His hand incases my hand around the handle. His breath moves to my ear, "Did you wear underwear this time?" It was a whisper meant only for my ears to hear. It almost seemed like it was thought that he let slip, out of his mouth.

Throwing caution to the wind.

He pulls the door open to let us both go inside, and I debate whether he meant to say what he said out loud. At this point, I'm flustered so badly that Finnic and Liz see. It was as if Harley was doing this on purpose, timing it perfectly so that my brother sees.

"What did I tell you about flirting with my sister?" Finnic fake scolds him. If it had been anyone else Finnic would be a completely different person right now, but Harley was his best friend. The one he hasn't hung out with in six years. I don't think Finnic cared much about whatever we had going on.