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Harrison's golden eyes met mine and I was nearly knocked to my knees at the sheer amount of hotness that radiated from him.

Yes, I am going to use the word "hotness".

He wore a sleek (expensive looking) leather jacket and a pair of crisp new jeans.

"Harrison," I whispered a blush creeping up my neck.

"You look gorgeous," Harrison said a grin spreading across his face as his eyes took me in.

"So do you." I breathed out and he laughed lightly and I couldn't even be embarrassed by the fact I had just called him gorgeous. I just giggled back at him.

"I'm sorry if I'm late, my older brother called from college and my dad tried to get me on the phone with him." I shrugged.

"No, you're not late." He took me in once more and his eyebrows furrowed.

"Do you think you'll be cold in that?" he asked I looked down at my outfit.

Actually...

I probably would.

"No, I'll be fine, let me just grab my coat." I said quickly ushering him into the house so I could shut the door. I didn't want to let all the warm air out of the house. I heard my mom, bustling about in the kitchen as I headed for the coat closet. Hopefully, she wouldn't ambush my date and grill him on all things parents do before first dates. I suppose the fact that Gabe wasn't here was a blessing. Didn't need the nurse in the house asking him about STDs. Not that Harrison had any... Perhaps I was lucky I didn't have a dad around to threaten Harrison with his baseball bat or shotgun. Goodness knows that would be a disaster. I plucked my heavy camel-colored pea coat off the hanger and a hunter green scarf, knowing that I wouldn't get cold wearing that.

After I checked myself once more in the hall mirror I headed back to Harrison. He smiled at me all bundled up for the chilly night, his golden eyes catching the light and weakening my knees.

"Ready?" he asked as I slipped my phone into my pocket and nodded. I told my mom I was leaving and that Sarah was upstairs and then rushed out the door before she could reply.

Harrison opened the passenger door to his car for me and I felt my heart beam. I watched him carefully as he rolled his shoulders slightly in the driver's seat and flexed his fingers before starting the car.

Was he nervous? I bit down on my lip to keep from grinning at the thought. Surely Harrison Cole wasn't nervous around little ol' me.

Oh god.

Barf.

Did I just refer to myself as "little ol' me"? What am I? 85 years old? Lord help me.

"You okay?" Harrison asked me because of the way my face was cringing at my own inner thoughts. I blushed looked over at him.

"Yeah, yup I'm fine." I smiled at the end of that very convincing (just go with it) string of words. Harrison's lips twitched slightly and I saw his eyes flicker in amusement before they shifted back to the road. There was silence for a moment after that before Harrison spoke up.

"You know, I'm really glad you said yes." I sat up a little straighter at his words and he continued, "Honestly I really thought I had ruined it." He laughed and it sounded a little forced, but I found myself joining in.

"Honestly?" I echoed, "I thought you did too." I whispered and there was silence again. We both ended up speaking at the same time

"But your apology was-"

"But that kiss was-"

We both stopped and then laughed again and the tension instantly vanished after that. It was like we were on our thirty-first date instead of our first and of course, that feeling only made it even better.

I gazed out the window, the ghost of my reflection staring back at me, grinning just as wide as I was.

He pulled up to a packed parking lot and the lights of the street fair blared, drowning out the stars and dulling the moon. My smile grew at the sight of all the people mulling about the stalls and games. Little kids running around with balloons tied to their writes and mothers carrying large teddy bears as the fathers stepped up to the plate to win more. There was music playing from a couple venders, bubbles floating in the thick night air, laughter filled my ears and the comforting, mouth-watering smell of sugared donuts drifted around. I had forgotten about the December fair. I wasn't surprised they had started it early this year because apparently, we were going to have heavy soon later on in the month so it would have to shut a little early too.

I got yanked out of my daze as Harrison's arms slipped around my waist and pressed me to his side. The night was chilly and I could see my breath coming out in little clouds. I looked up to see him smiling at me and I couldn't help but beam back up at him.

"Surprise?" he asked and I laughed.

"I love it, I can't remember the last time I managed to get to one of these." I pressed myself closer to him and started walking forward.

"Okay good, I figured you would like it. I hoped you would." He said and I could hear the relief in his voice despite his earlier confidence.

"I see why you wanted me to bring a coat now." I said with a chuckle and he echoed it.

"Yeah, I didn't need you shivering and shaking the whole time." I pouted my lips slightly and the gesture was foreign to me, I wasn't sure where it came from.

"You wouldn't have given me your jacket?" I asked and I felt the vibrations of his laugh being so close to him.

There was a pause before he said

"Nope, then I would have been shivering and shaking. I would have bought you some hot apple cider though." He said as we passed a stall for the drink. I slowed my walk,

"Just cause I wore a jacket doesn't mean that you still can't do that." I said and he looked down at me, his gold eyes bright.

"Alright then."

We got on the short line for the cider and I relished in the warmth the hot cup gave off as I clutched it in my hands. I held my face over the top of it, soaking up the steam it gave off and I heard Harrison laugh next to me. My cheeks warmed at the sound, he was probably laughing at me. I glanced at him out of the corner of my eye and sure enough, he was looking at me.

"Laughing at me?" I asked, my voice softer than I intended it to be and Harrison shook his head, grin still plastered on his face.

"No, you just look so cute." He said and if my cheeks had been pink before, they were now as a red as a rose. The calmness I had somehow been channeling was slipping and butterflies were erupting in my stomach and chest. I was actually on a date with Harrison Cole and it was going well. I turned my face away from his; hopefully, he would credit my rose cheeks to the chill in the air.

"Thanks," I whispered and I wasn't even sure if he heard me.

I felt his hand slip into my free one and he threaded his fingers through mine. The sudden warmth and contact had my head snapping back in his direction.

I couldn't stop myself as my hand clamped around his and he only beamed at me when it did. My heart fluttered in my chest. He was the first to look away, still smiling as we walked through a cloud of bubbles that were coming from a hook-a-duck stall.

We walked around till Harrison spotted a dart game and he dragged me over. He looked so excited and boyish as he scanned the different stuffed animals available.

"Which one do you want?" he asked. I looked at him and raised an eyebrow.

"You haven't even played yet, how do you know you'll win anything." I replied and he smirked at me.

"Maybe I won't, maybe I suck and I'm just trying to impress you and am about to fail miserably." He paused "But humour me. So which one do you want?" he asked again with a beautiful, knee-weakening smile and I sighed.

"Okay, I want to the turtle, the pink one." I pointed to a giant pink turtle with a sparkly shell and large blue eyes.

Harrison nodded, "One hot pink turtle coming up." He shot me a wink as was handed the darts by the old man behind the counter. Turning his attention back to the target he threw the first dark and it hit directly on the bull's-eye. My jaw dropped open and I couldn't help but laugh at the pained expression on the stall runner's face as he realized he would be giving away one of his biggest prizes.

It was no surprise after that first shot that I walked away with one arm looped through Harrison's and one arm holding the giant pink turtle of every girl's dreams.

"I can't believe you doubted me." Harrison said with an adorable pout on his face and I stifled a giggle as I tried to come off as nonchalant

"How was I supposed to know you had that good an arm?" I asked and he looked at me out of the corner of his eye, raising a single eyebrow.

"I'm on the football team."

"That doesn't mean you can hit the bull's-eye in darts." I scoffed and he shrugged.

"Alright, you caught me, my family used to have game night every Sunday till I was twelve."

"You said he had a brother right? I didn't know that." I commented surprised my brain had skipped over that earlier and he nodded his head, his expression had lost its playful glint, as he seemed to be recalling something.

"Yeah, my brother Cato is attending NYU as we speak. He's graduating this year, though. He attended our high school but left the year before we were freshmen."

I paused, the name rung a bell, Cato... as in Cato Ryder?

"Wait, is your brother Cato Ryder? The first-ever freshmen quarterback for the Academy, who also led us to the state championships all four years of his high school career? Are we talking about that Cato?" I asked and I couldn't keep the awe out of my voice. I watched a muscle ticked in Harrison's jaw.

"I'm not sure if there are any other Catos that have attended Grayworth, but yes that is my brother."

"Whoa." I whispered as we fell into a heavy silence. I just brushed it off and let it settle in. How come Harrison never spoke about his brother? Surely having such a legacy in the family would be something he should be proud of... and why didn't Cato have Harrison's last name? "Why do you and your brother have different last names?" I asked and Harrison stiffened slightly, I had never seen his face so guarded as it was in that moment. For a second I wasn't even sure if he was going to answer my question or if he had heard me begin with, just when I thought about trying to change the topic he spoke

"My parents got a divorce when I was twelve. Cato was sixteen. It was pretty nasty stuff at the time, still is I suppose, since my parents haven't spoken to each other in six years."

Wait.

Harrison's parents haven't spoken to each other in six years?

Talk about the ultimate silent treatment.

I was surprised when he took a deep breath and started to elaborate. I wasn't expecting him to add anything else.

"My parents were really young when they got married, they had been high school sweethearts, the ones most likely to get married in their yearbook- that kinda thing. My mother worked as a secretary for this big company and she got this promotion to work for the CEO personal assistant. My mom was a really neat freak; lists were always around the house, bathroom mirrors, and the fridge, everything, so it wasn't really a surprise. She may have just been a secretary, but she was damn good one. Anyway, she started working late, saying the company was working on a big presentation to grab new investors."

I readjusted my hold on the giant pink turtle.

"I don't even know if that was the truth or not, maybe in the beginning it was, maybe she was lying the whole time, it doesn't really matter because it turned out she was having this huge affair with the CEO. They got caught out to dinner by the press and in the back seat of his big-shot Mercedes Benz. Front page news of the Sunday paper my dad read with coffee every morning."

"Holy shit." I whispered and Harrison snorted

"I wouldn't exactly call that shit holy, but yeah shit was right. I remember that fight like it was yesterday. My dad calling my mom out, his voice hoarse before he even started to raise his voice. My mom was the one who really ended up screaming at the end. She threw a mug at his head and everything." He paused and took a deep breath "My brother had always been a real mama's boy and a bit of a dickhead so when she packed her bags and left that night he went with her. As if my dad wasn't broken enough that his wife left him, but his son too?"

"I'm so sorry, Harrison." I whispered not knowing what else to say and blurting out the cliché line before I could stop myself.

He surprised me by looking at me and giving me a sad smile. He pulled us off to the side and up against his chest, the pink turtle squished between us.

"It's not your fault. My brother took my mom's maiden name after the divorce was finalized, that's why he has a different last name than I do." He said finally answering my original question. He had shared so much I had forgotten I had even asked that.

I offered him my most gentle smile as I searched his golden eyes. They were darker than usual, murkier and brown with the memories of such an awful time.

"I see my brother on major holidays and he sends birthday cards, but we don't really talk. I do wear his fucking hand-me-down uniform though." He said and a smirk quirked at his lips.

"Well you can thank him for that at least, you look so devilishly rugged with your torn blazer pockets." I said with a playful grin, trying to get his smile more sincere. It worked too because he actually threw his head back and laughed.

"You noticed the holes in my school uniform?" he asked and I gave a sheepish shrug, which only caused him to laugh again.

"I was thinking about getting those patched up on their next trip to the dry cleaners, but if you think it makes me look 'devilishly rugged' as you so delicately put it, then I think I'll keep them the way they are."

I nodded.

"I think you should too. I don't want to be seen with anyone less than imperfect." I replied and Harrison leaned in closer his nose brushing mine and causing my heart rate to increase.

"Is that because you don't want anyone to trump your perfection?" he breathed out and I felt my cheeks flush.

"N-no," I stuttered, intoxicated by his smell and close proximity. I could feel the warmth of his body seeping into mine. He smiled and his eyes lit up, reflecting the lights of the street fair that were becoming brighter in the darkening sky.

"Because you're perfect Monty."

And then with words that would melt any girl's heart, he pressed his lips against mine and the freaking pink turtle crushed between us.

When we parted I was breathless, but I had only one thought in my head. The same thought I had every time he kissed me. 

"Harrison, I need to know. Why did you leave me standing there? You said you'd tell me."

"I did didn't I."

I nodded. 

This time I was gonna get answers.

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A/N- Aww what a cute date! But it's not over yet! Left you on a little bit of a cliffhanger... I don't think its too bad though. Right?

So we got a little background on Harrison and I remember writing this chapter really made me feel like I was getting to know with Monty. Do you guys agree?