After Forever & Ever

Chapter 72

Tessa-2014

I ended up driving home Christmas morning...Easton invited me to his family's Christmas because he didn't want me to be alone. I told him I didn't want to crash his Christmas but he insisted on me coming and is picking me up in an hour.

I feel like I have nothing to wear and whatever I do come up with I am sure I will be under dressed.

I decide to wear a black turtleneck sweater dress I have with dark grey tights and high boots. I wear the pearls my mother gave me and hope I don't look like a complete idiot in front of his family.

When he gets up to my apartment he comes in as I am putting my lipstick on.

"Wow you look incredible." He tells me.

"Thank you...I wasn't sure what to wear." I tell him.

"Stunning...you look perfect." He replies.

He insists I don't need to bring anything but I stop at the store and grab a bottle of wine to give his parents.

When we get there his family's house is up this winding driveway. The house is insane....probably the biggest house I have ever seen.

"This is where you grew up?" I question.

"One of the places." He replies.

"This is incredible." I tell him still in amazement.

When we get up to the door his mother is there to greet us. "You must be Tessa I heard so much about you!" She says to me.

"It is so nice to meet you, Your house is gorgeous. Thank you so much for having me." I tell her.

The house is decorated from floor to ceiling there is no detail that wasn't spared.

"Here Tess let me take your coat." Easton says as he grabs it and hands it to a butler or someone who works for them.

This is crazy...

Everyone is dressed super fancy...so although I'm in a dress a sweater dress doesn't quite meet this extravagant dress code.

I feel like everyone is looking at me and I'm wondering who all these people are there is no way this is all family....

"Tess this is my father." Easton says introducing me to his dad.

"It is a pleasure...Welcome to our home please make yourself at home."his dad says to me.

"Thank you...I really appreciate you having me over." I tell him.

"Champaign?" A waitress asks me giving me an out from his father.

"Yes, thank you." I reply.

Easton introduces me to a lot of extended family and then we go into his old room. He has trophies everywhere. "Wow looks like a shrine to you in here." I say to him.

"Yea I don't know why these are all still here." He replies.

"Do you still enjoy rowing after all these years?" I ask.

"It's intense and my back bothers me but I do still love the competition." He replies.

"I've never really been into any sports." I tell him.

"Maybe I'll take you out on the water sometime." He replies as he moves closer to me.

He comes up behind me as I am looking at his medals and turns me around and starts kissing me. We move over to his bed and start making out on his bed.

"I really like you." He tells me.

"I like you too." I reply.

"I know it's kind of soon but I wanted to ask you what we are?" He questions.

"I don't know...what do you want to be?" I question back.

"Well I want you to be my girlfriend..." he tells me.

And I think about Hardin... this amazing guy is asking to me to be his girlfriend and I'm thinking about Hardin.

"Can I think about it?" I ask as I continue kissing him.

"I'll wait forever for you..." he replies.....

Tessa-Present

Of all people to get Hardin into trouble....Vance was the last person I was expecting. I still haven't heard from Vance and I'm not saying I don't believe Hardin but I want to hear his side of things.

I was more upset at the fact that he accepted a job in another state...yes I knew this was a possibility with him going there but I guess I thought he wouldn't just take a job without us talking about it.

Because if I am being honest I don't know if I want to leave Washington. I enjoy going into the office and seeing people. If I agree to LA and work from home I'll be at home all day with Emery while he's out all day possibly night and I don't know if that's what I want.

And I don't want to be the girl that follows a guy. But he is the guy. But he was gone one fucking night and got into a mess of trouble...will this be our life in LA?...

I decide I'll just call Vance and hear him out.

"Hey Tess." He answers.

"Hi Christian...Hardin told me what happened..." I say into the phone.

"Tess I'm so sorry. I feel terrible." He says to me.

"It's fine." I say because I guess I don't really know what to say. I played a million scenarios in my head of why he didn't text or call and this wasn't it....

"So he took the job I heard...." I say to him.

"How do you feel about it?" He asks me.

"I don't know yet...he said we would talk when he gets back." I say to Vance.

"Like I said you can work remotely and I don't know I am even considering a place for Smith and I here in LA." He replies.

"Wow really?" I question.

"Yes...also an office in LA was always going to be my next step...so why not now?" He says.

"Seems too good to be true." I reply somewhat sarcastic.

Getting off the phone with Vance it almost feels like things are falling into place too nicely...like something needs to go wrong. Or maybe I am looking for a reason for it to not work when everything is pointing at the fact that it will.

I have been texting Hardin all night he says he is at the studio working it's 2 am and he is just leaving the studio now...it's his first night working and it's already like that which makes me super nervous....

I don't want to be waiting for him to come home every night... I don't want to have to worry and be alone...

Emery has somewhat of a bad night. She's up pretty much every hour on the hour and he's off doing god knows what.

Maybe I'm just annoyed because we have a newborn and I am home and he is out in LA but I just feel like we have huge decisions to make and it seems as though he already made it for us...