SINS (Completed)

IT ENDS TODAY

I look at Lily stoically and wait for her to say that she cracked a terrible joke to cheer me up.

But she doesn't. Her face continues to be sullen and just the thought of him sitting in the very next room in my apartment, right now- affects me more than it should.

"I'll get him. He wanted to talk." She mutters quietly and moves to the door.

"I thought you didn't like him." I speak after her and she turns to me with a sad smile.

"I don't. For the reason that he makes you cry, and not that he doesn't love you enough. Because he does." She opens the door and in a moment she's out, leaving me with a chain of unfathomable thoughts.

Hearing that Hardin loves me sounds so strange on my ears even though it might be the thing I've wanted more than anything I can remember. I guess I've become so used to being on the hate list for so long that it's just- overwhelming.

Also the fact that someone else can see it, but not Hardin and I, makes me wonder if it's really there. But then again, Lily Preston would not take Hardin Scott's side for no reason.

The latch clicks, interrupting my thoughts and I see Hardin standing at the door. It takes me a minute to believe that he's actually here, because this is the first time he has decided to- stay.

His shirt is crumpled, sleeves messily rolled up with a cuff hanging carelessly and his hair is heavily tousled. He assesses me carefully before taking a step and when we walks in, I notice he is holding my guitar in his hand.

I grip the tray on my lap tighter, in nervous anticipation of what is to follow.

He closes the door behind him quietly and slowly walks up to the bed. He licks his lips as if he's scared that I'll break like the glass shards on the floor of he even looked at me and I almost feel bad at his guilt.

"I fi-" He pauses abruptly when a clank sounds through the room, and we both look down to see that he had lightly stepped onto something-

I look away and at the bowl of salad as I sense him picking the object up with a sad expression.

"I fixed your guitar." He speaks calmly placing the instrument against the wall.

I feel there's something so ironic about Hardin fixing anything of mine, but I don't bring it up. Because honestly I don't know what to even say.

Guilty or not, I did pass out on him and created a whole scene that no one signed up for. It makes me feel embarrassed that I lost my shit so bad.

I feel the mattress dip lightly and look up where he was already staring at me with determined, emotionless eyes.

"I didn't-" I just muster courage enough to whisper when he cuts me in through the second word.

"You've had your share of speaking today, Tessa. You've said plenty. And now, you'll listen." He gulps painfully as if fighting with his own head and I, turn shiver at the strong calmness of his voice.

He looks down at his hands, and I brace myself for injuries that I know are going to come. I don't know how, but I just- know.

"The reason I blew you off in front of the whole school two years ago- I-

I heard you talking to my mother. And I initially thought that once again, you were meddling into my life. My best friend, the first love of my life was choosing them, over me. Y-ou said that it didn't matter.

She said that I was your friend and it didn't fucking matter. And after all that, you claimed to love me- I couldn't think straight, I was a-"