Hardin Scott has been madly in love with Tessa Young since the moment he first laid eyes on her, but there's no way she could ever see him as anything more than a friend. After all, he's a bad boy with a promiscuous past and she's a sweet and innoce...
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"Wh-what?" Zed says as he takes his phone from me.
"You heard me," I sneer.
He looks down at his phone and must notice it's Molly because he hangs up on her. "What did she say? Please let me explain," he begs as he reaches for me.
"Enough! You're caught, okay?" I say, raising my voice.
"It's not what it sounds like. She came onto me. I didn't have anything to do with her, though. I rejected her."
"Yeah..." I say as I roll my eyes. "Besides, it doesn't matter what it sounds like when I know what it looked like."
"What?" he asks, confused.
"Yeah, Hardin walked in on your little show and told me everything."
"He saw us? When? Where?"
"Oh my God. That's what you care about?"
"I care about you! What did Hardin say to you?"
"He said he saw Molly's slutty tongue in your lying mouth. You couldn't keep your hands off of each other."
"Of course that's what he told you."
"What does that mean?"
"Can't you tell he's in love with you? He would say anything to get you to leave me, for him."
"You have no idea what you are talking about because you have no idea what a real friend is. He told me the truth because he knew it was the right thing to do."
"So, that's it then? You believe him and you're breaking up with me?"
"No. I didn't believe him at first. Molly was the one that convinced me. While I was upset you canceled our anniversary date, you were off... celebrating with her. I owe Hardin a huge apology. I'll be lucky if I don't lose him, too, because of you!"
"So, you choose him over me?"
"No, I choose me. Now get the hell out!"
"If I leave, I won't be coming back," he threatens.
"That's a promise I'm going to see that you keep," I say and mean it.
"You're going to regret this. I'm going to destroy you and when I'm done no one will even want you."
I search my desk and grab a paper weight my mother gave me. I hurl it at the door just as Zed slams it behind him, shattering the paper weight into pieces, much like my heart.
After I'm alone, I grab my pillow and scream into it. I hate myself for being so stupid. How could I be so blind as to not see the truth about Zed? When did he change from my best friend into this monster?
I hate myself even more for how I treated Hardin. As I'm lost in my own self pity, what Zed said earlier hits me. Is Hardin really in love with me? Am I blind to that, too?
I reach for my phone and pull up his number, but I can't bring myself to call him. I'm embarrassed at how I so easily believed in Zed and I can't ask Hardin to drop everything to come comfort me after what I said and did to him.
I look in the mirror and fix my makeup and wipe my tears. I grab my keys and head for my car. I have no idea where I'm going, but I hope no one ever finds me. I just want to be lost for awhile.
