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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It's Friday morning and it's the last day before break. Tessa's birthday is tomorrow, so I want to try to convince her to skip classes today so we can celebrate before we have to leave on our trip tomorrow.
When I wake up, Tessa isn't in bed. I'm worried she already left for school because I overslept. Just as I'm getting out of bed to go see if she's home, I hear her on the phone to someone. I open the door a crack, so I can hear better and even though I know I shouldn't, I decide to eavesdrop on her conversation.
"Um, no. Don't come here. I don't want Hardin to know. I'll just come over to your place," she says into the phone.
Okay. It's no big deal. She's probably just talking to Emma.
"Yeah. That'll work. I'll just tell him I was called into work this morning and I won't be going to school with him today."
Okay, now she's planning on lying to me?
"Okay. It's a date! I'm looking forward to it, Trevor," she giggles into the phone and then hangs up.
What. The. Fuck. I hear Tessa coming, so I decide to jump into bed and pretend I didn't hear a damn thing.
"Hardin! It's time to get up."
"Morning, Tess," I say, trying to cover up how angry I am.
"I have some bad news."
"Oh, really? What is it?" I ask, playing along.
"I have to go into work this morning, so I won't be coming to school today."
I sit up in bed, then say, "You hate missing school."
"I know, but Kimberly says she really needs my help today. I just couldn't tell her no."
"Well, isn't that sweet of you. You know, I can drive you. I really don't mind missing class."
"Oh, that's okay, Hardin."
I get out of bed and walk over to her. "Oh, but I insist."
"Hardin, I'll be fine. Go to class and don't worry about me."
"So, you'll be at work all day?"
"Yes, but don't worry. I'll be home for dinner."
"Well, alright then," I snap.
"I love you," she says sweetly and gives me a kiss before leaving.
"Yeah... love you..." I reply.
What the fuck just happened? She just lied to my face. She's secretly meeting up with Trevor and she lied to me about it. This isn't happening. I thought we were in a good place. She agreed to marry me, but now she's sneaking around with another man? I feel like I'm going to be sick. My Tessa would never do this. What the fuck is going on?
I want nothing more than to follow her and see what she's up to, but the rational part of myself reminds me of what Emma said about not screwing this up. And I did misunderstand a conversation she was having with Emma before, all because I was eavesdropping. I guess I'll just go to school and maybe Tessa will explain everything later.
I eventually leave for school and at lunch I find Emma, so I can ask her about what Tessa is up to. She claims she has no idea, but I'm not sure I believe her.
I somehow manage to make it through the rest of my classes, then rush home.
As soon as I enter the apartment, I call out for Tessa. "Tessa, are you here?"
Suddenly, I hear the door opening and turn around to see Tessa looking at her phone and smiling. "Hardin! You're home! You scared me."
"Of course I'm home. Where the hell else would I be?" I ask angrily.
"I just didn't think you'd get home so quickly."
"Well I did. How was work?"
"Work... oh, it was good. Yeah, Kimberly kept me pretty busy all day."
"Yeah, I bet you were busy all day," I snap.
"Hardin, is something wrong? You're acting weird."
"I'm fine. I'm going to take a shower," I say before storming off.
The whole time I'm in the shower, I can't help but think of Trevor's hands all over Tessa's body. It makes me want to go rip his fucking head off.
After I finish in the bathroom, I reluctantly join Tessa for dinner, but I don't say much during the meal. I know she knows there's something going on with me, but I don't even care anymore. I feel too heartbroken to care.
After dinner, I tell Tessa I'm exhausted and going to bed early. I lie in bed thinking of all the ways I could have fucked this up and chased her into Trevor's bed. I don't know where I went wrong, but this hurts like hell.
When I hear Tessa coming into the bedroom, I turn over and pretend I'm asleep. More than a few tears hit my pillow as I try to fall asleep and dream that Tessa is still mine.
