nevertheless~

part 18

TESSA'S POV

We are done with dinner and chatting when the waitress comes to pay the bill. I take the paper out and read it once, and when I do go to bring some money out of my purse, Hardin stops me.

"What? Don't tell me you're going to pay now.", I speak when he doesn't leave the hold he has on my hand.

"I absolutely will. It's our first date, well if there would be more, then this is the first date", he says.

"Now, I know chivalry is not dead, but let's split? You pay yours and I'll pay mine. I believe in equality, good sir.", I say and keep my payment on the table.

"How will I pay then", Smith whines as he's sitting beside me.

"He will, he wants to be chivalrous", I giggle. This brother combo is my favourite. I've never met anyone in my whole life who treats someone this way. As I have an elder brother, I always was in the notion, that elder brothers are supposed to be bossy, but Hardin is the complete antithesis of it.

He lets his jokes about everything without taking offence, he treats him like a best friend more than a brother. Their age difference doesn't seem to be a thing when they are speaking. This just makes Hardin all the more likeable if there even was any deficiency in him.

"You're not going to the party?", I ask Hardin.

"No, you know, they won't be sleeping and shit, they'll just be hanging out like a bunch of drunk teens all over Seattle for three days, drinking, stuffing their faces with fried food. Not exactly my scene", he answers.

"But, don't you think you should act a little like a drunk teen at times? Like, don't get me wrong, this Hardin, mature and so right headed, I like it a lot, but you know what about you, like the Hardin who is aside from being an amazing brother and an equally driven co-worker?"

"There isn't one. I just have these two lives. The one that works and the one that takes care of the family", he shrugs and the waitress comes and takes the bill.

"Kinda sad", I pout and Smith agrees.

"You should go Hardin.", Smith says and I look at him wide-eyed.

"Smith, that's very sweet. But he doesn't have to go to this today itself. Someone needs to be there with you", we all rise from the table and Smith weaves his hand in mine and it fits so perfectly.

"I'll be with you"

"What?", I ask the fun-sized human.

"You guys can take me home, I'll sleep and you guys can go out", he says.

"Smith that's not what I'm saying Besides, we both aren't going to that party at all now. I'd like to know your brother a bit more nicely.", Hardin peers over to me.

"Let's go then?", he asks and we both follow his lead to his car.

A short ride later, where Smith sleeps in the back with his head on my lap, we reach back to his apartment. I am loving this night. Not once have I looked at my cellphone. Not once, did I think about my mother? Not once, I was reminded of my life's growing burdens or anything of that sort.

"I'll take him", I am snapped out of my thoughts when I see we are parked in front of the building of his apartment.

"Yeah. Careful, okay", I lift his head off and Hardin's whole body comes dangerously close to me and my breath gets caught in my chest. God these butterflies.

"Tessa, come on get out. You don't plan on sleeping there, do you?", honestly I don't know what I'm about to do. I'm at his place at midnight or something on a Friday night.