nevertheless~

part 26

TESSA'S POV

He steps up, holding a hand out to help me up and I get up.

"I was just leaving, I brought you guys some cookies, I texted too, but I was leaving.", I say, wiping the corners of my eyes before the tear that was getting ready to fall, won't.

"Oh Cookies, oh no, but we just had them with Auds", Smith comes my way, hugging my waist with both his hands. Oh, Auds. So, Ms Audrey is so familiar with Hardin and Smith that they call her, AUDS! And she funnily even bakes huh, no wonder she does.

"It's alright. They got all broken and stuff, so I was leaving. You guys weren't home when I came through. Did you go out with someone?", my voice is shaky as I speak.

"No. We were just downstairs, with a neighbour", Smith answers and Hardin just goes to unlock the door. Wow, he has no decency to even talk to me.

"Alright, so. I'm gonna just go away", I say and he just gives me a knowing glare. He knows it.

"Come in", he offers and Smith goes in before me, leaving me behind with Hardin.

"Look, we don't have to spend time together, I'm sure you must be busy, I was leaving really. I'll call the Uber"

"Theresa", he never calls me that.

"What?", I give him the equal cold behaviour. Does he think he is the only one who can be cold to the other person?

"I know what's going in your head", he says, crossing his arms across his chest.

"No, you don't", I cross mine too, giving him the same coldness, he's giving me.

"Oh, trust me, I do. You are transparent like glass, to me. So, you should get inside the house by yourself, or I have to carry you off myself."

"Hardin, I was just leaving. Okay."

"Now you've done it", his hands go right to my ankle and I step back.

"Okay fine! Stop, I'll get in", I push his hands away, putting distance between us. Like there wasn't enough already.

"Good", he stands tall, all 6 feet 2 inches.

"Asshole", I mutter under my breath before stepping in the threshold of his house, and before I get any further, I purposely step on his shoes.

"OUCH! What was that for?", he says something behind me as I get in and I search for Smith instantly, not wanting to have any kind of conversation with Hardin.

"Tessa, can you meet me in the game room", Hardin announces throughout the house and my hands ball into fists, he won't let it slide out, will he?

"No, Tessa will first spend time with me. You are her boyfriend, you always have her around", Smith says, coming closer to me to pull me by the hand to his bedroom.

"Yeah, I'll be with Smith", I say and go with Smith. Oh, thank the Lord for this little boy!

"So, what do you wanna talk about Smith?"

"My crush", he gets all bushy with me as he speaks.

"Oh, go on. Fill me in on the gossip"

"So, I dropped the rude girl, because I don't want to talk to her. She's not nice and I don't like not nice people. And now I have a new crush", he says. These brothers are more alike than I thought. Hardin has a new crush too, she goes by the name, Audrey.

"And how's this new girl?"

"She's nice. She lives in the same building as us, so it's easier for me to talk to her. We are friends but I know she likes me and I do too, so I was thinking I could talk to her more", he says.