More Than Friends

Part 11 (Hardin)

I wake up to my phone vibrating on my chest. It takes me a minute to realize what's going on. I remember I never heard back from Tessa last night, so I answer in a hurry. "Tessa? Are you okay?"

"Hardin? It's Steph."

"Oh, hey Steph. Have you heard from Tessa?"

"That's actually why I'm calling. She never came back to our room last night and there's shattered glass all over the floor. I'm pretty worried about her."

"What? Why would there be glass on the floor?" I ask, my concern growing.

"I don't know, but it doesn't look like it was an accident. There's a big dent in the door, like she meant to throw it and that's why it shattered all over the floor," she says with worry thick in her voice.

"Did she leave a note or anything telling you where she went?"

"No. She's never done anything like this. She's never stayed out all night without at least telling me or leaving a note or text. Something must have really upset her. Do you know what might have happened last night?" she asks curiously.

I know exactly what happened last night. She finally believed me about Zed. I wonder if she confronted him and he came clean. Or maybe she caught him in a lie. Or maybe she caught him with Molly... That would be the worst, for her to witness that. Poor Tessa...

"Um, Hardin? Are you still there?" Steph asks, dragging me from my thoughts.

"Yeah, sorry. I'm not sure what happened, but I'm really worried," I say, choosing not to tell her about Tessa's humiliation.

"Me, too. I think I'm going to go out and try to find her."

"Yeah, me, too."

"I'll check around campus and Blind Bob's. You should check in with Zed, see if he knows anything."

"Yeah, I sure will," I lie as I roll my eyes. "I have a few places I'd like to check, too. Make sure you call as soon as you know anything," I demand.

"I will and you do the same. I hope she's okay," Steph sighs.

"Me, too." I'm going to make sure she's okay. I'm going to make sure no one ever hurts her again. And Zed... He's going to regret this. He doesn't even give a fuck about her. Something could have happened to her last night and where is he? Probably having the time of his life with Molly. What a dick.

I put on a clean shirt and pull on my boots as I grab my keys. I rush out the door to my car.

As I get in my car, I'm struck with panic. What if something really did happen to her? What would I do? She's my whole world. She doesn't even know how special she is to me. This situation makes me realize how much I regret not telling her sooner.

I start the car and just start driving. I don't have plan. I'm a bundle of nerves and I have to find her. Every minute that passes without knowing what happened to her kills me. I literally feel like part of my soul is dying.

Then it hits me. I know exactly where she is. I can't believe I didn't think of it sooner. I make a U-turn and get a half dozen honks, but I don't care. I have to get to Tessa.

After driving for twenty minutes, I come to a clearing in the woods. This is the lake where Tessa and I come to think or to hide away from the world. I pull over and get out of the car. I scan around me and spot her car. She's here.

I start walking. It's not a long walk, but today it feels like it takes me a lifetime to get to the end of the path before I finally reach the dock... and Tessa.

There she is. My heart starts beating at a normal pace again. I feel relief wash over me.

I start walking across the dock and there's no doubt in my mind Tessa can hear my boots making heavy thuds against the planks. I walk until I reach the end and go to sit down beside her. She doesn't look at me or say anything. She only leans her head against my shoulder and all feels right in the world again.