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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"I can't believe you have to work on our anniversary." I pout.
"It's just for the day. We'll celebrate later tonight. Besides, didn't you make plans with Nate until I'm off work?"
"Yeah... Still. Our anniversary should be a holiday— no work, no school, just lots of f—"
"Hardin! Will you please stop? You're such a brat sometimes."
"Nuh-uh."
"I'm not arguing with you. I don't have time. Let's get going."
"Fine..." I grab my keys and I drive Tessa to work.
"So, you'll pick me up after work, right?" She smiles.
"Or... you could call in sick."
"I'm already here!" She giggles.
"Fine..." I groan. "I'll pick you up after work, but you better prepare yourself for the best anniversary celebration you've ever had."
"I don't know... It might be hard to top last month's."
"I think this one will." I smirk.
"Give me a hint?" Tessa begs as she bats her lashes at me.
"Maybe I'd have time to give you a hint if you weren't running late for work."
"Fine, be grumpy." She pinches my cheek before giving me a quick peck on the lips and turning to get out of the car.
I quickly pull her back toward me and give her a long, passionate kiss she will not soon forget. I pull back and cup her cheek. "I love you, Tessa. Since the moment I first saw you, I've loved you."
"Hardin..." she breathes. "Is everything okay?"
"Everything is... exactly as it should be. We're going to start our lives together in two months. No more ex-boyfriends, no more stalker perverts and no more hateful mothers. It'll just be us and the future we've always deserved."
Tessa smiles before softly saying, "I love you."
I watch Tessa walk into the bookstore before pulling onto the street and heading toward the bar I'm supposed to meet Nate at.
When I walk into the bar, Nate's already waiting, so I walk over and sit on the bar stool next to him.
"I thought you stood me up, man." Nate chuckles.
"If I could have convinced Tessa to call in sick to work, I would have stood you up," I half joke.
"Everything okay?" he ask sympathetically.
"How about you buy me a drink first, then we'll talk."
Nate orders himself a beer and I get a club soda. We play darts for a bit before moving on to playing pool.
"You owe me fifty bucks," I taunt Nate.
"You hustled me."
"No. You just suck at pool... and darts."
"How about you tell me why you dragged me here? It's not like you to be up for male bonding."
We grab a seat at the bar, order a couple more drinks and then I finally get ready to tell Nate why I invited him here. I pull out the ring box with my grandmother's ring inside and open it before showing it to Nate.
"I'm flattered, but I'm already spoken for." He laughs.
"Ass. I'm proposing to Tessa tonight. I mean, again."
"That ring looks like an antique. No wonder you're acting so cheap tonight. It must have cost you a fortune."
"It was my grandmother's ring. My mum thought Tessa would want to have it."
"Oh. Well, I don't know much about rings, but I'm sure Tessa will love to have something so special to your family." He smiles.
"You think so? It's not too much?"
"Hardin, Tessa doesn't care what the ring looks like. She loves you... for some reason," he teases.
"That's twice tonight, you're an ass."
"So, how are you going to propose?"
"I'm taking her to our special spot at the lake and I'm going to propose at sunset."
"Wow. Hardin Scott has a sweet, romantic side." He smirks.
"Fuck you."
Nate laughs. "I still don't understand what you wanted to talk to me about."
"Well, I don't really have a lot of friends and I'm no good at this kind of thing..."
"Spit it out already!"
I clear my throat before continuing. "Would you be my best man?" I ask nervously.
"Wow. I was not expecting that."
"Just answer the damn question."
"There's the Hardin Scott I know." He laughs. "Yes, I'd love to be your best man. How could I say no to being a part of the wedding day of two of the best people I know?"
"Alright, no need to get mushy." I roll my eyes.
"I guess you have to save that side of yourself for Tessa." He laughs and I shove his shoulder. "So, any ideas where you'll be having the wedding?"
"Um, yeah. Tessa wants to have it on the rooftop of our apartment. It kind of has... special memories for us." My mind momentarily drifts to thoughts of how Tessa and I made love there on the night of our four month anniversary and a stupid grin takes over my face.
"You are so in love. I never thought I'd live to see the day." Nate laughs to himself.
"Honestly, neither did I. Tessa is the best thing that's ever happened to me. I still don't fully understand why she loves me or wants to marry me. I just know that I must be one lucky bastard to be able to spend the rest of my life with that beautiful girl."
"And don't you ever forget it. I regret losing so much time with Emma. I was so fucking stupid to ever let her go. She's my whole world and I'll never take another second with her for granted."
"How did we get so lucky to find two women to put up with the likes of us?" I chuckle.
"I have no idea. Here's to Emma and Tessa," Nate says as he raises his glass and clinks it against mine.
"Shit! I'm going to be late to pick up my fiancée. Listen, I really appreciate the talk and you agreeing to be my best man. I know I'm not the easiest person to get along with, but it's been nice getting to know you. I mean, really know you. I was kind of a... dick to you when we were roommates. I'm sorry. You're actually a really great guy. Emma's lucky to have you. And Tessa and I are lucky to call you our friend."
"Hardin, I don't know what to say... other than it's been nice getting to know you, too— the real you."
"Okay, okay... Enough of this mushy shit. I'm going to be late."
Nate begins to laugh. "Have fun tonight. And congrats on the engagement... for a second time." He continues to laugh.
As I'm rushing out the door to my car, my phone starts to ring. I look at the display and see it's Tessa. She must be wondering where I am. I quickly swipe to answer it. "Tess, I'm so sorry. I'm running late—" My hearts instantly stops beating at what I hear next.
