After Forever & Ever

After Never Chapter 26

Tessa-Present

I guess since Easton and I were so new I thought it would be easier.

But it turned out to be really hard. And partly because Easton was the safe choice. It felt like I could stay with him and know that I'd be taken care of, and everything would be how it should. And we would be happy.

Only my heart has always ached for someone else. And so I told Easton that although what him and I had was special and something that I thought I truly wanted. I am madly in love with someone else and that wouldn't be fair...it's actually never been fair to him.

I wanted to be over Hardin before Easton and I got together but the truth is...that was never going to happen. I was never going to get over Hardin.

Through our entire talk all he kept saying was he's going to hurt you.

He kept saying you're leaving me for someone who is a fuck up, drug addict who doesn't care about anyone but himself.

The conversation went on longer than it should have. But I let him say what he needed to say.

And then I spent the rest of the day thinking about what he said...he's going to hurt me...

And I wish I didn't believe that. But the truth is I do.

I do believe he will.

And that's what I'm struggling the most with right now.

He's going to hurt me...

So laying here next to Hardin after telling him how scared I am and him assuring me that he doesn't intend on hurting me...I want to feel better, I do. But fear is something I'm feeling unable to shake right now.

Being with him scares the crap out of me. Especially knowing we are going to be away from each other. We really only have a little over a month together before he leaves, and that scares me too.

"Where are you going to live when you go back to school?" I ask him hoping he doesn't say back to the frat.

"I don't know yet. I know Ken said I could stay there. But now that I know what I know....it seems weird. Which is stupid I know. I just don't know....and I guess it's something I have to figure out...soon." He tells me.

"What if you get a place with Landon?" I suggest.

"One he hates me, and two he's going to New York..." He replies which is something I didn't know....Landon didn't tell me that.

"No he doesn't....and he is? When?....He didn't tell me." I tell him.

"Yes he does, and for fall semester...I thought you would have known." He replies.

As I'm sitting there trying to process the fact that Landon's going to New York and never told me...Hardin's phone starts vibrating on my night stand.

I look at it lit up and it's Vance.

He ignores the call and turns over his phone.

"Shouldn't you answer that?" I ask.

"....I don't need to, I'm with you." He tells me.

Only seconds later his phone is vibrating again...

"Hardin just answer him." I insist.

He looks annoyed and grabs his phone.

"Hello."...."Mhm, yea."...."Okay."....."Okay."...."Yea I brought them with me."...."Probably the morning"..."Okay."..."Okay."...."Bye."

I'm not sure what Vance was saying to him, but those were Hardin's responses.