After Forever & Ever

After Never Chapter 28

Tessa-Present

I feel awful about what happened. I'm also beyond livid with Alex, and seriously considering moving out. But my only other option would be to move back in with Vance...but with Hardin living here...I feel like that would be too soon for us.

But I also can't have anything like this happen again. And it's not fair if I were to tell Alex not to hangout or be friends with Easton, since we met through him...

So i can't exactly do that. It's going to have to be a conversation between us. And if I'm being honest I really don't want to be friends with her after this. I feel like she knew what she was doing...

If we can agree to be civil and be roommates, and have respect for one another...I think we can continue to live together. But I'm not certain that can all be possible...

I've been laying on Hardin for a while now, and I look up and realize he's asleep.

I feel bad, his eye is black and swollen, along with his ribs...along with the fact that he didn't deserve to get arrested, and I can't shake how terrible I feel that it happened.

I give him a gentle peck on his forehead and decide to head downstairs. When I enter the living room I realize Vance is on the phone, but he ends up leaving the room as soon as he sees me walk in. I wonder who he's talking to...

He returns a few minutes later, and I can't help but think he looks stressed.

"Are you alright?" I ask him.

"Im fine...I was just talking to my friend who's a lawyer and I told him what happened so he said he would show up for Hardin's court date next Monday." He tells me.

"Does he need a lawyer?" I ask him.

"I think it's better that he does, plus I'm sure Easton will have one." He replies.

Which would absolutely be the case seeing as how he wants to be a lawyer and comes from a whole family of them.

"How's Hardin feeling?" He asks me.

"His eye looks bad, and I know he said his ribs really hurt." I tell him.

"I think he should go for an X-ray." He replies.

"You can suggest it when he wakes up." I tell him.

"Suggest what?" Hardin asks as he walks in.

"I was saying you should go get an X-ray." Vance continues with.

"It's fine. It doesn't hurt anymore." He says clearly lying.

"We can just go to the immediate care, and have it looked at....your eye too..." he says to him.

"Like I said I'm fine...thanks though Dad." He replies with some intensity.

"Why do you have to say that like it's the worst thing in the fucking world?" He says raising his voice.

I'm surprised by Vance's response...
And I can tell Hardin is caught off guard too.

"Your parents.. you know who they are right?" Hardin asks Vance.

"...yea." He answers him reluctantly.

"And they know about me?" He asks him.

Vance doesn't answer. So Hardin starts to laugh.

"...see how that fucking works Vance. How about you Tessa...you know who your parents are right?" He asks me.

"Yes." I reply.

"So forgive me for being pissed off that something you without question should know about yourself...is something I spent 21 years of my life being lied to about. Along with the fact that you're too ashamed of me to even tell your family..." Hardin says intently as he looks at Vance.