After 2

Chapter 105.

(If you listen to poison and wine by the Civil Wars during this you may cry, maybe not but I did lol xo)

"Tessa what are you doing here?" He asks and I wipe my eyes.

I know I look like hell, baggy jeans and sweatshirt, yesterday's smeared makeup and tangled hair. I look at the girl standing behind him and reach down to pick my bags up off the floor. Hardin seems to remember the girl is there and turns around to face her.

"Can you give us a minute?" He asks her and she nods before exiting the apartment.

"I can't believe you are here." He says and walks into the kitchen. He removes his jacket revealing a plain white t-shirt.

"I..I was just leaving." I manage to say. He looks so perfect, so beautiful. Such a beautiful disaster.

"Please just let me explain myself." He begs. The dark circles under his eyes are even more prominent than mine.

"No." I reach for my bags again but he grabs them out of my hands and sits them back onto the floor.

"Two minutes, that's all I am asking for."

Two minutes is too long to be here with Hardin but this is the closure I know I need so that I can move on with my life and never have to see him again.

I sigh and sit down, trying to hold back any noise that would betray my neutral expression. He is clearly surprised by me sitting down and he takes the seat across from me.

"You sure moved on fast." I say quietly.

"What?" Hardin says then seems to remember the brunette.

"She works with me, well for the same publisher as I do, her husband is downstairs with their newborn daughter. She came to check out the apartment, they are looking for a new place so she wanted to see the layout of our.. the place." He explains.

"You're moving?" I ask.

"No, not if you will stay but I don't see the point in staying here when you aren't here. I am just going over my options here." He says.

I am slightly relieved but just because he isn't sleeping with her doesn't mean he won't be sleeping with someone else soon. I ignore the twinge of sorrow that comes along with Hardin talking about moving out already, even though I won't be here.

"You think I would bring someone here to our apartment? It's only been two days, is that how you think of me?" He asks and I nod.

Pain flashes across his face and he sighs.

"Where did you stay last night? I went to my father's and you weren't there." He says.

"My mother's."

"Oh." He looks down at his hands.

"Did you guys work everything out?" He asks.

"That is none of your business." I snap and look directly into his eyes.

"I miss you so much." He says and I lose my breath again.

"Sure you do."

Despite the whirlwind of emotions that I feel inside, I will not allow myself to come undone any further in front of him.

"I do Tessa, I know I fucked up big time but I love you."

"Just stop Hardin, save yourself the time and energy. You aren't fooling me, not anymore. Just stop. You got what you wanted so why not just stop?"

"Because I can't just stop., I love you. I need you to give me a chance to make this up to you. I need you Tessa. I need you. You need me too." He reaches for my hand but I jerk it away.