After 3

Chapter 203.

Hardin's POV.

"I'll go find Tess so we can get the fuck out of here." I grumble, my temper treading just below the surface of my somewhat harsh demeanor.

"I did the best I could, I'm sorry Hardin." My father says.

I look to Landon for some sort of comfort, I'm not really sure why, but in Tessa's absence he's the next best thing.

"Yeah," I mumble and search the hallway for Tessa's purple dress.

A hand pats my shoulder, Landon's, I don't push him off.

"We'll be inside, I have a few papers to sign and people to thank. I'll meet you outside."

Landon and my father head back into that damn conference room and I continue down the hall. Where the hell is she? She wouldn't leave, so where the fuck did she go?

I stand awkwardly outside the women's restroom, debating whether or not to open the door and call her name. A group of girls clad in university gear come prancing out of the bathroom, talking too loudly among themselves to notice me standing against the wall.

"Hey," I direct their attention to me. The brunette in the group adjusts her glasses and looks up at me with wide eyes.

"Is there a girl wearing a purple dress in there?" I gesture toward the bathroom door.

A giggle escapes the brunette's lips and her tall blonde accomplice nudges her in the side before whispering in her ear.

"Are you going to answer me or not?" I snap, ending their adolescent exchange.

"No.. there's no one else in there," The tall one remarks.

Was that so damn hard?

Before they can begin to whisper about how rude I am, I walk away and head outside. That's the only other place she could be, maybe she's in the car?

When I step outside the wind whips around me, carrying the one voice I didn't expect to hear right now. I turn the corner and there he is, there they are. Tessa and Zed.

"If you can tell me that you have no feelings toward me, none at all, I'll drop the charges." Zed says to Tessa.

Why the fuck is he here?

Why the fuck is Tessa outside talking to him?

What part of stay the fuck away from him does she not fucking get?

"What?" She moves her arms in the air in front of her.

"You heard me, tell me to leave you alone and never speak to you again and I'll do it."

She better tell him, tell him she wants nothing to do with him, she never wants to see his fucking face again.

"I don't want that, I don't want to never talk again." She says, ripping me open from the inside out.

"So what do you want then? Because you seem to be just as confused as I am! You keep texting me and meeting up with me, you kiss me, sleep in the same bed as me, you always come to me when he hurts you! What do you want from me?" He yells at her and I take a step toward them.

Regardless of how pissed I am at her, he will not raise his god damn voice to her.

"I don't know what I want from you! I love him and that's never going to change, I'm sorry that I gave you mixed signals but I.."

"Tell me why you're going to Seattle in a week and haven't told him!" He shouts, looking directly at me.

"I don't know.. I'm going to tell him when I get the chance."