Ever After New York

For You.

(Jo's POV)

I stood in front of the door, leading into the bedroom that Shane's character slept in. I slowly raise my hand and knock on the door.

Shane opens it, rubbing his eyes as if he had just woken up. "Tessa?"

"Can I sleep in here?" I ask.

He nods his head and opens the door wider for me to enter.

"I'm sorry I woke you." I whisper.

"It's okay." He sighs as he stumbles back to bed. "Here, you can have this one. The other one is flat." He pushes a white fluffy pillow against my chest.

"This is why I love you, well not the only reason but one of them." I smile, hugging the pillow close and sitting on the edge of the bed.

"Because I gave you the best pillow?"

"No, because you're always here for me. And you have soft pillows." I say in a low voice.

"Is he going to come after you?" Shane asks quietly. He lays back on the bed and moves his body over so that there is plenty of room for me on the other side.

"I don't think so." I say. I slightly glance over to where Anna and Jenny were seated, and where Hero stood behind them. He had come to watch me film today, and I felt somewhat intimated by his presence.

Things have been a bit awkward between us since our... heated session. I hated myself for feeling the way I did, but I wasn't going to give in so easily.

I knew I wasn't ready, and he had to respect that.

I lay down on my side and look up at Shane. "Landon, do you remember when you said that Hardin isn't a lost cause?"

"Yeah."

"Do you really believe that?"

"Yeah, I do." He pauses. "Unless he did something else."

"No." I shake my head before shrugging my shoulders. "Well, nothing new really. I just don't know if I can do it anymore. We keep moving backwards and we shouldn't be. Every single time I think we are moving forward, he becomes the same Hardin I met six months ago. He calls me a selfish bitch or basically tells me how he doesn't love me, and I know he doesn't mean the words he says but every syllable hurts more and more. I can't understand why he is the way he is, and I also can't help but think he will never change."

Shane sits up, his eyes widening. "He called you a bitch? Tonight?"

I nod and he lets out a heavy sigh.

"That was wrong for him to do. On so many levels, Tessa. Please don't make excuses for him."

"I'm not." I lie. "This is all about Seattle. It will always be about Seattle."

"Tessa, I'm only saying this because I care about you, okay?" He waits for my response and I give him a slight nod. "You would have to be insane not to go to Seattle. If you give it up for someone who loves you more than anything, but only shows it less than half of the time, then you'd never forgive yourself."

"Do you think Hardin would be better off without me?" I ask.

"No." He answers wholeheartedly. "But I think you need to ask yourself something."

"What?" I sigh.

"Do you think Tessa would be better off without Hardin?"

"Cut!" Jenny calls. "Great job guys. Let's take a break and reset."

"Wonderful job as always." Shane smiles at me.

I glance over to where Anna, Jenny, and Hero were, and notice that he was gone.