Brothers

Chapter 22

Hardin's POV

"Karen and Ken invited us over for dinner tonight. I really want to go over there we haven't seen them in awhile." Tessa says while she puts away the groceries.

"Yeah I know I just talked to Ken." I say coming into the kitchen and grabbing the eggs and milk off the kitchen table. I open the fridge and put them on the shelf.

"How about we head over there in an hour? I want to take a quick shower and get ready." Tessa smiles putting the last of the groceries away.

"Or we can just not go and stay here and watch a movie." I say, even though I know what the outcome of this conversation is.

Either I go with Tessa to Karen and Kens or she goes alone and I stay home alone wishing I went with my girl. I can't stand being apart from her and she uses it against me.

"I'm going to Karen and Kens house for dinner. Join me if you want, you don't have to go if you don't want to. But I'm going. I miss Karen." Tessa says.

Told you.

"What time are we going then?" I sigh, giving up.

"I want to take a quick shower and get ready. We will leave here in an hour" she says smiling before going into the bedroom.

—

"So how is the job going Hardin? Tessa was telling Karen that you got a raise?"

I look up from my plate and look at Ken.

"Umm yeah. Last week." I sit up in my chair.

"Congratulations that's awesome. I'm proud of you Hardin." Ken smiles.

"Thanks." I say, looking at Tessa and smiling.

Three years ago I would have never been here. Having dinner with my father — well who I thought was my father. I hated him for what he had done to my mum, out every night at the bars getting drunk. And that night happened. If there was one person I despised more than my brother it was my father. But Tessa kept bringing me around here because she was best friends with my stepbrother, and slowly our relationship became stronger. I'm still guarded around him, but — I feel bad for him. For twenty one years he thought he was Christian and my father.

"So I hear Christian reached out to you a couple weeks ago?"

I nearly choke on my food. I take a sip of water looking at Tessa.

"Who told you that?" I ask.

"Well I talked to him last week. He reached out to me. I was thinking the three of us could go out to dinner."

"Absolutely n—"

Tessa kicks me under the table.

"That sounds great." I lie giving Tessa a look.

She smiles back at me.

"Great. I'm sure he'll be excited." Ken looks to Karen and smiles.

I sigh and look back down at my food.

When did I become a family man? Going out to dinner with my "father" and brother. I have to get out of here and get home. Tessa owes me. I agreed to goto dinner at Karen and Kens and now I agreed to have dinner with my brother and Ken.