The New Neighbor

Hospital

               When I wake up Hardin has moved from under me and has covered me with a blanket. "Hardin?" I look around the room and see no one. My mom is still asleep but Hardin is gone. I hop to my stupid chair and go look for him. I find Kassie reading in the waiting room. "Kassie" I say and she looks up. "Tessa! How did you sleep?" I look around but I don't see Hardin. "Good, Why are you out here?" She looks around. "Hardin left and so I went out to the car and grabbed your book. I've been waiting for him but he hasn't come back. I don't even know where he is." She explains and I nod. I go over to the counter and ask the lady if I can get a nurse. She nods and a young lady comes over. "Hi you must be Tessa" I nod "What do you need help with?" She asks and I am about to talk when Jasmine comes out of a room. "How long am I in this stupid chair? I really don't see why I can't have crutches" I say and she chuckles. "Ummm... Let me go ask" She leaves for a moment and I start talking to Kassie about Jasmine. The nurse comes back. "So you can switch to crutches if you want" She says and I tell her that I want to and me and Kassie go get some. I thank the nurse and go back to my moms room. I wait a little but still no Hardin. I decide to text him. 'Hardin where are you?' he reads it but no answer. 'Hardin I'm sorry that I put you in danger. I am sorry that you had to move all the way to London. I am sorry about your past, I'm sorry that you fell in love with me' At this point I am in tears. "Tessa what's wrong?' Kassie asks from the seat across the room. "Nothing" I wipe my eyes and shut my phone off. "Tessa" She pushes and I sigh in defeat. "Fine, Hardin is reading my texts but he wont answer. Also the reason I went outside with you was because he pushed me away when I tried to kiss him." I sigh and she comes to sit next to me. I lay my head on her shoulder and she rubs my arm. I calm down a little. My phone dings and I rush to check it. Hardin's name appears on my screen when I open it. 'Tessa I am sorry, You didn't do anything wrong. I was getting food and some girl was flirting with me and she tried to kiss me. I was just talking to the manager. I am on my way back. I love you.' I smile and send a heart. My mom's eyes flutter open and I walk over to her. "Hi mom, How are you doing?" I ask and she looks at me. I grab her hand and she moves to sit up. "Hi Tess" She smiles "Hi Kassie" Kassie smiles and stands next to the bed. "I am doing good, Where is Hardin?" She asks and I look away. "I don't know he said he is on his way back with food though." She laughs and I tilt my head. "What?" I swat at her arm. "I just know when he walks through that door you are going to thank him at least 12 thousand times. You love food almost as much as you love him" I smile and almost on cue the door opens. Hardin walks in with a bag of food. I stand up and grab my crutches. "Oh my gosh Hardin I love you! Thank you" I squish his face between my hands and kiss all over. My mom is laughing. Kassie has a huge smile across her face. Hardin chuckles and I sit down on the sofa. "Here" He sets the food on the small table in the corner. He hands me a small box and Kassie grabs a container filled with what looks like salad. "What is this?" I ask and look up at Hardin. "Your favorite" He smiles at me. I open the box and I see my favorite Chinese food. I smile at him. "Awe thank you" He kisses my cheek and I go back to my mom. We finish eating and the doctor comes in. "Hello my name is Arthur, I have your blood work back" He says and I move off my moms bed and back to the sofa where Hardin sits. "Okay" My Mom responds. "Your blood leaves are really low because of the stab wounds. You will have to stay here for a couple days because its so low that you could have a seizure and possibly die." Arthur says and my heart stops for a second, Hardin seems to notice and wraps his arm around my waist. "It's okay Baby" He whispers and I relax a little. My mom nods. "Visiting hours end in about 1 hour. Someone can stay the night if you please." He says and leaves the room. "Tess you don't have to stay" My mom says and Hardin tenses. "It's Tess-A. Only I can call her Tess" He says and I laugh a little. "I am her mother I can call her what I please" My mom fires back and Kassie joins my laughing. "Why are you laughing?" Hardin asks me. "Because this is funny your arguing with my mother about my name" I say laughing and he then starts to tickle me. "Is it still funny?!" He asks, filling the room with his beautiful laughter. I nod and he tickles me harder. "Har-Hardin sto-p I can-t Breat-h" I try speaking but I am laughing too hard. "What?" He asks and I swat at his arm. He stops and I pretend to pout. "Don't you pout" He kisses my cheek and I can't help but smile. "Mom I am staying" I say and Hardin shakes his head. Kassie is watching this stupid argument. "No you're coming home with me" He states and I shake my head. "No Hardin I am staying here with my MOM" I say and he rolls his eyes. "Fine but I am face time you until I see you tomorrow" He says and I smile. "Okay!" Kassie gets up from the chair and kisses my moms cheek. "I'm heading out" She says and gives me a hug. "Bye love you Tess" She is about to leave. "Oh My GOD IT"S TESS-A" Hardin shouts and we all laugh. "Love you Kas" I return and she leaves. I look at Hardin and lay down on his lap. I close my eyes and drift to sleep.

*Hrdin's POV*

Tess falls to sleep in my lap and I try and leave but she wraps her arms around my waist. I shift and lay her so she is on top of my body and I am laying down. I drift to sleep playing with her hair.

I don't know what time it is but I wake up and Tessa is still on top of me. I am sweating. I move out of under her and she groans. I flinch when her eyes slightly open but she moves over going back to her beautiful sleep. I walk over to the chair that Kassie was sitting in and try and fall asleep.

I wake up to someone's hands in my hair. My eyes flutter open to see my Tess straddling me. "Oh shit sorry" She says and moves to get up. I grab her hips and move her back. "Good morning Baby" I say and kiss her lips softly. "Good morning" She replies and I see her mum is still sleeping. "How did you sleep?" I ask her. "Like a baby, I had a really cute boy stay with me" She smirks. "Did you?" She nods and I kiss her. She starts to rock her hips and tugs at my hair. I stop her movements. "We can't" I say and a frown takes over her cute smirk. "Whyyyyy?" She wines. "One your mum is behind you and Two the doctor said NO physical activity for TWO weeks." I whisper and she smiles. "I don't seee my doctor do you? AND they have a bathroom" She whispers back. I shake my head. "No Tess, I want to but no" She frowns and moves back to the sofa. "Tessa" I sigh and she lays back down and goes back to sleep. I sit in silence until the doctor comes in. "Hello!" She shouts and I roll my eyes. "Can't you see they are both sleeping?!" She rolls her eyes at me and moves to Tessa's mum. "Good morning miss young." She looks back at me and I go kiss Tessa's head. She slowly wakes up. "What was that for?" She asks me. "The doctor is trying to flirt with me so I showed her that I was taken." I whisper and Tess smiles and kisses my lips and then stares down the doctor. I giggle at her jealousy. "You may go home if you would like but we will have some rules for you." The nurse says and Carol nods. "Yes I would like to go home" Carol says and Tessa go's and sits with her mum. "What are the rules?" Carol and Tess say at the same time. "You have to stay on bed rest for the next few days. You can only eat foods with high iron and once you're out of bed rest you have to cut back on physical activity." Tess nods and she hands her some medication. "She will have to take the red ones every night and the blue in the morning." Carol nods and takes the blue pills and pops one in her mouth and takes the water from last night and swallows it. She gets up and walks over to the door. "You guys coming home or you going to stay here?" Carol asks and Tess and me stand up and follow her out.

We aren't even half way down the hall when Tess cries out my name. "Hardinnnnnnn" She cries and I stop walking. "Yes?" I ask and she smiles. "My arms are tired can you pleeeeease carry meeeee!" She wines and I pick her up and she drops her crutches. "ooops" She giggles and I squat down so she can pick them up. "Thank you" She says and kisses my cheek. "Anything for my baby" I say and she laughs. That has to be the most beautiful sound I've ever heard. We get into my car and drive back to our house.