New Beginnings: A Hessa Story (2)

Chapter 21: Hardin

Thankfully, I don't think my mum and Mike are home. The car wasn't in the driveway, so maybe Tessa let them borrow it for the day.

"Tess?" I call out to the empty house, but get no response. I smell food being made, so maybe she's in the kitchen. If she's ignoring me, that is not a good start.

I walk into the kitchen and see her stirring something in a pot. She is humming along to a song that she's listening to on her headphones. She is shaking her hips and swaying from side to side as she hums along to whatever the fuck she's listening to. It's adorable, and I stay back for a few more seconds to appreciate her body and how it moves. She then moves to the counter next to the stove and begins chopping some green vegetable.

'Come on, Hardin. Stop being fucking creepy and go over there.' I think to myself.

I walk over, and awkwardly tap her shoulder. She turns around quickly, and screams with the knife still in her hand.

"Jesus! You almost killed me!" I jump out of the way.

"Oh my god! Hardin! Why would you sneak up on me while I have a knife!" She immediately drops it on the table and holds her chest.

"Sorry, I didn't mean to scare you."

"When did you get home?" She places her phone and headphones down on the counter.

"Just a minute ago."

"Oh... well your mom and Mike are out and about in the city, but it's supposed to storm soon, so I let them use the car just incase they get caught in the rain. I'm just making dinner for tomorrow."

Weird. Things don't seem awkward between us.

"Okay. Do you... um... do you need help with anything?"

She shakes her head, and turns back around. In the corner of my eye, I notice something reflecting off the sunlight: Tessa's engagement ring. She took it off?

"Um... you, uh... took your ring off?" I ask quietly.

"Oh yeah, I was making meatballs for the spaghetti, so I had meat all over my hands." She tells me, and I let out a big breath that I hope she didn't hear. "But here." She grabs it off the counter and hands it to me.

"Why are you giving it to me?"

"Because I was serious, Hardin. I'm not marrying you until you tell me what's going on." She continues to stir whatever fucking concoction she is making in that pot.

"Okay."

She turns back towards me. "Okay?"

"Yes. I'll tell you. I don't... I don't want to lose you." Fuck, don't get emotional. Or should I? Maybe getting emotional will help soften the blow to Tessa.

Faster than I've ever seen her move, she drops the wooden spoon on the counter and pulls me into the main room. We sit on the couch, and she nods for me to begin. "Okay, go."

"Before I say anything, I just want you to know that I didn't say anything to Lucy with the intentions of hurting you, or betraying you. I just needed someone to talk to that wasn't Landon, and I just didn't want to hurt your feelings with my thoughts."

"You know I always want you to be honest. I would rather that than you lying and torturing yourself."

"I don't know... you're just gonna think I'm awful or something."

Tessa's mouth immediately sets into a frown. "You've been saying it's not bad..."

"It's not! Really, it's not... in my opinion."