Afterwards: An "After" Fanfiction

Chapter 15: Steal My Girl (Part 3)

Waking up the next morning was an interesting experience for Tessa. The first thing she noticed was the warmth of another pair of arms encircling her middle. As she blinked slowly and adjusted to the light, her lashes fluttered open to reveal the sleeping form of Hardin Scott next to her.

Her heart also fluttered within her chest as she digested the reality of the situation: he could have chosen to leave in the middle of the night, but he had stayed. They both knew that getting caught by Carol was a real risk, but it seemed that Hardin wanted to take the chance.

It wasn't the first time she had spent the night with a lover. She had slept over at Noah's several times--unbeknownst to her mother. But somehow, this felt different. More meaningful.

Before she could reflect on the exact feelings she was experiencing, Hardin groaned and rolled over. Upon realizing he wasn't alone, his eyes blinked open. "Oh." He looked confused.

"'Oh?' That's it?" Tessa teased, and to her delight, Hardin reacted by pulling her closer and nuzzling his nose into her neck. "Well good morning to you too."

"I just forgot where I was for a second." He whispered into her collarbone.

Tessa stroked the back of his neck lightly. "Well I hope you remember quickly because Carol never sleeps past 9am. You have to get back to that couch on your own, ASAP."

He brought his head up to face her, a little frown playing upon his lips. "Okay." After they both sat up and stretched, Hardin doubled back and grabbed Tessa around her shoulders. Little kisses tickled her cheeks, her nose, and finally her lips.

Neither wanted to leave the comfort of the bed they had christened the night before, but both knew it had to be done. Between a massive grin, Tessa pressed firmly against his mouth and made a loud smacking sound. "Ok come on. Time to pretend you slept downstairs the whole night."

At last, the two rose from the guest bed and crept towards the door. "See you soon?" Hardin asked, sneaking one last kiss before turning towards the silent hallway.

"See you soon."

Once she was alone, Tessa turned her attention to the monstrosity that awaited her in the closet. She almost laughed as she imagined what might have happened had her mother not only found the dress stuffed in the closet, but found Hardin asleep next to her in bed. Maybe someday, it would be Carol's expectation rather than a fear. If Hardin ever made it into her mother's good graces, perhaps the idea of the two living together and starting a family wouldn't be so horrendous.

Tessa sighed as she rescued the ruffled fabric from the back of her closet. It was a nice thought: Hardin and her mother getting along, but she would have to survive today's Thanksgiving dinner first before that thought could have a chance of becoming reality.

After Tessa finally unrolled the dress, horror marred her features. While the dress had been virtually untouched yesterday save a few wrinkles, today, there was a gigantic wet stain across the front. "What the fuck..." the girl tentatively brought the fabric up to her nose.

Semen.

She made a mental note to ask Hardin about that as soon as she got downstairs. For now, her main concern was finding an adequate replacement frock that would please her mother. After digging in her suitcase for a moment, she pulled out her secret weapon: her favorite white dress. Though Steph had made fun of it several times, Tessa knew it would someday come in handy. It wasn't quite the same length as the one her mother picked out, but she figured that the long sleeves and high neck would be at least somewhat appropriate according to her mother.

When the scent of coffee drifted up to her bedroom, Tessa knew her mother had made it downstairs, and that most importantly, she had seen Hardin on the couch where she left him the night before. It was finally safe to go down and join him.