After Forever & Ever

Chapter 13

Tessa

If you ever want to meet the most infuriating human being on the planet look no further then Hardin Scott.

Just when you think maybe just maybe he can be sweet. He finds a way to prove you wrong.

And it's like can I even be mad at the guy he just woke up after being taken off a ventilator. We are still not even sure he is going to be able to maintain being able to breathe.

Yet he has still found a way to be a fucking asshole within an hour of waking up.

When I get out of the room I run into Landon in the waiting room.

I quickly wipe the upset, angry look off my face because I refuse to give him the satisfaction of knowing Hardin was just a dick to me again for no reason at all.

"Hey Tess, hows he doing?....Trish said he's awake! That's great!" Landon says.

"He still has a ways to go but yea he's doing good" I tell him of course not mentioning anything else.

"That's really great Tess. I'm glad" Landon says sort of looking away.

I still think he's unsure how to talk to me since our fight.

"How's Ken?" I ask.

"He hasn't been taking any of this well." He replies.

"It's not easy" I reply.

"Ever since he found out about Vance, and then Hardin being sick. I just think he hit a breaking point." Landon explains to me.

"I know I'm surprised I haven't hit mine yet." I reply as I walk away.

I've been soo consumed again by everything Hardin. I feel lost. I am going through every motion just to make sure he is okay. And I don't know if I am....okay.

The whole reason I left when I did was because I needed to start worrying less about him and more about the baby and myself.

And as soon as he is in the clear. I need to start doing that again. And if he wants us to work and be in mine and the baby's life everything has to change.

He has to be better not with his health. But how he treats me. He has to stop being so fucking selfish.

Is he even capable of that? The Hardin I met at Landon's wedding seemed like he would be. But I haven't see that Hardin since that day.

How do we go back to that?

I guess I haven't even let my mind wander here because I just wanted him to be awake...alive.

I don't know.

I don't know if there is even an after this...

We have so much unsaid so much we never even talked about.

And to be honest are we even dating...like what are we?...And I would feel silly even bringing that up right now or any of this. But at some point both of our lives need to begin again.

When I finally go back in the room. He looks pissed off and so do Vance and Trish.

I just give a confused look to them all wondering what I missed.

"Hey." He simply says.

"Hi" I say back.

"I'm sorry." He says to me.

"Yep" I reply not really knowing what to say.

"Knock,knock" a nurse comes in. "Hi I am going to check on his incision" she tells us.