After 4 | ✓

Chapter 12

Hardin's POV:

But when I look down at the screen, it's my mum. She is calling me, from the last two weeks, but of course I didn't answered. I need some time to deliberate my existence. But it isn't fair to her that I talked to Vance and not to my mother, even though they both have equal fucking faults.

"H...Hey, Hardin" she say through the phone completely caught off guard that I answer this time.

"Hi, mum. What do you want?" I say with a less harshly tone.

"I..I just want to check on you, how you're doing? We haven't talked since you were here." Concern in her voice.

"I'm doing fine. I was just busy, because a lot of things is going on right now. And I needed some time to process for what the fuck happened in London. So that's why I didn't answered any of your calls for that matter." I say.

"Of course you should take all your time to think. I just wanted to say that, I'm sorry son. I'm really so sorry. I should've told you sooner. I was just too scared that if I told you, you'd take a distant from me and never talk to me again. And when everything was falling apart, it's was eventually time, so we have to tell you." Her concern was right, if she'd have the one told me that shit, I don't know what I would've said to her and maybe never speak to her again.

"I'll take your apologise." I was so angry on the wrong person the whole time and it was hers and Vance's stupid fault. They told me that my whole life was a lie, I was living with liers.

But I did forgive my father, Ken even though he ruined my childhood, drunk or not. So why not give her a sliver of chance. It will tremendous favor my case with Tessa. She'd be so happy with this.

"Thank you, son. I hope you'll visit here sometime." She says. Not even a fucking chance, even I get any fucking job over there.

"I'll think about that." I say and hung up. It's feels good, relief like some shit burden is lifted off my chest.

.....
One week later....

"Karen you don't have to do all of these things." I wave my hands towards the meals on kitchen counter, she is preparing my favorite dishes. I know why she is doing this and being clingy to me. She is trying to make up for Tessa's departure from my life, but nothing will fill that gap. Only Tess will.

But I'm not telling that directly in her face, I'm not that fucking person anymore.
"It's not that of a big deal, I love cooking, you know that dear." She says.

"I appreciate your work, but don't, please. I don't want you to work so hard while you're in that situation." I say pointing out to her not so swollen belly.

"You mean pregnant." She chuckle.

"Yeah, that. Move let me help you." I offer, but she didn't move. "Karen, please let me do it." I politely glare, and she moves.

"How is your after graduation planning is going? You'll still want to walk, right?" She asks, while I chopping the potatoes.

"It's going fine, but I don't know that I should walk or not." It would be really fucking stupid.

"We should invite Tessa, what do you think?" She asks me, she knows what she's doing. If Tess would be there, I'll never say no to this nonsense.

"I think so.Would you invite her on my behalf, please. I don't want her to feel pressure about this." I kindly request. I don't want to pressure Tessa to come here only to feel obliged, but I really want to see her. I fucking miss her.

Karen is talking to her more than me, I've listen to their conversations sometime secretly. Creep, I know.

"Sure I'll" she smile even though I'm not looking at her. We finished preparing the dinner in a good silence.

While me, Karen and Ken eating our dinner, I feel the empty chair besides me mocking. Tess used to sit on this chair, while we were having dinner with all of them. I place my hand on the top of the seat, I can feel the chair also missing her absence.
What the hell, my mind is not in the good place right now. Fuck.

Looking at the chair, eating my food, looking again, and answers some Ken's questions about what I'll do after I graduate, I finished the dinner and go my room.

....

Tessa's POV:
Three days later...

I'm in the mall to buy some dress for Hardin's graduation. But there is nothing good in this store for this occasion, how did I spend my eighteen years buying from this store. I'm going to see him after this long time partition, so I want something special.

As his calls have lessens by through out the time, so I feel slightly paranoid that my company will be unwelcome, that the invitation was made out of politeness.

When Karen invited me I thought to decline it, as me and Hardin are separated but I want to see him, and this is the perfect situation and time. I really miss him, so I accepted it. Only Karen's daily calls help me, to not go over there, she told me that he looks happy and busy due to his graduation stuffs and all. I'm not complaining, I know he has a lot to do.

My time spend by with Heather and to do renovate the greenhouse. She is very sweet girl always making me do something with her ‌hair, face, she likes makeup and I like to do some experimenting on her and learn some new skills in that. Every time she visit she tries my clothes even though they're way big on her small frame.

After searching the whole store,
I found three dresses, two of them have same styles but different color and one maroon dress. If Hardin would've been here he'd help to find some good one. I like the way he boost my confidence even in that long skirt, though he hated that.

I try three of them on me but this maroon silk dress one is way better, it's hits right at the knees and some reason I feel nostalgic to it. That old dress was loose fitting and high collared, with three-quarter-length sleeves. This dress is formfitting and has a slightly lower collar with a cutout pattern across the neckline and lacks sleeves. I will always love that old dress, but I'm happy with the way this dress fits me.

When I paid for my dress and head out from the store, someone called my name. "Tessa" some girl I think say through the distance.

When I turned around it's Josie coming towards me, she was in my school and we were bestfriend. She moved out from here, before even we start high school together. "Hey" I say and walks to her direction.

"It's very good to see you after all this time." She says and hugs me tight.

"Yeah me too." I say and hug her back. "When you did you get back here?" I ask and we break our embrace.

"Just three days ago, to meet my grandma" she say with a warm smile. "I thought you'd now in college, why are you here?" She ask politely.

"That a long story, I came here to spend sometime with my mother." I smile. "What about you?" I ask.

"Ah, I'm moving to Chicago in a month." She says.

"Oh, you move too much." I tease. Whom I'm kidding, I do the same maybe more than her.

"Yeah, I do." She rolls her eyes "But I think I'll settle there." She shake her head.

I should settle too, but where? Thinking of college I've to call Landon and see about that.

"I think I will go now, my grandma probably is waiting for me, but we'll hung out later." She say.

"Yeah sure" I say and she goes.
And I go to my home.