After 3

Chapter 241.

Songs for this chapter are:

Shiver- Coldplay

Yellow- Coldplay

Hardin's POV.

"Hardin? Are you okay?" Tessa's voice is thick with sleep.

"I.. I don't know." I croak. My bare feet have me pacing back and forth across the floor, furious fingers tug at my sweat soaked hair.

"What's wrong?"

"Are you in bed?" I ask her.

"Yes, it's three in the morning. Where else would I be? What's wrong, Hardin?"

"I just can't sleep, that's all."

"Oh," she lets out a long breath of relief, "I was worried for a second."

"Did you talk to Zed again?" I ask her.

"What? No, I haven't talked to him since I told you about him wanting to visit."

"Call him and tell him that he can't." I sound like a psychopath but I don't give a shit.

"I'm not calling him this late, what has gotten into you?"

"Nothing Tessa. Never mind." I snap and hang up the phone. She tries to call me back but I press down the power button until the screen turns black.

Tessa's POV.

"You're not staying in your pajamas the entire day again, are you?" Kimberly questions. I spoon a mouthful of granola into my mouth so I'm unable to answer her.

That's exactly what I plan to do today. I didn't sleep well after Hardin's phone call in the middle of the night. He has since sent a few text messages, none of them mentioning his odd behavior last night. I want to call him but I haven't spent very much time with Kimberly since I've arrived. Most of my free time has been spent talking on the phone with Hardin or doing my first round of assignments for my new classes. The least I can do is chat with her over brunch.

"You never wear clothes." Smith chimes in and I nearly spit the granola out onto the table.

"Yes I do." I reply, my mouth still full.

"You're right Smith, she doesn't." Kimberly cackles and I roll my eyes at her. Christian enters the room and places a kiss against her temple, Smith smiles at his father and soon to be step mother before looking back to me.

"Pajamas are more comfortable." I tell him and he nods in agreement. His green eyes look down at himself, taking in his Spiderman printed pajamas.

"Do you like Spiderman?" I ask, wanting to start conversation.

"No." His small fingers pick at his toast.

"No? You're wearing those," I point to his clothing.

"She bought them," he nods toward Kim. "Don't tell her I hate them, she will cry." He whsipers and I laugh. Smith is five going on twenty.

"I won't." I promise him and we finish the meal in comfortable silence.

.

Hardin's POV.

"What was so urgent that I had to come here in the freezing rain?" Landon asks. He shakes the moisture from his hat onto the floor and rests his closed umbrella against the wall.

"Him," I wave toward Richard spread out on the couch asleep.

"Who is that? Wait.. Is that Tessa's father?" He gapes.

"No, just another random, homeless fuck that I let sleep on my couch." I roll my eyes at his question.

"Why is he here? Does Tessa know?"