Before

Chapter 6

"Ugh, just who I wanted to see." Tessa rolls her eyes at me. She seems to do this a hell of a lot. Not to Zed though, never to Zed. 

"You and Zed then?" I raise a brow at her and she stumbles. How much did she drink? 

"You're so obnoxious!" Her arms fly into the air and I try not to laugh at her dramatics.  "I'm trying to find out about the bus!" She pushes past me, her shoulder bumping into mine and I gently grab ahold of her arm to steady her.

"Let go of me, Hardin." Her eyes search the counter and I suspect she's looking for another drink to throw in my face. 

"Chill out." I let go of her arm.  "It's three in the morning. There no bus. You're stuck staying here again." I find humor in this. She's so adamant about hating this scene yet here she is again, staying the night.

"Unless you want to go home with Zed." I nod toward the living room and she scowls. Without a word, she walks away from me. 

What's the point of this? Me following her around, trying to get a rise out of her? There's no point and really it's a waste of my time. 

When I get back to my room, I grab a book from the shelf and pull my shirt up and over my head, tossing it onto the floor and adding my jeans to the mess. I open the novel to a random page and begin to read,  

"What use were anger and protestations against her silly credulity? We parted that night-hostile; but next day beheld me on the road to Wuthering Heights, by the side of my wilful young mistress's pony. I couldn't bear to witness her sorrow: to see her pale, dejected countenance, and heavy eyes: and I yielded, in the faint hope that Linton himself might prove, by his reception of us, how little of the tale was founded on fact."

"Hardin!! Hardin please open the door!" The voice is so loud, breaking through my sleep. Am I dreaming?

I jump up out of my bed, confused and panicked as the knob on my door jingles. Fists pound against the door again. 

"Hardin!" She screams again. Is that.. 

I unlock the door and yank it open. Tessa's standing there, her face flushed in horror and her eyes wild with fear. The hair on my neck stands and I go into instant defense mode.

"Tess?" I wipe my eyes for clarity. 

"Hardin, please can I come in? This guy.." Tessa looks back down the hallway and I step outside of my room. Neil is standing walking toward her, his eyes bloodshot and his shirt stained. He's disgusting. Why is she running from him? Did he.. 

His eyes meet mine and he stops immediately. If he knows what's good for him he will turn the fuck around and walk away. If not, Tessa might be in for a show. 

"Do you know him?" She asks, her voice cracks at the end and I feel my hands shaking at my sides. 

"Yes. Now get inside." I lead her into my room and sit down on my bed. Her gray eyes watch me intensely and I rub my eyes again. "Are you okay?" I ask her.

"Yeah," she begins, "I'm sorry for coming here and waking you up." Tessa's words come out fast and shaky. She's saying sorry for waking me up? 

I run my hand over my hair, pushing it back from my forehead. "Don't worry about it." I notice the way her hands, like mine, are shaking. "Did he touch you?" Murderous ideas float through my mind. No one would miss Neil, that's for sure. 

"No, he tried though." She hesitates, "I was stupid enough to lock myself in a room with a drunk stranger so I suppose it's my fault." 

Her fault? What the fuck?