After 2

Chapter 190.

"You know I would never let anyone hurt you, don't you?" His eyes meet mine.

"Yes, I do."

"Even now, even if we never get back to where we were before. I would kill anyone who even tried, okay?" His tone is clipped yet soft.

"I know." I assure him with a small smile.

I don't want to appear alarmed by his sudden threats because I know that he means them in a loving way.

"It was nice to sleep." He lightens the mood slightly and I nod in agreement.

"Where do you want to go for breakfast?" I ask him.

"You said no, that you.."

"I changed my mind. I'm hungry."

After him being so open with me and telling me about his nightmares I want to spend the morning with him, maybe he will continue the open line of communication. I usually have to fight him for any type of information but he confessed this willingly and that means the world to me.

"So easily persuaded by my pathetic story?" He raises a brow.

"Don't say that." I scowl.

"Why not?" He sits up and climbs off of the bed.

"Because it's not true. It wasn't what you told me that changed my mind, and don't call yourself pathetic. That's certainly not true."

My feet hit the floor as he pulls his jeans up over his legs.

"Hardin.." I say when he doesn't reply.

"Tessa.." He mocks me in a high pitched voice.

"I mean it, you shouldn't think of yourself like that."

"I know." He dismisses the conversation.

I know Hardin is far from perfect and he has his flaws but so does everyone else, especially me. I wish he was able to see past his flaws, maybe that would help with resolve his issues with the future.

"So anyway, do I have you all day or just for breakfast?" He bends down to push his foot into his shoe.

"I like those shoes, I've been meaning to tell you." I point to the solid black tennis shoes.

"Uhm.. thanks.." He laces them and stands back up.

For someone with such a big ego he is terrible at welcoming compliments.

"You still didn't answer me."

"Just breakfast. I can't miss all my classes." I pull his shirt over my head and replace it with one of my own.

"Okay."

"I just need to pull my hair back and brush my teeth." I say after I'm finished getting dressed.

As I begin to scrub my tongue Hardin knocks at the door.

"Come in." I mumble through the paste in my mouth.

"It's been a while since we've done this." He tells me.

"Had sex in the bathroom?" I ask.

Why did I just ask that?

"No, brush our teeth together." He laughs and opens one of the spare toothbrushes from the cabinet.

"However, if bathroom sex is something you want.." Hardin teases and I roll my eyes.

"I don't know why I said that, it was the first thing that came to my mind." I have to laugh at my stupidity and quick tongue.

"Well that's good to hear." He dips the brush under the faucet and doesn't say another word.