(If you all vote and comment like crazy, I will do a double update today, but since I write each chapter as I go , it won't be up until the evening:) xo)
"I was fucking Molly. I was fucking Molly. I was fucking Molly." His words repeat themselves over and over as I try to calm myself down before meeting my co-workers in the lobby. After having a slight breakdown, I dot the corners of my eyes with a tissue and grab my purse. I should have known he was toying with me, I should have known that he was still messing around with Molly. Hell, he was probably sleeping with her the whole time he was "dating" me. How could I be so stupid to force myself upon him after all the things he has done to me? I almost believed him last night when he said he loved me, why else would he drive all the way to Seattle? Because he is Hardin and he does things like that to mess with me. He always has and always will. I can't help the guilt I feel for blurting out that I kissed that guy, or the way I basically blamed Hardin for last night when I know I wanted it just as much as he did. I just don't want to admit that to him or myself.
Thinking of him and Molly together makes my stomach churn. If I don't eat something soon, I will vomit. Not only from my hangover but from Hardin's confession. I know I am not being completely rational, I kissed another man, a random man at a club but he slept with someone. Molly out of all people, I despise her. I can picture her now with her stupid smirk, knowing that her sleeping with Hardin again would torture me.
"Tessa!" Trevor calls from the other side of the lobby. I don't remember the trip down here, I was too distracted by my thoughts to be aware of my surroundings but luckily I managed to arrive in the lobby on time.
"Good morning." He says and hands me a cup of coffee.
"Thank you. I am so sorry for Hardins behavior last night." I say quietly.
"It's okay really. He's a little ... intense..?" Trevor says and I almost laugh.
"Uhm yea.. intense." I mumble and take a drink of my coffee.
"Kimberly and Christian will be down in a few minutes, she is running behind." He smiles and tucks his phone back into his pocket.
"Is Hardin still here?" He asks.
"No, he left. He won't be coming back." I try to sound like I could care less.
"Did you sleep well?" I ask in attempt to change the subject.
"Yea, I was worried about you." He says.
Trevor's eyes travel to my neck and I move my hair to make sure my mark isn't showing.
"Worried? Why?" I question.
"Can I ask you something? I don't want to upset you." His voice cautious.
"Yea.. go ahead."
"Has he ever.. you know.. he hasn't ever hurt you right?" He looks at the ground.
"What? We fight a lot so yea, he hurts me all the time." I answer him.
"I mean physically." He mutters.
I snap my head to the side to look at him. He didn't just ask me if Hardin puts his hands on me?
"No! Of course not. He would never do that." I cringe at the thought.
"I'm sorry.. he just seems so violent and angry." I can tell by the look in Trevor's eyes he doesn't mean to offend me.
"Hardin is angry, and sometimes violent but he would never, ever hurt me. Not physically at least." I feel an odd wave of anger towards Trevor for accusing Hardin of such a thing. He doesn't know Hardin. Then again neither do I.
We stand in silence for a few minutes until I spot Kimberly's blonde hair coming toward us.
"I really am sorry. You should be treated much better." Trevor says as our company joins us.
"I feel like shit. Absolute shit." Kimberly groans.
"Me too, my head is killing me." I agree and we walk outside.
"You look so good though. I on the other hand, look like I just crawled out of bed." She says.
"You do not." Christian tells her and leans down to kiss her on her forehead.
"Thank you babe, but your opinion is quite biased." She laughs and then rubs her temples.
"Looks like we won't be going out tonight." Trevor laughs and everyone agrees.
When we arrive at the conference I go straight to the breakfast bar and grab a bowl of granola. I eat it much faster than I should I can't seem to shake Hardin's words from my mind. I wish I would have at least kissed him once more.. no I don't. I must still be drunk. The conference goes quickly and by noon my headache is almost completely gone. Kimberly sits at one of the tables almost all day and I can't help but laugh when she groans as the keynote speaker's voice booms through the room.
Hardin will be back home now, probably with Molly. He probably drove straight to her just to spite me. Did they sleep together in our room? I mean our old room? In the bed that was meant for us? When I think about the way he touched me and moaned my name last night, my body is replaced by hers. All I can see is Hardin and Molly. Molly and Hardin.
"Did you hear me?" Trevor smiles as he takes a seat next to me.
"Sorry, I was out of it." I smile apologetically.
"I was wondering if you want to grab dinner tonight since we aren't going out tonight." He asks and I look into his shining blue eyes.
"If you don't.. want to that's okay too." He stutters when I don't answer him.
"Yea.. I would love to actually." I tell him. His nervous smile grows into one that reminds me of a picture in a dentists office. What? The alcohol certainly hasn't completely left my system.
"Really?" He breathes. I can tell he thought I would turn him down, especially after Hardin's behavior towards him.
It warms my heart that Trevor would still want to take me out even after being threatened by Hardin.
"Thank goodness that is over, I need sleep." Kimberly groans as we get into the car.
"Looks like you're just not as young as you used to be." Christian teases her and she rolls her eyes and leans against his shoulder.
"Did Hardin ever find you last night?" Kim asks and the knife that is permanently lodged in my stomach turns.
"Yea, he left though." I say and stare out the window.
"He called me about ten times." Mr. Vance shakes his head.
"Tomorrow we will go shopping in the morning while these two are at meetings." She says and closes her eyes. I will thank her later for taking the attention off of me. A nice quiet evening in Seattle and dinner with Trevor sounds amazing after my wild night with Hardin. I am a little uneasy about my behavior this weekend already, kissing a stranger, basically forcing Hardin to have sex with me, and now going to dinner with Trevor but at least I know there wont be any kissing or sex tonight. Not for you, but for Hardin and Molly. My subconscious throws in. She is getting on my nerves.
By the time we get to the hotel it is past four o'clock.
"I will come to get you at six thirty is that okay?" Trevor asks and I answer him with a smile and a nod.
I was going to try to take a small nap before my dinner with Trevor but I end up taking another shower. I feel dirty from the events of last night and I need to rewash Hardin's scent from my body. This time two weeks ago I had thought everything would be so different right now, Hardin and I would be getting ready to go to London to see his mother for Christmas. Even though I hadn't given him a sure answer, I think we both knew that I would say yes. I still have no where to live, which I need to call my mother back. She called me multiple times last night.
After I get out of my shower, I dial her number while I reapply my makeup.
"Hello Theresa." She says in a clipped tone.
"Hey, sorry I didn't call you back last night. I am in Seattle for that digital publishing conference, remember?"
"Oh that's right. Is he there?" She asks and I immediately know who she is talking about.
"No, he's not." There is no need for her to know he was here last night.
"Hmm.." She says.
"Why?"
"Because he called here last night trying to find out where you were. I don't appreciate you giving him this number, you know how I feel about him Theresa."
"I didn't give him the number." He must have called her in between his ten calls to Christian.
"I thought the two of you ended things?" She huffs.
"We did. I did. He was probably just trying to get ahold of me about the apartment or something." I lie.
He must have been desperate to get ahold of me if he called my mother's house. That thought hurts and pleases me at the same time.
"Speaking of the apartment, we can't get you into a dorm until Christmas break is over but since you will be off of work and school for the week you can just come here.."
"Oh.. okay." I agree. I don't want to spend my Christmas break at my mother's but since I am temporarily homeless I don't have a choice.
"If you know what is good for you, you will stay away from him. I will see you Monday." She says and hangs up the phone.
Spending a week at my mother's house will be hell, I don't know how I lived there for eighteen years. Honestly, I never realized how bad she was until I got a taste of freedom. Maybe since Hardin is leaving the country Tuesday, I can stay in that hotel for two more nights and go to the apartment while he is gone. As much as I don't want to ever go there again, it is still in my name as well as his, so I am entitled to stay there when I please and it's not like he would ever know.
I have no new messages or calls from Hardin, I somehow knew that I wouldn't. I can't believe he would sleep with Molly and throw it in my face like that. The worst part is that if I wouldn't have blurted out that I kissed someone else, he would have never told me. I finish getting myself ready and decide to wear a plain black dress. My days of woolen, pleaded skirts seem so long ago. I apply another layer of concealer to my neck and wait for Trevor to come. True to his nature, he knocks on the door at exactly six thirty.
Hardin's POV.
I can't decide whether or not to go inside as I stare at my father's massive house. Karen has decorated the outside with too many lights, mini Christmas tree's and what appear to be dancing reindeer. The blow up Santa seems to be mocking me as I climb out of my car. Pieces of the ripped up airline tickets blow around the seat before I close the door. I will have to call and make sure I can get a credit for the unused tickets otherwise, I just destroyed two grand worth of damn plane tickets. I probably should have just went alone and escape this dreadful state for a while but for some reason, going home to London doesn't sound as appealing with Tessa not coming along.
I am grateful that my mum was okay with coming here instead and she seems excited to come to America.
As I ring the doorbell I try to come up with an excuse as to why the hell I am here but before I can come up with one, Landon opens the front door.