My alarm sounds and Hardin groans at the obnoxious noise.
"Tess.." He whines, rolling back over and covering his head with his pillow.
I quickly shut it off and climb out of bed to get ready for my first day back and Vance. When I get out of the shower I wrap a towel around my damp body and head to the kitchen to start the coffee pot. I am a little nervous to see Kimberly, I do not know what her reaction to Hardin and I getting back together will be. She is not judgmental but I don't know what my reaction would be if it were her going through the same thing with Christian. She doesn't know all of the details but she knows they are bad enough for me to keep them from her.
I am also not looking forward to seeing Trevor, in a way I am because he is very nice and we get along great but I have a feeling he won't be too thrilled that I am taken, once again. Honestly, I always have been since the day he met me. With my steaming coffee mug in my hand I walk over to the large window in the living room. The snow is falling in thick clusters, I wish it would stop snowing already. I hate driving to work in the snow because I have to take the freeway most of the way to Vance.
"Morning." Hardin's voice startles me from the hall.
"Morning." I smile and take another drink of my coffee.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" I ask him as he wipes the sleep from his eyes.
"Shouldn't you be dressed?" He retaliates.
I smile and walk past him towards the bedroom to get myself dressed, he tugs on the towel and pulls it from my body making me shriek and rush to the room. I hear his footsteps behind me and I lock the door. God knows what will happen if I let him in the room. My skin flames at the thought but I do not have time for that right now, I have to get ready.
"Nice, very mature." He says through the wood.
"I never claimed to be mature." I smile and pad to the closet.
I decide to wear a long black skirt and red blouse, not my most flattering outfit but it's my first day back and it's snowing.
After I put light makeup on in the full length mirror in the closet all I have left to do is dry my hair. When I open the door Hardin is no where to be found. I quickly half dry my hair before pulling back into a secure bun.
"Hardin?" I grab my purse and phone.
No answer. Where is he? My heart begins to pound as I walk through the apartment in search for him. The front door clicks open and he steps inside, covered in snow.
"Where were you? I was getting nervous."
"Nervous of what?" He asks.
"I don't know really, that you were hurt or something?" I sound ridiculous.
"I was just starting your car for you so it's warm when you get down there." He shrugs and removes his soaked boots leaving a puddle of slush on the concrete.
"You were?" I can not hide my surprise.
"Yea.. "
"Who are you?" I laugh.
"Don't start that shit or I will go back down and slice your tires." He says.
I roll my eyes and laugh at his empty threat. "Well thank you, I hate driving in the snow so at least the car will be warm." I smile.
"I..I can drive you?" His eyes meet mine.
Now I really don't know who he is. He was polite for the most part yesterday and now he is heating my car and offering to drive me to work, not to mention the way he laughed so hard last night that his eyes were brimming with moisture. Honesty really does look good on him.
"Or not." He adds when I take too long to reply.
"I would love if you could." I tell him and he puts his boots back on.
"Good thing your car is such shit or someone could have stolen it while it was down here running." Hardin says as he drives out of the lot.
"It is not shit." I defend, looking at the small crack on the passenger window.
"Anyway, I was thinking next week when classes start back up we will drive to campus together right? Your classes are around the same times as mine so it makes sense. Then the days that I go to Vance I will just take my car and meet you back at home." I suggest.
"Okay.. " He stares ahead out the windshield.
"What?"
"I just wish you would have told me what classes you were taking."
"Why?"
"I don't know.. maybe I could have taken one with you instead of you and Landon signing up for the same classes."
"You have already taken French and American Lit and I didn't think you would be interested in World Religion."
"I'm not." He huffs.
I know this conversation isn't going to go anywhere so I am thankful when we arrive at Vance. The snow has slowed but It is still present. Hardin pulls my car close to the front door to minimize my exposure to the cold.
"I'll be here to get you at four." He says and I nod before leaning across the small space to kiss him goodbye.
"Thank you for driving me." I whisper against his lips, touching them once more.
"Mhmm.." He mumbles and I pull away.
When I step out of the car Trevor appears only a few feet away, his black suit speckled with white snow. My stomach churns as he gives me a warm smile.
"Hey, long time no.."
"Tess!" Hardin calls my name and shuts the car door to walk around to my side.
Trevor's eyes go to Hardin then back to me and his smile disappears.
"You forgot something.." Hardin says, handing me an ink pen.
What the hell?
"A pen?" I raise my brow.
He nods and wraps his arms around my waist, pressing his lips forcefully against mine. If we weren't in a parking lot and I didn't feel like this was his sick way of marking his territory, I would like the aggressive manner in which is tongue parts my lips. I pull away and his face holds a smug expression. I shiver and rub my hands over my arms. I should have warn a heavier jacket
"Nice to see you. Trenton was it?" Hardin mocks.
I know damn well that he knows his name. He is so rude.
"Uh.. yea. Nice to see you too." Trevor mumbles and disappears through the sliding doors.
"What the hell was that?" I scowl at Hardin.
"What?" He smirks.
"You are such a pig." I groan.
"Stay away from him, Tess. I mean it." Hardin commands, kissing me on the forehead to soften his harsh words.
I roll my eyes and stomp inside the building like a child.
"How was your Christmas?" Kimberly asks as I grab a donut and coffee. I probably shouldn't drink another cup but Hardin has annoyed me by acting like a caveman and the smell of the coffee beans alone calms me.
"It.. "
Oh you know, I took Hardin back then found out he made a sex tape with multiple girls and ruined one of their lives, then I took him back again. My mother showed up at my apartment and caused a scene, now we aren't speaking. Hardin's mother was in town and we had to pretend we were together even though we weren't which basically brought us back together and was smooth until my mother told his mother about him taking my virginity for a bet. Oh and Christmas was lovely Hardin beat the shit out of his dad and punched his hand through a glass cabinet. The usual.
"Was great. How was yours?" I decide to go with the shorter version.
Kimberly dives into her amazing Christmas with Christian and his son. The little boy cried when he saw the new bicycle that "santa" brought him, he had even called Kimberly "mommy Kim" which made her heart warm but she felt slightly uncomfortable at the same time.
"It's strange you know, thinking of myself as someone's guardian or whatever I am. I am not married, even engaged to Christian so I don't know my place with Smith." She says.
"I think Smith and Christian are both lucky to have you in their lives, whatever title it may be." I assure her.
"You are wise beyond your years, Ms. Young." She smiles and I rush to my office after glancing at the clock.
The morning flies by, the manuscript that I am reading is slightly boring, I feel terrible for thinking that because I know how much time was put into writing it but I just don't see it being published. The only "rule" Mr. Vance have me when I started here was, "If you think of anything else while reading the first one hundred pages, toss it."
I can't stop thinking about anything except this book and I am only on page seventy-five. I cringe as I mark the cover page with a large red stamp and put it in the "out" bin.
By the time lunch comes around Kimberly is not at her desk. I need to start packing a lunch so I don't have to get lunch alone. I could always order in but I would rather just walk next door and grab something small. I dial Hardin's number as I ride the elevator down to the lobby but he doesn't pick up.
When the elevator stops at the third floor I silently scream as Trevor steps onto the elevator.
"Hey." I say, my voice small.
I don't know why this is so uncomfortable, it's not like I was dating Trevor or anything. We went on one date and I had a nice time. I enjoy his company and he enjoys mine. That is all.
"How was your break?" He asks, his blue eyes shining under the fluorescent lighting.
"Nice. You?" I hope no one else asks me today.
"It was nice. We had a huge turn out at the shelter downtown, fed over three hundred people." He proudly beams.
"Wow, three hundred people? That is incredible." I smile. The tension between us is almost diminished.
"It was really great, hopefully next year we will have even more resources and we can feed five hundred." He is so kind.
"Are you going to lunch?" He asks as we both step off the elevator.
"Yea, I am going to walk over to Firehouse since I didn't drive myself." I say, not wanting to discuss Hardin and I at the moment.
"You can ride with me if you want, I am going to Panera but I can run you by Firehouse first, you shouldn't walk in the snow." He politely offers.
Stay away from him Tess, I mean it. Hardin had warned. Well Hardin isn't here and I am not a child, getting lunch with a friend is perfectly fine. Mostly because Hardin isn't here, if he were I can't say I would have the same defiant opinion.
"Panera is fine." I smile and we head to his car.
The heated seats in his BMW warm my body before we are even out of the parking lot.
Trevor and I stay mostly silent while we order our lunch and sit down at a small table towards the back.
"I'm thinking about moving to Seattle." Trevor tells me as I dip a cracker into my broccoli soup.
"Really? When?" I ask loudly trying to speak over the many voices of the lunch crowd that decided on Panera Bread today.
"March. Christian has offered me a job there, a promotion to head of finance at the new branch and I am strongly considering taking it."
"Congratulations. That is really great news." I tell him and mean it.
"Thank you, I would love to run the entire finance department and even more I would love to move to Seattle." He wipes the corners of his mouth with a napkin.
Why can't Hardin feel the same about Seattle?
When we get back to Vance the snow has turned to freezing rain and the two of us rush into the building. I am shivering by the time we reach the elevator. Trevor offers me his suit jacket but I quickly decline.
"I need to go to your floor to speak with Christian." He says and I nod.
"So you and Hardin are seeing each other again?" He finally asks. I had been waiting for him to ask.
"Yea.. we are working through things." I chew on my cheek.
"Oh.. you're happy then?" He looks down at me.
"Yea."
"Well I am happy for you." He runs his hands over his black hair and I know he is lying but I appreciate him not making this anymore awkward than it already is.
When we step off of the elevator Kimberly's face holds a strange expression, I am confused by the way she is looking at Trevor and I until I follow her eyes to Hardin leaning against the wall.
(Please vote and comment!! I know I said this chapter would be new years too but 'Hessa" has a mind of their own and her first day at work ended up being longer than I expected lol.xo