"Can I use your phone to try to call him?" I ask Zed.
He removes one hand from the steering wheel to dig into his pocket for his phone. We are only about ten minutes away from the apartment and I am beginning to panic over Hardin's reaction to Zed driving me home. I keep trying to force myself to sober up but it doesn't work that way. I am a lot less intoxicated than I was an hour ago but I am still drunk.
"Here..shit it's dead." He says, pressing the button on the top revealing an empty battery symbol.
"It's okay." I shrug. Calling Hardin from Zed's phone probably isn't the best idea I have had anyway.
Not as bad as my idea to kiss a random guy in front of Hardin, but still not a good one.
"What if he isn't here?" I say.
"You have a key don't you?"
"No.. I didn't think I would need one."
"Oh.. well if he isn't here then I can take you somewhere else.. or you could stay with me. Just for tonight..if you want." He offers.
Hardin would literally murder him if he found me at Zed's apartment. When we arrive to the apartment, Zed parks the car and I scan the parking lot for Hardin's car. It is parked in his usual spot, thank god. I have no idea what I would have done if he wasn't here. Zed gets out of the car with me and insists on walking me up. As much as I think that will not end well, I don't know if I am capable of getting myself up to the apartment alone in my intoxicated state.
Damn Hardin for leaving me at that party.
Damn me for being an impulsive idiot.
Damn Zed for being so sweet and fearless when he shouldn't be.
Damn Washington for being so damn cold.
When we reach the elevator my head begins to pound along with my heart. I need to go over what I am going to say to Hardin, he is going to be so mad at me and I need to think of a good way to apologize without using sex. I am not used to being the one to apologize for anything because he is always the one who messes up, this doesn't feel good at all, this feels terrible.
We walk down the hallway and I can't help but feel as if we are preparing to walk the plank. I just don't know whether it will be Zed or myself that sinks down into the water.
"This is it." I swallow and knock on the door.
Zed stands a few feet behind me as we wait for the door to open. This was a terrible idea, I should have just stayed at the party.
I knock again, this time louder.
What If he doesn't answer?
What if he took my car and isn't even here? I didn't think of that.
"If he doesn't answer can I go to your place?" I try to hold my tears back.
I don't want to stay at Zed's and make Hardin even more upset with me but he hasn't left me with another option.
What If he doesn't forgive me? I can't be without him. I have been through an emotional hell for him so he has to forgive me. Zed's hand touches my back and he rubs up and down to soothe me. I can not cry, I need to be calm when he answers.. if he answers.
"Of course." Zed finally answers.
"Hardin! Please open the door." I quietly beg and rest my forehead against the door.
I don't want to yell and cause a scene at nearly two in the morning, our neighbors probably have issues with us yelling enough already.
"I guess he's not going to answer." I sigh and lean up.
As we turn to walk away the door clicks open.
"Well..look who decided to show up." Hardin says.
Something about his tone sends chills down my spine. When I turn to face him, his eyes are blood shot and his cheeks are pink.
"Zed! Pal! It's so nice to see you." Hardin slurs.
He's drunk.
"Hardin.. have you been drinking?" My thoughts suddenly clear.
"What's it to you? You have a new boyfriend."
"Hardin.." I don't know what to say to him.
He is obviously wasted. The last time I saw him this drunk was the night Landon called me to come to Ken's house. With his father's history of drinking and the way Anne was so fearful that Hardin had began to drink again, my heart sinks.
"Thank you for bringing me home, I think you should go now." I politely say to Zed.
Hardin is too drunk to be around Zed.
"Noooo.." Hardin exgaherates.
"Come on in! Let's have a drink together!" Hardin grabs Zed's arm and pulls him through the doorway.
"No, this is not a good idea. You are drunk." I protest.
"It's fine." Zed tells me. It's almost like he has a death wish.
"Yeah, Tessa. Chill the fuck out." Hardin stumbles over to the coffee table and grabs the bottle of dark liquor and pours the liquid into a glass.
I want to yell at him for speaking to me that way but I can't find my voice.
"Here you go, I will get another cup. One for you too Tess." Hardin rambles and walks into the kitchen.
Zed sits in the chair and I take a seat on the couch.
"I'm not leaving you here alone with him, look how drunk he is. I thought he didn't drink?" Zed whispers.
"He doesn't.. not like this. This is my fault." I put my head in my hands.
I hate that Hardin is drunk because of what I did. I wanted us to have a civil conversation so I could apologize for everything.
"No it's not." Zed assures me.
"This one is for you." Hardin hands me a glass half full of liquor.
"I don't want anymore. I drank enough tonight." I take the glass from his hands and sit it on the table.
"Suit yourself, more for me." He smiles at me. His smile isn't the same as the smile I have grown to adore.
I am honestly a little frightened. I know Hardin would never hurt me, physically but I don't like this side of him. I would rather him be screaming at me or punching a wall than sitting here drunk off his ass and being so calm. Too calm.
Zed brings his drink to his lips and takes a sip.
"This is just like old times isn't it? You know back before you wanted to fuck my girl." Hardin says and Zed spits his drink back into the cup.
"It's not like that. You left her there and I brought her home." Zed's tone is threatening.
"I'm not just talking about tonight and you know it. Though I am pretty annoyed by you taking it upon yourself to bring her home. She is a big girl, she can fend for herself."
"She shouldn't have to fend for herself." Zed fires back.
"That's not up to you!" Hardin yells and I jump.
"You wish it was though, don't you?" Hardin smirks.
I feel like I am in the middle of a gun fight and I want to move but my body will not allow it. I watch in horror as my Mr. Darcy becomes transforms into Iago.
"No." Zed responds.
Hardin sits down next to me but keeps his glossy eyes focused on Zed. I look down at the bottle of liquor and it is at least a fourth of it is gone. I pray that Hardin has not consumed all of this tonight, within the last hour and a half.
"Yeah it is. I am not stupid. You want her, Molly told me everything you said before."
"Leave it alone Hardin." Zed growls, only egging Hardin on.
"Oh Tessa is so beautiful, Tessa is so sweet! Tessa is too good for Hardin! Tessa should be with me!" Hardin mocks.
What?
"Shut the fuck up Hardin." Zed avoids looking at me.
"Here that babe, Zed thought he could actually have you." Hardin laughs.
"Stop it Hardin." I get up from the couch.
Zed looks humiliated. I shouldn't have agreed to have him drive me home. Did he really say those things about me? I had assumed the way he acted toward me was because of the bet, but now I am not so sure.
"Look at her, I bet you are thinking about it right now.. aren't you?" Hardin taunts him.
Zed glares at Hardin and sits his cup on the table.
"You will never have her Zed, so give it up. No one will have her except me, I am the only one who will ever fuck her. The only one who will know how good it feels to have her.."
"Stop it!" I yell.
"What the hell is wrong with you!" I add.
"Nothing, I am just telling him how it is." Hardin answers.
"You are being cruel." I tell him.
"So?"
"I really think you should go." I say to Zed.
Zed looks at Hardin then back to me.
"It's fine." I assure him.
I don't know what will happen but I know it won't be as bad as what will occur if he stays.
"Please." I beg and he nods.
"You heard her, get the fuck out. Don't be too sad though, she doesn't want me either. She likes those clean-cut pretty boys." Hardin takes another drink.
My heart sinks even lower and I know I am in for a long night. I don't know if I should be afraid but I am not. Well.. a little but I am not leaving.
"Out." Hardin repeats and Zed heads for the door.
Once Zed is no longer in the apartment Hardin locks the door and turns to face me.
"You're lucky I didn't beat his ass for bringing you here. You know that don't you?" He asks.
"Yes." I agree. Arguing with him doesn't seem like a good idea.
"Why did you even come here?"
"I live here."
"Not for long." He pours more alcohol into his cup.
"What?" The air leaves my lungs.
"You're hearing going bad along with your judgment?" He taunts me.
"You are going to kick me out?"
"No, you'll leave on your own eventually."
"No I won't."
" Maybe your new lover has room at his place. The two of you look nice together." The hateful way he is speaking to me takes me back to the beginning of our relationship and I don't like it.
"Hardin please stop saying those things. I don't even know him and I am sorry for what I did."
"I will say what I want, just the way you do whatever the fuck you want."
"I made a mistake, I am sorry. I was so drunk and I really thought something happened with you and that girl, I didn't know what to think. I am so sorry, I would never hurt you purposely." I say but I can tell he isn't listening.
"You are still talking?" He snaps.
I sigh and chew on my cheek. Don't cry. Don't cry.
"I'm going to go to bed and we can talk when you aren't so drunk."
He doesn't say anything, he doesn't even look at me so I take my shoes off and walk into the bedroom. As soon as I go to close the door I hear the glass shatter. When I rush into the living room the wall is wet and glass litters the floor.
I watch helplessly as he grabs the other two glasses and slams them against the wall. He takes one last swig from the bottle and uses all of his strength to shatter the half-full bottle against the wall.
(Please vote and comment! Ily all! What do you think will happen next? I love to hear your theories! Oh and I know some people are still confused on the third book, it will just be a regular continuation of this book, the one shots will be separate in their own book.)