Chapter 175.

4.3M 100K 72.9K
                                    

My chest aches as I watch Christian wrap his arms around Kimberly and lift her off the floor in a loving embrace. I'm so happy for her, I really am. It's just that it's hard to sit and watch someone get something that you wanted, no matter how happy you are for them. I would never want to take even an ounce of her happiness away but it's hard to watch as he kisses both her cheeks and slides a gorgeous diamond ring onto her finger.

I stand up from my seat, hoping that no one will notice my absence and I manage to make it to the living room before the tears fall. I knew this would happen, I knew I would break. If he wasn't here I could handle it but it's too surreal, too painful to have him here.

He came here to taunt me, he had to have. Why else would he be here and not speak to me at all? It doesn't make sense, he has avoided me for the past ten days then he shows up here when he knew I would be here. I shouldn't have came, I should have at least driven myself  so I could leave right now. Zed won't be here until... Zed.

Zed is coming to pick me up at eight and it's seven thirty now. Hardin will kill him, literally, if he sees him here.

Or maybe he won't, maybe he doesn't care at all.

I find the restroom and close the door behind me. It takes me a moment to realize the light switch is a touch screen panel on the wall. This house is too damn high tech for me.

I was absolutely humiliated when I dropped the wine glass at the sight of him. He seems so indifferent, like he could care less about me being here or how awkward his presence really is. Has it even been hard for him? Did he spend the first few days crying and lying in bed the way I did? I have no way to know and he isn't giving off the heartbroken impression.

Breathe Tessa. You have to breathe. I have to breathe regardless of the sharp knife lodged in my chest each time that I try.

I wipe my eyes and look at my reflection. My makeup hasn't smudged thank goodness and my hair is still perfectly curled. My cheeks are slightly flushed but in a way it makes me look better, more lively.

When I open the door Trevor is leaning against the wall with concern clear in his features.

"Are you okay? You ran out of there pretty fast." He takes a step toward me.

"Yeah..I just needed some air." I lie.

A stupid lie at that, it doesn't even make sense to rush to the bathroom for air. Lucky for me Trevor is a gentleman and would never call me out on my lie the way Hardin would.

"Okay, they are serving desert now if you're still hungry." He tells me as we walk back down the hallway.

"Not really but I'll have some." I respond.

"How do you know?" Smith's small voice says from inside the room we are passing.

"Because I know everything." Hardin replies.

Hardin? In the room with Smith?

"You go on, I .. uhm.. I'm going to talk to Smith."

"Are you sure.. I can wait." He offers.

"No, I'm fine." I politely dismiss him so that I can impolitely eavesdrop.

"Not everything." Smith says.

"I do though, I know everything." Hardin's voice is calm as I lean against the wall next to the door.

"Will she die?"

"No, what is with you always thinking everyone's going to die?"

"I don't know?" The little boy tells him.

After 2Where stories live. Discover now