After Forever

Chapter 8

Tessa

The ceremony was so beautiful and the love between Landon and Dakota was breathtaking. Now it is cocktail hour, luckily Hardin will be busy with pictures so there is no need to fear just yet.

I know I probably shouldn't but I need to have a drink. There is no way I can face him again without one. Maybe this time a single word will come out.

I have Easton limit me to 2 drinks I really can't have more than that if I do plan to speak to him in a peaceful manner. And it has to be peaceful this is my best friends wedding I will not do anything to ruin it and even though I don't know Hardin anymore I would think he wouldn't either.

It finally comes time to take our seats and for the bridal party to be introduced. Hardin walks in and is actually more lively than I have ever seen him and has his arms locked with the bridesmaid he escorts in.

Luckily where the bridal party is sitting is not in my eye shot. The meal looks absolutely delicious but I can barely eat a morsel of food. My body just won't let me.

It is now time for the first dance and the song they chose to dance to is "I don't want to miss a thing" by Aerosmith. And as I sit there watching how in love they are I am wondering if Easton and I will look like that on our wedding day. Can I look at him like Dakota looks at Landon? Or will the pain of losing the one person I ever really loved haunt me forever.

I also can't help but think back to Ken and Karen's wedding when Hardin really didn't want to dance but he did because he knew it would make me happy and he was a good dancer.

This is the part I am scared of the end of dinner, and the dance floor being open-meaning people will start getting up, and mingling and I can't just hide in a corner.

I actually go fairly long into the evening without a trace of Hardin and I am actually enjoying myself. I grab Easton and decide to go outside onto the patio to get some air. To my surprise Hardin is out there with a couple of the other groomsmen enjoying a cigar. He is walking over to me. Oh gosh he is walking over to us.

"Hey man, I'm Hardin, Landon's brother" Hardin says as He puts his hand out for a handshake. Easton replies chipper "heard a lot about you, the name is Easton Van Woodson" (really don't know why he gave his full name) Hardin then steps into me and gives me a side hug that would just be too awkward to refuse and I still crave his touch so I hug him back. As he hugs me he just says "hey Tess, good to see you" as if we didn't run into each other earlier. All I can reply is "yea, you too" the first words I spoke to him in 5 years.

"So how are you guys enjoying your evening?" He asks. Why is he acting like he is an uncle we see every other Christmas. "It's been good this is a great wedding and great couple" Easton replies. I basically just stand there as Hardin and Easton continue to have conversation after conversation about nothing. Is this even Hardin? It's just so strange to me.

Easton looks at me and says I am going to get another drink plus I feel like you guys should talk. "What?" I reply surprised. "Yeah, it's been a while, you two should catch up" he says as he walks away.

Now that he is gone and now no one else is on the balcony. I am faced with the moment I have been waiting for.

"Here take my jacket, you look cold" he says. " no it's fine" I quickly reply. "Well then do you want to go inside, you are shivering" he says.

"No." I say as I snatch his jacket and throw it on. "So how are you" he says. "How am I?, 5 years and you ask how are you?" I say slightly raising my voice. "I'm sorry, I played this moment in my head a billion times but I don't know what the right thing to say is, but I really am sorry." Hardin blurts out.

"It's fine" I say not thinking. It's fine I question to myself. Wait...is it fine? It should be fine I have a fiancé, it's been 5 years, we moved on. But it's not fine. "I still feel like we owe each other a real conversation but not here" he says. " will you come to my room later tonight so we can talk?"

I say without thinking "okay". I pause "when?"

"My room is 337, I know it's kind of late and I don't want to upset your fiancé, but probably 1am?" He says.

I hand him back his jacket and quickly walk away and head back inside. I find Easton and grab him for a dance. He asks right away "so how did that go?" I tell him it went okay. And he can immediately tell there is more.

We had talked already about the possibility of Hardin and I meeting up to talk. I think he was thinking more us meeting for coffee. But I don't know how he will handle me meeting him in hotel room at 1 am.

"We agreed to talk tonight" I quickly blurt out. "Tonight?" He asks. "Yes, after the reception." I say. He pauses and then says "well okay if that's what you think you need to do, I won't stop you and I trust you." He says.

Ugh why does he have to be so understanding. All I say is "thank you".