AFTER WE MADE IT | HESSA

Chapter 19

Hardin's POV

I feel it.

With every goodbye that Tessa parts to my family, I feel the emptiness deepening inside of me, torturing me, reminding me of the shallow life I have without her. I knew she was leaving today, but seeing the empty closet and now carrying her bags downstairs, has made it all so freaking evident.

She is leaving.

Has it really been a fucking week though? How did the time went so fast? It seems like it was just yesterday when the door for heaven finally opened up for me. I just stand there in silence, leaning on to the door wall waiting for Tessa's endless goodbyes to come to an end. As much as annoying this whole thing is, I never really want this to end! I would rather stand here in silence and listen to them being dramatic about visiting each other soon, than drop her to the airport.

"You can visit here anytime Tessa, it's your home too! It always has been" Karen sobs as they hug each other, making me roll my eyes in return, why are they being so emotional and dramatic? If anyone should be getting emotional, then that's fucking me. Atleast Tessa gets to live with Landon, and now Nora ofcourse, I am the one who has to go back to Chicago and live in my empty ass apartment!

"I think it's time. Hardin would you keep the bags in the car, I will be out in a minute" Tessa says and I nod in return.

"I will help Hardin" Abby screams like it's the most needful thing.

"Yeah that would be a much needed help Abby" I mock at her as she tries to lift the small brown bag, her small hands attempt to drag the belt of the bag towards the door, but it hardly moves a tile. I carry the bags to the car, and keep them in the back seat. I wait for Tessa to show up, and within seconds she is out. Her cheeks are a light shade of pink now, and that yellow dress is making her look like a warm ray of sunshine. I watch as she walks towards the car. "Bye everyone" Tessa waves for the millionth time to my family, who is standing on the porch of the big house waving back at my girlfriend.

"You ready?" I ask her as we finally seat in my rented car, ready to start the torturous and not needed drive to the airport.

"Yeah" she states.

......

With every thought being unspoken, with every emotion being suppressed the silence in the car keeps getting louder and louder, screaming at us in the most suffocating way ever. None of us have said a single word, since we left Ken's house. I knew it was going to be awkward, but I had no fucking clue that it would be this hard. I want to say something, anything to her. I want to tell her how much I am going to miss her, that how amazing this week was as compared to the two years I lived without her altogether, but I don't.

"Is something wrong?" Tessa says breaking the silence. Something is wrong? No. Every damn thing is wrong! The fact that she has to leave me is wrong. But why am I being this way? Why can't I just accept that we will be fine? We already talked through this! She promised me that she won't change her mind, I know she won't, not this time! Would she though? Fuck. I don't know. I won't lie but one of the reason that I gave her the charm bracelet was exactly this! I wanted her to carry something back that would remind her of me, of us. I turn my head and take a look at the charm bracelet that hangs on her right wrist, for some reason I feel relief flood through me.

"Hardin...?" she presses

"I am sorry, what?" I ask completely forgetting about her previous question.

"Is something wrong? You haven't said a word since we got into the car."

"I am fine"

"I know that you are upset about me leaving, but I..."