After 3

Chapter 223.

The songs for this chapter are:

Red-Taylor Swift

Kisses- Daughter

Bastille- Flaws

Tessa's POV.

"It dropped at least ten degrees out here." Robert says to me as he opens the door to the restaurant. The cold air gushes around me and I wrap my arms around myself trying to stay warm. "I don't have a jacket to offer you, I didn't know it would get this cold. I would offer to drive you back but I've been drinking, I'm not very gentleman-like tonight."

"It's okay, really." I smile. "I'm pretty drunk so I'm warm, that makes no sense." I giggle and follow him down the sidewalk in front of the restaurant. "Although, I should have worn different shoes."

"We could trade?" He jokes. I gently push against his shoulder and he flushes for what has to be  the hundredth time tonight.

"Your shoes look more comfortable than Hardin's, his boots are so heavy and he always leaves them by the door so I...never mind." I shake my head back and forth to stop myself from talking about Hardin and his shoes.

"I'm more of a sneaker guy,"

"Me too, well not a guy." I laugh. My head is swimming from the wine and my mouth seems to let out every single thought I am having, nonsensical and all. "Do you know which way the cabins are?"

"Which cabins? This whole town is full of them." He reaches over to steady me as I almost walk into a parking block.

"Uhm, well there is a street with a small sign and then like three or four more cabins, then another street?" I try to remember the drive to the restaurant from the cabin but none of it makes sense.

"That doesn't give me much to go on," he chuckles, "but we can walk until we find it?"

"Okay but if we don't find it within twenty minutes, I'm going to a hotel." I groan, dreading the walk and the eminent discussion Hardin and I are sure to have when I arrive. By discussion I mean full-on, knock-down, drag-out verbal brawl. Especially when he finds out that I've been drinking with Robert.

"Do you ever get sick of people telling you what to do all the time?" I turn to look at him as we walk through the dark.

"No one really does, but if they did I would."

"You are lucky. I feel like someone is always telling me what to do, where to go, who to talk to, where to live, it's getting on my nerves."

"I'm sure it is."

"I want to do something about it I just don't know what that is."

"Maybe Seattle will help you."

"Maybe.. I want to do something now though, like runaway or cuss someone out."

"Cuss someone out?" He laughs and halts to bend down to lace his shoe. I stop walking a few feet ahead of him and look around at my surroundings. Now that my mind is racing with all the possibilities of potential reckless behaviors, I can't stop it.

"Yeah, cuss someone in particular out." Hardin's face comes to mind.

"You probably should take it slow, I know cussing someone out is pretty wild and all but maybe start with something a little lighter." He says. It takes a moment to comprehend that he is teasing me but once I do, I see the humor in it.

"I mean it though, right now I just feel like doing something.. crazy?" I bring my top lip between my teeth, pawning over the idea.

"It's the wine, it's pretty strong and you drank a load in a short amount of time." We both laugh again and I can't seem to stop. The only thing that brings me back to normalcy is the small canteen style lanterns hanging from a small building.