After 3

Chapter 255.

The songs for this chapter are:

 Red- Taylor Swift

Turning Page - sleeping at last ( I had never listened to them before so thank you to those of you who recommended this song)

Fall Away - The Fray

Tessa's POV.

"Are you okay?" Liam asks me just as Harry and I walk back into the apartment. The air has shifted into a stale and awkward state.

"Yeah," I simply state, lying.

I'm confused, hurt, angry, and exhausted. It has only been a few hours since we've arrived in Pullman and I'm already ready to go back to Seattle. Any chance I thought had existed of wanting to live here again vanished somewhere during the silent walk from the elevator to the apartment door.

"Tessie.. I didn't mean for any of this to happen," my father follows me into the kitchen. I need a glass of water, my head is throbbing.

"I don't want to talk about it," the sink creaks when I pull at the faucet and I wait patiently for the glass to fill.

"I think we should at least talk-"

"Please," I turn to face him. I don't want to talk about it. I don't want to hear the hideous truth nor a sheltering lie. I only want to go back to when I was excited yet speculative to rebuild a relationship with him that I never had as a child. I know that Harry has no reason to lie about the accused habits of my father, but perhaps he is mistaken?

"Tessie-" my father pleads.

"She said she doesn't want to talk about it," Harry clips, appearing in the room. He walks further into the kitchen and stands between my father and I. I'm thankful for his intrusion this time but I'm slightly worried over the quick movements of his chest as his breaths become more shallow and labored.

I'm grateful when my father sighs in defeat and leaves me alone with Harry in the kitchen.

"Thank you," I slag against the counter and take another drink of the lukewarm tap water.

"I shouldn't have let you come here, I knew this would happen," a worried line covers Harry's forehead and he doesn't attempt to hide his deep scowl. His fingers press against his temples and he leans against the opposite counter.

"I'm fine."

"You always say that,"

"Because I always have to be. Otherwise, when the next disaster occurs I won't be prepared." The adrenaline coursing through me only minutes ago has disappeared, evaporated along with the hope that for once, something could go right for an entire weekend. I don't regret coming here because I have missed Liam so much and I wanted to get my letter, nook, and bracelet.

My heart still aches over the letter, it doesn't seem rational for an object to hold such significance to me but it does. It was the first time Harry had ever been so open with me, no more hiding, no more secrets about his past, all of his cards were on the table and I didn't have to force the confessions from him. The thought that he put into it and the way his hands shook as he held it out to me will always remain in my mind. I'm not upset with Harry really, I wish he wouldn't have destroyed it but I know his temper and I'm the one who left it here, knowing just that. I won't allow myself to dwell on it anymore though it still hurts to think about the shred of paper that was left, that small piece could never hold the amount of emotion laced into the words he had scribbled across the page.

"I hate that it's like that for you," Harry quietly says.

"Me too." I sigh in agreement. The pained look on his face makes me add, "It's not your fault,"