After 3

Chapter 279.

Songs for this chapter are:

The scientist- Coldplay

She will be loved- Maroon 5

Closer- Kings of Leon

beautiful disaster- John Mclaughlin

Tessa's POV.

"Tessie! In here, come in here!" My father's calls down the hall, excitement clear in his loud voice. I climb out of my small bed and rush into the living room. The loose ties on my robe nearly trip me in my haste and I tie them again as I enter the room. My mother and father are standing next to a beautifully lit tree. I've always loved Christmas.

"Look Tessie, we got you a gift. I know you're an adult now but I saw this and had to get it for you." My father smiles and my mother leans into him. An adult? I look down at my feet, trying to decipher his words. I'm not an adult, at least I don't think I am.

A small box is placed into my hand and I eagerly rip the shiny bow off of the gift. I love gifts. I don't get them often so when I do it's a special thing for me.

My mother's excitement throws me off, I've never seen her smile this way and my father, well, I feel as if he shouldn't be here but I can't remember why that is.

"Hurry and open it!" My father urges as I lift the lid off of the box. I reach inside and pull my hand back when something pricks my finger. I nearly curse from the pain and drop the box to the floor. A needle falls onto the carpet. When I look back up at my parents my father's skin has lost all color and his eyes have gone void.

My mother's smile is bright again, brighter than ever before as my father bends down to pick the needle up from the floor. He takes a step toward me, needle in hand, and I try to back away but my feet won't move. They won't move no matter how hard I try and I'm left helpless, only to scream as he pushes the needle into my arm.

..

"Tessa!" Landon's voice is frantic, loud, and frightening as he shakes my shoulders. I'm sitting up somehow and my shirt is stained with sweat. I look at him then back down to my arm, searching like a lunatic for puncture marks.

"Are you okay?" He asks. I gasp for breath, my chest aches as I struggle to find air and my voice. I shake my head and he tightens his grip on my shoulders. "I heard you scream so I-" Landon is cut off by Hardin barging into the room. His cheeks are flushed a deep red and his eyes are wild.

"What happened?" He brushes Landon off of me and sits next to me on the bed. "I heard you scream, what happened?" His hands move to my cheeks and his thumbs brush over the tear stains there.

"I don't know, I had a dream." I manage to say.

"What sort of dream?" His voice is nearly a whisper and his thumbs are still gliding, slow as ever, across the skin just under my eyes.

"The kind that you have," I reply, my voice equally hushed.

A sigh leaves his lips and he frowns. "Since when? Since when do you have my sort of dreams?"

I take a moment to collect my thoughts before saying, "only since I found him and it's only been twice. I don't know where they are coming from."

A distressed hand runs over his hair and my heart twists at the sight of the familiar gesture. "Well I'm sure finding the body of your dead father would cause anyone to-" he stops midsentence. "I'm sorry, fuck, I need a filter." He sighs in frustration.

"Do you need anything? Water?" He moves his eyes from mine and looks over to the bedside table. "I feel like I've offered you water a thousand times in the last few days," he tries to smile but it's forced, sad even.