Read After We Fell for Free Online Page B

again,” I instruct. “Turn and tell him that.”
    But it’s Zed who speaks up. “Hardin, just stop. Leave it alone. I got the message. You don’t have to play into his sick game, Tessa. I get it,” he says. He looks pathetic, like a sad child.
    â€œTessa . . .” I start, but when she looks up at me, what I see behind her eyes nearly brings me to my knees. Disgust—she is full of disgust for me.
    She takes a step toward me. “No, Hardin, I won’t do it. Not because I want to be with him—because I don’t. I love you—only you—but you’re only doing this to prove a point, and it’s ugly, and it’s cruel, and I won’t help you.” She bites the inside of her cheek, trying not to cry.
    What the hell am I doing?
    With fiery intensity, she tells me, “I’m going home; when you want to talk about Seattle, that’s where I’ll be.” With that, she turns to walk away.
    â€œYou don’t have a way to get home!” I call to her.
    Zed reaches out an arm in her direction. “I’ll take her,” he says.
    Which breaks something in me. “If I wasn’t already in a bunch of shit because of you, I would kill you right now. I don’t just mean break a bone, I mean I would literally crack your skull open against the concrete and watch you bleed out all over this—”
    â€œStop it!” Tessa yells as she turns, covering her ears.
    â€œTessa, if you—” Zed says softly.
    â€œZed, I appreciate everything you’ve done, but you really need to stop.” She tries to sound stern but fails miserably.
    With a final sigh, he turns on his heel and walks away.
    I head to the car, and as soon as I’m near it, my father and Landon appear—of fucking course. I hear the click of Tessa’s heels behind me.
    â€œWe’re going,” I tell them before they can get a word in.
    â€œI’ll call you in a little while,” she says to Landon.
    â€œYou’re still going Wednesday, right?” he asks her.
    She smiles at him, a fake smile to mask the panic behind her eyes. “Yeah, of course.”
    Landon glares at me, obviously noticing the tension between us. Does he know about her plan? Probably—he probably helped her develop it.
    I climb into the car, not even trying to hide my lack of patience.
    â€œI’ll call you,” she says again to Landon and waves goodbye to my father before getting in. I immediately turn the music off as she buckles her seat belt.
    â€œGo ahead,” she says, no emotion in her voice.
    â€œWhat?”
    â€œGo ahead and scream at me. I know you’re going to.”
    I’m stunned into silence by her assumption. Granted, I had planned on yelling at her, but the way she just expects it throws me off guard.
    But of course she expects it—that’s what always happens. That’s what I do . . .
    â€œWell?” Her lips are pressed in a hard line.
    â€œI’m not going to yell at you.”
    She glances over at me momentarily before focusing at some point out beyond the window.
    â€œI don’t know what to do except scream at you . . . that’s the problem.” I sigh in defeat, my forehead resting against the steering wheel.
    â€œI wasn’t planning this behind your back, Hardin, not purposely.”
    â€œIt sure as hell seems that way.”
    â€œI would never do that to you. I love you. You’ll understand when we go over it.”
    Her words bounce right off of me as anger takes over. “I understand you’re moving—soon. I don’t even know when—and we live together , Tessa. We share a fucking bed, and you’re going to just leave me? I always knew you would.”
    I hear the click of her seat belt and then feel her hand pushing me back by the shoulders. Within seconds she’s on my lap, bare thighs straddling me, cold arms wrapped around my