Whispers Of Grief

Chapter 15

It's been a week since that event and Tessa hasn't heard anything from Hardin. She wishes to text him first but then the moment of humiliation, how he threw her out of the company without letting her know what wrong she did, asked her to prevent her urge.

Did he mean what he said? Maybe it was a drunken confession. He wasn't in his right mind and was blabbering anything. Maybe he mistook her for Sophia.

"Yea that's possible. He must have mistaken me as Sophia." She muttered and scrunched her brows. It was a sunday afternoon and she was still cocooned in the bedsheet with the air conditioner decreasing the temperature of the room.

Her stomach growled loudly but she stayed in the bed.

"Ugh how long will the delivery boy take to arrive! I am starving!" She whined and unlocked her phone to trace the location of the delivery boy. Tessa's mom was back to her friends who were recovering from her surgery.

On the queue the door bell rang. She arched her brow in confusion as it was showing that the delivery boy was 15 minutes away from her location, how come he's here so fast?

She jumped out of the bed, dragging the blanket with her.

She unlocked the door without peeking through the hole.

"Ha-Hardin?" She uttered, shocked to see Hardin standing at her door, the bruises were still very evident that she almost reached out to touch it.

"Can I come in?" He asked calmly.

She hesitantly stepped aside and let him come in.

He lowered his head and walked in and took a seat on the couch.

He was visibly nervous, rubbing his thumbs aggressively he gulped hard and forced the words out of his throat.

"I don't know how to say this but-I am sorry."

Tessa bit her lips and sat down at a distance from him.
"What exactly are you apologising for?"

"Everything."

"For what happened last week. I am very ashamed of what I did. I shouldn't have drunk so much. I'm really, really sorry. I-i don't what happened to me."

"Can I ask you something?" Hardin looked at her and nodded.

"What was the reason behind firing me?"

Hardin felt his heart thumping louder than necessary. He wasn't sure what the answer to her question would be.

"I-i am sorry."

"I don't want your sorry, Hardin. I just want to know the reason."

He pinched his lips in a tight line and looked down, preparing himself to say what had been bothering him.

Should I tell her? What if she gets offended?

He rubbed the back of his neck and avoided looking in her eyes as he answered, "I-it wasn't your fault. I was annoyed on that day and wanted to be alone and when you came, I couldn't help but remove my anger on you. I'm really sorry."

That's what was annoying her. Who does he think of himself? Does he know how bad it was for her reputation in that field? People might now think that she isn't capable to handling her work properly that's why she was fired.

"Hardin you do understand the effect your act had on my reputation?"

Hardin shamefully looked down and nodded.

Tessa wanted to scream and slap him on his face but she choose against it and slumped in her couch, sighing to calm down the rage gushing in her veins.

"Let it be Hardin..just..just leave." The hurt and annoyance of his presence was clearly evident on her face.

"Tessa I'm really sorry! I will clear everything up! My selfish act won't affect you career. I won't let it Tessa. I am sorry."

He got up from the couch and ran towards her, grabbed her arms to stop her from walking away. As his hands wrapped around her arms she flinched away from his touch.

The uncomfort of that night began to barge into her mind again and she backed away from him.

"I-I am sorry." He backed away.

He opened his mouth to continue but the door bell rang, shifting the aura of the room. Tessa grinned and ran towards the door.

"I am coming!"

While Hardin stood dumbfounded on his spot.

Few minutes later, she walked in with a large box of pizza in her hands.

"You can leave now. It's my lunch time." She walked past him and stepped inside the kitchen. Hardin walked behind her.

"You can eat, then can we talk? Please."

"No." Hardin sighed, defeated and nodded his head. He slowly took his step back, creating distance between them.

"Did you mean what you said that night?"

"Wh-what?" Hardin stuttered, wondering if he said something he shouldn't have in front of her. Did he said something stupid?

"I-i don't know what you are talking about."

Tessa scoffed and placed the pizza slice back in the box and turned face to face with him.

"You don't?" She questioned. He stared at her face and uncertainly shook his head.

"Well Hardin, you harrassed me because you saw me with Stephan, saying that I deliberately joined his company to take revenge from you because apparently you think i have every information about you and that I would already know that Stephan is your rival. So yea you fucked up."

After a pause she spilled the beans.

"And you know what's more fucked up?"

"You confessed, saying that you love me and hate to see me with Stephan."

Hardin stood still in his place.

Why would I say that?

"Stop torturing your small brain. I am not interested in lying. So i suggest from now onwards we shouldn't keep any contact with each other. You mind your own business and I'll mind my own."

"I didn't said that." He denied her words.

Tessa placed her hands on her hips and glared at him.
"Your drunken self, who wasn't conscious did. And either way I don't care. I love my Liam and I am very content with living with his memory. There's no place for any other person in my heart."

"Sa-same. Alright I'll never come infront of your ever again."

"Goodbye Tessa." The goodbye and the hollow in his eyes haunts Tessa till this date. It's been a year since that night and she haven't seen him in person after that.

That night, she felt the urge to run after him and stop him, but she didn't. Moving on scared her. Made her feel like a cheater and she wouldn't cheat on Liam. Never.

So all she did was whisper the words back to him.

"Goodbye Hardin."

•••••

Been busy with study so unable to update frequently. Sooo sorryyy about it.

Lemme know what you'll think.

Love you guys . Mwah