I'll Always Be His

Chapter 1

TESSA

It all started with him. We spent every aspect of our lives with my parents best friends. Vacations, school events, sporting events, road trips, Sunday dinners. Bunny and Matthew Lake were my parents best friends since college. My brother Sylas and I grew up with their boys Hardin and Cole. Hardin was eighteen and a senior like my brother Sylas. Cole and I were both juniors. The boys almost looked like twins with their dark shaggy hair and piercing blue eyes. Hardin's hair was shaggy on top but he kept the sides and back short. His eyes were a dark blue like ocean depths and his tanned skin brought them out beautifully. He was athletic and muscular as were Cole wasn’t so much. Cole was muscular but nothing compared to his brother. Cole's eyes were a lighter blue and his hair was just shaggy all over. He had a beach wave effect to his hair. That’s where the similarities stopped. Hardin was an athlete and Cole a musician. They were like complete night and day.

I remember the day I fell in love with Hardin Lake. He annoyed me most of my life. He is my brothers best friend and they used to pick on me incessantly. He grew out of it when I was around twelve and that’s when the crush set in. It wasn’t until my fourteenth birthday and we'd decided to stop the whole party thing and he showed up at my house with a cake made and a card that I really fell in love with him. We started back to school a month later and he was in high school while I was in junior high. He joined the football team with my brother and he stopped coming around as much. He didn’t text me anymore. Our friendship had become non existent. Then he got his first girlfriend Hannah. My heart was broken. I had to see them at all the family events because of course she was invited to everything. Cole became my best friend. We’ve maintained that relationship all through high school. He is always my lab partner and study buddy. We’ve went through the bad break ups together. He always seen me and Hardin never did after Hannah. They were together for three years. They broke up a couple months ago and he’s been mopey ever since.

It’s the start of summer before junior year and Matt my boyfriend for the last year and I broke up a month ago. I’ve decided I'm not crying anymore. I'm on the verge of my seventeenth birthday which means I can finally go to parties. Its my parents rules and I hate them. My friend Chanel and I are going to Cole's band rehearsal at his house and I’m currently deciding on what I should wear. I went with a white crop top and a mini skirt with frayed edging and threw on my flip flops. I looked in the mirror. My blonde hair fell in waves down my back. It complemented my bright blue eyes that were hidden behind my long dark lashes but contrasted the golden glow of my skin. I put some gloss on full pouty lips and looked my self over. My make up was flawless. I'd been practicing with it all year. I was more of a late bloomer. I didn’t really start filling out until this year. I was a swimmer and my body showed it.

I grabbed my keys and headed out to my Jetta. I left my windows down and parked in the shade of the driveway so my leather interior isn’t scalding hot. My car is jet black so it literally attracts the sun I swear. I took off down the long shaded driveway blaring my favorite Beastie Boys song on my way to meet up Chanel at rehearsal.

When I got to Cole's rehearsal was in full swing. I could hear the band practicing from the driveway. The door was unlocked and I made my way to the kitchen to grab a water before heading to the basement, our usual hang out. I opened the fridge and grabbed a water. I was in the process of closing the door when I felt the hair on the back of my neck stand up. Eyes were watching me. I turned around to find Hardin standing on the opposite side of the counter. He was just staring at me. What was his problem? I waited for him to speak but he said nothing.

“Can I help you?” I asked with some attitude.

“Thought you were mom. I was gonna help carry in groceries. You just surprised me. I didn’t know you were coming over, Goldilocks.” He said in return.

I hated that nickname. He has always called me that ever since we were kids. “It's Tessa not goldilocks. I’d say it was a pleasure seeing you but the pleasures all yours.” I said walking by him headed to the basement door. He grabbed my elbow as I walked by stopping me in my tracks. We stared at each other for a moment. It was like he was seeing me for the first time. He let go and simply said, “ The pleasure was all mine.” With that I turned and headed to the basement. He broke my heart once. I wasn't about to let him do it again. I've kept my distance this long no need to stop now.

I walked to the basement and took a seat next to Chanel on the couch opposite the band. The band was loud and she was yelling over them talking about the beach bonfire tomorrow night. I wasn’t allowed to go to parties yet but my parents allowed me to go to bonfires as long as my brother Sylas goes with me. Chanel is interested in the drummer Nate. They’ve just started talking but haven’t made anything official yet. She was still talking and I was nodding along but I wasn’t listening. My mind was still stuck on Hardin. Why the hell was he looking at me like that? I pushed it to the back of mind and gave my attention to Chanel.

Practice was over and it was dark when we emerged from the basement. Sylas texted me an hour ago that he was headed to the beach for the bonfire. I jumped in my car and headed that way with Chanel behind me and the band in Cole's jeep behind her. We parked and made our way over the dunes and to the beach where the bonfire was in full swing. I found Sylas to let him know I was here and that feeling struck again. I knew he was there before I seen him. He walked up behind me and was talking to Sylas. Lyssa, Sylas's girlfriend came up to drag him away leaving me standing there with Hardin. I turned to walk away and he caught my attention.

“Hey Tessa.”

“Um. Hey.”

“Sorry about earlier. You just surprised me.”

“We've spent our entire lives together. I practically live at your house. I don’t know how I surprised you.”

“I’ve been in my own world lately, I guess.” He said rubbing the back of his neck and looking at the ground.

Luke came up and slid his arm around my shoulder. “Can I talk to you for a minute?”

“It was nice seeing you Hardin.” I said as I turned to walk away. Hardin was giving Luke a death glare. I don’t know what was going on between them but I didn’t want to see a fight so I led Luke away down towards the water. Luke was a senior and on the football team with Hardin and my brother. He had dark copper hair and dazzling green eyes. He was stocky but not as built as Sylas and Hardin were. I wrapped my arms around my self and he turned me towards him putting his hands on my upper arms.

“I know you and Matt haven’t been split up long but I’d really like to take you to a movie sometime.”

I didn’t know what to say. I’d never thought of Luke like that. Matt was the only boyfriend I’d had. I’ve only thought about one other person that way and that was Hardin. I didn’t know if I was even ready yet. Luke was drunk. I could smell the alcohol on him, he reeked of it. He moved closer to me and moved his hands down to my hips. We had walked down the beach so we were a ways away from the bonfire now. He moved in like he was going to kiss me. I realized at the last second what he was trying to do and I tried to maneuver myself out of his grasp. His hands were tight on my hips and he was holding me in place while kissing me neck headed to my breasts. He was groping me with hastiness. I tried to push him off of me but his grip only grew tighter.

I started screaming because I didn’t know what else to do. I didn’t know if anyone would even hear me since we were a distance away. Luke was pushing me back with so much force that we fell backwards in the sand with him landing on top of me. I was crushed under his frame fighting him while his hand was creeping up my thigh and trying to roam up under my skirt. I was still screaming and trying to shove him off me when suddenly he was hoisted up and I was free. I wiggled my way backwards on the beach to get away from him. Someone was on top of him leveling him with punch after punch. I thought it was Sylas until he came running up to me and wrapped me in his arms.

It was dark so it was hard to make out who my rescuer was. It wasn’t Cole because he took up residence on the other side of me watching the show with a smirk. He looked at Sylas, “Do you think we should pull him off now before he kills him?” who was he? I kept staring as my brother and Cole walked over and started pulling the guy off Luke. The crowd that gathered had dissipated leaving me standing there with Chanel and Nate watching. When they finally pulled the guy off Luke they picked Luke up and was carrying him back towards the fire. Luke was furious. He was screaming and cussing. My savior turned around and walked towards me and I could see his deep blue eyes glinting in the moonlight.

My savior was Hardin. Crap.