"When they come knocking on your heart's door, Choose the one who loves you more..." -- Copeland 'Choose The One Who Loves You More'
30
-Six Months Later-
After months of shadowing other teachers and working on her degree in English, she was finally free. She could walk across the stage, shake a few hands, accept a rolled up piece of paper that acted as her diploma for the time being, and say she was a college graduate. Her graduation party had been more over the top than she had wanted. In fact, she really hadn't wanted one, but her mother had insisted and her dad had even drove all the way from Oklahoma to see her, so she couldn't say no.
Her mom - who had been much more put together these days since recently spending time with her estranged husband - and Lauren had teamed up and decided they would celebrate at the Blake household since it was massive and could house everyone they would invite.
"Congratulations," Hailey said as she and Brady - now her husband - pranced up to them excitedly. "We got you a little something."
She rolled her eyes. "Seriously? All I did was walk across a stage."
"Just open it before Hailey goes into a fit OK? She's really emotional and its extremely awkward when she cries... " Brady said as he tried to inconspicuously point to Hailey's round belly. They found out she was pregnant three months into their engagement, so they moved up the wedding and had it in January instead of July.
She chuckled as she peeked in the bag and found a metal bracelet with her initials - TJK - engraved to the heart-shaped piece in the middle. "Aww, I love it." She smiled as she put it one and hugged her friends.
"Oh, have you seen the rock on Lauren's hand now?" Hailey laughed. "Coop really outdid himself."
She smiled mischievously. Cooper had informed her he wanted to propose, but didn't have a clue about picking out a ring and since he knew she was the only person who could really keep a secret, he wanted her to come with. "I'm sure he did."
"Tessa!" Marshall exclaimed as he and the rest of the guys came walking in like one big entourage. He pushed his sunglasses onto his head as he scooped her into a huge hug that not only lifted her off the ground, but knocked the air right out of her. "Your present is at my house."
She playfully hit him after he returned her feet to solid ground. "What's with all the gifts?"
"Our little baby's growing up," Marshall said as he faked tears and teased her once again about being the youngest of the group.
"Seriously? That joke is way old," she rolled her eyes as she stole his aviators and put them on her own face. "And its way too bright out here."
She smiled as she left them to find Lauren. She found her hovering over the elaborate food table, obsessing over the fact that the cake was too close to the punch bowl. "I think there's probably nothing you can do about it now. Just relax and have some fun, k?"
Lauren smiled and wrapped her friend in a hug. "I'm going to miss you!" She whispered in her friend's ear, so that no one else would hear. Once again, Lauren had entrusted her with the secret that she had got an internship with Chanel in Paris, and would be moving with Cooper there in a month.
"I'll miss you too! But you'll have to send tons of pictures and call me and send me some authentic French croissants or something," she laughed as the two of them sat down at a small table.
"So have you heard from him?" Lauren's tone was serious now.
Tessa shook her head. "No, he's on the road... Last I heard anyway. Plus he was pretty upset when he walked in on Callie and another guy."
She hadn't seen Teddy in at least three months. He had started up a hectic tour in January - just after Hailey and Brady's wedding - and he didn't get to call much. She was sad, but it had given her plenty of time to figure out her relationship situation. It was like someone had handed her an easy button and pushed it for her. She couldn't handle the way Teddy's passion led him, and she couldn't ask him to stop for her - even if he would in a heartbeat. So she silently chose Jason - even though she knew Teddy was that one person that was right for her.
But somehow, Lauren had been able to see straight through Tess; She had known all along without having to tell her a thing, and never told a soul because she too knew the importance of privacy in this town.
"Hey Jasey-boy," Lauren called as she looked over her friend's shoulder. He hated it when she called him that, and she did it just to annoy him.
"Lauren..." He rolled his eyes and sat down next to Tess, giving her a kiss on the cheek.
"I'm going to go see if the caterers will move that chocolate fountain. It looks horrible over there," Lauren commented as she got up and Tessa chuckled at her.
"How does it feel to have everything now?" He laughed. "A degree and a job waiting for you when the new school year starts."
She blushed shyly. "I don't have everything."
"What else could you possibly ask for?" He laughed.
"I don't know, a way to tell my parents that I'm moving to Vermont maybe?" She laughed and he nodded.
"OK, so that might be a good one. Why Vermont anyway? I mean, I'm not complaining, I like the cold."
She shrugged. "I've always wanted to live there." It was partly true, but most of all, she wanted to finally put distance between her and Teddy. Sure he was from New York, but the last place he would ever look for her would be one state to the east. He would come back expecting her here, but she wouldn't be here anymore waiting for him while she had a perfectly good boyfriend already. She couldn't keep doing this to him... Or herself.
"Oh, I almost forgot," he smiled. "I got you a gift."
She smirked and rolled her eyes as he fumbled through his pockets for it like he had misplaced it, and then pretended to drop an envelope, which he pretended to have never seen before. "Whats this?" He asked out loud as he bent down to the ground to pick it up, and stayed there as he opened it. He looked back up at her and smiled. "I'm not really good with fancy speeches and words, but I know that I love you."
She nodded and smiled awkwardly, not understanding the point he was trying to make. "So will you marry me?"
Her eyes nearly bulged out of her head. She felt her cheeks grow warm as she nodded the words she couldn't quite speak because everyone's eyes were on her as he put the ring on her finger and wrapped her in a hug. Everyone clapped happily as the outcome of what Jason had told them he was going to do unfolded before their eyes. She
was happy.
But a set of extraordinary blue eyes told her what she already knew: She could never be truly happy or madly in love this way.
