stayed, I send. I stare at the screen, waiting for him to reply.
I am coming to pick you up, he replies after what seems like forever.
What? No, I don’t want to go bowling, you’re already there. Just stay.
I already left. Be ready. Boy, he’s demanding, even through text messages.
My mother is still talking and I have no idea what about. I stopped listening once Hardin texted me. “Mom, I will call you back,” I interrupt.
“Why?” she asks with surprise and disdain.
“I . . . um . . . well, I spilled coffee on my notes. I gotta go.”
I hang up and hastily go into the closet, pulling Hardin’s pajamas off and grabbing my new jeans and a plain purple top. I brush out my hair, which looks decent considering it hasn’t been washed. I check the time and go down to the bathroom to brush my teeth, and when I return Hardin is waiting on my bed.
“Where were you?” he asks.
“Brushing my teeth,” I tell him and put my toiletry bag away.
“Ready?” He stands up and walks toward me. I half expect him to hug me, but he doesn’t. He just moves to the door.
I nod and grab my purse and phone.
When we get to his car, he keeps the radio down as he drives. I really don’t want to go to the bowling alley. I hate bowling, but I want to spend time with him. I don’t like how codependent I already feel.
“How long do you think we will be there?” I ask after a few minutes of silence.
“I don’t know . . . why?” He looks sideways at me.
“I don’t know . . . I don’t really care for bowling.”
“It won’t be too bad. Everyone’s there,” he assures me. I hope everyone doesn’t include part-time ho Molly.
“I guess,” I mumble and look out the window.
“You don’t want to go?” His voice is quiet.
“Not really, that’s why I said no the first time.” I laugh a little nonlaugh.
“Let’s go somewhere else, then?”
“Where?” I am irritated with him, but I’m not sure why.
“My house,” he suggests and I smile and nod. His smile grows, showing the dimples that I have grown so fond of. “My house it is, then.” He reaches over and puts his hand on my thigh. My skin warms, and I put my hand over his.
Fifteen minutes later we are pulling up to the large fraternity house. I haven’t been here since Hardin and I fought and I walked back to the dorms. As he leads me up the stairs, none of the guys bothers to look twice at us; they must be used to seeing Hardin bring a girl home. My stomach pings at the thought. I need to stop thinking this way, because it’s going to drive me insane and there is nothing I can do to change it.
“Here we are,” Hardin says and unlocks his door. I follow him inside and he turns the light on, kicking his boots off his feet and onto the floor. He moves over to his bed and pats the spot next to him.
As I walk toward him, my curiosity gets the best of me. “Was Molly there? At the bowling alley?” I look out his window as I ask him.
“Yeah, of course she was,” he answers casually. “Why?”
I sit down on the soft bed and Hardin pulls me by my ankles closer to him. I laugh and slide closer, my back flat against the bed, putting my knees up and my feet on the other side of his legs.
“I was just wondering . . .” I tell him and he grins.
“She is always going to be around; she’s a part of our group.”
I know it’s silly of me to be this jealous of her, but she just bothers me. She acts like she likes me, when I know she doesn’t, and I know she likes Hardin. Now that we are . . . whatever we are, I don’t want her near him.
“You aren’t like worried that I will fuck her, are you?”
I swat his arm at his use of words. I love the way dirty words sound coming off his lips, but not when she’s involved.
“No, well, I . . . maybe. I just know you have before, and I don’t want you to again,” I say. I am sure he is going to mock my jealousy, so I turn my head sideways.
His hand goes to my knee and he squeezes gently. “I wouldn’t do that . .