no big deal,” I promise him. He sighs but lets it go.
When class ends, Hardin and Landon both stand up and I am not sure which one to talk to. I usually talk to Landon after class and we walk out together, but now that Hardin is back, I’m unsure.
“Are you still coming to the bonfire with Dakota and me on Friday? I was thinking you should come over for dinner first. I know my mom would love it,” Landon says before Hardin can speak.
“Yeah, of course I am still coming. Dinner sounds great; just let me know the details and I’ll be there.” I can’t wait to meet Dakota. She makes Landon happy and for that I already love her.
“I’ll text you,” he says and walks away.
“I’ll text you,” Hardin mocks and I roll my eyes.
“Don’t make fun of him,” I warn.
“Oh yeah, I forgot how angry you get. I recall you almost jumping over that booth at Molly when she did.” He laughs and I give his shoulder a shove.
“I mean it, Hardin, leave him alone,” I say, then add, “Please,” to soften the mood.
“He’s living with my dad. I have earned the right to make fun of him.” He smiles at me and I laugh. As we walk out of the building, I decide it’s now or never.
“Speaking of your dad . . .” I look over and find Hardin has already tensed up. His eyes are leery as they wait for what I’ll say next. “That’s where I was today. In his office. He set up an interview at Vance for me tomorrow. Isn’t that great?”
“He what?” he scoffs.
Here we go.
“He set up an interview for me. It’s a great opportunity, Hardin.” I plead for his understanding.
“Fine,” he sighs.
“There’s more.”
“Of course there is . . .”
“He invited me to the wedding next weekend . . . well, us. He invited us to the wedding.” I barely manage to get it out for the glare he’s giving me.
“No, not going. End of discussion.” He turns to walk away from me.
“Wait, just hear me out. Please?” I reach for his wrist but he jerks away.
“No. You really need to stay out of this, Tessa. I am not kidding. Mind your own damn business for once,” he snaps.
“Hardin . . .” I say once more, but he ignores me.
He walks off into the parking lot. My feet have become cement, keeping me from following after him. I watch as his white car peels out of the parking lot. He is overreacting, and I am not going to feed into it. He needs some time to cool off before we speak again. I knew he wouldn’t want to go, but I had hoped he would at least discuss it.
Who am I kidding? We only started this “more” thing two days ago. I don’t know why I keep expecting things to be so much different. They are, in some ways: Hardin is nicer to me mostly, and he kissed me in public, which was really surprising. However, Hardin is still essentially Hardin, and he is stubborn and has an attitude problem. Sighing, I hook my bag over my shoulder and walk back to my room.
Steph is sitting cross-legged on the floor staring up at her television when I enter the room. “Where were you last night? It’s not like you to stay out on a school night, young lady,” she teases and I roll my eyes playfully.
“I . . . was out,” I tell her. I don’t know if I should tell her that I stayed with Hardin.
“With Hardin,” she adds for me, and I look away. “I know you were; he asked me for your number, then he left the bowling alley and never came back.” Her smile is massive and full of glee for me.
“Don’t tell anyone. I don’t exactly know what is going on myself,” I say.
Steph promises to stay mute, and we spend the rest of the afternoon talking about her and Tristan before he arrives to pick her up to take her to dinner. He kisses her as soon as she opens the door, holds her hand while she gathers her things, and smiles at her the entire time. Why can’t Hardin be that way with me?
I haven’t heard anything from Hardin in a few hours, but I don’t want to be the one to text him first. Petty, I know, but I don’t care. When Steph and Tristan leave, I finish up my studying and