She frowns. “Only the weekend. I wish I could come back for the wedding next weekend.”
“What wedding?” Zed asks.
I look at Landon, who answers, “My mother’s.”
“Oh . . .” He pauses and looks down, as if thinking about something.
“What?” I ask him.
“Nothing. I’m just trying to remember who else said something about a wedding next weekend . . . Oh yeah—Hardin, I think. He was asking us what he should wear to a wedding.”
My heart stops. I hope I don’t show it on my face. So Hardin definitely still hasn’t told any of his friends that his father is the chancellor, or that he’s marrying Landon’s mother.
“Bit of a coincidence, right?” he asks.
“No, they are—” Dakota begins, but I interrupt: “Quite a coincidence, but, then, in a town this size, there are probably a few every weekend.”
Zed nods in agreement, and Landon whispers something in Dakota’s ear.
Hardin is actually considering going to the wedding?
Zed chuckles. “I can’t imagine Hardin at a wedding anyway.”
“Why not?” My tone is a little harsher than I meant it to be.
“I don’t know, because he’s Hardin. The only way to get him to go to a wedding would be if he knew he could have sex with the bridesmaids. All of them,” he says and rolls his eyes.
“I thought you and Hardin are friends?” I say.
“We are. I’m not saying anything bad about him—that’s just how Hardin is. He has sex with a different girl every weekend, sometimes more than one.”
My ears are buzzing and the fire feels too hot on my skin. I stand up before I realize what I am doing.
“Where are you going? What’s wrong?” Zed asks.
“Nothing, I just . . . I need some air. Some fresh air,” I mumble. I know how stupid that sounds but I don’t care. “Be right back, I just need a second.” I march away quickly before any of them can follow me.
What is wrong with me? Zed is sweet and he actually likes me, he enjoys my company, and yet all it takes is a mention of Hardin and I can’t stop thinking about him. I take a quick stroll around the stands and few deep breaths before walking back over to them.
“Sorry, the fire was just . . . too hot,” I lie and sit back down.
Zed has his phone out and turns the screen away from me as he slides it back into his pocket. He tells me it’s fine and we make small talk with Landon and Dakota for the next hour.
“I’m getting sort of tired, I had an early flight,” Dakota finally tells Landon, who nods.
“Yeah, I’m tired, too. We’re going to get going.” Landon stands up and helps Dakota to her feet.
“Do you want to go, too?” Zed asks me.
“No, I’m okay. Unless you want to?”
He shakes his head. “I’m cool.” We say goodbye to Landon and Dakota and watch as they disappear into the crowd.
“So what’s the reason behind the bonfire?” I ask Zed, unsure that he really knows.
“I think it’s like to celebrate the end of the football season,” he tells me. “Or the middle of it, or something . . .?” I look around and notice for the first time that a lot of people are wearing jerseys.
“Oh.” I look over at Zed. “I see it now,” I say and laugh.
“Yeah,” he says and then squints. “Is that Hardin?”
I snap my head in the direction he’s looking. Sure enough, Hardin is walking toward us with a short brunette wearing a skirt.
I scoot closer to Zed. This is exactly why I didn’t listen to Hardin on the porch—he’s already found some girl to bring here just to spite me.
“Hey, Zed,” the girl says in a high-pitched voice.
“Hey, Emma.” Zed hooks his arm around my shoulder. Hardin glares at him but takes a seat with us.
I know I am being rude by not introducing myself to this girl, but I can’t help but dislike her already.
“How’s the bonfire so far?” Hardin asks.
“Warm. And almost over, I think,” Zed replies.
There is tension between the two of them. I can feel it. I don’t know why there would be—Hardin made it clear to his friends that he doesn’t give a shit about me.
“Do they have food here?” the girl says in her annoying voice.
“Yeah, they have a concession stand,” I tell her.
“Hardin, come with me to get some food,” she demands. He rolls his eyes but stands up.