so tight, I would have lasted longer,” he says into my ear.
“Good night!” I groan in embarrassment.
He laughs and kisses the back of my neck before turning the light off.
chapter eighty-six
The next morning, bright and early, I scramble around Hardin’s room, gathering my things to take a shower.
“I’m coming with you,” he groans, but I laugh.
“No, you’re not. You know it’s only six a.m., right? What happened to your seven-thirty rule?” I tease and grab my bag.
“I am going to walk you there.” I love his raspy morning voice.
“Walk me where? To the bathroom?” I scoff as he rolls out of bed. “I’m a big girl. I can walk myself down the hall.”
“You’re doing an amazing job at listening to me so far.” He rolls his eyes, but I see the amusement in them.
“Fine, Daddy, walk me to the bathroom,” I whine playfully. I have no intention of listening to him, but I decide to humor him for the moment.
Hardin raises his eyebrow and smirks. “Don’t call me that again, or I’ll have to take you back to bed.” He winks and I hurry out of the room before I am too tempted to stay.
He follows behind me and sits on the toilet while I shower. “You’re going to have to take my car,” he says, which utterly surprises me. “I’ll get a ride to campus to grab yours so I can go over to the apartment.”
I didn’t think about any of this last night, which further shocks me, since I usually plan everything out so well. “You’re going to let me drive your car?” I gape.
“Yeah. However, if you wreck it don’t bother coming back,” he says.
Part of me knows he is somewhat serious. But I laugh and say, “I should be worried about you wrecking mine!”
He tries to open the curtain, but I pull it closed again and hear him chuckle. “Just think, babe, after today you will be in your own shower every morning.” His voice carries over the water as I rinse the shampoo from my hair.
“I don’t think it will really hit me until we are actually there.”
“Wait until you see it; you will love it,” he says.
“Does anyone know that you are getting an apartment?” I ask. I already know the answer.
“No, why would they need to know?”
“They don’t, I was just wondering.”
The faucet creaks as I shut the water off. Hardin holds a towel open for me as I step out and wraps it around my soaked body.
“I know you well enough to know that you think I am hiding the fact that we are moving in together from my friends,” he says.
He’s not wrong. “Well, it does seem a little odd that you’re moving out of here but no one knows.”
“That isn’t because of you—it’s because I don’t want to hear their shit about dropping out of the fraternity. I will tell them all—even Molly—after we move in.” He smiles and wraps his arms around my shoulders.
“I want to be the one to tell Molly.” I laugh and hug him back.
“Deal.”
After multiple attempts to keep Hardin’s hands off me as I get ready, he hands me the keys to his car and I leave. The moment I get in the car my phone vibrates.
Be careful. I love you, the text reads.
I will. You be careful in my car :) I love you. xo
I can’t wait to see you again. Meet me at five. Your crap car will be fine.
You should watch what you say or I may accidently hit a parking median in yours. I smile to myself as I send my reply.
Stop pestering me and go to work before I come down there and peel that dress off you.
As appealing as that sounds, I put my phone back onto the passenger seat and start the car. The engine gently purrs to life, unlike the loud roar of mine. For a classic car it drives much smoother than mine; he really takes care of it. When I turn onto the freeway my phone rings.
“Jesus, you can’t go twenty minutes without me?” I laugh into the phone.
“Tessa?” a male voice says. Noah.
I pull my phone away from my ear and look at my screen to confirm my horror.
“Um . . . sorry, I thought . . .” I stammer.
“You thought it was him . . . I know,” he says. His voice is sad and not at all hateful.