After (After 1)

“Fine, six thirty,” he agrees.

We spend the rest of the evening watching random television shows before Hardin falls asleep with his head on my lap, my fingers running through his hair. I slide down and lie next to him, trying not to wake him.

“Tess?” He groans and his hands move in front of him as if he is reaching for me.

“Here,” I whisper from behind him. He turns to his other side and wraps his arm around me before falling back to sleep. He says that he sleeps better when I am around, and I think that’s true for me as well.

THE NEXT MORNING, my alarm goes off at six thirty and I rush around to try to put yesterday’s clothes on and get Hardin up and dressed. He’s so hard to wake up. I feel flustered and unprepared, but we make it to my room by seven fifteen, giving me plenty of time to change and brush my hair and teeth again. Steph sleeps through it all, and I prevent Hardin from pouring a glass of water on her head to wake her. I’m also really happy that Hardin doesn’t make any rude comments as I pull on one of my long skirts and a plain blue shirt.

“See, it’s only eight; we have twenty minutes before we have to leave to walk to the coffeehouse,” Hardin brags.

“We?”

“Yeah, I thought I would walk with you? If not, that’s cool, too,” he says and looks away.

“Yeah, of course it’s fine.” I am just not used to whatever this is that has changed between Hardin and me. It will be nice not to have to avoid him, or worry about running into him. What will Landon think? Will we even tell Landon?

“What should we do with our twenty minutes?” I smile.

“I have a few ideas.” His lips turn to a smirk and he pulls me onto him.

“Steph is here,” I remind him as he sucks the skin under my ear.

“I know, we are only kissing,” he says, laughing, and he presses his lips to mine.

We leave before Steph wakes, and Hardin offers to carry my bag, which is a nice but unexpected gesture.

“Where are your books?” I ask him.

“I don’t bring them. I just borrow one every day, in every class. Keeps me from having to carry one of these,” he says and gestures to my bag on his shoulder. I roll my eyes and laugh at him.

When we reach the coffeehouse Landon is leaning against the brick and seems surprised to see Hardin and me together. I give him an “I will explain everything later” look and he smiles.

“Well, I better get going, I have classes to sleep through,” Hardin says and I nod. What should I do, hug him?

But before I can decide, he drops my bag and hooks his arm around my waist, pulling me to his chest before kissing me. I didn’t see this coming. I kiss him back and he releases me.

“See you later,” he says with a grin and looks at Landon. This couldn’t be more awkward. Landon’s jaw is practically on the floor and I find myself embarrassed by Hardin’s bold move.

“Um . . . sorry about that.” I don’t really care for public displays of affection. Noah and I have never done anything like that, except when I tried to kiss him at the mall to get Hardin off my mind.

“I have a lot to tell you,” I tell Landon, who picks up my bag.

Chapter fifty-five

Landon stays quiet during most of my explanation of my breakup with Noah and my question about what to call my relationship with Hardin, since I think we’re dating but we haven’t exactly discussed it with technical terms.

“I know I have already warned you, so I won’t do it again. But please just be careful with him. Though I will admit he seems as infatuated with you as someone like him can be,” Landon says as we take our seats.

It means a lot to me that despite his dislike of Hardin he is doing his best to be understanding and supportive.

As I walk into my third class, my Sociology professor waves me over to his podium.

“I just got a call that you should report to the chancellor’s office,” he tells me.

What? Why? A million fears seize hold of my mind, and then I remember that Hardin’s father is the chancellor. I relax a little, only to have my nerves take over for different reasons. What could he possibly need? I know college doesn’t work the same way as high school, but I feel as if I am getting called down to the principal’s office, only the principal happens to be my . . . boyfriend’s? . . . dad.

I pull my bag onto my shoulder and make my way across campus to the administration building. It’s a long walk and takes me over a half hour. I give the secretary at the front desk my name and she quickly picks up the phone. I can’t hear anything except “Dr. Scott.”

“He is ready for you,” she says with a professional smile and points to the wooden door across the hall.

I go over, but before I can knock, the door creaks open and Ken greets me with a smile. “Tessa, thank you for coming,” he says, guiding me inside, then gestures for me to sit down. He takes a seat in the large swivel chair behind an oversize cherrywood desk. I feel much more intimidated by him in this office than I ever did at his home.

“Sorry for calling you out of class. I didn’t know how else to reach you and you know reaching Hardin can be . . . difficult.”

“It’s okay, really. Is something wrong?” I ask nervously.

“No, not at all. I have a few things to discuss with you. Let’s start with the internship.” He leans forward and puts his hands on the desk. “I’m happy to say that I talked to my friend at Vance, and he would love to meet with you, the sooner the better. If you’re free tomorrow, that would be best,” he says.