After We Collided (After 2)

“Shhh . . .” I plead and hear him chuckle.

“Move your mat or I’ll say everything that I’m thinking right now,” he threatens, and I quickly stand up and move my mat back to its previous spot next to him.

“Thought so.” He smirks.

“You can tell me those things later,” I whisper, and he tilts his head to the side.

“Trust me, I will,” Hardin promises and my stomach flutters.

He doesn’t participate in much of the remainder of class, and the blonde ends up changing her spot halfway through, probably because Hardin won’t stop talking.

“We’re supposed to be meditating,” I whisper back to him and close my eyes. The room is silent except for Hardin’s quiet whispers.

“This is so fucking lame,” he complains.

“You’re the one who signed up for yoga.”

“I didn’t know how lame it was. I’m literally about to fall asleep right here.”

“Stop whining.”

“I can’t. You had to go and get me all worked up, and now I’m stuck sitting cross-legged, meditating, with a hard-on in a room full of people.”

“Hardin!” I hiss, louder than intended.

“Shhh . . .” Multiple voices attempt to silence me.

Hardin laughs, and I stick my tongue out at him, earning a dirty look from the girl to my right. Hardin and me taking yoga together is not going to work; I’m going to get kicked out or fail.

“We’re dropping this class,” he says when the meditation is over.

“You are, I’m not. I need a PE credit,” I inform him.

“Great first day, everyone! I look forward to seeing you later this week. Namaste,” Marla says, dismissing us.

I roll my mat up, but Hardin doesn’t bother; he just shoves his onto the shelf.

Chapter sixty-eight

TESSA

The girl who gave me her extra lock is nowhere to be found when I return to the locker room, so I just put the lock back on the handle, and if she doesn’t claim it back tomorrow, then I’ll continue to use it and pay her or something.

When I finish collecting my things, I meet Hardin back in the hall. He’s leaning against the wall with one foot perched on the wall behind him. “If you’d taken any longer, I’d have barged in there,” he threatens.

“You should have. You wouldn’t have been the only guy in there,” I lie and watch as his features change. I turn away from him, taking a few steps before he grabs my arm and spins me back around to face him.

“What did you just say?” he demands, eyes half closed and primal.

“Teasing.” I smirk, and with a huff he lets go of my arm.

“I think you’ve done enough of that today.”

“Maybe.” I smile.

He shakes his head. “You clearly enjoy tormenting me.”

“The yoga relaxed me and cleansed my aura.” I laugh.

“Not mine,” he reminds me as we walk outside.

The first day of the new semester went very well, even yoga, which ended up being amusing. Amusing is not my usual preference when it comes to academics, but having Hardin there was nice. My Religion class may be a problem because of the lack of structure, but I’m just going to try to go with the flow so I don’t drive myself insane.

“I have some work to do for a few hours, but I’ll be finished by dinnertime,” Hardin tells me. He’s been working a lot lately. “That hockey game is tomorrow, right?” he asks.

“Yes; you’re still going, aren’t you?”

“I don’t know . . .”

“I need to know because if you flake then I’m going to go with him,” I respond.

Landon would probably much rather I go with him, but the two of them could use some bonding time together. I know they’ll never be friends really, but it would help tremendously if they got along better.

“Fine, fuck. I’ll go . . .” He sighs and climbs into the car.

“Thank you.” I smile and he rolls his eyes.

A half hour later, we pull into his usual spot in the parking lot of our apartment.

“How are your classes?” I ask him. “Hate them all except yoga?” I try to lighten up the mood.

“Yes, except yoga. Yoga was certainly . . . interesting.” He turns to look at me.

“Really? How so?” I chew on my bottom lip in an attempt to appear innocent.

“I think it has something to do with a blonde.” He smirks and I tense.

“Excuse me?”

“You didn’t see the hot blonde next to me? You’re really missing out, babe. You should see the way her ass looks in those yoga pants.”

I scowl and open the car door.

“Where are you going?” he asks.

“Inside. It’s cold in this car.”

“Aw . . . Tess, are you jealous of the girl in yoga?” Hardin teases.

“No.”

“Yes, you are,” he challenges me, and I roll my eyes while I climb out of the car. I’m a little surprised when I hear his boots clomping on the concrete behind me. Pulling the heavy glass door open, I go inside and am at the elevator before I remember that I forgot my bag in the car.

“You’re an idiot.” He chuckles.

“Excuse me?” I look up at him.

“You think I’d be looking at some random blonde when you’re there . . . when I can look at you? Especially in these pants, I am not looking and literally cannot look at anyone else. I was referring to you.” He takes a long stride toward me, and I step back against the cold lobby wall.