Before

Chapter 14.

Songs for this chapter are:

I'm A Mess- Ed Sheeran 

Fools Gold- One Direction

Colors- Halsey

                 

Hardin's POV.

I stay inside my head during the drive back, focusing my attention on using my fingers drawing small shapes on Tessa's leg.  "Did you have a nice time?" Tessa asks when we get to campus.  Her question is full of expectation.

A nice time was certainly had. I would like to have a nice time with her, making her moan my name as I finger fuck her over and over. "Yeah, I did, actually . . . listen, I would walk you to your room, but I don't want to play twenty questions with Steph . . ." I shift in my seat to look at her. She's disappointed even though she's trying really hard to keep that fake smile on her face.

"It's fine. I'll just see you tomorrow," she says regrettably. I can tell she doesn't want to go and the thought pleases me. She stares at me, waiting for me to say something.

I don't say anything, but I reach up an grab a loose strand of her hair and tuck it behind her ear. I don't have much to say, but I want to feel her again. I want to feel this overwhelming calm she brings with her when she touches me.

She turns her cheek so it's resting in my palm and she looks like a younger version of herself, open and waiting for me. I tug at her arms, asking her to come closer. I need her closer. She obliges and climbs over the center console and straddles my lap. My body is warm from the afternoon sun and Tessa's hands are greedily tracing the ink marked on my stomach. Each touch of her fingertip sends another steady flicker through me.

I tease her tongue with mine, taking everything she'll give me. I wrap my arms around her back, pulling her as close to me as possible. It's still not enough. I need more of her. I can't get enough of this girl. My hands travel up her warm stomach and we're interrupted by the most obnoxious ringtone.

"Another alarm?" I ask her as she digs into her purse to find her phone. The screen on her ancient phone is small, but big enough for me to see name flashing across the screen. Noah.

Her precious little high school boyfriend is calling her while she's in my car with her tongue down my throat. She presses ignore and smiles up at me. Really? Guess she's not as innocent as I thought. A good orgasm seemed to pull her morals out with each moan.

It dawns on me that she will never tell him any of this. Not a word. She's going to kiss me, get out of my car and go call her preppy little boyfriend the moment she gets into her room. She's going to tell him she loves him. He will say it back and she will smile the way she did when I kissed her.

She licks her lips and leans across the center console to kiss me again. No, no.

"I think I better go." I sigh and stare out the windshield.

"Hardin, I ignored it," she defends. "I am going to talk to him about all this. I just don't know how or when—but it will be soon, though, I promise."

Well, I was wrong about her morals disappearing but this is worse than I thought. She spent one afternoon with me and now she's going to break up with her childhood lover-boy in hopes that I'll be his replacement?

No, no.

No.

The air in the car is thickening, clogging my throat, as Tessa waits for my response.