After 3

Chapter 226.

"I'm so thrilled that we got to see Max and Denise again, it's been years!" Karen gushes as Ken starts the SUV. The bags have been placed securely in the back and I borrowed Landon's headphones to distract me during the drive.

"It was nice, Lillian has grown so much." Ken appeases Karen with a smile.

"She has. She is such a beautiful girl." I can't help but roll my eyes. Lillian was nice and all but after spending hours under the impression that she was interested in Hardin I'm not sure if I will ever care for the girl. I'm grateful that the chances of me seeing her again are very slim, hopefully nonexistent.

"Max hasn't changed over the years." Ken remarks, his voice is low and dissaproving. At least I'm not the only one who doesn't care for the harsh man.

"Do you feel any better?" Landon turns around to ask me.

"Not really." I sigh.

He nods, "You can sleep it off during the drive, do you want a bottle of water?"

"I can get it." Hardin interjects.

Landon ignores him and grabs a bottled water from the small cooler on the floor in front of his seat. I thank him quietly and push the ear buds into my ear. My phone freezes repeatedly so I turn it off and on again hoping it will work. This drive will be miserable if I can't drown out the tension with music. I don't know why I never did this before the "great depression". I smile slightly at the ridiculous nickname for those long days without Hardin, I don't know why I'm smiling when in fact those were the worst few days of my life. I feel it now too, I know it's coming again.

"What's wrong?" Hardin leans down to speak into my ear and unthinking, I jerk away. He frowns and doesn't make a move to touch me again.

"Nothing, my phone is just.. it's junk." I hold the device in the air.

"What are you trying to do exactly?"

"Listen to music and hopefully sleep." I whisper.

He takes the phone from my hand and removes the battery, "If you listened to me and got a new phone, this wouldn't happen." He scolds me.

I bite my tongue and stare out the window while he attempts to fix my phone. I don't want a new phone, I don't really have the money to get one right now anyway. I have an apartment to find and new furniture to buy, bills to pay, the last thing on my mind is paying hundreds of dollars for a new phone.

"It's working now, I think. If not you can just use mine." He says. Use his? Hardin is voluntarily offering me to use his phone? This is new.

"Thanks." I mutter and scroll through the song list on my phone before choosing. The music floods through my ears and into my thoughts, drowning out the inner turmoil. Hardin leans his head against the window and closes his eyes.

The dark rings under his eyes give away his lack of sleep and a wave of guilt hits me but I push it back.

Within minutes, the calming music brings me to sleep.

..

"Tessa," Hardin's voice wakes me. "Are you hungry?"

"No," I groan, not wanting to open my eyes.

"You're hungover, you should eat."

"Fine," I give in, I don't have the energy to put up a fight today.

Minutes later a sandwhich and fries are placed on my lap. I pick at the food and lay my head back on the seat after finishing half of it. My phone has frozen yet again, halting my distraction.