After

Chapter 50.

I ignore his insult and just wait for the next. True to Hardin, he doesn't waste any time.

"Just to let you know, I won't be picking you back up." he adds and I nod. I don't want to arrive to Hardin's father's dinner in a sour mood.

"Did you hear me?"

"Yes, heard you. I hadn't expected you to." I sigh and lean my head against the window. I know me not fighting with him is making him more annoyed but I don't care.

"Why aren't you talking?" His voice sounds too loud in the small space of his car.

"Because you're in a bad mood for a reason unknown to me and I don't feel like fighting with you."

"For a reason unknown to you? Really?" he growls.

"How much longer until we are there?" I completely ignore his question.

"Damn it Tessa! Why are you so difficult all the time?"

"You are the one that is difficult, you are just trying to pick a fight with me and I am not feeding into it. I am over this back and forth shit with you. Now either you are going to be nicer to me or I will not talk to you." I tell him and mean it.

"That's not what I am doing."

"Yes, it is. You have no reason to be upset with me and here you are insulting me and making fun of me. All I'm doing is trying to look decent to go to dinner with your family when you refuse to." I breath.

"I wasn't making fun of the way you look, I .. I don't know.. but I'm annoyed as fuck that you're going." he admits and I want so badly to reach across and touch him, even just a gentle caress of his arm. If Hardin was a normal guy, I would be able to.

"Then why did you offer to drive me? You came all the way to my room and offered, why?"

"I don't know Tessa, maybe so I could see you," his voice is low, a simple confession but the words rattle me.

"Don't play games with me Hardin." I warn.

"I'm not. Can we talk? I mean really talk?"

"Now? Can't we do this after dinner? I don't want to be late." I tell him. It's not that I care too much about being late, but I'm not ready for a talk with Hardin. I don't know what he wants to talk about and I don't know if I want to know.

Well I do but I know that I shouldn't. of course I want to know I just don't think it will end well.

"I will be busy after dinner."

"Well Hardin, obviously your party is more important than talking to me so forget it. I don't want to know what you have to say anyway." I hate that I have feelings for Hardin and he doesn't even care to make time to have this "talk" with me.

"It's not that it's more important.. it's just that I want to talk now." I recognize the street and the massive houses, we are close.

"Well, I have dinner plans that you refuse to attend with me." I roll my eyes. I am getting more vocal with Hardin every day and I am glad. He doesn't intimidate me as much as he used to.

"Those plans happen to be with my father who I don't speak to, who's house I vandalized just last week." he reminds me and the car stops. The house is even more beautiful during the day.

"Well, I would stay and chat but I have a date." I smile and his jaw clenches.

I climb out of the car and walk up the steps on the sidewalk. In the evening light I can see the old vines creeping up the sides and front of the house and the small white flowers joining the vines. I hear Hardin's car door close, followed by the foot steps of his heavy boots on the sidewalk. I turn around to see him a few steps behind me.