I’m not sure how I feel about Hardin’s piercings being removed, but he told me over and over that he wanted to keep them out, so it’s not up to me. I wonder what his friends will say about it.

My mood shifted slightly when he told me about his birthday party. I don’t know what I assumed he would be doing for his birthday, but partying wasn’t it. I’m an idiot, though, because this is his twenty-first birthday, after all.

I want to spend it with him more than anything, but something bad happens every single time I go to that damn frat house, and I don’t want to continue the cycle, especially when we’re in such a fragile state as it is. The last thing I need is to drink and make things worse. I’d like to get Hardin something for his birthday, though. I’m terrible at gifts, but I’ll think of something. I stop by Landon’s room but he doesn’t answer when I knock; when I open the door he’s asleep and I decide to go to bed myself.

I open the bedroom door and nearly jump out of my skin when I’m confronted with a figure sitting on the bed. I drop my toiletry bag on the dresser . . . then realize it’s Hardin and I calm down. As I watch, he awkwardly crosses his ankles in front of him.

“I . . . I, um, I’m sorry for being a dick down there, I wanted to stay.” Hardin runs his fingers through his unruly hair.

“I asked you, too,” I remind him and cross over to the bed.

He sighs. “I know and I’m sorry. Can I please stay? I had such a good time tonight just being around you, and I’m so tired . . .”

I contemplate this for a few moments. I wanted him to stay. I miss the comfort of having him in my bed, but he was just saying that he had things to do.

“What about your work?” I raise a brow.

“It can wait,” he says, looking distressed.

I sit next to him on the bed and grab the pillow, covering my lap with it.

“Thank you,” Hardin says, and I scoot closer. He’s still a magnet to me; I can’t seem to stay even feet away from him.

I look over at him, and he smiles, then quickly looks down at the floor. My body has a mind of its own, and I lean into him, wrapping my hand around his. His hands are cold, his breathing heavy.

I’ve missed you, I want to say. I want to be close to you, I want to confess.

He squeezes my hand gently and I rest my head on his shoulder. One of his arms wraps around my back, holding me close.

“I had a really nice time tonight,” I tell him.

“Me too, baby. Me too.”

Being called “baby” makes me want to be even closer to him. I look up at him to find his eyes resting on my mouth. Instinctively, my head tilts up, bringing my mouth closer to his. When I close the space between us and press my lips to his, he leans back on his elbows and I climb onto his lap. I feel one hand resting on my lower back, pushing my body further onto his.

“I missed you,” he says, then sweeps his tongue over mine. I miss the cold of the metal ring, but my body is heated by my need for him, making everything else irrelevant.

“I missed you, too.” I wrap my fingers into his hair and kiss him harder. My other hand snakes down to touch the hard muscles under his shirt, but he stops me, leaning up with me still on his lap.

He smiles, not without chagrin. “I think we should keep it PG.” His cheeks are flushed and his breath heavy against my face.

I want to protest, to tell him that I need his touch, but I know he’s right. Sighing, I climb off of his lap and lie down on the far side of the bed.

“I’m sorry, Tess. I didn’t mean . . .” he trails off.

“No, you’re right. Really, it’s okay. Let’s get some sleep.” I smile, my body still reeling from the contact.

He lies across from me, keeping to his side of the bed with a pillow shoved between us, reminding me of our earlier days. He falls asleep fast, his peaceful snores filling the air, but when I wake up in the middle of the night, Hardin is gone. Instead, a note on his pillow has taken his place.

Thank you again, had to get some work done, it says.

THE NEXT MORNING I text Hardin as soon as I wake up to wish him a happy birthday and get dressed while I wait for a reply. I wish he would have stayed, but, in the light of day, I’m a little relieved to not have to deal with the awkward morning-after-a-first-date thing.

With a sigh I put my phone into my bag and head downstairs to meet Landon, to tell him I’m going to miss half the day today in order to get Hardin a birthday present.

Chapter one hundred and four

HARDIN

It’s gonna be sick, man,” Nate tells me as he climbs onto the stone wall at the end of the parking lot.

“Sure it will,” I remark. I move out of the way of Logan’s cigarette smoke and sit next to Nate.

“It will, and you better not bitch out, because we’ve had this planned for months,” Logan tells me.

My legs swing back and forth, and for a second I think of pushing Logan off the stone wall for all the shit he gave me about taking my piercings out.

“I’m coming. I already told you I was.”

“Are you bringing her?” Nate asks, obviously talking about Tess.

“Nah, she’s busy.”

“Busy? It’s your twenty-first birthday, dude. You took your rings out for her, she needs to be there,” Logan remarks.

“Whenever she comes, shit always goes down anyway. And for the last fucking time, I didn’t take them out for her.” I roll my eyes and trace the cracks in the concrete.

“Maybe you should have her beat Molly’s ass again—that was priceless.” Nate chuckles.