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.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

"I'm coming with you, obviously." he rolls his eyes and takes one long stride to join me at the top of the steps.

"Really?"

"Yes." He's clearly irriated. "Now let's go inside and have the worst night of our lives." his face twists into the fakest yet appealing smile, something only Hardin Scott can pull off. I elbow him and ring the doorbell.

"I don't ring doorbells." He tells me, reaching past my body to turn the knob. I'm unconfportable with his lack of manners but it is his father's house so perhaps it may not be so awkward.

We walk inside and through the foyer before his father appears. The surprise is evident on his face, he had not expected Hardin to show up. He smiles his charming smile and tries to hug Hardin but Hardin dodges his gesture and walks right past him. The embarrassment flashes on his handsome features but I look away before he realizes that I saw his gesture.

"Thank you so much for coming Tessa, Landon has told me some about you. He seems very fond of you." He smiles and I follow him into the living room.

Landon is sitting on the couch with his Literature book on his lap as I enter. His face lights up and he smiles at me and closes the book.

I walk over and sit down next to him, I'm unsure where Hardin went but I am sure he will appear sooner or later.

"So you two are giving your friendship another try?" He asks with a frown. I want to explain what is going on with Hardin and I but I honestly have no idea myself.

"It's complicated." I try to smile but I feel it falter.

"You're still with Noah right? Because Ken seems to think you and Hardin are dating." He laughs. I hope my laugh doesn't sound as fake as it feels. "I didn't have the heart to tell him otherwise but I am sure Hardin will" he says. I shift uncomfortably, unsure what to say.

"Yeah. I'm still with Noah, it's just.."

"You must be Tessa!" A woman's voice rings through the room. Landon's mother walks towards me and I stand up to shake her hand. Her eyes are bright and her smile is lovely. She is wearing a turquoise dress, similar to my maroon one, with an apron covered in small strawberries and bananas over top of it.

"It's so nice to meet you, thank you for having me. Your home is beautiful." I tell her. Her smile covers her face and she squeezes my hand. She's much more beautiful than I imagined. Ken is a handsome man but Karen is stunning. Classy and beautiful, she looks much younger and less plastic than I had visioned her.

"You are so welcome dear, it's my pleasure," she beams. A timer goes off from the kitchen and she turns her head, showing off large diamond earrings.

"Well, I'm going to finish up in the kitchen and I will see you in the dining room in a few minutes." Karen politely dismisses herself.

"What are you working on?" I ask Landon and he pulls out a folder.

"Next weeks assignments, that essay on Tolstoy is going to kill me," he smiles. I laugh and nod, remembering how many hours I spent writing that same essay.

"It really was a killer. I just finished it a few days ago." I tell him.

"Well, if you two nerds are done comparing notes I would love to eat dinner sometime in the next year," Hardin says. I glare at him but Landon just laughs and sits his book down before walking to the dining room. 

It seems their fight was good for them after all. I follow behind him and Hardin until we reach the large dining room. The long dining table is decorated beautifully with full place settings and multiple platters of food in the center. Karen really went all out for this. Hardin better behave or I will kill him.

"Tessa, you and Hardin will sit on this side." Karen instructs and gestures to the left of the table. Landon sits across from Hardin. Ken and Karen take their seats a few chairs down from Landon.

I thank her and sit down next to Hardin. He's quiet and seems uncomfortable but he stays silent behaving much better than I expected. I watch as Karen makes Ken's plate for him and he thanks her with a brief kiss on her cheek. It's such a sweet gesture, I have to look away. I fill my plate with roast, potatoes, and squash then pile a roll on top of it. Hardin chuckles quietly at the mound of food on my plate.

"What? I'm hungry" I whisper to him.

"Nothing," he laughs again and piles his plate higher than mine, still shaking his head.

"So Tessa, how are you liking Washington State so far?" Ken asks. I chew my food quickly so I can answer.

"I really enjoy it, it is only my first semester so ask me again in a few months." I joke and everyone except Hardin laughs.

"Well I am glad you like it so far, are you in any clubs on campus?" Karen asks and wipes her mouth with her napkin.

"Not yet, I plan on joining the Literary Club next semester."

"Really? I've been trying to get Hardin to become a member." Ken adds and I look at Hardin. His eyes are narrowed and he looks annoyed.

"So how do you like living near WSU?" I ask to divert attention from Hardin. His eyes soften and I believe he is thanking me.

"We enjoy it, when Ken first became Chancellor we lived in a much smaller place until we found this house and we fell in love with it immediately."

My fork drops against the glass plate. "Chancellor? Of WSU?" I gasp.

"Yes, you didn't know that?" Ken asks and looks at Hardin.

"No.. I didn't." I look at Hardin.

Karen looks at Hardin and Landon looks at Hardin.

"No! Okay, no I didn't tell her I don't know why it fucking matters. I don't need to use your name or position!" Hardin shouts and stands up, leaving the table. Karen looks like she may cry and Ken's face is red.

"I am so sorry, I didn't know he.." I start.

"No, don't apologize for his poor behavior." Ken tells me. I hear the back door slam and I stand up.

"Excuse me" I say and stand up from the table to go find Hardin.