"Hardin! Will you please tell me where we're going? We've been walking for ten minutes and I'm starting to get blisters!"

"You complain a lot." He chuckles. "Besides, we're here. Now close your eyes."

"Are you serious?" I ask and Hardin stands there, continuing to smirk at me. "Fine!" I groan and close my eyes.

Hardin guides me a few more steps ahead down the path. "Okay, you can open them."

I open my eyes and let out an audible gasp. "Where are we?"

"My favourite place."

"How come you've never told me about this place before?"

"Because it was my secret. But now, it's our secret."

"The view is absolutely breathtaking," I say as I look out over the crystal clear lake in front of me.

"I agree. The lake's not too bad either." He chuckles.

"What do you usually do here?"

"Swim."

"You're not serious."

"Of course I am!" Hardin chirps and begins to take off his shirt and jeans. "Care to join me?" He smirks.

"Nuh-uh!"

"Theresa... Don't make me undress you myself."

"Hardin!"

"Come on, baby. It'll be fun, I promise. Here, you can wear my shirt." Hardin passes me his shirt.

"Well..." As I run my hands over Hardin's shirt, I debate whether I should join him for a swim. It could be romantic.

"So, are you coming?" Hardin asks and reaches for my hand.

What's that incessant beeping noise? Where's it coming from? My eyes slowly open and I realize it's my alarm. I'm not going swimming with Hardin. I'm in my dorm room and I should be getting ready for school. I reach over and turn off my alarm and pull the covers over my head.

Four days. It's been four days since I told Hardin it's over. It's been two days since he's tried to talk to me. I'm a little disappointed he hasn't even tried to win me back, but I guess I can't blame him after I threatened to call the campus security on him. I guess he's moving on from me.

I wish I could move on, too. And maybe I could if it wasn't for these dreams I keep having. This is the fourth day I've dreamed about Hardin bringing me to that forest, but the first time I finally got to see it was a lake. The dream felt so real. It felt so romantic. Why am I being tortured like this? I just want to forget about Hardin Scott!

I reluctantly climb out of bed and take off Hardin's shirt, so I can change for school. After crying into my pillow for an hour last night I decided to sleep in Hardin's shirt. I know it's not going to help me move on from him, but I wanted to wear it one last time.

After getting ready, I quickly shove my books, cellphone and keys into my backpack and head for the door.

Emma walks in as I'm about to leave. "Tessa? Are we walking to class together today?" she asks sadly.

"I can't. I'm in a hurry, sorry," I say coldly. "Oh, I almost forgot my project." I put my backpack down while I rush over to my desk and grab it. I quickly grab my backpack again and head for my first class.

School goes well. I make it through the whole day without seeing Hardin and now I have an entire weekend of eating ice cream and watching depressing movies to look forward to.

When I reach my dorm, I'm both a little sad and relieved not to see Hardin waiting for me. I dig into my backpack to get my keys, but I don't have them. That's weird. I know I put them in here. Great... Now I'm going to have to call Emma.

"Hello?" Emma answers.

"Can you come let me into our dorm? I've misplaced my keys."

"Actually, I have them."

"You what? How?"

"I took them from your backpack when you were grabbing your project."

"Why would you do that, Emma?" I ask angrily.

"To force you to talk to me for more than a minute. If you want your keys back, come meet me in front of the university." Emma hangs up on me.

I'm really angry at Emma right now, but I don't know how to pick locks, so I guess I have no choice except to meet her. I wish I would have watched when Hardin was breaking into the library. It would have come in handy right now.

I walk to the front of the university, but I don't see Emma anywhere. I'm about to text her when I hear someone honk their horn. I ignore it and continue to write my text. The horn continues to honk to the point of annoying me, so I look up and that's when I see Hardin sitting in his car a few feet away from me. I storm toward him and lean down, so I can yell at him through his window. "Would you stop honking your damn horn already?!"

"I needed to get your attention."

"What aren't you getting, Hardin? I don't want anything to do with you!"

Hardin holds up my keys and dangles them in front of him. "I thought you might need these." He smirks.

"How'd you get those?" I gasp.

"Emma." He shrugs.

"Oh, I get it. You two are working together now." I roll my eyes. "Give me those!" I shout and reach through the window for them.

Hardin pulls them out of reach just in time. "If you want your keys, you're going to have to get in."

"That's extortion."

"Desperate times, Theresa. So, do you want these back?"

"You're an asshole."

"It wouldn't be the first time you called me that." He shrugs.

"I really hate you," I say as I reluctantly climb into Hardin's car.

"Tess..." Hardin says sadly.

"I want my keys back."

"First, we're going for a drive."

"What? No! Give me my keys, now!"

Hardin starts the car and pulls onto the street.

"Now you're kidnapping me?! You're insane!"

"No, Tess. I want time with you, so I can fix this."

"You can't fix this."

"Yes, I can, if you would just stop being so damn stubborn!"

"Don't yell at me! It's your fault my life has been such hell lately! If it wasn't for your Friday night lay trying to destroy me every chance she gets, I could be enjoying my life right now."

"Tess, I'm so sorry. Being with Molly was the biggest mistake. I never would have been with her if I had any idea you'd walk into my life."

His words make my heart flutter, despite how hard I'm trying to hate him right now. "Well... it's too late for us!"

"No, it's not! And stop fucking saying that! I've never felt anything like what I feel with you before. You can't just throw this away! I won't let you!"

"Let me?! You're such an asshole!"

"Stop being so stubborn and just listen to me, would you?!"

"Fine," I say as I cross my arms over my chest.

"Molly won't be a problem anymore. After she dumped her food tray on you, I... well, I'm not proud of it, but I threatened her and she won't be a problem anymore."

"Now you threaten women?" I raise an eyebrow.

"I just... implied that I'd tell some of her secrets if she didn't back off and it worked."

"Well, I don't agree with your tactics, but I can't say that she doesn't deserve it. Thank you... I guess," I mumble while still crossing my arms over my chest.

"Gee, Theresa, I can feel you warming up to me already." He quietly laughs and I immediately start to melt from the sound of his beautiful laugh.

"But there's still no 'us', Hardin."

"But Molly won't be a problem anymore."

"So? You probably have a dozen other women who are just waiting to make my life miserable."

"Don't be ridiculous! We can be together now. Baby, we can be together now."

"Don't call me that!"

"You're infuriating, do you know that?" Hardin pulls his car into the parking lot of a strip mall, then turns to me. "You're not leaving this car until you agree to be my girlfriend again."

"Excuse me?!"

"You heard me."

"I'm not ever going to be your... anything again!"

"You either agree now or we'll be camping out in this parking lot until you come to your senses."

"Yeah, right." I laugh.

"You don't believe me?" He smirks. "Theresa, you are the most stubborn, infuriating, annoying—"

"Yeah, well you're the moodiest, most egotistical, womanizing—"

"Stunning, amazing, sweet and loveable woman I have ever met and I could easily see myself falling in love with you."

I literally feel my mouth fall open from his touching words. My heart is beating like crazy inside my chest, I have butterflies fluttering around in my stomach and the only words I can manage to say are, "You're an asshole," before climbing over and straddling his lap, then roughly and passionately pressing my lips to his.