Hardin Scott has been madly in love with Tessa Young since the moment he first laid eyes on her, but there's no way she could ever see him as anything more than a friend. After all, he's a bad boy with a promiscuous past and she's a sweet and innoce...
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After I drive us back to the cabin from the skating rink, Tessa cleans up and I make us a quick lunch.
Tessa joins me in the kitchen after she changes out of her winter clothes. "Are Emma and Dan still out?" she asks.
"Yep. We have the whole place to ourselves, baby. How about a little reward for going skating with you today?" I beg.
"I don't think you can call what we did skating." She giggles.
"Are you insulting my skating skills, Theresa?" I ask and start to tickle her.
"What skating skills?" She roars with laughter.
"Well, my skills in the bedroom make up for that." I smirk.
"You have quite the ego, Mr. Hardin Allen Scott." She laughs.
"Come have lunch with me at least?" I smile.
"I'd love to." She smiles back.
After we finish lunch and sit on the couch snuggling under a blanket for a few hours, Emma and Dan finally get back. "Hey guys, just let Dan and me change and then we can spend the evening in front of the fire pit!" Emma says cheerfully.
"Okay, that sounds great!" Tessa agrees.
When Emma and Dan come back downstairs, we all make our way out to the fire pit. Tessa forces me to cook burgers and hot dogs with Dan while she catches up with Emma.
As we eat, Emma and Tessa tease me about my skating. "Hardin, why didn't you just get a walker? All the cool kids are using them. And by kids, I mean ten year olds," Emma says and her and Tessa start to laugh at my expense.
"Ha-ha," I say and roll my eyes.
"Don't worry about them, man." Dan laughs. "It's not like you were any better when you tried snowboarding today, Em. I mean, how stupid do you have to be to not catch on after fifty different tries?" He laughs.
I watch as Emma and Tessa's mouths fall open. "What the fuck did you just say? Did you really just call your girlfriend stupid?" I ask angrily.
"Relax. She knows I'm just joking," he fires back.
"Hardin, it's okay," Emma whispers.
"Yeah, Hardin. Everything is fine," he says smugly.
I'm about to clock this asshole, when Tessa silently pleads with me not to.
"So, Tessa, are you ready to make s'mores?" Emma asks, changing the subject.
"Yeah," she answers and gives Emma a fake smile.
As I watch Tessa's face light up as she makes her very first s'more, it feels like that's the only thing keeping this night from becoming a total disaster. I still want to punch that asshole's lights out, but I won't because of Tessa.
After Tessa makes and eats five s'mores, I can't help but smile because she has it all over her face. "Tess, you have a marshmallow moustache." I chuckle.
Emma starts laughing, too. "Oh, Tessa, do you remember that time..."
"Yes!"
"I have to tell, Hardin!" Emma continues to laugh.
"No!" Tessa begs while laughing.
"Yes, please tell me." I grin.
"Hey, Em, would you go get me another beer?" Dan interrupts.
"I'm just trying to tell Hardin this story right now-"
"Fine. I'll go get it my fucking self," he curses before getting up and leaving.
"Um, I'll be right back," Emma stutters before rushing after Dan.
"What the fuck? You really want to sit here and watch him talk to her that way, Tessa?"
"Of course not, Hardin. I'll talk to her in private after. Please don't start a fight."
"That fucker needs a lesson on how to treat a woman." Just as my anger really starts to boil over, I catch a glimpse of Emma arguing with Dan inside. I notice a mark on her neck. "Tessa, where did Emma get that mark on her neck?"
"Oh, she said she burned herself with the curling iron."
"And you believed that?"
"Yes. Why would she lie?"
"That's not a burn. It's a bruise. That sick bastard did that to her!"
"Hardin! That's a serious accusation to make. Emma would tell me if he was abusive."
"Yeah, don't be so sure," I mumble.
"What does that mean?"
"Tessa, I know he's abusive to her. You can tell just by watching how he treats her. I should know. I had to watch my father do it to my mum."
"Hardin... I'll talk to her about it when we're alone, okay?"
"So, what? Until then we just leave her with that abusive piece of shit?"
"I'll talk to her first thing in the morning. I promise."
Emma finishes talking to Dan and walks over to us. "Dan and I are tired. We're going to bed. You guys enjoy the rest of your night," she says with a fake smile.
"Hardin, I don't feel like staying out here anymore. Let's go to bed, too."
"I'll meet you up there."
"Hardin... You aren't going to beat him up, are you?"
"No, Tessa. I'll be up soon."
After Tessa leaves, I rush inside and try to track down Emma. I catch her on the way to her bedroom. "Where's Dan?" I ask.
"He's already in bed," she replies.
"Good. We need to talk. What happened to your neck?"
"I burned myself with the curling iron."
"Bullshit. He did that to you. And don't try to deny it."
"It was an accident. It just happened the one time. He apologized."
"You sound like my mum used to. It'll just be one time, until it's not. One time will turn into two, then three, then four times."
"Hardin, he apologized and I accepted. Leave it alone."
"What about how he spoke to you tonight? I don't get it, Emma. You're a sweet, polite, intelligent woman. Why would you need to stay with a piece of shit like that?"
"Hardin, I'm never going to have what you and Tessa have. My first boyfriend— the love of my life —left me, Neil attacked me, Noah cheated on me. I'm never going to do any better than someone like Dan. At least he's here. He wants to be with me. No one else does."
"Would you listen to yourself?! You think you deserve to be physically and emotionally abused because it's better than being alone?"
"Why do you even care, Hardin?"
"I care because you're my friend."
"Well, I don't need another friend. I need someone that wants more than friendship and that's what I have with Dan. I'm going to bed," Emma says before leaving me standing in the hallway alone.
