After 2

Chapter 126.

(I have gotten a few requests to start naming the songs that I am listening to while writing each chapter so I am going to start doing that, some of the songs will be repeats of songs from the playlist :) During this chapter I listened to Where we land- Ed Sheeran, Love your memory- Miranda Lambert, Tomorrow-Chris Young, Fall Away-The Fray , Everything is you-Eli Young Band, In my veins-Andrew Belle)

"You okay?" Hardin asks when they disappear.

"Yea..I'm fine." I tell him.

"What did she say?"

"Nothing.. just that she wants me to forgive her." I shrug.

I need to process everything that Steph just told me before I bring it up to Hardin. I can't believe that he beat up Jace on Saturday. He must have been at one of their parties before he came to Seattle and Molly must have been there. I can't deny the massive relief that overcame me when Steph said Hardin turned Molly down when she came onto him. It's almost humorous that he had said he slept with Molly that same night but he was really denying her. The relief is quickly overshadowed by my guilt for kissing that stranger at the club while Hardin was pushing away Molly.

"Tess?" Hardin waves his hand in front of my face.

"What?"

"What's going on?" He stops walking.

"Nothing, I was just thinking about what to get your dad. Does he like sports? He does right? You two were watching that football game remember?" My voice is more rushed than I wanted it to be,

"The Packers, he likes the Packers." He informs me and we find the sport-themed store in the mall. I am positive that he wants to ask more about Steph but he stays quiet.

I stay fairly quiet as well and Hardin chooses a few things for his father, he refuses to let me pay for them so i grab a key chain off the display case in front and pay for it myself just to annoy him.

He rolls his eyes and I stick my tongue out at him.

"You do know that you didn't get the right team's keychain right?" He tells me when we exit the store.

"What?" I reach in and grab the small object.

"That's the Giants, not the Packers." He smirks and I shove the keychain back into the bag.

"Well.. good thing no one will know the good gifts are actually from you."

"Are you done shopping yet?" He whines.

"No, I have to get something for Landon remember."

"Oh he mentioned that he wanted to try a new shade of lipstick. Maybe coral?"

"You leave him alone! And maybe I should be getting you the lipstick since you seem to know the exact shade." I tease. It feels good to be bickering with Hardin in a playful way instead of an 'I want to kill you' way.

He rolls his eyes but I see a small smile appear before he speaks. "You should just get him hockey tickets. Easy and not too expensive." He suggests.

"That's actually a good idea."

"I know." He says. "Too bad he doesn't have any friends to go with him."

"I would go with him." I defend.

The way Hardin is teasing about Landon makes me smile because it is so different than before, there is no malice behind his tone now.

"I wanted to get your mom something too." I tell him.

"Why?"

"Because it's Christmas."

"Just get her a sweater or something."