After 2

Chapter 185.

Hardin's POV.

"This is shit, we won!" Steph whines and Tristan annoyingly agrees with his red haired girlfriend.

"I'm pretty sure we won, Nate here can barely stand up." I point to Nate who is leaning against the beer pong table.

"Well if you weredrinkin I wouldn't havetobe drinking all this." His words run together and I can't help but laugh at his expense.

"He swatted that last ball out of the way." Steph whines and Tristan kisses her on the cheek to make her smile.

If Tessa was here I would kiss her on the cheek too. I guess she's busy since she hasn't text me back yet. I thought she made that up because she wasn't comfortable with coming here but I guess I was wrong. At least Zed is here so I know she's not with him and I don't want to push myself on her by texting her again, I hate this space shit.

Tessa's POV.

After two hours I leave the cake on the counter and head upstairs to take my make-up off and change back into my pajamas. This is what happens every single time I let myself give him another chance, reality smacks me in the face.

I really thought he was coming, I am so foolish. I was downstairs baking him a cake.. god I'm an idiot.

I grab my headphones before I allow myself to cry again. The music pours into my ears as I lay back on the bed and do my best to not be too hard on myself. He acted so different last night, mostly in a good way but I do miss his perverted and rude remarks that I always pretend to hate but secretly love.

I'm glad Landon didn't come knock on my door when I heard him come in, I was still holding a little hope and I would have looked even more ridiculous, not that he would never tell me that of course.

I reach over and turn the light off on the nightstand and turn the music down slightly. If this were a month ago I would jump in my car and drive to that stupid house and ask him why the hell he stood me up, but this is now and now I just don't have it in me to fight him. Not anymore.

I'm woken by my phone ringing in my ears and it nearly makes me scream when the annoying beeping comes through the headphones.

It's Hardin and it's almost midnight.

Don't answer it Tessa. I literally have to force myself to ignore his call and shut my phone off. I reach over and set the alarm clock on the nightstand and close my eyes.

Of course he would be drunk and calling me now at midnight after standing me up.

I should have known better.

Hardin's POV.

Tessa isn't answering my calls and it's pissing me off. It's my damn birthday for fifteen more minutes and she doesn't answer the phone?

Yeah I probably should have called her sooner but still. She hasn't even responded to my text from hours ago. I thought we had a nice time yesterday, she even invited me to go inside with her to help me sleep. It killed me to say no but I knew what would happen if I went up there. I would have taken things too far and I need to let her be the one to make the first move. I don't need to take advantage of her right now, even though I really fucking want to.

"I think I'm going to go soon." I tell Logan and he unwraps himself from the dark skinned brunette he's obviously taken a liking to.

"Nah you can't leave yet, not until.. there they are!" He calls.

I turn around to see two girls in trench coats coming toward us. No fucking way. The crowded living bursts into noises consisting of clapping and cheering.