After

Hardin’s friends come in, and hearing Hardin make an offhand comment about having seen Molly naked before, Tessa fills with worry. Tessa was the only girl Noah had ever kissed, so knowing that Hardin has had sexual experiences with several girls is hard to swallow. Tessa turns down the invitation to go bowling, and Hardin leaves with his friends with only a wave. Before long, Hardin texts to say he wanted her to come, and he’s on his way to pick her up. They go back to his room at the fraternity, where Hardin reassures Tessa that she doesn’t have to worry about him and Molly.

Tessa and Hardin have oral sex in Hardin’s room, and although Tessa is somewhat embarrassed by her inexperience, she wants to make Hardin feel as good as he makes her feel. Afterward, Hardin convinces Tessa to spend the night with him again.

Hardin wants to take a shower with Tessa, but she refuses, feeling the experience would be too intimate at this point. Hardin’s demeanor changes when she turns him down; when pressed, he claims, “I just don’t like being told no” (286). Seeing Hardin in a towel, Tessa is overcome with attraction for him, and part of her wishes she had showered with him. They fall asleep holding one another and get ready for classes together in the morning. Hardin walks Tessa to her usual coffee shop meeting place with Landon, and he kisses her before saying goodbye.

Tessa explains to Landon her breakup with Noah and newfound relationship with Hardin. She’s called the chancellor’s office, where Ken says he got her an interview tomorrow at Vance Publishing. He also asks her to try and convince Hardin to come to his and Karen’s wedding next weekend. When Tessa talks to Hardin about it, he immediately refuses and tells her to mind her own business as he walks away. Despite his up and down treatment of her, Tessa agrees to spend the night with him again and packs a bag for the frat house.

Once again, Tessa and Hardin argue. When Tessa asks, Hardin shares that the only reason he’s in a frat is because all of the other housing options were full when he decided to come to Washington Central, so he chose the fraternity over living with his father. He offers to drive Tessa to her interview at Vance in the morning, and before they go to bed, he offers her a chance to get to know him more. Tessa learns about his childhood; his mother raised him while his father was drunk at the bar. His father eventually got sober when Hardin was 14, but Hardin has been refusing his attempts to mend their relationship ever since. During the night, Tessa comforts him again when he cries out from a nightmare, and she recognizes her growing feelings for him as she sees more of his vulnerable side: “as long as he wants me here, I’m here” (302). 

In the morning, Hardin gives Tessa an orgasm before driving her to her Vance interview. The interview, with Mr. Vance himself, goes perfectly, and Tessa gets a paid internship there. Back on campus, Tessa plans to meet Landon and his girlfriend, Dakota, at the bonfire on Friday. Hardin’s friends—including Molly—approach, and Hardin leaves with them, clearly having made plans to go with them to the weekend party without inviting Tessa. This leaves Tessa hurt and confused. 

Tessa chides herself for expecting Hardin to change now that they’ve grown closer. She thinks about how complex her life has become after meeting Hardin; instead of the even-keeled girl she used to be, she now bounces among extreme happiness, hurt, jealousy, and sexual desire. Looking for something to keep her mind off Hardin, she goes to Landon’s house and bakes cupcakes with Karen. After telling Landon about the party, Tessa decides to go, and Landon gives her a ride. When Tessa finds Hardin at the party, Molly is sitting on his lap, and Hardin is clearly shocked to see Tessa. When Zed offers her a drink, Tessa accepts, resolving to swallow her hurt and act like she doesn’t care about Hardin and Molly. 

After downing several drinks, Tessa agrees to play Truth or Dare, and when dared to kiss Zed, she complies to make Hardin jealous. His irritation is evident, yet he doesn’t do anything to stop them or tell his friends that he’s in a relationship with Tessa. Next, Tessa and Zed head to a bedroom together after Zed is dared to “take Tessa upstairs for ten minutes” (320). Zed is kind to Tessa, asking her out on a date rather than trying to take advantage of her. When they return to the group, Hardin dares Molly to kiss him, and Tessa runs outside, shocked at his cruelty. 

Hardin runs after Tessa, and he worriedly asks if Zed said something to her. He apologizes, but Tessa cannot easily forgive this time. She is particularly hurt when Hardin laughs at her suggestion that she is his girlfriend. Tessa calls Landon to come pick her up, and as she heads to his car, Hardin tells her he loves her in front of all his friends. Even though he seems sincere, Tessa thinks he must be acting, and she pushes him away as she gets in the car and cries. 

In the car, Landon talks to Tessa, trying to help her process Hardin’s words. Hardin looked and sounded genuine, but Tessa can’t let herself believe him. She goes back to Landon’s house to stay the night, and when she can’t sleep, she puts on one of Hardin’s t-shirts and falls asleep in his room.

Tessa wakes up to find Hardin sitting in the room. It’s already noon; he turned off her alarm, so she missed her morning classes again. He wants to make amends, but Tessa doesn’t believe he truly loves her. Hearing this, Hardin says she’s right, and that he only said “I love you” to add to the drama of the moment, adding that she’s an “easy target” to chase (336). Tessa takes a bus back to campus, and based on how heartbroken she feels, realizes she loves Hardin. 

Tessa buys a used car and some new clothes for her internship, and when she gets back to the dorms, Zed is there with Steph. Telling them that she’s “done” with Hardin (338), she agrees to go on her date with Zed that night. She can’t help but marvel at how she went from only ever dating one guy, to now going on a date with Zed after so much drama with Hardin. Zed is sweet and polite when he takes her out, bringing her a flower and opening the door for her. Even though she doesn’t feel the same fiery passion around Zed that she did with Hardin, being with Zed is easy and comfortable, and she’s grateful for the distraction. They agree to go to the bonfire together when he drops her off.

In Literature class the next day, Hardin asks about her date with Zed somewhat threateningly, and when the class starts, the teachers opens a discussion on the main characters from Wuthering Heights: Catherine and Heathcliff. Looking at Tessa, Hardin calls Catherine “selfish” and “pompous,” saying, “she thought she was too good for Heathcliff” (343). His not-so-subtle comparison of Catherine and Heathcliff to Tessa and himself frustrates Tessa, but she stays quiet. 

On Friday, Tessa still battles her feelings for Hardin. She knows that staying away from him is what’s best for her, yet she loves him. She goes to Landon’s house to meet up with him and Dakota before the bonfire, and she ends up talking to Karen about Hardin. Karen tells her Hardin is “closed off emotionally” (347), and that he’s never even told his mother that he loves her.

Surprisingly, Hardin shows up during dinner and wants to take Tessa to the bonfire. Outside, he begs her for another chance, telling her he needs her, but Tessa is hesitant to forgive him for the many ways he’s hurt her. When Hardin finds out she’s going to the bonfire with Zed, he looks both wounded and angry, and he cautions Tessa that she doesn’t really know Zed as she leaves for the bonfire with Landon and Dakota.

They meet up with Zed at the bonfire, and the subject of Karen and Ken’s wedding that weekend comes up. Tessa changes the subject to keep Hardin’s secret; he’s never told his friends that his father is dating Landon’s mom. Later, Hardin shows up at the bonfire with a girl named Emma. Unwilling to be around Hardin with another girl, Tessa asks to leave and goes with Zed to his apartment. She learns from Zed that Emma is a lesbian and realizes that Hardin wasn’t trying to hurt her by showing up with another girl. Zed leans in to kiss her, and as they kiss, all Tessa can think about is Hardin. The events and conversations of the last few days flash through her mind, and she comes to the realization that Hardin really does love her.

Tessa leaves for the fraternity house to find Hardin, wondering what will happen if they’re both honest with each other about how they feel. Unable to find him at the house, she finally sees him back at the bonfire, and it’s clear from the injuries on his face that he’s been in a fight. She demands he let her drive him home, and in the car, she asks if he meant it when he said he loved her. After hesitating, he says he didn’t mean it, and her resolve to tell him she loves him crumbles. Hardin asks if Zed told her anything while they were together, or if she had sex with him, and Tessa admits that while with Zed, all she could think about was Hardin.

At Hardin’s father’s house, Tessa and Hardin get into another argument when Tessa rebukes him for disrespecting his father. Hardin goes from aggressively exploding in anger to apologizing. He tells Tessa he hates the way she has “control” over him and gets “under [his] skin” (367). Tessa tells him she keeps coming back to him because she loves him, and the dynamic in the room completely shifts. At first, he’s disbelieving that she truly loves him, but eventually, his expression softens, and he tells her that he really does love her.

Part of Tessa worries that she shouldn’t trust him, but the rest of her wants to “dive into this headfirst” (372). They kiss passionately, repeating that they love each other, and Tessa tells him she wants to have sex. Hardin says he wants to, but he thinks they should wait until she’s had more time to think about it.