My phone buzzes on the dresser breaking me out of my laughter. Hardin is closest to the obnoxious device and he stands up to retrieve it for me.

"Landon." He says and places the phone in my palm.

"Hello?" I answer.

"Hey Tessa, my mother insisted I call you to see if you were going to come over for Christmas?"

"Oh.. yea I am. What time?" I ask.

"Noon, she has already started cooking so if I were you I wouldn't eat anything until then." He laughs.

"I won't, I will start fasting now." I joke.

"Is there anything I should bring? I know Karen is a much better cook than me but I could make something, like a desert maybe?" I offer.

"Yea, you can bring a desert.. and also.. I know this is awkward and if you aren't comfortable with it then that's okay.. but they want to invite Hardin and his mum." His voice lowers.

"Oh..really?'

"Yea, but if you and Hardin aren't getting along.."

"We are. Sort of." I interrupt. Even when Hardin and I were at our best we still didn't get along. Hardin raises his brow at my reply and I give him a nervous smile.

"If you could just pass the invite along they would really appreciate it."

"I will." I assure him. 

I am not sure how well that would go over, with Anne and Hardin at Ken's home for the holiday but I will surely ask Hardin.

"What should I get them, like gift wise?" I ask,

"Nothing! You don't have to bring gifts."

I keep my eyes on the wall and try not to focus on Hardin's steady gaze on me.

"I am bringing gifts, what should I get?"

"Well, get my mum something for the kitchen and Ken would go for a paperweight or something."

"A paperweight? That's a dreadful gift." I snort and he laughs.

"Well don't get him a tie because I did." He says.

"Okay, no tie."

"Well let me know if you need anything between now and then, I have to help clean the house." He groans before hanging up.

"You are going there for Christmas?" Hardin asks when I place my phone on the nightstand.

"Yea.. I don't want to go to my mother's."

"I don't blame you." He rubs his chin with his index finger and continues. "You could stay here?"

"You could come with me." I pick at my fingernails on my lap.

"And leave my mum here alone?" He scoffs.

"No! Of course not, Karen and your dad want her to come.. you too, Both of you."

"Yea right."

"Really, Landon just told me that. He wanted me to ask you if you both would come."

"Why would my mum want to go there with my father and his new wife?"

"I.. I don't know but it could be nice to have everyone together."

I am not sure how exactly that would go because I don't know what type of relationship Anne and Ken have now, if they have one at all. It's also not my place to try to 'bring everyone together" I am not part of their family, I am not even Hardin's girlfriend.

"I don't think so. Thanks though." He frowns.

Despite everything going on between Hardin and I, it would have been nice to spend Christmas with him but I understand why he doesn't want to go. It would have been hard enough to convince Hardin to go to his father's house for the holiday anyway, let alone with his mother. I am happy that Hardin went to talk to Landon today, that is something I did not think he would do again. I hope that sometime in the future they could maybe be friends. Hardin could use a friend like Landon.

I need to get gifts for the three of them, maybe something for Anne as well. I have no idea whether or not I should be buying something for Hardin, actually I am pretty sure I shouldn't. That would be awkward to give him a present when we are in this strange in between place. I need to go today, now really because its already five and the mall's will be closed tomorrow for Christmas Eve.

"What?" Hardin asks of my silence.

"I have to go to the mall, again." I groan.

"Now? Do you have any idea how packed it's going to be?"

"I know but that's what I get for being homeless on Christmas." I tell him.

"I don't think bad planning has anything to do with you being homeless." He teases.

His smile is small but his eyes are bright, is he flirting with me? I laugh at the thought and roll my eyes.

"Bad planning is not something that I do, ever."

"Except right now." He mocks and I swat my hand at him.

He grabs my wrist and wraps his fingers around it to stop my playful assault. A familiar warmth floods through my body and I lock eyes with him. He lets go quickly and we both look away.

The air fills with tension and I stand up to put my shoes back on. I am going to wear the sweatshirt and jeans I have on from my shopping with Anne this morning.

"You're going now?" He asks.

"Yea.. the mall closes at nine." I remind him.

"You're going to go alone?" He shuffles his feet awkwardly.

"Would you like to come?" I know this probably isn't the best idea but if I want to at least try to move forward then going to the mall together is fine. Right? I know we have so much to talk about and I have so much to say but not today.

"Shopping with you?"

"Yea.. if you don't want to that's fine too." I ramble.

"No, of course I do. I just ..I don't know I wasn't expecting you to ask."

I grab my phone and my purse and walk out of the room.

"We are going to the mall for a while." Hardin tells Anne.

"Both of you?" She smiles and he rolls his eyes.

"Yes. Both of us." He groans and walks out of the apartment.

"If you want to leave him there I wouldn't mind." She laughs.

"I will keep that in mind." I smile and follow him out.

He is almost to the end of the hall by the time I exit the apartment.

"Do you want me to drive?" He asks and I nod. I drove in the snow all morning with Anne and I really don't want to again.

When Hardin's car starts a very familiar piano melody fills the car. He hurries to turn the volume down but it's too late.

"They grew on me, okay?" He says when he notices the smug look I am giving him.

"Sure." I tease and turn the volume back up.

If only things could go this way forever. If only this flirty getting along, nervous median that we are in could last forever but it won't. It can't. We have to actually discuss what has happened and what will happen from here on. I just can't decide when this should happen, if it happens today and it goes badly it will ruin the Christmas holiday. However, I am going to Landon's house for Christmas anyway so maybe we should talk about it tonight and if it blows up in my face, which I suspect that it will, I can go to Landon's and stay until I get into a dorm.

Most of the drive is spent in silence, the music saying all of the things I wish we could say to one another.

"I'll drop you off by the door." He says and I nod as he stops the car in front of Macy's. Hardin chasing me through this store last month flashes through my head as I walk inside. I stand under the vent to warm up while Hardin parks the car.

After nearly an hour of looking at baking dishes of all shapes and sizes, I decide to get Karen a set of cake pans. I know she probably has more than enough but her only hobby besides gardening seems to be cooking and I don't have time to think of anything better.

"Can we take this to the car and then finish shopping?" I ask Hardin and struggle to keep the large box in my hands.

"Here, I will take it. Stay here." He says and takes the box from me.

He walks away and I walk over to the men's section, hundreds of ties are displayed in large cases and I remember Landon's claim on them and keep browsing. I have never bought a 'dad gift' before so I have no idea what to get. I will ask Hardin if Ken likes any sport teams when he returns. I glance back towards the door, I hadn't realized how far I have strayed from where Hardin left me so I begin to make my way back.

"It's so fucking cold out." He shivers and rubs his hands together.

"I'd say wearing a t-shirt in the snow isn't a good idea." I say and he rolls his eyes.

"I'm hungry, are you?" He asks and I nod.

We make our way to the food court and he instructs me to sit down while he gets us some pizza from the only decent chain in the food court. Minutes later he joins me at the table with two plates piled full of pizza. I grab a slice and a napkin and take a small bite.

"How elegant of you." He teases when I wipe my mouth after I chew.

"Shut up." I say and take another.

"This is.. nice. Isn't it?" He asks.

"What? The pizza?" I foolishly ask even though I know he isn't talking about the food.

"Us. Hanging out. It's been a long time."

"It hasn't even been two weeks." I remind him. It does seem like so long.

"That's a long time.. for us."

"Yea.." I chew.

"How long have you been thinking about moving forward?" He asks.

I finish chewing and take a drink of my water.

"A few days I guess. There is still so much to talk about." I want to keep this conversation as light as I can in order to avoid a scene being caused.

"I know there is but I am so.." His green eyes go wide as he focuses on something behind me.

When I turn around my stomach drops at the sight of red hair. Steph, and next to her is Tristan.

"I want to go." I tell him and stand up, leaving the tray of food on the table.

"You haven't gotten any other gifts. I don't think they even saw us."

When I turn back around her gaze meets mine and the surprise on her face is evident. I can't tell if she is more surprised to see me or she is surprised that I am with Hardin. Probably both.

"Yea she did."

Steph and Tristan walk toward us and my feet seem to be bolted to the floor.

"Hey." Tristan says uncomfortably when they reach us.

"Hey." Hardin says and rubs the back of his neck.

I don't say anything, I look at Steph then grab my purse from the table and begin to walk away.

"Tessa wait!" Steph calls after me.

I hear the thick heel of her shoe tapping the hard tile as she catches up with me.

"Can we talk?" She asks.

"Talk about what Steph? How my first and basically only friend here went behind my back and let me be humiliated in front of everyone?" I snap.

Hardin and Tristan look at each other, obviously unsure whether they should intervene.

"I'm sorry okay! I know I should have told you, I thought he would tell you!"

"So that is supposed to make it okay then?"

"No, I know it won't but I am really sorry Tessa. I know I should have told you."

"But you didn't." I cross my arms,

"I miss you, I miss hanging out with you." She says.

"I'm sure you do miss having me as the center of all of your jokes."

"It wasn't like that Tessa. You are.. were my friend. I know I fucked up but I am sorry."

Her apology catches me off guard.

"Well I can't forgive you." I say and she frowns.

"So you can forgive him? He's the one who started it all and you forgave him but you won't even consider forgiving me? How fucked up is that?" She says angrily.

I want to snap at her, cuss her out even, but I know she is right.

"I haven't forgiven him, I am just.. I don't know what I am doing." I whine and put my hands over my face.

"Don't you miss me? And Tristan? I was your first friend here after all." She shrugs.

"I don't expect you to just let it go but at least think about it, we could hang out. Just the four of us now that the group is all fucked."

"What do you mean?"

"Well Jace has been an even bigger dick since Hardin beat the shit out of him so we have been keeping our distance from everyone."

What?

"Hardin beat the shit out of Jace?" I look over to where Hardin and Tristan are watching us and then look back at Steph.

"Yea..last Saturday. You didn't know that?"

"No..why did he?" I want to ask her as much as I can before Hardin walks over and stops her from spilling.

"Because Molly told Hardin that Jace planned the whole.. you know telling you in front of everyone thing.." She says quietly.

"Why would Hardin beat him over that?" I know it doesn't take much to make him mad but still.

"Because Jace was saying some shit about you.. things that Hardin didn't like. Honestly he had it coming and the look on Molly's face when Hardin basically pushed her off of him was priceless. I mean seriously I should have taken a picture!" She laughs.

Hardin turned down Molly and beat up Jace Saturday before he came to Seattle?

"Ladies." Tristan says as a warning when Hardin begins to walk towards us.

"Just think about it okay? I miss you." She says and I nod as they walk away.

(After 2 has reached a million reads!! And After has over 4 million! Ily!! Thank you for every read, comment and vote!! ily!!)