Previously: A lamp and a keyboard died and they didn’t deserve it.
—
Marines: Tessa feels empty without Hardin even though it takes her five actual minutes to drive home and that’s all the time that’s passed. Stephanie isn’t home because she’s only around when Tessa needs to borrow makeup or skimpy clothes.
Tessa takes out her planner and starts planning every hour of her next week, so you have to wonder how much time she’s dedicated to things like “emotionally babysitting my boyfriend” and “cleaning up glass after a tantrum” and “gardening with the stepmother my boyfriend doesn’t actually like.” We don’t have to wonder how much time she’s dedicated to things like “hand jobs.” Literally 10 whole seconds for two pumps and an explosion.
Samantha: At least it’s practical. Hardin’s penis is always looking out for Tessa’s schedule!
Mari: Anyhow, Tessa starts planning out outfits for her new internship she totally earned all on her own. It’s been two whole paragraphs since we mentioned Hardin, so of course, she wonders if he’ll like her professional yet feminine outfit for her first day of work. (S: He’s not even coming with you Tessa, calm down.) She moves on to distracting herself with homework until all her assignments for the week are done, the sun is down, and she’s starving. Hardin still hasn’t texted her, so she ventures out on her own to find something to eat. Apparently, it’s so late that restaurants have started to close (S: In a college town? Is it… midnight?), so she finds a rando, kind of sketchy looking place called the Ice House. She’s surprised, somehow, that it’s more of a bar with food than a restaurant. How long has she been in college now?
Tessa gets a few glances from people and assumes they are judging her for being alone. She assures us that she doesn’t mind being alone and can do all kinds of things alone… until now. Now, she misses Hardin so, so much and it troubles her that he hasn’t even bothered to text. She orders and waits for her food. The waitress brings out a fruity drink, courtesy of the guy at the bar. Tessa looks and there are Zed and Nate.
After a second, they join her at her table. Zed wonders if she’s seen Hardin recently. Tessa admits that she hasn’t. (S: I mean you saw him this morning, how are we defining recent?) Zed says he hasn’t in the last few hours either, but he should be here soon. Tessa panics a little while Zed explains that they actually come here a lot. Tessa thinks about how she won’t be able to stand seeing Hardin with Molly again. She stands, tries to find the waitress to cancel her order, and generally does her best to GTFO out of here… so she won’t have to see her boyfriend? Who she was missing 10 whole seconds ago?
DOES THIS SEEM NORMAL OR HEALTHY TO YOU?
Samantha:
Mari: Tessa lingers a second too long, as Zed asks if she and Hardin are fighting again, and the man himself walks in. He’s with Logan, Tristan, Steph and Molly. Tessa says she knows Hardin and Molly are friends, and doesn’t want to come off controlling or crazy, but she can’t stand Hardin being around that girl. Hardin meets her eyes and she says he looks surprised or almost afraid. Imagine how much of this contrivance-y surprise they could save if Hardin could say, “hey Tessa. I’m hanging out with my friends tonight.” And Tessa could say, “cool! Have fun!”
Samantha: Why, why is this happening? Why are they so damn dysfunctional in every possible weird way?
Mari: ROMANCE!
Tessa grabs the waitress and asks to have her food to go. Steph asks why she’s leaving, so Tessa lies that she has studying to do. Steph tries to convince her to stay, but she won’t because “any hope that Hardin would scoop me in his arms and tell me he missed me is gone.” I mean, he’s been there for 10 WHOLE SECONDS. And you’ve been flailing the whole time. But you know, I get it. He might kiss his ex or throw a chair. It’s all very confusing.
Tessa grabs her food and pays. As she’s about to leave, Hardin tells her to wait. She hopes that he won’t make a rude remark of kiss Molly, but instead, he asks for a goodnight kiss. Tessa wanted this, kind of. Now she’s uncomfortable that everyone is staring at them. Molly asks why they would kiss. Steph says they are obviously together. Molly can’t believe it and Zed tells her to keep her mouth shut. Tessa is partially grateful and partially suspicious of that choice of wording.
Samantha: Still can’t decide if Zed is a pretty good dude or secretly shitty.
Mari: To be fair, I don’t think the author can decide either.
Unable to handle the awkwardness, Tessa turns and leaves. Hardin follows her, grabs her to stop her obviously, and asks why she’s leaving and why she was there in the first place. Um, why are YOU here, ya dick lint? Tessa doesn’t say this. She explains herself, blah blah blah hungry, blah blah she’s leaving because he was ignoring her. Hardin says he was just surprised to see her here and didn’t know what to do or say.
Sigh.
Ahem.
“Hey Tessa!”
TA-DA.
Samantha: OMG, relationship guru Mari!
Mari: I try.
Regardless, in a truly STUNNING turn of events (I’m not being sarcastic), Hardin and Tessa actually stand there and use their words. Tessa explains that he didn’t text her all day and then he showed up here with Molly. She understands that’s in the past, but she doesn’t like it. Hardin explains that he doesn’t know what to do about that because Molly is part of their friend group and probably always will be. Tessa isn’t entirely happy with this answer and decides she still wants to leave. Hardin decides to go with her.
In the car, Hardin asks Tessa more questions about when she arrived at the Ice House and whether she met Zed there. She says it was coincidence. She had no idea he would be there, since he didn’t text her. Hardin soars over that to ask more questions about what she and Zed talked about. It sure seems like he’s worried Zed might’ve said something, idk. Hardin says he missed her, and she missed him too. She tells him all about planning her outfits, or whatever, but before she can press him on what he did all day, she freaks out: her mother is standing outside of her room, scowling.
Know what would make this story even worse? Any more of Tessa’s mom so we have that to look forward to.
Next time on After: Worse in Chapter 75.
I'm a 30-something south Floridan who loves the beach but cannot swim. Such is my life, full of small contradictions and little trivialities. My main life goals are never to take life too seriously, but to do everything I attempt seriously well. After that, my life goals devolve into things like not wearing pants and eating all of the Zebra Cakes in the world. THE WORLD.
I'm a 28 year old graduated English major and almost librarian. I can often be found singing too loudly (poorly) in the car or spending some time (hours) on Tumblr. I am a lover of Harry Potter, the Spice Girls, and too many other things.
