After (The After Series)

What the hell? I hadn’t been one hundred percent sure he would tell me, but
that wasn’t the reaction I was expecting, either. My curiosity is now piqued more
than before and my annoyance is as high as ever.

---

I try to call Hardin again, but of course he doesn’t answer. Why would Zed act
that way? Like he was almost . . . afraid to tell me? Maybe I was wrong and this
does have to do with me? I don’t know what’s going on, but none of this makes
sense. I take a step back and reevaluate the situation. Am I overreacting?
Hardin’s frantic expression when I asked about Jace replays in my head, and I’m
sure I’m not misreading this.
I take a shower to try to calm my nerves and settle my mind, but it doesn’t
work; this feeling in the pit of my stomach pushes me to come up with another
option. When I get out of the shower, I blow-dry my hair and get myself dressed
while I decide what to do next.
I feel a little like Miss Havisham in Great Expectations, plotting and
scheming. I had never cared for her character, but suddenly I find myself relating
to her. I can now see how love can make you do things that you normally
wouldn’t, like become obsessive and even a little crazy. Though, in reality, my
plan really isn’t all that crazy or nearly as dramatic as it seems in my head. All
I’m going to do is find Steph and ask her if she knows why Hardin and Zed got
into a fight, then see what she knows about Jace. The only thing that makes this
plan crazy is that Hardin will lose it when he finds out that I called Zed and went
to Steph.
Now that I think about it, Hardin hasn’t taken me around any of his friends
since we moved in together—making it likely none of them actually know about
our new living arrangement.
BY THE TIME
I leave the apartment, my thoughts are jumbled and I end up
leaving my phone on the counter. It begins to snow as soon as I pull onto the
freeway, so it takes me over thirty minutes to get to the dorms. They look the
same as I remember—of course they do. It has been only a week since I left
them, even though it seems so much longer.
Marching up the hallway, I ignore the rude stare from the bleach blonde who
yelled at Hardin for spilling vodka outside her door. That first night that Hardin
stayed in my dorm with me seems so distant; time hasn’t made sense since I met
him. When I knock on my old door, there’s no answer. Of course she isn’t here;
she’s never here. She spends the majority of her time at Tristan and Nate’s
apartment, and I have no idea where that is. Even if I did, would I go there?
I get into my car and try to formulate a new plan while I drive around. This
might have been easier if I hadn’t forgotten my phone, but just as I’m about to
give up on my radical decision to practically stalk my old roommate, I pass
Blind Bob’s, the biker bar I went to with Steph. Recognizing Nate’s car in the

---

lot, I pull in. I take a deep breath before getting out, and when I finally do, the
cold air burns my nostrils. The woman at the front smiles at me when I enter, and
I’m relieved when I spot Steph’s red hair from across the room.
If only I had known what was to come.

---

chapter ninety-six
N
ervousness overtakes me as I walk through the smoky bar. Why did I think
this was a good idea? Hardin is going to be furious with me, and Steph may just
think I’m insane.
When she sees me, a big smile fills Steph’s face and she practically shouts,
“Tessa, what the hell are you doing here?” before pulling me into a hug.
“I . . . well, I was looking for you,” I say.
“Is everything okay? Or did you just miss me?” She laughs.
“I just missed you.” I decide to go with that for now.
“I haven’t seen you in ages, Tessa,” Nate teases and then hugs me. “Where has
Hardin been hiding you?”
Tristan appears behind Steph and wraps his arms around her waist. By the
way she leans back against him, I know they have worked through the fight over
Molly.
She smiles. “Come sit with us—it’s just us for now.”