Chapter 61 (1/2)

“Took you long enough,” he says and leans back. His muscles constrict as he lifts his arms behind his head to brace him against the wall.

“You’re supposed to be nice to me, remember,” I say and walk over to Steph’s closet and open the door to use the mirror. Grabbing Steph’s makeup bag, I sit myself down and cross my legs in front of it.

“This is me being nice.”

I stay quiet as I try to apply a little makeup. After three attempts of making a straight line on my top eyelid, I chuck the eyeliner at the mirror and Hardin laughs.

“You don’t need that, anyway,” he tells me.

“I like it,” I say, and he rolls his eyes.

“Fine, we can just sit here all day while you try to color on your face,” he says. So much for nice Hardin.

He catches himself and gives me a quick, “Sorry, sorry,” while I wipe my eyes off. But I give up the makeup routine. It’s a little hard to do with someone like Hardin watching me.

“I’m ready,” I tell him and he jumps up. “Are you going to put a shirt on?” I ask him.

“Yeah, I have one in my trunk.”

I was right: he must have an endless supply in there. I don’t want to think about the reasons behind that.

TRUE TO HIS WORD, Hardin pulls a plain black T-shirt out of his trunk and finishes getting dressed in the parking lot.

“Stop staring and get in the car,” he teases me. I stutter a denial and oblige.

“I like you in the white shirts,” I say when we’re both inside, the words just popping out before I can process them.

Cocking his head sideways, he gives me a smug grin. “Is that so?” He raises his eyebrow. “Well, I like you in those jeans. They show off your ass wonderfully,” he says and my mouth drops. Hardin and his dirty words.

I swat at him playfully and he laughs, but I mentally pat myself on the back for wearing these pants. I want Hardin to look at me even though I would never admit it, and I am flattered by his strange way of complimenting me.

“So where to?” he asks, and I pull out my phone. I read him the list of used-car dealers within a five-mile radius and tell him about a few of the reviews on each.