After We Collided

Hardin explains that he and his friends back in London had a bet in which each guy would choose a girl for the other guys, and they would compete to see who would sleep with their chosen girl first. On the fifth round of this game, Hardin recorded sleeping with a girl named Natalie as proof of them having sex. One of the other guys attempted to sleep with Natalie, but she turned him down, so he released the video as revenge porn to her neighbors and church, causing her parents to throw her out of the house. Natalie came to Hardin looking for help, but he turned her away and doesn’t know what happened to her. Tessa is so upset by Hardin’s actions that she asks him to leave for the night.

Tessa compares her experiences with Hardin to what he did to Natalie and worries that he will continue to hurt her. However, she comes to the conclusion that she loves him too much to leave him. Tessa speaks to Trish about Hardin’s behavior. Trish tells her that Hardin has changed. Tessa plans to forgive him, but the women decide to let him suffer for a while. When Hardin finally comes home, he gives Tessa a letter he wrote.

In his letter, Hardin confesses to all his past insensitive and criminal acts. He also admits that he felt affection for Tessa early in their relationship, but acted out because he didn’t know how to express emotions. He loves her and asks for forgiveness. Tessa tells Hardin that he isn’t a bad person and that she loves him.

Tessa and Hardin talk more about Natalie and Tessa’s mother, ending the conversation with an agreement to not have any more secrets between them. Tessa jokes about moving into the dorms but agrees to remain at the apartment with Hardin.

Hardin goes to have coffee with his mother while Tessa prepares for the day. Hardin and Trish share apologies. Hardin tells his mom he loves her for the first time in years. Hardin admits to himself that Trish was a good mother, but he was so full of anger that he couldn’t see it before.

Tessa, Trish, and Hardin go to Ken and Karen’s for Christmas, where they are greeted with polite awkwardness, even after Karen offers everyone some wine. When Ken offhandedly refers to the night Trish was attacked, Hardin makes rude comments about Ken’s past as someone who had an alcohol addiction.

Everyone chastises Hardin for his comments, but Ken urges him to let some of his anger out. Hardin accuses Ken of walking away from him and his mother and never sending any money or supporting them in any way. Trish admits that Ken did send money, which she put away for Hardin’s education. Hardin baits his father until they come to blows and Tessa is knocked over by Hardin’s elbow.

On the way back to the apartment, Trish tells Hardin that if he doesn’t let go of his anger, “[I]t will take over your life” (274). Alone in their bathroom, Hardin tries to explain to Tessa that he couldn’t stand watching his father act as though nothing happened all those years ago. Tessa chastises him for his actions, but she understands them. She cleans up his bleeding hand.

After Tessa finishes cleaning up Hardin’s hand, he insists they shower together. In the shower, they have sex. Afterward, Hardin gathers some clothes for Tessa before joining his mother in the living room.

Hardin takes Trish to the airport early the next morning. Upon his return, Tessa pushes him to reach out to Ken, urging him to invite Ken, Karen, and Landon to the apartment for dinner. Hardin teases Tessa for being embarrassed to tell him she needs to go to the store to buy tampons. This is the first time in their relationship she’s had her period around him.

Hardin calls Ken, who agrees to come over. As Tessa gets dressed, she tells Hardin she misses Stephanie and wonders if he misses his friends. She asks what everyone will be doing on New Year’s Eve, and he says there will likely be a party at his old frat house. They decide to go. Hardin prepares a meal for their guests. Tessa calls him “babe” for the first time, and Hardin declares it “sexy.”

Ken, Karen, and Landon arrive for dinner. Ken compliments Hardin on the food. When they open their gifts, Hardin is furious to see Ken and Karen also got Tessa a charm bracelet. They got Hardin a watch, even though he doesn’t wear watches.

Landon invites Hardin to the hockey game for which Tessa got him tickets, but Hardin initially declines. With some cajoling from Tessa, Hardin agrees to go. Hardin apologizes for the fight with Ken, and Ken takes partial responsibility for having alcoholism and abandoning Hardin and Trish. After Ken, Karen, and Landon leave, Tessa commends Hardin on being nice. He asks about her new bracelet, and she admits that she prefers Hardin’s gift.

Tessa wakes early to prepare to go to work. While she dresses, Hardin goes to start her car so it wouldn’t be too cold. Hardin insists on driving Tessa to work, but then becomes jealous when Trevor approaches Tessa the moment she gets out of the car.

At work, Kimberly tells Tessa all about her Christmas with Christian and Smith. Tessa’s morning goes by quickly. At lunch, she plans to walk to a nearby restaurant, but Trevor invites her to have lunch with him. They talk about the new Seattle office and the promotion Christian has offered Trevor there. Back at the office, Tessa finds Hardin waiting for her.

Hardin is angry Tessa went to lunch with Trevor but calms down after Tessa tells him Trevor is moving to Seattle. Tessa begins to seduce him.

Tessa and Hardin have sex in her office.

Three days later, Hardin picks Tessa up late from work. They go to the mall to buy Tessa a gold dress for the frat party that night. Back at the apartment, Tessa nervously gets ready while Hardin impatiently waits.

They arrive at the party and cups of alcohol are quickly pressed into their hands. Hardin says they shouldn’t drink, but Tessa talks him into allowing her one drink. Molly flirts with Hardin despite his disinterest. They find Stephanie, and Hardin goes off to talk to Logan, ordering Tessa to remain where she is. Tessa finishes her first drink and Stephanie gets her another. They head into the living room. Tristan tells Tessa that Jace got arrested for possession. He, Stephanie, and Tessa get ready to play beer pong, and Tristan talks Zed into partnering with Tessa. They fill the cups with cherry vodka sours rather than beer.

Tessa and Zed win the game twice, but Tessa gets very drunk. Zed decides to go outside, and Tessa follows him. Zed shows Tessa his new tattoo—clockwork that symbolizes that society controls him like a robot. Tessa muses aloud that she should get a tattoo. Tessa asks why Zed was avoiding her earlier, and he says it was to avoid trouble with Hardin. Tessa says Hardin’s getting better about his anger just as Hardin shows up, clearly annoyed.

Hardin urges Tessa to go inside with him when he sees how drunk she is. Tessa tells him about Zed’s tattoo and her desire to get one. Hardin looks at Zed’s tattoo and listens to the story about the beer pong game. When Zed leaves, Hardin yells at Tessa for being alone with Zed. She tells him to start being nicer or she’ll go hang out with someone else. Tessa attempts to seduce Hardin, but then insists they go find Stephanie, so they return to the living room. Tessa demands they play Truth or Dare despite past experiences that made her dislike the game.

Stephanie targets Nate. He chooses to dare, so she sends him off to kiss a random girl. Nate chooses Tristan and dares him to drink a cup filled with old beer and cigarette ash. After a while, Tessa is given the dare of drinking a shot. Tessa then chooses Molly, who picks truth. Tessa asks if Molly is promiscuous. Molly denies it, and chooses Tessa. Tessa chooses dare, which Molly sets as kissing Zed, but Hardin won’t allow her to go through with it. Reverting to truth, Molly asks if Tessa was “stupid” for taking Hardin back. Tessa attacks Molly. Hardin pulls Tessa away from Molly and forces her to drink some water. Tessa begins to seduce Hardin again, so he takes her to an empty bedroom and they have sex.