⁺◟ DAMAGED ! ⋆·˚ ❪ ✦♥ ❫
❛ chapter eight ❜ 

⋆｡ﾟ☁︎｡⋆｡ ﾟ☾ ﾟ｡⋆ SHORTY AFTER HARDIN HAD left the party, Kingston got absolutely wasted, Tessa and Noah had a fight and both left the party, and the cops had infact shown up, along with fire fighters to put the bonfire out. Olivia had taken Stella back to her dorm, and Kingston back to her house.

By the time she had returned, Tessa was already in bed and in her pyjamas with Noah behind her, cuddling and watching a movie on her laptop. She had mumbled a hi to them both before sliding her jacket off, dropping it onto the floor and stumbling while trying to take her boots off and then falling face first onto her bed.

She had fallen asleep like that and hadn't moved until around 2am, only an hour after she had fallen asleep, she was being woken again by her phone blasting in her ear and startling her awake. She smacked the screen with her hand, planning on turning it off and continuing to sleeo but it seemed she had pressed answer instead. "Hello. Stella? Are you there? Stella please?" she heard quietly from her phone, making her lift her head from the pillow and squint her eyes at the bright screen.

She read the name Hardin, but it definitely wasn't him talking. "Hello?" she replied quietly. "Who is this."

"Hi... Uh, it's Landon. We have some classes together. I'm Hardin and Kingstons step-brother, I'm also friends with Tessa."

"What's so important that you had wake me up?" Stella huffed, rubbing her eyes so she was able to see more clearly. "Something's happened with Hardin. I don't really have the time to explain everything on the phone. Can you come over asap? I'll send you the adress, it's not far from campus, maybe 10 minutes?" Landon rambled, clearly stressed out which made Stella sigh.

"I'll be there in 5."

•❅───✧❅✦❅✧───❅•

"Are you finally going to explain why I'm actually here?" Stella questioned as Landon guided her threw their extremely large house. Holding his mothers cat in his arms. Just as she had asked the question they made it to the kitchen which was a complete mess. Glass was shartered everywhere. Chairs and plants thrown on the floor, the mirror by the door had been smashed. "What the fuck happened?"

"Um well. Okay, it started off about his father and then, your name sort of came up so I thought i'd call you. Kingstons not here and he won't talk to me so-"

"You thought he'd talk to me?" Stella finished his sentence with a nod. "I don't think he will." Landon sighed and Stella began to feel bad. "But I'll try."

Stella slowly made her way outside into the garden and towards the pool where Hardin was sat on a chair with a bottle of whiskey and a glass in his hand. Her presence hadn't caught his attention until she was only a meters apart. "I thought you didn't drink."

"What are you doing here," he said embarrassed.

"Landon called me," she replied. "And I was worried about you, after the party."

"Shouldn't you be, oh I don't know, having sex with Steph and Tristan or kissing Kingston." he scoffed.

Stella laughed out loud. "Are you kidding me?" she scoffed. "Okay, to start off with 1. I didn't have sex or kiss anyone, and even if I did, it is none of your buisness considering you've been stuck to Molly's side since you kissed me." She groaned. "It was a mistake coming here."

She turned to walk away when Hardin held onto her wrist. "Stay."

Stella sighed, contemplating her choices. "You made a real mess in there."

"I was celebrating." Landon said fakly, lifting his glass to the sky. "Haven't you heard? Dear old dad's getting married. You should see the dump my poor mum lives in back in London." he said, finishing the whiskey that was in his glass, lifting the bottle to pour another one.

"Don't you think you've had enough?" Stella spoke, taking a step forward. "I'll put it back." she out her hand out.

He held the bottle out and Stella gave him a small smile as she went to take it, but before she could grasp ahold of it, he had dropped it to the ground. The remaining liquid splashing onto her ugg boots making her groan. "God, Hardin! What the fuck is your problem."

She bent down to pick up some of the large pieces, her only thought being if the poor cat came outside that it may cut it's paws. "Don't," Hardin said, quickly standing. "Fuck, Stella." he mumbled as he looked down at the blood pouting from her hand. She hadn't even noticed that the glass had cut her.

"Come with me," he said as he bent down to her level, holding her hand in his so she'd drop the glass and led her into his bathroom. He wet a small towel with some alcohol, looking at Stella who nodded before he pressed it to her wound. "How is it possible for you to have no reaction from this?"

"I have a high pain tolerance," Stella gulped. "From what?" Hardin questioned further. "Tattoos." Stella lied quickly but with the look Hardin gave her, she knew he knew that she was lying.

"I didn't really have the best upbringing," Stella admitted. "My mum and dad separated before I was born. My dad never wanted a child and my mum didn't want to abort so she had me anyway. Which made him mad and he left. But my mum has never really had the best mental health, she's bipolar." Hardin's eyes softened at the information and Stella's eyes watered but she continued.

"It got really bad when I was about 6 years old, and she tried to kill herself. I found her in the bathroom after school one day. After than she got sent away for help, and I was forced to leave Scotland and move to Ireland with my father. My father that didn't want me in the first place."

"What happened then?" Hardin questioned warely.

"He was a very angry man," was all Stella replied with.

Hardin placed his free hand on top of Stella's. "I'm really sorry for how I treated you. There's no excuse for it. I shouldn't have let Molly flirt with me and I sure as hell shouldn't have done it back."

Stella nodded sadly. "As I've said, I've dealt with worse."

Hardin quickly shook his head, getting down on his knees infront of her, clasping both her hands in his. "But I don't want you to just deal with things, Stella. I already said that I didnt think we could just be friends, I think that even more so now. I shouldn't have left you. I shouldn't gave pushed you away after pulling you in. I am truly sorry."

"I don't know what to say, Hardin..." Stella sighed. "I like you," his eyes widened but her next words was like a stab to the heart. "But I shouldn't. I made a promise to myself that I would never fall for anyone. And you're making it extremely hard so I think I'm going to go before I do something I come to regret."

She stood up to leave but once again Hardin grasped her wrist. "Why would you make a promise like that."

"Love doesn't exist, Hardin." Stella replied. "It just ends in heartbreak. I learned that from my abusive father. And I learned that again from my abusive ex." she sighed, unable to keep the tears from falling this time. "I can't do it again. I refuse. I can't."

"I would never hurt you, Stella." Hardin shook his head, placing his hands on either side of her face and wiping the tears. "Never. Not intentionally. I want you more than anything."

"Do you promise?"

"I promise."

"I want you too."