A couple of hours after Christian Vance reveals to Hardin he is Hardin's biological father, Hardin returns to his mother's wedding reception with Tessa, where he confronts her about the deception. Vance tries to explain himself, but Hardin storms off with a bottle of whiskey. That evening, Tessa finds a drunk Hardin breaking into Trish's house and setting the place on fire. Hardin realizes his mistake and tries to put the fire out, to no avail, but Vance arrives and sneaks Hardin out the back to Tessa's car as the fire department arrives. Hardin wakes up the next morning and Tessa tells him Vance told the police he had set the fire himself. They drive to a hill where they have sex.

Tessa and Hardin return to their hotel where she confides in Kimberley, Vance's fiancee, about her problems dealing with Hardin's anger issues before discovering Hardin has left the hotel. Tessa tracks him down to a party where she finds him drunk and high. She offers him a chance to leave with her, but he declines and she returns to the US. Upon returning to her apartment, Tessa finds her father, dead from an apparent overdose. Landon calls Hardin dozens of times to let him know before he finally picks up. He returns to Tessa and tries to comfort her, but she hides from him. Hardin argues with her mom, Carol, about whether he's good for Tessa and how he always abandons her.

Still, Hardin, along with Landon, attends Richard's funeral to support Tessa. Hardin and Tessa go to a dinner hosted by Hardin's dad, Ken, and Landon's mom, Karen, along with Landon and his friend, Nora, to say farewell to Landon as he moves to New York for school, where Nora also lives. After dinner, Tessa brings Hardin outside to talk. She tells him they need time apart to heal from their recent family traumas and she's decided to leave Vance Publishing to move to New York with Landon. Hardin is hurt by the bombshell and nearly hits Landon out of rage for not telling him, but Landon reminds him he is also Tessa's friend as much as Hardin is his brother. Tessa gives Hardin an ultimatum that if he loves her, he'll not follow her to New York and let them have their time apart, to which he reluctantly agrees.

Tessa moves in with Landon and starts working with Nora at a fancy restaurant and Hardin starts going to AA and graduates from university. Months later, Hardin comes to New York for work and Landon offers to host him. Tessa takes double shifts to avoid Hardin, but Landon and Hardin come to her restaurant and request her as their server. Hardin stays until she's off work and they talk about how they've been; Hardin's sobriety and Tessa waiting to get accepted into NYU. Over the next couple of days, they spend time together, slowly reconnecting, during which Landon finally starts a romantic relationship with Nora, much to Hardin and Tessa's happiness. One night when Landon is at Nora's, Tessa and Hardin give in and have sex again. The next morning after Hardin leaves, Tessa finds a book in his bag, titled "After", documenting their entire relationship. When Hardin returns, Tessa confronts him about the book, not wanting her life to be published for everyone to read about, but Hardin tells her there's already a bidding war for the book. He had read his journal during therapy and a publisher ended up reading it and everything escalated since. Tessa declares that their relationship is officially over.

Sometime later, Hardin's book has been named a New York Times Best Seller. With not many friends at school and Landon having basically moved in with Nora, Tessa reaches out to Robert, Nora's friend, for company. That night, Tessa sneaks into Hardin's book signing without him knowing so she can listen in. She misinterprets a look between Hardin and a woman and as Tessa leaves, Hardin glimpses her.