The After franchise isn’t just another steamy YA romance series—it’s a layered exploration of emotional transformation, self-destruction, and ultimately, healing. At the heart of this stormy saga is the intense, magnetic relationship between Hardin Scott and Tessa Young. But while Tessa’s emotional journey is carefully mapped out, fans have long debated one major question: when did Hardin actually fall in love with Tessa?
Was it in a single electric moment? A gradual realization? Or a dramatic turning point? The truth lies somewhere in between—a fusion of emotional evolution, vulnerability, and consequences. Let’s follow Hardin’s emotional timeline and uncover the exact point when his feelings turned from a reckless dare into something life-altering.
It all begins with the infamous bet—a cruel challenge that sets the entire story into motion. Hardin, emotionally guarded and angry at the world, accepts a dare to seduce the seemingly naive and rule-abiding Tessa Young. At first, she’s just another conquest, another way to prove his emotional detachment. But from the beginning, things don’t go as planned.
Tessa challenges him. She doesn’t fall for his charm like everyone else. She calls him out, argues back, and remains firm in her beliefs. This resistance sparks something in Hardin—first intrigue, then frustration, and soon… admiration. It’s subtle at first, masked behind arrogance and manipulation, but the shift is undeniable. Even Hardin’s friends notice he’s acting differently around her.
Before Hardin even realizes it himself, the signs are there. He becomes protective of her, jealous when she’s with other guys, and noticeably vulnerable when she’s near. She disarms him in ways no one ever has. He opens up about his past, shares his love for books, and starts craving her presence in quiet moments. These aren’t signs of a guy playing a game—these are the early ripples of falling in love.
One of the most telling turning points is the iconic library scene. In both the book and film adaptation, Hardin and Tessa share a moment of emotional connection over Wuthering Heights. It’s here that he drops the act and connects with her intellectually and emotionally. For a character who has built his identity around distance and control, this shared vulnerability marks a significant shift. The scene isn’t dramatic—but it’s intimate, and for Hardin, that intimacy is dangerous. And real.
But the truth is, Hardin doesn’t fully understand the depth of his feelings until he’s forced to face what he’s done. When the bet is exposed and Tessa finds out the horrible truth, she leaves him—crushed, humiliated, and heartbroken. It’s in the aftermath of that betrayal that everything becomes clear for Hardin.
He doesn’t just feel guilty—he’s devastated. The pain of losing Tessa cuts deeper than anything he’s ever experienced. He doesn’t lash out or move on. Instead, he spirals into regret, obsession, and ultimately, emotional reckoning. This is the moment where lust and ego die—and real love begins.
In After We Collided, Hardin reflects on his mistakes. He admits that falling in love wasn’t sudden. It was a process—something he didn’t even notice happening. In his journal entries and late-night confessions to Landon, he reveals that he tried to push Tessa away but couldn’t. She was the one person who saw through him. The only one who stayed. And that meant everything.
One of the most vulnerable moments comes in the movie-exclusive beach scene, where Hardin tells Tessa, “You’re the only person who makes me feel like I exist.” That single sentence sums up his emotional journey. For someone like Hardin—haunted by childhood trauma, abandonment, and inner rage—Tessa represented peace. Clarity. Love. Not the easy kind, but the kind that demands growth and honesty.
What makes Hardin and Tessa’s story so compelling is that it doesn’t rely on cliché love-at-first-sight moments. Instead, it’s raw, messy, and deeply human. Hardin’s love for Tessa doesn’t appear overnight. It builds in silence, under the surface, through shared glances, heated arguments, and emotional collisions. And when he finally realizes the truth, it’s not a romantic revelation—it’s a painful awakening.
