Tessa's POV.

"So how is school coming along? It's been a while since you've spoken to me." My mother says as we pull into the mall.

My knee is killing me and the last thing that I want to do is walk around the mall with my mother.. no the last thing I want to do is go to the apartment and face Hardin. I know what I have to do, I just don't think I'm ready to do it.

"It's okay. I just started a new semester." I tell her.

It's really strange to be having such a civil conversation with her right now but it's better than fighting.

"That's good. How are things with Hardin?" She asks.

"Do you want to go there?" I respond.

"No, I guess I don't. Let's just get you some new clothes." She fakes a smile and we head inside.

The entire trip is a blur and my head begins to pound by the time my mother has tried on at least ten dresses at Sak's.

"Let's go to Macy's then we will go." She says after deciding none of them are up to par.

"No." I hastily respond.

"Why not? You love Macy's."

"No.. I don't."

All I can think of is Hardin and I in Macy's.

"Okay..well can you wait outside while I go inside because I happen to still like Macy's." She says and I nod.

She would have me waiting outside of a store the same day I got a concussion. I take a seat on the bench outside of the store and wait for my mother. I could have just went in because I can't stop thinking about him anyway.

I will have to have my mother take me to get my clothes unless I have Landon come pick me up. I don't want Landon to think I'm using him since I am already staying at his house. This isn't a good time for me to finally stand up to Hardin, he should have waited to cheat on me until I got my car fixed.

I laugh at my stupidity and pick at the small tear in the new jeans my mother insisted she buy me, apparently ripped and blood stained jeans aren't acceptable to walk around the mall in. I find it oddly amusing that these new jeans aren't perfect either and I picture my mothers expression as she sees the tear. Maybe it's the pain pills that have me giggle to myself.

"Tessa?" A female voice says.

When I look up Rebecca is standing in front of me with a Starbucks cup in one hand and a shopping bag in the other.

"Hey." I manage a smile.

"What happened girl?" She sits next to me.

"I was in an accident. Just a fender-bender." I explain.

 I hope my mother doesn't take too long.

"Wow, that really sucks."

"Yeah, I guess." I don't know what to say to her.

"They didn't have much, now I see why you no longer shop here." My mother says as she walks up to us.

"I need to go, Mark from my office just called and I need to get back. Are you ready?" She asks then notices Rebecca.

"Hi, I'm Tessa's mother."

"I'm her friend Rebecca." She smiles at my mother. Friend? No.

"Oh, do you think you could give her a ride home? I really need to go and I have a two hour drive ahead of me." My mother asks Rebecca.

"No, that's.." I begin to say.

"Sure, that's fine." Rebecca smiles.

Great. This day couldn't possibly get worse.

"Thank you so much! And Theresa if you need anything, just call me or come home." She says while hugging me and kissing my cheek.

Her behavior today has been so confusing.

"Okay.." I answer slowly and hug her back.

After she disappears Rebecca smiles at me and offers me a drink of her strawberry Frappuccino. Who does that? I don't even know her, why would I drink after her?

"I'm really sorry she asked you to do this, I could have called my friend. I still can if this puts you out or messes with your plans." I tell her.

"No! It's fine really! I don't mind at all. I'm sure you've had a long enough day." She smiles.

"You have no idea." I reply and stand from the bench.

I am going to have to dig some more pain pills out of my bag when I get to the apartment. Then what? I will need to call Landon I guess.. unless I have Rebecca take me home then to Landon's? That's a lot to ask this girl that I don't even know.

"I'm sure Zed won't mind if we make a stop or two." She says and my stomach drops.

"Zed is with you?" I gape.

"Yeah, he's in Zumiez right now."

"Oh." I try to act like this information doesn't matter.

Why should it?

It doesn't really, I just don't want to see anyone else today, especially someone who reminds me of Hardin.

"We can meet him there now if you're ready, you are limping." She looks back at me.

"Yeah. That's fine." I should have just called Landon.

When we meet Zed in the store he is wearing a plain white shirt with cut off sleeves and his leather jacket is tied loosely around his waist. His black jeans hang loosely, much looser than Hardin's and his high top boots are barely tied. Him and Rebecca really do look good together I suppose, she is incredibly beautiful.

"Tessa? What the hell?" Zed's eyes grow wide at my appearance.

"She was in a wreck." Rebecca tells him and wraps her arm around his waist.

"A wreck? Are you okay? Jesus, look at your face." He says, taking in my injuries.

"Thanks." I grumble and he smiles.

"Sorry, it just caught me off guard. You're okay though right?" He asks, concern clear in his voice.

"Yeah, I'm okay."

"I told her mom I would take her home." Rebecca chimes in, moving closer to Zed.

"Oh?" He questions.

"Yeah, my mother was here because of the accident and she had to leave and Rebecca was there and she asked her. I can call Landon though and have him come." I ramble.

"Where's Hardin?" Zed asks the inevitable question.

"He's..uhm,. well.." I stutter.

"Never mind. It's cool either way." Zed says, letting me off the hook.

If anyone is used to Hardin and I's rollercoaster relationship, it's Zed. He was the one who said that we both need to get our shit together, he was right.

Rebecca's car is nice but messy inside. I cringe as trash crunches under my feet in the backseat.

"Where do you live?" She asks as she takes Zed's hand onto her lap.

I stare out the window and am thankful when Zed begins to give her directions to my apartment. When she pulls up outside Zed opens his door and climbs out.

"What are you doing?" I ask him.

"Walking you up, you flinch every time you take a step, you think I'm going to let you walk up there yourself?" He asks.

'"I don't know if.."

"I'll be fine." He says, and I hope Hardin isn't home.

Hardin's POV.

"You can leave now." I tell Landon and reach for my beer.

He snatches it from my hand and walks into the kitchen.

"You're really fucking pushing it." I warn him.

"You are being an idiot and you know it. You're here getting shit faced while she is hurt and you don't even care!" He yells.

"Stop yelling at me, fuck!" I twist my fingers into my hair, tugging at the roots.

"I do care. But she isn't going to believe me." I add.

"Do you blame her? You should have just came home, or how about this, never left at all?" He says.

"Well I did so let's not play the what-if game."

"How can you be so uncaring? She loves you so much."

"Now she does." I pick up an empty bottle of water and move it slowly in my hands.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He looks toward the couch to sit down but seems to change his mind.

"Nothing. I just don't know what to do except apologize. She is stubborn as hell."

"You haven't even apologized, you haven't tried to talk to her at all."

"I will when she comes home without her mum."

"She isn't coming home, she's staying with us." He tells me.

The water bottle crunches and collapse in my hand from my grip.

"What?"

"Yeah, I told you she was done with you." He throws in my face.

God I want to fucking hit him.

"I know she is but she is staying here."

"See that's your problem! You always assume she will do everything you say!" Landon shouts.

Enough with the fucking shouting.

"She doesn't need.." Keys jingle from the hall and the door opens.

Tessa.

And Zed.

I can't see straight as I get up and move towards the door.

"What the fuck is this shit?" I scream.

Tessa takes a step back and catches herself on the wall behind her.

"Hardin stop!" She yells at me.

"No! Fuck this! I am sick of you coming around every time shit goes down!" I shove my hands against his chest.

"Stop it!" Tessa yells again.

Her lip is even more swollen than it was earlier and her face is covered in bruises, reminding me that this is my fault.

"Please." She says, then looks at Landon.

"What are you doing here?" She asks him.

"I..I came to talk to him." He lies.

"He came here trying to fight me actually." I tell her and her eyes nearly come out of their sockets.

"What?" Her busted mouth is wide open.

"I'll tell you later." Landon says to her.

Zed is breathing hard and he is staring at her. How could she bring him here after everything? Of course she would go running to him.

"Thanks for bringing me home, you better go." She turns to Zed.

"Are you sure?" He asks her.

"Get the fuck out, don't you have a girlfriend of your own to bother?" I ask and the brunette from the other night takes a step inside the apartment.

Shit. Okay then. Even if he has a girl with him I still don't want him around Tessa. I know how he feels about her, hot girlfriend or not.

"Thank you again for bringing me home." Tessa says to the two of them.

Rebecca looks slightly afraid and Zed looks as pissed as ever as they leave the apartment, shutting the door behind them.

I can't control my anger as Tessa turns to me with a scowl on her face.

"I'm getting my clothes and I'll be ready." She tells Landon and walks into the bedroom.

I follow her of course.

"Why did you call him for a ride?" I shout behind her.

"I didn't call him! I was at the mall with my mother and Rebecca was there and she somehow got volunteered to take me home because my mother had to leave. Not that it's any of your business." She snaps.

"Of course it's my business! Let me guess you were quick to tell him how fucked up I am." I growl back at her.

"No! I didn't tell him anything actually, but I'm sure he already knows that."

"Are you going to let me explain my side of this or are you going to jump to conclusions like you always do?" I ask her.

"The conclusions are usually right! But yeah go ahead and explain!" She remarks, attempting to pull her suitcase from the top shelf in the closet.

"Move." I say.

I walk over and gently move her out of the way to grab it for her.

"I shouldn't have left last night." I tell her.

"Really?" She sarcastically says.

"Yes really. I shouldn't have left and I shouldn't have drank so much but I didn't cheat on you. I wouldn't do that. I only slept at her house, that's it." I explain.

"Then why lie?"

"I don't know.. because I knew you wouldn't believe me if I told you."

"You could have at least tried. It's really hard to believe you when you blatantly lie Hardin."

"I know, I'm sorry okay?" I put my arms in the air.

"No it's not okay! You always do this! You expect me to just forgive you for everything. I'm still not over what you said about our future.. well non existent future, then you go and stay out all night at another girl's house and lie about it."

"It's not that big of a deal, I didn't do anything with her." I defend myself as she neatly places her clothes into the suitcase.

"So what if I got wasted and stayed the night at Zed's house? What would you do?" She asks me and the thought nearly sends me over the edge.

"I'd fucking kill him."

"So it's not a big deal when you do it, only if it were me?" She calls me out on my double standard.

"None of this even matters, you made it clear that I am only temporary in your life." Tessa says.

She walks out of the room and into the bathroom across the hall to get her toiletries. She really is going with Landon to my father's house. This is bullshit. She isn't temporary to me, how could she even think that? Probably because of all the shit I said to her last night and my lack of words today.

"You know I'm not going to let this go." I tell her when she zips her suitcase.

"Well I am leaving."

"Why? You know you'll be back." My anger speaks for me.

"That's exactly why I'm leaving." She says, her voice shaky as she grabs her suitcase and leaves the room without looking back.

Why the hell did I just say that?

"I'll carry that." I hear Landon tell her from the living room just before the front door opens. As it slams shut, I lean my back against the wall and slide to the floor.

Tessa's POV.

"He didn't even try, Landon." I finally begin to sob as Landon closes the car door for me.

"He's just..I don't know what his problem is. He takes one step forward and two steps back." He shakes his head and starts the car.

"This feels like the twentieth time I have left him."

"It is." He smiles.

"I'm an idiot, aren't I?"

"No Tess, you're not."

"Then why isn't this working? No matter what I do I feel like he fights back and continues to push me away. One day he's writing me a letter.." I forgot the letter. Of course I did. If he throws it away I will be crushed.

"Then the next he's telling me if I don't like what he's saying, he can leave." I finish.

"Hasn't he always done this though? Not judging, just asking."

"Yeah he's always done this back and forth but lately it was like there was a breakthrough or something after Nat..after everything over Christmas break." I explain without disclosing the information about Natalie.

"And thank you for not judging me." I say.

"I would never judge you, I don't necessarily agree with your relationship but I know how much you love him and I am not going to make you feel bad for it."  He tells me.

What could I have possibly done to have someone like Landon in my life. He is always there for me, never judges me, and he genuinely cares for me. I can't imagine if I were going through all of this mess without him.

"Did you really try to fight him?" I ask him.

"Yeah.. I don't know what came over me but he actually seemed frightened for a moment." He says and we both burst into laughter.

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