(I haven't listed the songs I have been listening to while writing each chapter for a while, so here are the songs for this chapter. Not like the movies-Katy Perry, The one that got away-Katy Perry, Breathe-Taylor Swift, Somewhere only we know-Keane, I can barely say-The Fray, world of chances-demi lovato, I can't make you love me-bon iver, She will be loved-Maroon 5. All we'd ever need-Lady Antebellum)

Hardin's POV.

"I haven't really been shit lately, just hanging out. Tristan barely comes around anymore, he's stuck up Steph's ass." Jace takes a puff from his joint.

"Hmm." I take a drink from my beer and look around his shit apartment.

I don't even know I came here in the first place, but I didn't know where else to go and I sure as hell am not going back to that apartment tonight. I can't believe Tessa is with Zed, what the actual fuck.]Landon wouldn't call Tessa and trick her into coming back to my father's house no matter how many times I tried to force him to. He's a dick.

I have to admit I admire his loyalty to her but it not when it stands in the way of what I want.

Landon said I should allow Tessa to make the choice whether she wants to be with me or not but I know what she will choose, well I thought I did. I was compleltely blindsided by Zed picking her up last night and now I know she spent almost the entire weekend with him.

"What's going on with you?" Jace asks me, his pot smoke blowing right in my face.

"Nothing."

"I must say I was pretty surprised to have you show up at my door tonight after what happened the last time I saw you." He reminds me.

"You know why I'm here."

"Do I?" He taunts.

"Tessa and Zed, I know you know about it."

"Tessa? Tessa Young and Zed Evans?" He smiles.

"Tell me."

He needs to wipe that god damned smile of his face.

"I don't know anything about it, honest." He shrugs and takes another drag, small flakes of the white paper fall onto his lap but he doesn't seem to notice.

"You're never honest."

"Yes I am. So they are fucking?"

I nearly choke on my breath from his question.

"Don't fucking go there. Have you seen them together?" I breathe in and out slowly.

"Nope, I don't know anything about them. I thought he was dating some high school chick?" He puts his joint in the ashtray.

"So did I."

"So she ditched you for Zed?"

"Don't mock me, I'm not in the mood."

"You came here asking questions, I'm not mocking you." Jace sneers.

"I heard they were together on Friday and I wanted to know who was there."

"I don't know, I wasn't though. Don't you two live together or some shit?"

"Yes. Why do you think I'm so pissed about this shit with Zed."

"Well you know how he is.."

"I know." I cut him off.

I hate Jace, I really do. And Zed.

Couldn't Tessa have chosen Trevor to move on with?

Holy shit, I never thought I would consider that.

I roll my eyes and fight the urge to knock him through his coffee table. This is getting me no where, none of this is, the drinking, the anger, none of it.

"You're sure you don't know shit because if I find out you do I will kill you, you know that don't you?" I threaten, meaning every word.

"Yes dude, we all know how psychotic you are over this chick. Stop being such a dick."

"I'm just warning you." I tell him and he rolls his eyes.

Why did I start hanging out with him in the first place? He's a fucking slime ball and I should have let our so-called friendship end with me beating his ass.

"I'm going to bed now, it's four in the morning. You can crash on the couch if you want." He tells me and walks toward his bedroom.

"No, I'm good." I walk out the door.

It's four in the morning and I will never be able to sleep knowing she is with him. At his apartment. What if he's touching her? What if he spent this entire weekend touching her?

Would she fuck him to spite me?

No, I know her better than that. This is a girl who still blushes each time that I slide her panties down her thighs.

However Zed can be pretty convincing and he could have her drinking. I know she can't handle alcohol, two drinks and she starts cursing like a sailor and trying to unfasten my belt.

Fuck, if he gets her drunk and touches her..

I make a U-turn right in the middle of the intersection and hope there are no cops around to witness the illegal move. I don't give a shit really, as long as I talked my way out of the ticket in time to get to her.

Fuck this staying away from her shit, I may be a dick to her and I have treated her like shit but Zed is worse than me. I love her more than he, or any other man possibly could.

I know what I had now, I know what the fuck I had to lose and now that I've lost it I need it back. He can't have her, no one can. No one except me.

God damn it. Why didn't I just apologize to her at the party? That's what I should have done. I should have begged on my knees for her to forgive me and we could be in our bed together right now.

Zed is a fucking prick. Who the fuck does he think he is picking her up from that party? Is he serious?

My anger is getting the best of me again, I need to calm down before I get up these stairs. If I stay calm she will speak to me, I hope.

She must be crushed right now, I basically told her I didn't give a shit that she left me and then I pushed her to the ground when she tried to pull me off of Zed.

If I can get her to listen to me I can explain to her why I was pushing her away, that I was pretending not to care when I really care, so fucking much.

It's now four-thirty in the morning and here I am in front of Zed's apartment trying to calm myself down while I knock and wait impatiently.

Just as I am about to turn my knocking into pounding the door swings open revealing Tyler, Zed's roommate who I have spoken to a few times when they had parties here.

"Scott? What's up man?" He slurs.

He's either drunk and really fucking tired and it better the be the second option.

"Where's Zed?" I push past him, not wasting any time.

"Dude, you know it's like five in the morning right?" He rubs his eyes.

"Yeah, no shit. Where.." I notice the folded up blanket on the couch and it takes a moment for my brain to connect that the couch is empty.

Where is she if she's not on the couch?

Bile rises in my throat and I lose the ability to breathe for the hundredth time tonight.

When I open Zed's bedroom it's dark, near pitch black. Tessa's blonde hair is sprawled out on the pillow under her and Zed is shirtless.

Oh my fucking God.

I flip the light switch on and she stirs, rolling over and reaching for something...someone. Me.

Only Zed is there, in the fucking bed with her. She scrunches her eyes shut and then opens them slightly to find the source of disruption.

I try to think of what to say as I try to process the scene in front of me. Tess and Zed in bed, together.

"Hardin?" She whines and a frown takes over as she appears to wake up.

She looks over to Zed before she looks up at me, clearly shocked.

"What.. what are you doing here?" She asks frantically.

"What are you doing here! In bed with him?" I try my best not to shout, my fingernails dig into my palm.

If she fucked him I'm done, completely and utterly fucking done with her.

"How did you get in here?" She asks, her face full of sadness.

"Tyler let me in. You're in his bed? How could you be in his bed?"

Zed rolls over onto his back and wipes his eyes, he jumps when he sees me standing in the doorway.

"What the hell are you doing in my room?" He asks.

Don't Hardin. Stay still. I have to stay fucking still or someone will end up in the hospital. That someone is Zed but if I'm going to get her away from him I have to stay as calm as possible.

"I came to get you, let's go." I say to her and her eyebrows furrow.

"Excuse me?" Here comes the infamous Tessa attitude.

"You can't just come to my apartment and tell her to leave." Zed moves to get out of bed in only his boxers and loose gym shorts.

I don't think I can stay calm.

"I can, and I just did. Tessa..." I wait for her to get off the bed but she doesn't move.

"I'm not going anywhere with you." She tells me.

"You heard her mate, she's not coming with you." Zed taunts me.

"I wouldn't start that shit right now, I am trying with every fucking fiber of my being not to do anything that I will regret so just shut the fuck up." I growl.

"It's my apartment, my bedroom at that and she doesn't want to go with you so she's not. If you want to fight me then go ahead but I'm not going to force her to go if she doesn't want to." He tells me and gives her the fakest concerned expression I have ever seen.

"That's the plan isn't it? You get me mad enough so I beat your ass and she will feel bad for you and I will be the monster who everyone is afraid of? Don't buy into this shit Tessa!" I shout.

I can't stand the fact that she is still sitting in his bed, and even more I can't stand the fact that I can't beat the shit out of him for it.

That's exactly what he wants.

"Just go." She sighs.

"Tessa, listen to me. He isn't who you think he is, he's not Mr. Fucking innocent."

"And how's that?" She challenges.

"Because.. well I don't know yet but I know he's using you for something. He wants to fuck you, you know he does." I tell her, struggling to keep ahold of my emotions.

"No he doesn't." She is getting angry.

"You should just go, she doesn't want to leave. You're making a fool out of yourself." When the words leave his busted lip my body starts to shake.

I have way too much anger that I need to let out.

"I warned you..to shut the fuck up. Tessa stop being difficult and let's go. We need to talk."

"It's the middle of the night and you.." She begins but I cut her off.

"Please Tessa." Her expression changes from my words and I have no idea why.

"No Hardin, you can't just come here and demand that I leave with you!"

"Don't make me call the cops." He says and that's it.

I take a step toward him but Tessa jumps up off the bed and steps between us.

"Don't. Not again." She begs, her eyes staring directly into mine.

"Then come with me. You can't trust him." I tell her.

"And she can trust you? You blew it, just face it. She deserves better than you and if you would just let her be happy.." Zed comments.

"Let her be happy? With you? As if you actually want a relationship with her? I know you only want to get in her pants!"

"That's not true! I care about her and I could treat her better than you ever did!" He shouts back and Tessa presses her palms against my chest.

I know it's stupid but I can't help but revel in her touch, the way her hands feel against me. I haven't felt her touch in so long.

"Both of you stop please! Hardin you have to go."

"I'm not leaving Tessa, you are too niave, he could give a shit less about you!" I yell in her face.

She doesn't even blink.

"And you do? You were 'too busy' to call me for eleven days! He was there when you weren't and if..." She shouts back as my eyes travel down to her clothes.

Is she? She isn't..

I take a step back to find out for sure.

"Are those..what the hell are you wearing?" I stutter and begin to pace back and forth.

She looks down, seeming to have forgotten her attire.

"Are those his fucking clothes?!" I nearly scream. my voice cracks and I tug at my hair.

"Hardin.." She tries to speak.

"They are." Zed answers for her.

If she's wearing his clothes..

"Did you fuck him?" I croak, tears threatening to spill at any given moment.

"No! Of course not!"

"Tell me the truth right fucking now Tessa! Did you fuck him?"

"I already answered you!" She shouts back.

Zed stands back and watches with a worried look on his bruised face. I should have done more damage.

"Did you touch him? Oh my fucking god! Did he touch you?" I am frantic and I don't give a shit.

I can't handle this, if he touched her I couldn't stand it, I wouldn't be able to.

I turn to Zed before either of them can answer.

"If you touched her at all, I swear to fucking god I don't give a shit if she's here or not I will..." She steps between us again.

"Get out of my apartment now or I'm calling the police." Zed threatens me.

"The police? You think I give a flying.."

"I'll go." Tessa's voice is soft in the middle of the chaos.

"What?" Both Zed and I say in unison.

"I'll go with you Hardin, only because I know you won't leave unless I do."

I don't give a fuck why she's coming, only that she is.

"Tessa you don't have to, I can call the cops. You don't have to leave with him. This is what he does, he controls you by frightening you and everyone around you." Zed says to her.

"I know.. but I'm exhausted and it's five in the morning, this is the easiest way." She sighs.

"It doesn't have to.."

"She is coming with me." I tell him and Tessa shoots me a glare that would surely kill me if it could.

"I will call you tomorrow, I'm so sorry that he came here." She tells him and he nods.

He's fucking sulking and she better not fall for it.

I'm actually really surprised that she is agreeing to come with me so easily but she does know me better than anyone else and she was right when she said I wouldn't leave until she came with me.

"Dont apologize. Be careful and if you need anything, don't hesitate for a moment to call me." He says to her.

It must suck to be a little bitch and not be able to do shit about me showing up at his apartment in the middle of the night and taking Tessa with me.

She doesn't speak a word to me as she walks out of his bedroom and stalks to the bathroom across the hall.

"Don't come near her again, I've already warned you before and you haven't gotten the hint yet." I say when I reach the door.

He lowers his eyes at me and if it weren't for Tessa calling my name from the living room I would have snapped his neck.

"If you hurt her I swear to god I will make it the last time!" He says loud enough for her to hear as we walk through the door and out into the snow.

"He's playing you." I tell her.

She scales the stairs in high heels and his fucking boxers. It's a ridiculous pairing but I assume she doesn't have other shoes which may be a good sign that she didn't plan on staying the night. But she still did, and I'm fucking disgusted that she was in his bed. I can't stand to look at her in those clothes. This is the first time that I don't want to look at her. Her red dress is in her arms and I know she is freezing.

"Here, put my coat on." I shrug out of my coat and try to hand it to her.

"Don't speak to me and take me to Landon's." She snaps and waits by my car for me to unlock it.

I don't even mind her anger towards me, I welcome it. I am so relieved and so damn happy that she left with me at all. She could curse me out the entire way home and I would enjoy every word falling from her full lips. I am angry too, angry at her for running to Zed. Angry at myself for trying to push her away.

"I have so much to tell you." I attempt to talk to her again when I pull onto my father's street.

"I don't want to hear it, you had your chance to talk to me for the past eleven days." She holds her ground.

Whether she wants to hear it or not, she's going to.

(please vote and comment. ily all, Ive been trying to answer more of my inbox messages and I am planning to update the interview questions this week!! xo)