The songs for this chapter are:

 Flawless- The Neighbourhood

She is- The Fray

She will be loved - Maroon 5

Hardin's POV.

"Are you going to wake him up?" Kimberly asks Tessa when I enter the kitchen. It's a little past eight and Tessa is fully dressed.

Shit, it's Monday already. She has to go to work and I have to drive back to Pullman. I'll miss today's classes but I couldn't care less. I'll have my diploma in less than two months.

"I'm up," I groan, still groggy from sleep. I slept more peacefully last night than I have all week. My first night here we were up nearly the entire night.

"Hey," Tessa's smile lights the dim room and Kimberly covertly slides off of the high stool and leaves us alone in the kitchen.

For once, she doesn't annoy me.

"How long have you been up?" I ask her.

"Two hours. Mr. Vance said I could have an extra hour since you weren't awake."

"You should have woken me up earlier." My eyes greedily rake down her body. She's dressed in a deep red button down shirt tucked into a solid black, knee length pencil skirt. The material hugs her hips in a way that makes me want to bend her over the stool, push her skirt up to reveal her lace panties underneath, and take her right here, right now..

"What?" She calls me out from my thoughts. The front door closes and I'm relieved that we are finally alone in the massive house.

"Nothing," I lie and walk over to the half-full coffee pot. "You'd think they would have a Keurig, rich bastards."

Tessa laughs at my remark, "I'm glad they don't, I hate those things." She leans on her elbows on the kitchen island and her hair falls down to frame her face.

"Me too." I glance around the spacious kitchen and back to Tessa's chest as she stands up straight. "What time do you have to leave?" I ask her. She crosses her arms in front of her chest, blocking my view.

"Twenty minutes."

"Damn it," I sigh and we both bring our coffee mugs to our mouths at the same time."You should have woken me up. Tell Vance you're not coming in."

"No!" She blows at the steaming cup of coffee in her hand.

"Yes."

"No," her voice is firm, "I can't take advantage of my personal relationship with him,"

Her choice of words sends an unwelcomed annoyance through me.

"It's not a personal relationship. You're staying here because you are friends with Kimberly and ultimately because I introduced you to Vance in the first place." I remind her, knowing just how annoyed she gets when I bring that up to her.

Her gray eyes roll back dramatically and she strides across the deep hardwood flooring, her heels clicking loudly as she passes me. My fingers hook around her elbow, halting her dramatic exit and I pull her to my chest.

"Where do you think you're going?" I press my lips against the base of her throat.

"To my room to grab my bag," the heavy rise and fall of her chest completely contradicts her cool tone and cooler gaze.

"Tell him you need more time." I demand, barely brushing my lips over the flushed skin below her neck. She tries to appear unaffected by my touch but I know better, I know her body better than she does.

"No," she makes a minimal effort to pull away, just to be able to pretend that she did, "I don't want to take advantage of him, they are already letting me stay here for free."

"I'll call him then," I'm not budging. He doesn't need her there today. He already has her three days a week. I need her more than Vance Publishing does.

"Hardin," she reaches for my hand before I can dig into my pocket to retrieve my cell phone. "I'll call Kim." She frowns and I'm surprised and very grateful that she gave in so quickly.

Tessa's POV.

 "Kim, hey it's Tessa. I was-"

"Go ahead, I already told Christian you wouldn't likely be in today." She cuts me off.

"I'm sorry for asking I-"

"Tessa, it's fine. We get it." The sincerity in her voice makes me smile despite my annoyance toward Hardin. It's nice to finally have a female friend. The weight of Steph's betrayal is something I'm having a hard time lifting from my chest. I look around my temporary bedroom and remind myself that I'm hours away from her, from Pullman, and from all the fake friends I thought I had made during my first semester at college. This is my life now. Seattle is where I belong and I'll never have to see Steph or any of them again.

"Thank you so much," I tell her.

"You don't have to thank me. Just remember that all the main rooms in the house are under surveillance," Kimberly laughs. "I'm sure after the gym incident you wouldn't forget that," my eyes dart up to Hardin as he enters the bedroom. 

His expectant grin and the way those dark blue jeans hang low on his hips, distracts me from Kimberly's words. I have to scramble to remember what she said only seconds ago.

The gym? Oh god. My blood runs cold and Hardin stalks toward me.

"Uhm yeah." I mumble, holding my hand up to stop Hardin from coming any closer.

"Have fun," Kimberly ends the call.

"They have cameras in the gym! They saw us!" I panic.

"They turned it off before they saw anything." He shrugs as if nothing has happened.

"Hardin! They know we.. you know, in their gym!" My hands fly through the air in front of me. "I'm so mortified!" I cover my face with my hands but they are quickly removed by Hardin's large hands forcing them down.

"They didnt see anything. I spoke to them already. Calm down." He instructs. "Don't you think I would have lost my shit if he had actually seen anything on tape?"

I slightly relax. He's right, he would have been much more upset than he appears to be right now but that doesn't mean that I'm not completely humilated by the fact that they know what action followed after they stopped the tape.

"It's not saved anywhere or anything right?" I can't help but ask the question. My fingertip traces over the small cross tattoo on Hardin's hand.

"What is that supposed to mean?" He lowers his eyes at me defensively.

Hardin's ...old hobbies flash through my mind.

"That's not what I meant." I quickly explain.

"You sure?" I watch as his features harden and his eyes fill with guilt.

"Don't." I close the small space between us.

"Don't what?" He asks.

I can read his thoughts in this moment, I can see him reliving the terrible things he has done.

"Don't do that, don't go back there."

"I can't help it." He rubs his hand down his face in a slow yet frenzied motion. "Is that what you were thinking? That I knew about the tape and let him watch it?"

"What? No! I would never think that." I answer him honestly. " I only connected the two when you said something. I was just being paranoid," my fingers wrap around the tattered collar of his black t-shirt. "I know you would never do that." I stare into his eyes, forcing him to believe me.

"If anyone ever did something like that to you," he stops, taking a long pause and a deep breath, "I don't know what I would do to them, even Vance." He grimly admits. Hardin's temper is something I've grown very familiar with over the last six months.

"They wouldn't." I stand on my tip-toes to reconnect our eyes.

"They almost did though, only last week." A shudder shakes his shoulders and I desperately search for the right thing to say to him to pull him out of this sudden mood change.

"Nothing happened." The obvious role reversal of me comforting him now when the trauma was actually mine to hold, Is incredibly ironic but it speaks true to the nature of our relationship and Hardin's need to blame himself for things he could not control.

"If he would have been inside of you," the words bring back the vague flashes of memories from that night, Dan's fingers running up my thigh, Steph pulling at my dress.

"I don't want to discuss the hypothetical," I lean into him and his arms wrap around my waist, caging me, protecting me from nonexistent threats.

"We have barely discussed it at all." He glowers.

"I don't want to. We talked about it enough at my mother's house and this is not how I want to spend my newly cleared afternoon." I give him the best smile I can manage in a failed attempt to lighten the mood.

"I couldn't bear anyone else being with you, especially that way." Hardin's expression has not lightened, only intensified. His green eyes burn into mine and the rough grip of his fingers tightens on the span of my hips. 

"I know," is all I can  manage to say to him.

"Only me. I'm the only one." He reminds me for what has to be the thousandth time since I've met him. I could hear him say it one thousand more and the words would never feel overused.

"You are. Nothing has changed, nothing happened. I'm sorry for mentioning the-" I'm interrupted by his mouth on mine, possessing me, proving his statement to both me and himself. His tongue is hard, pushing through my lips to massage mine.  Hardin's fingertips dig into my hips even further and I whimper as his hands glide up my stomach to my chest. Hardin cups my breasts, and I push into his body further, filling his greedy hands.

"Show me that it's only me," he whispers into my mouth and I know exactly what he wants, what he needs.

I drop to my knees in front of him and hastily tug at the lone button on his jeans. The zipper proves to be more of a problem and I briefly consider ripping the jagged metal lining and destroying the jeans all together. However, I can't bring myself to do it considering how hot Hardin looks in the tight blue jeans. My fingertips slowly graze over the light dusting of hair leading from Hardin's navel to the waistband of his boxers and he groans impatiently.

"Please," he begs, "no teasing."

I give a small nod and pull his boxers down, letting them pool at his calves, along with the bunched up jeans. Hardin groans once more, this time the noise is much louder, much more primal, as I take him into my mouth. Slow movements and flicks of my tongue say the things that I try to instill in his paranoid mind, reassuring him that these acts of pleasure and love are only for him.

I love him. I'm aware that this may not be the healthiest way to handle his insecurities, but my need for him is stronger than my subconscious who, at the moment, is smugly waving a self-help book in front of my face.

"I fucking love that I'm the only man who has had your mouth," he groans as I use one hand to take what my mouth cannot. "Those lips have only been wrapped around me," a quick movement of his hips gags me and he reaches down to run his thumb along my forehead.

"Look at me," he instructs and I happily comply. I'm enjoying this just as much as he is. I always do. I love the way his eyelids fall closed with each long stroke of my tongue against him. I love the way he grunts and groans when I add more suction.

"Fuck, you know exactly," his head rolls back and I can feel the muscles in his legs tightening udder my hand resting on him to steady myself.

"I'm the only man who you will ever be on your knees in front of,"

I press my thighs together to relieve some of the tension caused by his filthy mouth. Hardin uses one hand to steady himself against the wall as my mouth brings him closer and closer to his high. I keep my eyes on his, knowing that it drives him absolutely crazy. His free hand moves down from the top of my head to my mouth and he runs the pad of his thumb across my top lip where he moves in and out at a quickening pace.

"Fuck, Tess." His body goes rigid as he tells how good it feels, how much he loves me, while releasing into my mouth.

The moment I'm on my feet next to him, he's pulling me into his arms, hugging me in an intimate gesture that nearly overwhelms me.

"I'm sorry for dragging all that shit up." He whispers into my hair.

"Shh," I whisper back, not wanting to backtrack into the dark conversation we held only minutes ago.

"Bend over the bed," Hardin says and it takes a moment to register his words. He doesn't give me an opportunity to respond before he's gently pushing his palm against the small of my back, guiding me to the edge of the bed. His hands grip my thighs, pushing my skirt up my legs until my entire behind is bared to him.

I want him so badly that it physically hurts. An ache that only he can soothe. As I move to step out of my shoes, he presses his palm against my back again.

"No, leave them on." He growls.

I groan as my panties are pushed to the side and he fills me in the way only he has and ever will. I lust for him, but it's nothing compared to the overwhelming, all consuming, judgment altering, love that I have for him and I know deep down, deep in the depth of me that only he and I can see, that it will always be only him.

...

"I don't want to go," Hardin whines and in a very un-Hardin like gesture, he leans his head down and buries it into my shoulder, wrapping his arms and legs around my body. His thick hair tickles my skin. I try to tame it with my fingers but there is simply too much of it.

"I need a hair-cut," he answers my thoughts.

"I like it this way," I gently tug at the dampened strands.

"You wouldn't tell me if you didn't." He calls me out. He's right, but only because I couldn't imagine a hair style on Hardin that wouldn't flatter him and I happen to love his hair this length.

"Your phone is ringing again," I point out and he lifts his head to shoot me a glare. "Something could be wrong with my father and I'm trying my best not to freak out and I really want to trust you so please just answer it," I ramble.

"If it's something with your father Landon can handle it, Tessa."

"Hardin, you know how hard it is for me not-"

"Tessa," he silences me and climbs off of the bed to retrieve the vibrating phone from the desk across the room.

"See, it's my mum." He holds the screen up so the word Anne is clear from where he stands. I really wish he would listen to me and change her name in his phone but he refuses. Baby steps, I remind myself.

"Answer it! It could be an emergency," I climb off of the bed and try to grab the phone from his quick hands.

"She's fine. She's been pestering me all morning." Hardin childishly holds the phone up over my head.

"About what?" I ask him and watch as he turns the power off on the device.

"Nothing important. You know how annoying she can be,"

"She's not annoying." I defend Anne. She's very sweet and I love her sense of humor. Something which her son could use more of.

"You're just as annoying as she is so I suspected you would say that." He grins. His long fingers reach out to tuck my hair behind my ears.

"You're being awfully charming today. Aside from calling me annoying just now, of course." I tell him. I'm not complaining but given our history, I'm afraid that this behavior will disappear when the blissful weekend has ended.

"Would you like to me be an asshole?" He raises a brow.

"No," I smile and enjoy his playful behavior, no matter how long it lasts.

Hardin's POV.

“How is Tessie doing?” Richard asks me the moment I walk in the door of my apartment.

As if the long ass drive through the freezing rain wasn’t pleasant enough, I’m bombarded with a disturbing image of Tessa’s dad sprawled out on my couch, wearing my clothes. My cotton pajama pants and black t-shirt are way too tight on him and I can literally taste the bagel Tessa fed me this morning rising in the back of my throat, just begging to be regurgitated onto the concrete floor.

“Why are you wearing my clothes, again?” I groan, not necessarily expecting an answer out of the man, but I know I’m going to get one anyway.

“I only have that one shirt you gave me and I couldn’t get the smell out of it.” He replies, standing to his feet.

“Where’s Landon?”

“In the kitchen,” Landon’s voice carries from the kitchen to the living room where I stand.

“So how is she?” Landon asks, joining us with a dish towel in his hands. Drops of soap fall to the concrete floor and I scowl at him for not making Richard do the damn dishes.

“She’s good. Fuck. In case anyone was wondering I’m good too.” I gripe.

The apartment is in a much cleaner condition than it was when I left it. The stacks of shitty manuscripts that I had planned to throw away are now gone, the tower of empty water bottles I had built on the coffee table is nowhere to be seen, and even the dust that I have grown used to watching grow has disappeared from the corners of the television stand.

“What the fuck happened in here?” I ask both of them. My patience is wearing too thin considering that I've only being in this apartment for mere minutes.

“If you mean what happened as in, why did we clean the place-“ Landon begins but I cut him off.

“Where’s all my shit?" I pace across the floor.  

"Did I ask either of you to touch any of my shit?” My fingers move to pinch the bridge of my nose and I take a deep breath in an attempt to control my sudden anger. Why would they just clean my fucking apartment without asking me first?

I look back and forth between the two of them before stalking off to my bedroom.

“Someone’s in a mood,” I hear Richard remark just as I reach my bedroom door.

“Just ignore him, he misses her.” Landon quickly says. I slam the bedroom door as loud as possible to say fuck you to both of them.

Landon is right. I know he is. I could feel it as I drove away from that damned city, away from her. I could feel every single string of muscle as it tightened the further I got from her. Every single fucking mile widened the gaping hole inside of me. A hole that only she can fill.

Cursing at every asshole on the highway helped keep my temper a slow burn but it won’t suffice for long. I should have stayed a few more hours, convinced her to take the week off and come home with me. With the way she was dressed, I shouldn’t have given her a choice.

The more in depth my thoughts go, the more I replay her half naked body. Her skirt was bunched up around her waist, creating the sexiest sight. As I rocked into her repeatedly, she promised not to forget me during the long week ahead and told me how much she loved me. 

The more I think about the way she kissed me and then kissed me again, the more agitated I become.

My need for her is stronger than it has ever been. It’s lust and love melted together, the need I have for her goes much deeper than lust. The way we are connected while making love is indescribable, I love the sounds she makes, the way I’m reminded that I’m the only man who has ever made her feel that way. I love her and she loves me, end of fucking story.

I'm calling her before I even realize what I'm doing.

“Hey,” I say into the receiver.

“Hey, is something wrong?” She asks.

“No,” I look around my bedroom. My newly tidied bedroom, “yes,”

“What’s wrong? Are you home?”

No, it's not home. You’re not here.

“Yeah and your fucking dad and Landon are on my last fucking nerve.”

“What did they do?”

“They cleaned the entire apartment, moved all my shit around. I can’t find anything.”

“What are you looking for?” She asks, I hear another voice in the background of the call and force myself not to ask her who the hell she’s with.

“Nothing specific,” I admit. “But if I did want to find something, I wouldn’t be able to.”

She laughs, “So you’re mad that they cleaned up the apartment and you can’t find something that you’re not even looking for?”

“Yeah.” I’m being a fucking baby and I know it. She knows it too but instead of chastising me, she giggles.

“You should go to the gym,”

“I should drive back to Seattle and fuck you over your bed. Again.” I fire back. She gasps and the sound resonates deep inside me, making the need for her stronger.

“Uhm, yeah.” She whispers.

“Who’s with you?” I can't hold back from asking any longer.

“Trevor and Kim.” She slowly replies.

“You’ve got to be kidding me.” Fucking Trevor is always around. He’s becoming more of a nuisance than Zed and that's saying a-fucking-lot.

“Hardin,” I can tell she’s uncomfortable and she doesn’t want to explain herself in front of them.

“Theresa,”

“I’m going to go to my room for a minute,” She politely excuses herself and I grow more and more impatient.

“Why is fucking Trevor at your house?"

"This isn't my house," she reminds me.

"Yeah well you live there and-"

“You should go to the gym, you are obviously wound up.” Tessa interrupts me. I can hear the conern in her voice and the silence that follows proves her point.

"Please Hardin."

There is no way I can say no to her.

“I’ll call you when I get back,” I agree and hang up the phone.

 My workout went well, I can't say that I didn't see fucking Trevor's annoying, model-like face  imprinted into the black bag as I kicked, punched, kicked, punched for two hours straight. It didn't help though, I'm still.. just pissed off. I don't even know why I'm annoyed except that Tessa isn't here and I'm not there.

Fuck, this is going to be a long week.

A text from Tessa is waiting for me when I reach my car. I hadn't expected to work out for so long but I clearly needed it.

*I'm trying to stay awake but I'm worn out ;) * The message reads. I'm thankful for the darkness outside that conceals the stupid ass grin on my face from her corny innuendo. She's so damn endearing and she doesn't even try.

I nearly ignore a message from Landon reminding me that I'm running low on groceries. I haven't bought actual groceries for myself since..ever. When I lived in the frat house I just ate the shit that other people bought.

Tessa may be upset if she finds out I'm not feeding her dad and Landon won't hesitate to tattle on me.

Somehow I find myself pulling into Target instead of Conner's for groceries. Tessa is clearly influencing me without even being here. She spends just as much time at Conner's as she does at Target but she spends at least thirty minutes explaining to me why Target is much better than any other store. It annoys the shit out me but I have learned to nod at the exact moment to make her think I'm listening and partially agreeing with her.

Just as I toss a box of frosted flakes into a shopping cart a flash of red hair appears at the end of the aisle. I know it's Steph before she turns around. Her thigh-high laced black boots with red laces are a dead giveaway.

Quickly, I go over the two options here. One, I can walk over and remind her what a stupid fucking...

She turns to face me before I can go over my other option.

“Hardin! Wait!” Steph’s voice sounds through the aisle when I turn on my heel and leave the cart in the middle of the aisle. Regardless of the hard workout I just completed, there is no way that I could possibly control myself around Steph.

No fucking way.

I can hear the heavy thud of her boots against the laminate floor as she follows me despite my obvious attempt at avoiding her.

“Listen to me!” She yells from only a few feet behind me. When I stop walking, she collides into my back and falls to the floor.

"What the fuck do you want?" I growl at her and watch as she quickly scrambles to her feet. Her black dress is now dusted with white from the dirty floor.

"I thought you were in Seattle."

"I am, just not at the moment." I lie. I'm not sure what possessed me to lie but it's too late to backtrack now.

"I know you hate me now," she begins.

"You don't fucking say?"

Her green eyes are nearly non-existent due to the thick lines of black circling them. She looks like shit.

"I'm not in the mood for your shit." I warn her.

"You never have been," she smiles and I clench my fists at my sides.

"I don't have shit to say to you and you know how I get when I don't want to be bothered."

"You're threatening me? Really?" She raises her arms in front of her and drops them back down.

I stay quiet as images of a barely conscious Tessa swarm my thoughts. I need to get away from Steph. I would never hurt her physically but I know all the shit to say to hurt her much deeper. It's one of my mant talents.

"She isn't good for you.' Steph has the nerve to say.

I can't help but laugh at the audacity of this bitch. "You aren't stupid enough to try to discuss my relationship with her,"

"You know it's true. She isn't enough for you and you are never going to be enough for her."

The heat inside me turns from a simmer to a raging boil as she continues, "you will get bored with her prudish behavior and you know it. You're probably already bored."

"Prudish?" I bark another laugh. She doesn't know the Tessa who likes to be fucked in front of a mirror and fucks herself on my fingers until she screams my name.

Steph nods, "And she will get over this bad boy fetish and marry some banker or some shit. You can't be stupid enough to think she's in this for the long run. I know you saw how she was with Noah, that douche bag in his cardigans. They were like the poster couple for people who belong together and you know it. You can't compete with that."

"And what? You're implying that you and I would be better?" My voice comes out much less demanding than I planned. She's playing at my biggest insecurities and I'm trying my best not to falter.

"No, of course not." She rolls her raccoon eyes.

"I know you don't want me, you never did. My point is, I care about you." She says.  I look away from her to scan the empty aisles. "I know you don't believe me and I know you want to wring my neck for messing with your virgin Mary but you know it's true." I bite the inside of my cheek at the nickname that my so-called friends branded Tessa with from early on.

Steph continues, "Deep down you know it won't work. She's too silver spoon for you. You're covered in ink and it's only a matter of time before she's sick of being embarrassed to be seen with you."

"She's not." I take a step towards the redhead.

"You know she is. She even told me she was when you two first started dating. I'm sure it hasn't changed." She smiles, her nose ring glistens under the lighting and I cringe at the memory of her hands touching me, making me come. I swallow the bile and speak.

"You're trying to manipulate me and I'm not buying it. Nice try though." I push past her.

"If you were enough for her then why did she go to Zed so many times? You know what people were saying." I stop dead in my tracks.

I remember Tessa coming back from that lunch with Steph. She was so upset after she left Applebee's the day that Steph brought Molly along and the two of them hinted to Tessa that there were rumors going around that she fucked Zed. I was pissed me off enough to call Molly and warn her not to fucking try to come between Tessa and I. Steph obviously didn't get the same warning, even though it was her I needed to worry about the entire time.

"You made those rumors." I accuse.

"No, Zed's roommate did. He's the one who heard her moaning his name and Zed's bed was smacking against the wall while he was trying to sleep. Annoying right?" Steph's malevolent grin snaps every bit of self control I've managed since Tessa left for Seattle.

I need to walk away now.

I need to walk away now.

"Zed said she was nice and tight though and apparently she does this, like thing with her hips or something. Oh, and that freckle.. you know the one." Her black nails tap against her chin.

I can't handle it.

"Shut up!" I cover my ears with my hands. "Shut the fuck up!" I scream through the aisle and Steph backs away, still grinning.

"Believe me or not." She shrugs. " I don't care but you know it's a waste of time, she's a waste of time." She sneers and disappears just as my hand collides with the metal shelving.

(Hey guys! I'm so sorry it took so long. I was out of town and I was really busy when I got home but now I'm here and I won't ever make you wait that long again :) Please vote!! More votes may make me want to update tomorrow and Saturday, wink wink. I love you all so much and I've missed writing and talking to you guys while I was gone! I'm going to sleep now! xo)

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