(A few quick things, artifices101 has made a trailer for After 2, the video is on the side :) second, thanks again for voting, third follow me on instagram (imaginator1d) if you want to see edits or know when I am updating, and lastly I have gotten a lot of comments about Tessa getting pregnant and I can assure you that wont happen hah, I want to keep this as realistic as possible so that's just not happening lol. I think poor Tessa is going through enough:) Ily all so much!! xo)

"I feel terrible about the wall, I offered to fix it but Ken refuses to let me." I tell Landon as I brush out my wet hair. The shower I just took didn't help me relax like I had hoped. Nothing seems to calm the steady ache inside of me. It seems infinite.

"Don't worry about that. You have a lot going on." Landon frowns and rubs his hand across my back.

"I can't comprehend how my life came to this, how did I get to this point. Three months ago I had everything figured out, everything made sense. I had Noah, who would never do something like this, I was close with my mother and I had this idea of how my life would be and now I have nothing. Literally, nothing. I don't even know if I should go to Vance anymore because Hardin will either come there or he will convince Mr. Vance to fire me just because he can." At least the tears have stopped.

"He messed up everything, he really did. He had nothing to lose and I did, I let him take everything from me. My life before him was so simple and decided, now after him.. it's just ..after."

"You can't give up your internship, he has taken enough from you. Don't let him take that, please." Landon advises.

"The good thing about this "after" life without him is that you can make it whatever you please, you can start all over." He tries to encourage me.

"Just please listen to me about the internship." He begs.

I know he is right but it isn't that simple. Everything in my life is tied to Hardin now, even the paint on my damn car. He somehow became the string that held everything in my life together and in his absence I am left with the rubble that once was my life.

"I'll let you get some rest." Landon says and hugs me before walking towards the door.

"Do you think this will ever stop?' I ask and he turns around.

"What?"

"The pain?" My voice almost a whisper.

"I don't know.. I would like to think it will though." He answers and gives me his most comforting half smile, half frown.

I know if it will or not either, but if it doesn't, I know I won't survive it.

....

I lay in bed and stare at the ceiling until my alarm goes off at five. I have to leave an hour early so I can go buy clothes and makeup to wear. I also have to find somewhere to brush my teeth, that should be fun. I have no idea how I am going to get my things from the..Hardin's apartment. Right now I feel like it would be easier to just leave everything there and buy all new things just so I don't have to face him.

I force myself out of bed and to my car, leaving a note thanking Ken and Karen and apologizing again for the hole Hardin put in their wall.

I cringe at my reflection in my rear view, my eyes are still bloodshot and rimmed with dark circles. I will need more makeup than I thought. I go to Walmart, the only store open nearby at this hour and buy everything I need. I don't have the strength or the energy to make a real effort in my appearance.

When I arrive at Vance, Kimberly gasps when she sees me. I try to muster a smile for her but she jumps up from her desk.

"Are you okay?" She asks frantically.

"Do I look that bad?" I shrug weakly.

"No, of course not. You just look.. exhausted." She lies. I know how terrible I look.

"I am exhausted." I tell her. I haven't decided if I will tell her the truth. Honestly, I am too ashamed to tell her.

"Did you and Hardin have a fight?" She asks and I nod.

"Let me know if you want to talk, otherwise I will let you be." She smiles.

I am grateful for her not pushing me to talk about it right now. I walk past the breakfast table and only grab coffee, my appetite is non-existent. I thought I wouldn't be able to concentrate on this week's manuscript but once the thoughts of Hardin and I on my desk disappear, I focus all my attention to the manuscript. It isn't an interesting or well written one so it keeps me busy all the way through lunch and most of the afternoon until someone knocks on my door. My heart sinks to the floor and I hold my breath as I call for them to enter. I have kept my phone off all day to avoid any attempts from Hardin to talk to me.

I am relieved to see Mr. Vance at the door. "Good afternoon Tessa." He smiles.

"Good afternoon." I counter.

"I just wanted to touch base with you and let you know how impressed I am with your work so far. You are doing a better and more detailed job than most of my actual employees." He compliments.

"Thank you, that means a lot to me." I tell him.

"That being said, I would like to invite you to the conference in Seattle this coming weekend. It might be quite boring, its all about digital publishing but you could do a lot of networking and meet a lot of people. I am opening a second branch in Seattle in a few months and I need to do some networking myself." He laughs.

"So what do you say? All expenses would be paid and we will leave Friday afternoon, Hardin is more than welcome to come along. Not to the conference but to Seattle." He explains with a knowing smile. If only he knew what was going on.

"Of course I would love to go, I really appreciate your invitation." I tell him. Finally something decent happening to me.

"Good, I am glad you will be coming. I will have Kimberly give you all the details." He smiles.

The idea of going to Seattle soothes my ache slightly, I will be further away from Hardin. On the other hand, Seattle now reminds me of when Hardin wanted to take me there. He really has ruined every aspect of my life. I feel my office getting smaller, the air in the room getting thicker.

"Are you feeling okay?" Mr. Vance asks, his eyebrows lower in concern.

"Uh, yea I just... I haven't eaten today and I didn't sleep much last night." I tell him.

"Go ahead and go home then, you can finish that at home." He says.

"It's okay, I can stay." I tell him. I don't want him to think I am taking advantage of him.

"No, go on home. We will manage without you." He assures me and I finally agree.

I gather my things to leave as soon as Mr. Vance leaves my office. On my way out Kimberly calls my name.

"You're going home?" She asks and I nod.

"Yea, I need to sleep." I tell her, knowing that probably won't happen.

"Hardin is in a bad mood so beware." She half laughs.

"How do you know?"

"Because he just cussed me out for not transferring him to you." She smiles.

"He called?" The burn returns.

"Yea, only about ten times. I figured if you wanted to talk to him you would have on your cell."

"Thank you." I tell her. I am glad she is as observant as she is, the fragile wall I have built over the last few hours would have crumbled instantly if I would have heard Hardin's voice on the line.

I manage to make it to my car before breaking down again. The pain only seems to get worse when there is no distraction, when I am left to my thoughts and memories.

After pulling myself together enough to drive, I do what I have been dreading to do. Call my mother.

"Hello?" She answers on the first ring.

"Mom?" I sob.

"What did he do?" She asks. That has been everyone's reaction, such an obvious conclusion to jump to.

"I.. he.." I can't form a sentence. "Can I come home, just for today?" I ask her.

"Of course Tessa. I will see you in two hours." She says and hangs up. Better than I thought but not as warm as I had hoped for.

The small envelope is present on my screen and my phone beeps repeatedly until I finally read one of the messages.

*Call me Tessa, I am not going to stop until you call me.* It reads. I shut my phone off before I do something stupid, like read anymore messages from Hardin.

(Some of you have asked who I picture for the other characters and if you read on your phone sometimes you cant see the cast list on the side so here It is ,

Tessa is Indiana Evans from Blue Lagoon

Noah is Zach Roerig from The Vampire Diaries

Trevor is Ian Somerholder from the Vampire Diaries

Kimberly is Elizabeth Banks from a lot of things lol

Ken is Dylan McDermott from American Horror Story and a lot of things lol

Karen is Landons actual mother hah

Tessa's mother is Denise Richards