"So what did NYU say?" I ask Landon as he pulls out of the parking lot.

"I just need to fax them a few things when I get home and hopefully I'll  be able to start next semester. I can't believe I'm really doing it."

"Me either! I would be so scared!" I tell him.

"Well thanks Tessa, that makes me feel better." He laughs.

"I mean I would but you are different. You aren't afraid of change, I have never been further than Seattle in my entire life."

"You will have to visit New York of course."

"I will." The thought makes me nervous but excited at the same time.

"Don't kill me for saying this but if you've never been further than Seattle, how do you know that's where you want to live forever?"

"I don't know.. I just love it and it's a great place for me to be for my career..." I trail off.

His question is a valid one but it doesn't alter my decision.

"I just picture myself in Seattle, working in a publishing house downtown. Vance preferably, and the people in Seattle are so interesting and there are coffee shops on every corner." I explain.

"True." He smiles.

"Maybe I will want to go somewhere else like New York City later in life, but for the next few years it's Seattle for me." I tell him.

"I can't believe I'll be going to NYU, it's incredible really."

"It really is, are you going to tell your mom and Ken?"

"Yeah, I have to use his fax machine." He smiles.

"They will be happy for you, even though Ken obviously supports WSU." I tease.

"So how was the rest of your day?" He asks when we pull in the driveway.

I really need to figure out the next step from here, where am I going to live?

I know that I agreed to go on a date with Hardin but I'm not moving back in. I need a break from the relationship that has emotionally drained me. I know accepting Hardin's offer for a date wasn't exactly conducive to a break but I couldn't help but say yes. He was so nervous and almost sweet. I told him I would think about giving him another chance so that's what I am doing. Thinking about it.

And going on a date with him.

My ever-obnoxious subconscious reminds me. It's only a date. A simple date, with Hardin. The concept seems insane really that I just spent the last eleven days without him and now I'm going on a "date" with him. I don't think people usually go on dates with the person they are trying to distance themselves from. It doesn't make much sense but nothing I have done since I got to WSU has made any sense.

"Hardin came to yoga class." I tell my best friend.

"He what?"

"Yeah, he came to yoga then asked me on a date."

"I told him to give you a few days." Landon groans.

"You told him? This was your idea?" I can't help but feel a little disappointed.

"Yeah, I mean sort of. I told him to give you some space and try to take you on a proper date."

I guess I should have assumed Hardin would need some help with this, I'm just glad it was Landon he went to for it.

"Do you think it's a good idea, or is it too soon?"

When we walk in the house it smells of brownies and cinnamon, a delicious mixture.

"Yes I do but I don't think you shouldn't go either. I think if he's trying to show you that he can change, you should give him the benefit of the doubt. But if you don't feel like he is then don't go."

"Why do I get the feeling you have switched sides on me?" I ask as we follow the smell into the kitchen.

"I haven't, I just see it all from an outside point of view. I will always take your side over anyone's, but I do have to remind you when you aren't being very smart." He smiles.

"Sure." I roll my eyes.

"I made some brownies and cinnamon muffins if you want some." Karen smiles at us as I take a seat at the counter.

I grab a brownie and Landon grabs a muffin and leans on the counter.

"Thank you." We both tell her and she smiles.

"Do you have plans tonight?" Karen asks me.

"No, I just have some homework to do."

"If you have some free time we could go out to the greenhouse?" She suggests.

"I would love that. We can go now, or whenever you're ready is fine with me."

"Great, let me get some tennis shoes on and I'll meet you out there." Karen says and I nod and finish off my brownie.

When she disappears I turn to Landon.

"When are you going to tell her?"

"She basically knows, just not the details. I don't know, I'm going to go up to Ken's office and fax the paperwork and I'll tell her later tonight." He tells me.

"Do you think she will be upset?" Landon adds.

"No, of course not. She will miss you terribly but she will be so proud of you and excited for you. She loves you so much. You are lucky." I tell him.

"You're right, she will be. I'm going up, I'll see you later on." He grabs another muffin and pulls his cell phone out of his pocket.

"Hey babe!" I hear him say into the phone as he reaches the stairs.

As excited as I am for him to be go to NYU and be with Dakota, I wasn't expecting it to be this soon. I can't imagine my life without him at this point but I would never tell him anything but positive things about his choice to move.

I head out into the backyard and into the greenhouse to wait for Karen. I am thankful for the heater inside as I look around. The plants and flowers are in much better shape than they were the last time I was in here. Thoughts of Zed and his glowing flowers run through my mind and I try to suppress them. He says everything that I want to hear, why doesn't it feel the way that it should?

I do care for him but not the way I care for Hardin, if I could change that I would but I can't.

"Thank goodness for that heater Ken had installed." Karen shivers as she closes the door behind her.

"I was just thinking that." I laugh.

"I can't believe it's almost February."

"Me either, time is going too quickly."

Hardin's birthday is on Wednesday, I had nearly forgotten. I'm not sure if I should get him something or if I should see what he's doing for his birthday? This is too confusing.

"How is school going? Landon says he doesn't like the religion professor." She hands me a pair of gloves.

"He did?" I can't help but laugh a little.

"Yeah, he usually likes every professor but that young one he doesn't like."

"I don't know either. Jonah's a nice guy." I tell her.

"You call him by his name?"

"No, not usually." I flush.

"I always think it's odd when professors are so young, they are too close to the students age and it causes problems." Her sweet face turns to a frown.

"He has been nothing but nice to us so far." I assure her and she smiles.

"If he isn't let me know because I happen to know his boss." She laughs.

I grab a small pair of garden shears and begin to cut the weeds away from a group of plants.

"It's nice having you here." She tells me.

"I enjoy being here too, you have no idea how much I appreciate you letting me stay here."

"It's nothing to us at all dear, we consider you a part of the family by now. It's almost like having my own daughter." Karen is one of the, if not the sweetest woman I have ever met.

She is the polar opposite of my mother.

"When Landon leaves next semester I can take over his room." I tease and a puzzled look comes across her face.

"Next semester?"

Oh no.

"I'm sorry! He was going to tell you tonight but then I had to go and blurt it out. I'm so sorry." I panic.

"It's okay! Really, it is. It's a good thing actually because now I have time to practice my biggest smile and I won't be caught off guard. I'm terrible when people surprise me, I always say the wrong thing." She laughs.

"So do I. I really am sorry though, I hope he won't be mad at me."

"He won't be. Wow, he's leaving so soon. I'm so happy for him though. Dakota is such a lovely girl with a bright future and she makes my son's smile brighter, what more could a mother ask for?" She begins to tear up.

I feel like such a jerk for telling her about this but I suppose it is a good thing, if she cried in front of Landon he would feel terrible.

"I will be fine, I will just miss him. You may just have to move into his room." She smiles and wipes her eyes.

Hardin's POV.

"What are you doing here?" Landon huffs as I join him in my father's office.

"I came to talk to you."

"About what?" He asks and I sit in the large leather chair behind the hideously expensive oak desk.

"Tessa, what else?" I roll my eyes at him.

"I thought you were going to give her some space?"

"I am giving her space."

"You are at my house where she lives now, I wouldn't call that space."

"She doesn't live here." I snap.

"Still she will see you."

"No she won't." As much as I want to see her I know I shouldn't.

"What do you want to talk about?" He ignores my attitude.

"I don't know what to do about the date, I've already asked her."

"I know, she told me."

"What did she say?" I question.

"I'm not going to tell you what she says." He slides a piece of paper through the fax machine.

"What are you doing anyway?" I ask him.

"Faxing my transcripts to NYU, I'm going to next semester."

Next semester? What the fuck?

"Why so soon?"

"Because I don't want to waste anymore time here when I could be with Dakota."

"Does Tessa know?" I know this will hurt her. He is her only real friend.

I find myself sort of reluctant for him to go.. sort of.

"Yeah of course she knows, she was the first person I told."

"Anyway, I need some help with this date shit."

"Date shit? How nice." He smiles.

"Are you going to help me or not?"

"I guess." He shrugs.

"Where is she anyway?" I ask him, I had walked past the room she has been staying in but the door was closed and I didn't want to knock. Well I wanted to knock but I'm trying my hardest to give her space.

If her car wouldn't have been in the driveway I would be freaking the fuck out but I know she's here. Well I sure fucking hope so.

"I don't know, she's with that Zed guy I think." He says and my heart drops.

I am on my feet in seconds.

"What!" I yell.

"I'm joking. She's in the greenhouse with my mum." He tells me and I am relieved, my paranoid thoughts were getting the best of me.

"That's not funny. You're a dick." I spit and he chuckles.

"Now you are definitely helping me." I tell him.

"Fine, not that you'll listen anyway. You were supposed to wait a few days." He reminds me again.

(Please vote and comment<3 This was a double update so I will still be updating tomorrow <3