Hardin's POV.

"I can't be expelled." I say as one of the assholes in a uniform un-cuffs me.

"Yes, you can and you most likely will be. I can only so much Hardin."

"You barely did anything." I rub my welted wrists. Those cuffs really did a fucking number on me.

"I did the best I could, you did a lot of damage. If you would have only assaulted another student it wouldn't have been too hard to cover but you destroyed university property, a lot of it. Those kids were working on those projects for months now and they are destroyed, not to mention you shoved a professor. It's too much." My father tells me.

"Well what the fuck am I supposed to do now? When will they decide?" I ask and follow him to the desk to sign my paperwork.

This is such bullshit.

"I don't know, the board will be meeting Monday so hopefully we will have an answer then."

"Alright." I don't have anything else to say at the moment.

After a few, no a shit ton, of signatures I am free to go. For now at least.

"Give me your phone." I hold my hand out to Landon.

"No, they're bringing your stuff up now." He nods to the asshole holding a plastic bag full of my shit.

I never realized how much shit I carry in my pockets until some bald dick head was digging through them to remove any "dangerous items". They took my phone away, am I going to beat them to death with a cell phone? ..Well maybe.

Why hasn't Tessa come back yet? It's been nearly two hours and I don't think I can wait another minute. The moment my cell phone is returned I call her but she doesn't answer.

"I'll drive you back to your car." My father says.

"No, I'll wait here for Tessa."

"I can wait with you." He offers.

"Suit yourself. She may be fucking someone else.." I begin but Landon gives me a death glare and interrupts me.

"Don't talk about her like that, you know she isn't doing that." He snaps.

I know he's right but I'm still pissed that she went to see him. Poor fucking Zed always has to be saved by Tessa. Fuck no. I'm sure he fed her some sap story about how painful it was to be attacked by me. Boo fucking who.

"You shouldn't take your anger out on her when she's been by your side since the day I met her. It's not right." My father tells me.

"I know that." I snap.

I do know that, just like I know I shouldn't be such a dick to him but it's easier said than done. What's that old saying? You catch more bee's with honey or some shit?

"Look, I'm sorry for being an asshole to you." I turn to my father.

"Both of you." I sigh when Landon pouts.

My father's shocked expression almost brings me to laughter but now probably isn't the best time for that.

"There she is." Landon announces and my pulse immediately quickens. All of the adrenaline I had when I was locked in that damn cell returns as soon as she steps out of Landon's car. I need to stay calm and remember not to take my anger out on her, no matter how bad I want to. Do I actually want to take my anger out on her or is it just my automatic reaction to do so? Relief and a huge smile wash over her face when she seems me, cuff-free and standing on the sidewalk.

"Thank goodness! What did they say? So you aren't going to jail then right? Do you have to go to court?" She asks one hundred questions.

"No, I'm not going to jail."

"He'll most likely get ex..." My father begins.

"In a lot of shit with the university." I cut him off.

I want to be the one to tell her about the dooming expulsion that I know is coming. I'm not an idiot, the school would be in deep shit if they let this slide. I royally fucked up here. I'll be going back home to England if I get expelled and it's going to be hell trying to get her to come along.

"What did he say?" I ask her.

She looks at Landon and my father before answering.

"He's not going to press charges." She tells us.

I'm relieved, fuck I'm relieved. If I were sent to jail that would give Zed more of an opportunity to try to move in on her.

"Thank you so much for doing this for him." My father says to her.

"Don't thank me." She flushes and looks up at me.

"We will have to just wait and see what happens Monday." My father looks stressed, tired, and extremely worried.

"Let's get out of here before they decide to arrest me again." I sigh and grab Tessa's hand, she doesn't pull away like I half expect her to.

There's a start.

Tessa's POV.

"I'll give you both a ride back to Hardin's car." Ken offers and I nod.

"I'll see you at home." Landon tells me before walking to his car.

I hear Hardin curse under his breath about his father's house "not being my fucking home" but I choose not to challenge him in front of his father. He's already worked up and I'm relieved to see him out of that holding cell, it was terrifying whether it was an actual jail cell or not.

I don't know what to make of all of this mess. My head is spinning on an axis, threatening to come off  track any second. Hardin still holds my hand in his as he opens the car door for me to sit in the backseat, he climbs in next to me and sits incredibly close. It feels odd for both of us to be in the backseat with Ken driving us like a chauffeur.

The silence is uncomfortable yet welcomed because I don't know who's more angry, me or Hardin.

"Don't come back to campus or anywhere near campus until we get this resolved." Hardin's father tells him.

"Okay." He huffs next to me.

I thank Ken for the ride and follow Hardin to his car. I am waiting for him to yell at me for going to see Zed, I know it's coming.

"So.. how did it go?" He finally asks. as he turns the key in the ignition.

"Well."

"Well what?"

"It went well."

"Explain." He presses on.

"He isn't going to press charges against you thank goodness."

"What else did he say?"

"That he didn't send those text messages." I don't look at him.

"Well we know he did." He pulls out of the parking lot and onto the street.

"Did you see him do it though? I'm not saying he didn't but what makes you so sure that he did?"

I don't have to look over at him to know the look he's giving me.

"This is exactly why I didn't want you going there."

"I'm just asking a question Hardin."

"He got in your head again! I knew he would, why are you so damn blind? Let me guess he denied telling me he fucked you, didn't he?"

"No, he admitted that and apologized."

"You need to choose now Tessa, me or him because this back and forth shit isn't going to work for me!" He raises his voice again.

"What are you even talking about! There isn't a choice to be made, Zed is my friend. I love you, yes I care about him but not in the way I care about you. Stop trying to make this into something that it's not! It's not a love triangle, it's not like that." I cross my arms and stare out the window.

"It feels like a fucking love triangle to me Tessa, why don't you stay away from him then?"

"I went there to convince him not to press charges against you after you attacked him. I was trying to help you while you were in that cell acted like a spoiled little brat."

"Attacked him? He came at me too Tessa. He's not as big of a pussy as he seems. And don't call me a brat." He sounds like a child, like a brat.

"Then don't act like one."

"I'm getting expelled." I think I hear him say but I couldn't possible have.

"No you aren't."

"Yes Tess, yes I am. My father is trying to act like I may not but I know that I am."

Expelled? That's insane... well I suppose when you look at the damage he caused it's not too insane but being expelled from college is a big deal, a huge deal.

"How do you feel about that?" I question.

"I don't know.. I mean I don't really give a shit about school anyway. I have a job already and I make pretty good money, I'm sure I could make equally as good money elsewhere."

"Not without a college degree." I remind him.

"I'll obviously finish my degree, my only problem would be being away from you." My heart flutters.

"What will you do?" I ask, unsure whether I truly want to hear the answer.

"Go back home."

I knew that was coming. I can't imagine college here without Hardin, he's been such a huge part of my college experience.. really he's been the only part.

"That's it then?" I ask quietly.

"I want you to think about coming with me."

"I'm not going to move to England." Both of our tone's are chilling, no emotion being shown at all.

This is the perfect opportunity to bring up Seattle.

"Can we change the subject because this is too much right now and we both know where this is headed." He speaks.

Okay..I'm drained too though so I suppose putting it off a few more hours won't hurt but I do need to email that woman back about the apartment I found online. I know after the day Hardin had he isn't going to even consider Seattle anyway and I'm too exhausted to fight with him again. I have so many things I want to say to him about beating up Zed and being a jerk to me but I can tell he's worried about getting expelled, whether he admits it or not.

"Will you come home?" He looks over at me.

"I don't know.."

"Stop being difficult, I need you. Please just come home, even if it's only for one night."

"Okay." I give in.

I do want to go back to the apartment but I'm not a complete idiot.. well maybe I am. I can't ignore the fact that Hardin blatantly broke his promise and nearly killed Zed. I can't help but feel like this is all my fault.

"Do you need to get clothes from my father's house?"

"Yeah, I don't have much to begin with."

"Let's get you some clothes so you don't have to wear the same shit over and over."

"Thanks." I roll my eyes but he's right.

"I'm just being honest." He shrugs.

"Be a little less honest."

"Never." He smirks.

"How can you go from screaming in a cell to teasing me in less than an hour?"

"I don't know, you make me crazy."

"No, you came that way." I smile.

"Maybe."

"You should return those kick boxing lessons and exchange them for a therapist."

"For you?" He jokes.

"No, for you."

I'm joking but under the thin layer of humor there is a lot of truth to my words. He needs to find a way to manage his anger because I'm not sure how many assaults and arguments I can take. I'm so stressed all the time lately, there are too many things going on all the time and it's becoming too much to handle.

"So yes or no to the clothes because I think yes." Hardin says.

"Yes. Are you sure you're up for shopping right now? We could always go tomorrow?" As much as I want to get new clothes, I don't have it in me to walk around a shopping mall right now. I have a stomach ache and an even worse headache.

"Are you tired?"

"Yes, it's been a long day." I sigh and press my cheek against the cold window.

"We can go tomorrow then. I'll just take us home now, you have enough clothes at home for tonight."

He turns the volume on the radio up and begins to hum along. The sound is sweet and soothing, relaxing me instantly. My eyes begin to feel heavy and I find myself near sleep before we are half way home.

"He's drowning you." Zed's words play in my head as I allow sleep to pull me under.

"Tess." Hardin's voice wakes me.

"We're home, I would carry you but I don't think you'd like that." He quietly remarks.

"I'll walk."

It's only six in the evening but it feels so much later than that. It feels strange going back to this on and off-again home of mine.

"Why are you so tired?" Hardin asks as he presses the button on the elevator.

"I don't know, I'm just exhausted. Aren't you? Your day was more eventful than mine."

"Not really, I had one hell of an adrenaline rush all day."

"Nice." I roll my eyes behind his back.

Hardin goes straight to the kitchen and I stop in my tracks as my eyes scan the living room. Clothes are thrown on the floor, empty beer bottles and soda cans litter the coffee table, and a pile of papers and books cover half of the couch.

"It's as little messy, I'll clean it tomorrow." He shrugs and hands me a glass of water.

"I'll just clean it now." I huff.

I'm beginning to feel nauseous and this mess is enough to send me jumping out of the window.

"Just leave it for now, I know you're tired."

"I can't just leave it." He knows this.

"I wouldn't go in the kitchen." Hardin warns me.

I walk into the small kitchen and grab a trash bag from under the sink. At least the cabinets are still in order, I would keel over dead if he would have messed them up as well. The sink is full of dishes even though we have a dishwasher, this must be why he told me not to come in here. I can't imagine how he would live if I wasn't here to clean the apartment, if he doesn't agree to go to Seattle with me that's what will happen.

I don't mind cleaning, I love it actually. It normally relaxes me but not today.

It's not only the mess that's driving me crazy, it's everything else going on along with Hardin destroying the place in two weeks. This is just the cherry on top of my fucked up sundae. The noise from the bottles clanking against one another as I toss them in the bag make my head pound even harder.

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing, I just have a headache."

"Stop cleaning, I'll do it." He grabs the bag from my grip.

I watch as he tosses the trash into the bag then gathers the dirty clothes in his arms to take to the bedroom.

"Sit." He commands when he meets me back in the living room.

I take my shoes off and take a seat on the clutter-free side of the couch. He walks over and grabs the pile and takes it into the bedroom as well, I have a feeling he's going to just shove it into a drawer but I don't want to think about that.

"You look like you're getting sick." He comments and sits next to me on the couch.

He's changed into loose shorts and a cut-off t-shirt.

"I'm just stressed I think."

"Have you eaten today?"

Have I? I can't remember.. IHOP.

"You took me to breakfast." I remind him and close my eyes while I rest my head against the soft couch cushion behind me.

"Oh yeah. That doesn't even seem like it could have been this morning."

"Tell me about it." I sigh.

"I can order pizza."

"Sure."

"Are you sure you're okay? Is it only a headache or are you mad at me?"

When I open my eyes he's staring at me.

"It's mostly a headache, and stomach ache.. but I'm still not sure if I'm upset with you or not."

"When will you know?"

"I don't know, when I have a chance to think."

"Think now."

"It's not that simple."

He sighs and rubs his palms against his knees, a nervous gesture that I've become used to him doing when he doesn't know what to say.

"Go change and I'll order the pizza." He stands and digs his phone out of his pocket.

I walk into the room and undress as quickly as I can. I grab the first t-shirt of his that I can find and pull it over my head. My stomach growls in hunger as I look around the room. The bed is perfectly made and the room appears to be much cleaner than the rest of the apartment.

"Thirty minutes." He tells me when I join him back in the living room.

I sit on the opposite side of the couch from him and he reaches over to pull me closer. His arm wraps around my shoulders and I nuzzle into his neck while wrapping my arm around his waist.

"I missed you wearing my shirts.. and only my shirts." He says, running his fingertips along my bare thigh.

"I'm sorry for everything today, I let my temper get the best of me." He says into my hair.

"You can't keep doing that."

"I know baby, I know."

I don't say anything in response.

"Do you know if that Advil is still in the bathroom cabinet?" I ask him.

"I don't know."

I move to untangle myself from him but he stops me.

"I'll check." He says and moves off of the couch. I lay down in his spot and close my eyes.