"You should have seen your face, you were so freaked out." I tease as we pull out of the lot.

"Damn right I was." He shakes his head and I lay mine against the window.

"What were you thinking?"

"How fast I could run out of there." He half smiles.

"Run? Nice."

"I'd leave you my keys."

"Thanks."

A minute of silence passes between us until I continue my questioning on a subject that I know he despises.

"You really would have ran?"

"Yes, Tess."

"I mean hypothetically if that had been true and I found out I was pregnant, you would have bolted?"

He takes a deep breath and takes a moment to answer. 

"No, I guess not. But I would have been very upset with you."

"Why?"

"What do you mean why? Because that would fuck up my entire life, and yours."

"Yeah, I know it would but the blame wouldn't solely be mine."

"Why are we even discussing this shit?"

"I was just wondering, it's okay to have conversations about it. It's not happening, I just wanted to know how you would have felt about it. I feel the same way, for now."

"What do you mean for now?" He looks over at me.

"I don't want a child right now so I would have been devastated too."

His mouth opens to speak but closes, repeats the action again before finally responding.

"I think this is a dangerous subject for us."

"There shouldn't be any dangerous subjects, we should have open communication. That's where the majority of our problems come from, lack of communication." I say.

Like the fact that I'm moving to Seattle in a week and a half and haven't told you!

"I know..." He sighs.

"I know how you feel about having kids in the future and you know how I feel about them. Honestly, if you were pregnant right now I'd lose my mind, whatever the hell is left of it at least. I'd feel trapped and I wouldn't have any fucking clue what to do. I'm getting expelled and you would have to move across the world while pregnant, add some cameras and we'd have ourselves a shitty reality show."

I try to ignore his comment about me moving across the world because that isn't happening. I should wait until I am pumped full of antibiotics to argue back.

But I did just say we need open communication.

"I'm glad you would feel trapped," I scoff and continue, "And I wouldn't be going to England. That isn't going to happen so stop acting like you're so sure that it is."

"This is what I'm talking about. We are bickering over a hypothetical child."

"So, we would just find something else to bicker over anyway."

"True." He smiles.

I'm glad to see the mood is lightening, the air was getting too thick for comfort.

"I'll run it inside for you." Hardin says when we arrive at Conner's to drop my prescription off.

"I'll come in with you, I need to grab a few things." I unbuckle my seatbelt and follow him inside.

I drop my prescription off at the small window in the very back of the small store. I'm told it will be ready in less than fifteen minutes, I'm glad because I'm ready to go home. I still need to go by Landon's and get my things. Then again, maybe I should wait and see how this Seattle discussion goes.

"What do you need? Are you bleeding again?" He asks much too loud.

"You can't just ask that! Not in a store where people can hear you." I scold him quietly and he shrugs it off.

"No, I'm not actually. Not yet." I answer and walk over to the makeup aisle.

Hardin follows, clicking his tongue against the roof of his mouth, while I search for a new mascara. My headache has gone from a throbbing ache to slightly uncomfortable.

"I don't know why you like this place so much, it smells."

"So do you but I like you still." I tease and he laughs, really laughs. As in throws his head back in laughter.

"You are quite feisty today, I'm ready for those antibiotics to kick in and take that smart mouth with them." He's still laughing, it's such a lovely sound.

All of the chaos, the fights, the tears, are all forgotten in moments like this. Moments when he's himself and forgets to hide his emotions.

"My smart mouth isn't going anywhere." I smile and decide to go with a mascara that promises ten times more length, obviously false but it sounds good.

"So you're staying at home again?" He asks, uncertainty evident in his voice.

"Yeah, if you want me to."

"Of course I want you to." He grabs ahold of the sleeve on my jacket and pulls me to him, wrapping his arm around my waist.

"Who else would take care of you while your sick?"

"Take care of me? You mean pester me?"

"Same thing."

"I missed this." I say without thinking.

"What? Me pestering you?"

"No, us getting along." He pulls me closer and kisses my forehead.

His simple gesture makes my heart flutter because random acts of affection in public are not simple for Hardin.

"I'm only being nice to you because you're sick but since you seem to be well enough to joke with me you can walk home." He smiles.

"You're annoying." I roll my eyes and he laughs again.

When we turn the corner Hardin nearly runs into someone. A man, Jonah.

"Watch where you're.." Hardin begins before realizing who the guy is.

"Hi Professor Soto!" I chirp before Hardin can start an argument with him.

That's the last thing we need, he's already in trouble with the university.

"Ms. Young, Hardin." He smiles and reaches out to shake Hardin's hand.

I'm surprised when Hardin does the same and the two awkwardly exchange a handshake. As soon as it's over Hardin's arm snakes around my waist, holding me as close to him as he can manage.

"It's nice to see the two of you are.. seeing one another again." Jonah says and Hardin stiffens beside me.

I'm at a loss for words.

"There wasn't a time when we weren't." Hardin lies.

"Oh.. well that's good to hear. I heard about everything that happened yesterday, if you need me to do anything let me know."

"What could you do?" Hardin rolls his eyes and I discreetly nudge him with my elbow.

"I don't know exactly, maybe a character witness or something?"

"A character witness? Why would you?"

I'm wondering the same thing. The only witness to Hardin's character that Jonah has experienced is jealousy and confrontation.

"Because no one should be expelled from college. It could ruin your life before it starts." Jonah says.

"Okay.. well thanks I guess." Hardin is uncomfortable and so am I.

"Well, I'll see you on Monday Tessa. Good luck with everything."

As soon as he disappears Hardin loosens his grip on me.

"I can't stand that guy." He huffs.

"He just offered to help you!" I glance up at the clock on the wall, it's been fifteen minutes.

"There's something about him that I can't stand."

"You can't stand anyone."

"Except you." He reminds me, "Only sometimes though."

After I overpay for the antibiotics we stop by a drive-thru to get lunch and go home. I feel much better after taking the medication and eating all of my meal and some of Hardin's. Both of us end up falling asleep on the couch, my head on Hardin's chest and his arms securely wrapped around my body.

When I wake up I reach for my phone to check the time, it's after five and I have two text messages. Both from Steph.

*I know you have a lot going on but I need your help!*

*Please :P*

I press the call button instead of texting her, removing my body from Hardin's as I listen to her loud ring back tone. I hate those things.

"Hey!" She answers just as I am getting ready to hang up the phone.

"Hey! I just got your texts, we were sleeping."

"We?" I can see her smile now.

"What did you need help with?"

Hardin opens his eyes, pulling himself up to sit next to me.

"Who is that?" His sleepy voice inquires.

"Steph." I mouth to him as she begins to ramble into my ear.

"Okay, so Tristan's parents are in town this weekend and they want to meet me. He just now told me this so I'm freaking out."

"Why are you freaking out?" I ask her.

"Because Tessa! I haven't met them before and they are all rich and proper. Like your mom."

"My mother isn't rich." I remind her.

"Whatever, she's all proper and shit. So I need your help here."

"What exactly do you want to do?"

Hardin shakes his head no before she answers, I ignore him.

"I need you to go to the mall with me and help me find something to wear, they are taking us to The Black Cypress, that place has candles on the damn tables. I need something to wear that will make them like me."

I've never heard Steph so frantic before, it's somewhat amusing.

"Come on Tessa, if anyone knows how to underdress it's you."

"You could always borrow something of mine." I offer and laugh at the thought.

"Uhm.. no offense but no. Even if you did own something I would wear, which you don't, I don't have your curves to fill it anyway."

"Okay, okay. I'll meet you at the mall. What time?"

"Now."

"Okay."

"Don't bring Hardin." She adds.

"Why not?"

"Because he'll just talk shit to me the whole time and I'll end up killing him. As much as I love him, I'm already panicked enough."

"Okay, I won't then." I promise her and hang up the phone.

"What was that about?" Hardin asks.

"She needs me to help her find something to wear to meet Tristan's family tonight for dinner. They are in town visiting and she wants to impress them."

"Maybe she should wear a wig." He smiles.

"That's why she said you aren't allowed to come."

"What? Why not?" He follows me into the bedroom.

"Because you'll pick on her the entire time." I struggle with a hanger while I pull a pair of jeans from the closet.

"Me?" He pretends to be offended.

"Yes, you. I'll be back later."

"You're sick you shouldn't be going anywhere."

"I'm much better now, my head barely hurts. I'll take some more medicine and be on my way."

"I don't know if you hanging out with Steph is a good idea with all this shit between me and Zed.."

"That has nothing to do with me, or her. I need to get some clothes anyway, remember?"

I'm not going to give in on this, I can go to the mall with whoever I want.. except Zed, obviously.

"What am I supposed to do while your gone?" He pouts.

"Make some friends." I tease and he frowns.

"Or you could go to your fathers and get my things from there?"

I have to tell him about Seattle tonight, as soon as I get back from meeting Steph.

"You're staying then?" A smile crosses his face.

"Yeah."

"Be careful at the mall and don't go anywhere else after."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean... don't go to like a party or something..please?"

"I'm not going anywhere else, I've been to enough parties to last my lifetime. I'll meet you at your father's house when I'm finished."

"I still think I should go."

"No." I grab my bag and head out the door after giving him a quick kiss goodbye.

The mall is crowded, very crowded and Steph is late of course. I wait inside at the food court for her to arrive and when she finally does she is even more frantic than before.

"I have one hour Tessa! One freaking hour to find something to wear and do my makeup. Does my hair look okay?" She asks and I nod.

Her bright crimson hair is pulled back from her face and it looks very elegant, very un-Steph like. She doesn't have an ounce of makeup on and she looks gorgeous. I don't think I have ever seen her bare faced before, it's refreshing.

"It looks great. You should relax, I'm sure they will love you. Besides, they obviously aren't too concerned with judging people on their looks. Tristan has more tattoos than you and the grazes in his ears are huge." I remind her.

"Grazes?" She laughs, "you mean gages?"

"Same thing." I smile, I prefer her laughter over her panic any day.

"Has Hardin put his rings back in yet?"

"No." She walks beside me and I head towards my go to store, Macy's of course.

"Do you think he will? Do you like him better without them?" She asks.

"No, I don't like him any more or less with or without them. It's a little strange still to see him without them but he refuses to put them back, he says he's over them."

"Oh..so you know I have to ask what the hell happened between Hardin and Zed?"

I knew this question was coming but I still don't have an answer.

"They got in a fight."

"Obviously!" She says and shakes her head at the red dress in my hands.

"Well basically they got in a fight, Hardin was arrested by campus police and now he may be getting expelled. Zed's nose is broken and he had a concussion."

"Woah, what a fucking mess."

"Tell me about it! I'm just glad Zed isn't pressing charges."

"He isn't?"

"No, he told me yesterday he wouldn't."

"Really? He told Tristan he was..." She nods at my second choice, a brown dress.

"When?"

"This morning.."

"Oh, well maybe he was just saying that..I don't know. He promised me that he wouldn't."

I really hope he hasn't changed his mind.

Or fed you bullshit yesterday.

My subconscious mocks me in Hardin's voice.

"What's going on between you and Zed? Not to nosey but there are a lot of rumors."

"Nothing, I kissed him and spent some time with him when Hardin and I were fighting but that's all. It got out of hand because I'm a compulsive idiot." My headache is returning.

"Oh.. well Zed should know better than to mess with you anyway. He knows how Hardin is." She says and heads into the dressing room.

(I won't be able to update tomorrow, I'll be gone all day but I'll update Friday! There are only 4 chapters left of this book! I can't believe how fast it has came and gone. I love you guys!! xoxo)