Tessa's POV.

By the time I make it to my car I already wish I would have stayed in the bedroom with Hardin and his playful mood, but I have too much to do. I have to call the woman back about the apartment in Seattle, get a few things for the trip with Hardin's family, and most importantly clear my head about Seattle. Hardin offering me marriage nearly swayed me but I know he won't mean it tomorrow. I'm trying desperately not to overthink his words and let them make me think any differently but it's much harder than I expected.

"I'll marry you if you choose me,"

I was surprised, shocked really, when the words were spoken. He seemed so calm, his voice so neutral, as if he were announcing what we were having for dinner. I know better though, I know he drank too much and he's getting desperate. The liquor and his desperation to keep me from Seattle are the only solidity behind his offer. Even so, I can't stop replaying them in my mind. Pathetic, I know but I'm okay with that.

By the time I get to Target I still haven't called the woman, Sandra I believe her name is, to discuss the apartment. It's a nice apartment, not nearly as big as my apartment with Hardin, but it's nice enough and I can afford to live there on my own. It doesn't have bookshelves for walls, or the brick wall that I have grown to love so much, but it will be fine enough.

I will call her after I'm finished here, I promise myself. I'm ready for this, for Seattle. I'm ready to take this step for my future, I've been waiting for this since I can remember.

My basket is full of random things, none of which I actually need for the trip, but things for the apartment. Tablets for the dishwasher, toothpaste, a new dust pan. Why am I buying this if I'm moving anyway? I put the dust pan back, along with some colorful socks I tossed in there for no apparent reason. If Hardin doesn't come along, I will need to start over and buy all new dishes, all new everything. I'm grateful that the apartment comes furnished, that's a huge relief and crosses out at least a dozen things I'd have to do before moving in.

After Target I'm not really sure what to do with myself. I don't want to go back to the apartment with Hardin and my father but I don't have anywhere else to go. I'm going to be spending three days with Landon, Ken, and Karen so I don't want to go to their house and bother them. I really need friends. Or one friend at least. I could call Kimberly but she's probably busy planning their move and a wedding. Lucky girl. Not because of the wedding, but because Christian is going with her to Seattle, granted it's his company and all but honestly I can tell by the way he looks at her, he'd follow her anywhere.

While scrolling through my phone to call Sandra, I almost tap Steph's name on the screen. I wonder what she's doing? Hardin would probably lose his mind if I called her to hang out. Then again, he's in no position to tell me what to do, he is completely belligerent in the middle of the day.

I'm calling her, I decide while the phone rings in my ear.

"Tessa! What are you up to?" She says loudly, trying to talk over the voices in the background.

"Nothing, I'm sitting in the parking lot at Target,"

"Oh, fun shit then?" she laughs.

"Not really, what are you doing?"

"Nothing, going to lunch with my friend."

"Oh, okay. Well call me later or something," I say.

"You can meet us there if you want, we're going to Applebee's right outside campus." Applebee's reminds me of Zed but the food was incredible and I haven't eaten yet today.

"Okay, I'll come. You're sure that's okay?" I ask.

"Yes! Get your ass over here. We'll be there in about fifteen minutes or so," I hear a car door shut in the background.

I call Sandra on my way back towards campus and leave her a voicemail asking her to call me back when she gets a chance. I can't ignore the relief that I feel when her voicemail picked up instead of her voice.

Applebee's is really crowded by the time I arrive and I don't see Steph as I scan the room for bright crimson hair.

"How many?" The hostess asks me with a friendly smile.

"Three, I think?" Steph said she was with her friend so I assume she meant only one person.

"I can give you a booth just in case," the girl smiles and grabs four menus from the stand behind her.

I follow her to the booth toward the back of the restaurant and wait for Steph to arrive. I check my phone for any correspondence from Hardin but there is none, he's probably passed out by now. When I look back up, my adrenaline immediately spikes at the sight of flaming pink hair.

Hardin's POV.

"Where'd she run off to?" Richard asks me when I walk into the kitchen.

"I don't know actually, the store probably." I open the cabinet in search of something to eat. I need to soak up the liquor coursing through me.

"She's so mad at us," he replies.

"Yeah she is," I can't help but smile at the way her face was flushed in anger, her small fists bunched at her sides. She was furious.

It's not funny.. well it is but it shouldn't be.

"Does she hold grudges?"

"Obviously not, you're in our kitchen eating all my damn cereal," I shake the empty box and he smiles.

"Guess you're right."

"Yeah, usually am." I remark.

That couldn't be further from the fucking truth.

"It sucks for you that you showed up now when she's moving in less than a week," I place a Tupperware container in the microwave, I'm not exactly sure what's in it but I'm starving and I'm too drunk to cook food for myself and Tessa isn't here to cook for me.

What the fuck am I going to do when she leaves me?

"It does, I'm just glad Seattle isn't too far,"

"England is,"

"She won't go to England," he tells me.

"What the fuck do you know? You've known her for what two days?" The obnoxious beep of the microwave disrupts us.

"I know Carol though and she wouldn't go to England,'

"Tessa isn't her mother and I'm not you," he's back to the annoying drunk he was yesterday.

"Okay," he shrugs.

Tessa's POV.

Molly.

I pray that she isn't here to meet me but when Steph appears behind her, I sink back into the booth.

"Hey Tessa," Steph sits across from me, scooting in close to the wall so 'her friend' can sit next to her.

Why would she invite me to have lunch with her and Molly?

"Long time no see," Molly says to me.

I don't know what to say to either of them. I want to get up and walk out but instead I half smile, "Yeah," I reply.

"Have you ordered?" Steph asks, completely ignoring that fact that she brought my only enemy with her.

"No," I reach into my bag to pull my phone out.

"No need to call daddy, I'm not going to bite," Molly smirks.

"I wasn't calling Hardin," I tell her, I was planning on texting him. There's a clear difference.

"Sure you weren't," she laughs.

"Stop, you said you'd be nice," Steph snaps at her.

"Why did you even come?" I ask the girl that I loathe more than anyone in the entire world.

"I'm hungry," she shrugs, clearly mocking me.

"I should just go," I grab my sweatshirt and move to get up.

"No, stay! Please, you're moving and I won't see you again," Steph pouts.

"What?"

"You're leaving in a few days aren't you?"

"Who told you that?"

Molly and Steph look at one another before Steph answers, "Zed I think, it doesn't matter though. I thought you would tell me."

"I was going to, there was just a lot going on," I would explain if Molly wasn't here.

"I still wish you would have told me, I was your first friend here." She sticks out her bottom lip and I'm thankful when a server arrives at our table to get our drink order.

While Steph and Molly are ordering their soda's I text Hardin.

*I You're probably passed out but 'm at lunch with Steph and she brought Molly :/* I send and look back up at them.

"Are you excited to be leaving? What are you and Hardin going to do?" Steph asks.

I shrug and look around the room. I'm not discussing my relationship in front of Satan's daughter.

"You can talk in front of me, trust me I'm not interested in your boring ass life." Molly scoffs, taking a drink from her straw.

"Trust you?" I laugh and my phone vibrates.

*Come home.*

I don't know what I expected him to say but I'm disappointed in his advice, or lack of.

*No, I'm hungry.*

"Look, you and Hardin are cute and all but I don't really give a shit about your relationship anymore. I have my own relationship to worry about now." Molly informs me.

"Good for you," I feel bad for whoever the idiot is.

"When are we going to meet this mystery man?" Steph asks her friend.

"I don't know, not right now." Molly dismisses her.

"Anyway, so how pissed at Zed are you that he's planning to put Hardin in jail?" Molly says and I nearly spit out my water.

"I'm trying to stop that from happening," the idea of Hardin going to jail sends ice through my veins.

"Good luck with that, unless you plan on fucking Zed, there's nothing you can do." She smirks, tapping her neon green fingernail on the table.

"That's not an option," I growl.

*I've got something you can eat here. Really though, come home before something happens and I can't save you.*

Save me? From what? Molly and Steph? Steph is my friend and I've already proved that I can take Molly once before and I'd do it again in a heartbeat. She's annoying and I can't stand her but I'm not afraid of her like I once was.

I can tell by his perverted message that he's still intoxicated.

*I mean it, leave there.* He sends when I don't reply.

I shove my phone bag into my bag and direct my attention to them.

"You've already done it before so what's the difference?" Molly says.

"Excuse me?"

"I'm not judging you, I've fucked Hardin and Zed too," she reminds me.

I'm so frustrated that I want to scream, "I didn't sleep with Zed," I say through my teeth.

"Sure," her eyes roll and Steph glares at her.

"It's just a rumor," Steph tells her.

"Mhmm.."

"Did someone say that? That I slept with Zed?" I ask them.

"No," Steph answers before Molly can speak.

"Enough talk about Zed, I want to know about Seattle. Is Hardin coming too?"

"Yeah," I lie.

I don't want to admit, especially in front of Molly that Hardin refuses to join me in Seattle.

"So neither of you will be here anymore? That will be so strange," Steph says.

It will be strange to start over at a new campus after everything I've been through here. That's exactly what I need though, a new start. This entire place is tainted with memories of betrayal and false friendships.

"We should have a get together this weekend, one last hoorah," Steph suggests.

"No, no parties." I groan.

"Not a party, just our group. Let's be honest, we will probably never see each other again and Hardin should hang out with his old friends at least one more time." Steph says.

"I won't be there, don't worry." Molly rolls her eyes.

Our food arrives but I have lost my appetite. Are people really saying that I slept with Zed? Has Hardin heard this supposed rumor? Will Zed really put Hardin in jail? My head hurts.

"Talk to Hardin and let me know, we could have it at someone's apartment. Tristan and Nate's even, that way no random douche-bags will show up," Steph says.

"I don't know if he will like that idea," my eyes move down to my screen. Three missed calls.

*Answer you're phone.*

*I'm leaving after I eat, calm down. Drink some water.*

"He should like that idea, we have been his friends long before you came along and ruined him," Molly tells me.

"I didn't ruin him,"

"Yes you did. He's so different now, he doesn't even call any of his friends anymore."

"His friends," I scoff. "None of you call him either, the only one that even contacts him anymore is Nate." I remark, remembering seeing his name in Hardin's recent calls.

"That's because we know.." Molly begins but Steph puts her hand in the air.

"Enough, oh my god." She groans, rubbing her temples.

"I'm going to ask for a takeout box and go home, this was a bad idea." I tell her.

I don't know what she was thinking bringing Molly here anyway, she could have at least warned me.

"I'm sorry, I thought you guys could get along since she's not trying to fuck with Hardin anymore," Steph looks at Molly.

"We are getting along, better than before." Molly remarks.

I want to smack that smug look off her face.

Steph's phone interrupts my violent thoughts, "It's Hardin, he's calling me." She holds her phone up for me to see.

"I haven't been texting him back, I'll call him in a minute." I tell her and she ignores the call.

"Geez, stalker much?" Molly bites down on the end of a French fry.

I bite my tongue and ask the server for a to-go box. I have barely touched my food but I don't want to cause a scene in the middle of a restaurant.

"Please think about Saturday, we can make it like a dinner thing instead of a party." Steph offers.

"Please?" She gives me her best smile.

"I'll see what I can do but we're going on a trip until Saturday morning."

"You can choose the time,"

"I'll let you know." I tell her and pay my bill.

I don't like the idea but in a way she's right, we won't ever see any of them again. Hardin's going somewhere, maybe not Seattle, but he isn't staying here now since his expulsion, and he should see his old friends one last time.

"He's calling again," Steph tells me, she doesn't bother trying to hide her amusement.

"Tell him I'm on my way," I stand up and head for the door.

When I turn back around Steph and Molly are talking and Steph's phone is resting on the table in front of them.