Hardin's POV.

"This is shit, we won!" Steph whines and Tristan annoyingly agrees with his red haired girlfriend.

"I'm pretty sure we won, Nate here can barely stand up." I point to Nate who is leaning against the beer pong table.

"Well if you weredrinkin I wouldn't havetobe drinking all this." His words run together and I can't help but laugh at his expense.

"He swatted that last ball out of the way." Steph whines and Tristan kisses her on the cheek to make her smile.

If Tessa was here I would kiss her on the cheek too. I guess she's busy since she hasn't text me back yet. I thought she made that up because she wasn't comfortable with coming here but I guess I was wrong. At least Zed is here so I know she's not with him and I don't want to push myself on her by texting her again, I hate this space shit.

Tessa's POV.

After two hours I leave the cake on the counter and head upstairs to take my make-up off and change back into my pajamas. This is what happens every single time I let myself give him another chance, reality smacks me in the face.

I really thought he was coming, I am so foolish. I was downstairs baking him a cake.. god I'm an idiot.

I grab my headphones before I allow myself to cry again. The music pours into my ears as I lay back on the bed and do my best to not be too hard on myself. He acted so different last night, mostly in a good way but I do miss his perverted and rude remarks that I always pretend to hate but secretly love.

I'm glad Landon didn't come knock on my door when I heard him come in, I was still holding a little hope and I would have looked even more ridiculous, not that he would never tell me that of course.

I reach over and turn the light off on the nightstand and turn the music down slightly. If this were a month ago I would jump in my car and drive to that stupid house and ask him why the hell he stood me up, but this is now and now I just don't have it in me to fight him. Not anymore.

I'm woken by my phone ringing in my ears and it nearly makes me scream when the annoying beeping comes through the headphones.

It's Hardin and it's almost midnight.

Don't answer it Tessa. I literally have to force myself to ignore his call and shut my phone off. I reach over and set the alarm clock on the nightstand and close my eyes.

Of course he would be drunk and calling me now at midnight after standing me up.

I should have known better.

Hardin's POV.

Tessa isn't answering my calls and it's pissing me off. It's my damn birthday for fifteen more minutes and she doesn't answer the phone?

Yeah I probably should have called her sooner but still. She hasn't even responded to my text from hours ago. I thought we had a nice time yesterday, she even invited me to go inside with her to help me sleep. It killed me to say no but I knew what would happen if I went up there. I would have taken things too far and I need to let her be the one to make the first move. I don't need to take advantage of her right now, even though I really fucking want to.

"I think I'm going to go soon." I tell Logan and he unwraps himself from the dark skinned brunette he's obviously taken a liking to.

"Nah you can't leave yet, not until.. there they are!" He calls.

I turn around to see two girls in trench coats coming toward us. No fucking way. The crowded living bursts into noises consisting of clapping and cheering.

"I don't do strippers." I tell him.

"Oh come on! How'd you know they were even strippers?" He laughs.

"They're in fucking trench coats and high heels!" This is so fucking stupid.

"Come on man, Tessa won't care!" Logan adds.

"That's not the point." I growl.

Yes it is.

Not the only point but the biggest one.

"Is this the birthday boy?" One of the girls says.

Her bright red lipstick is giving me a headache already.

"No no, no. I'm not." I lie and walk toward the door.

"Come on Hardin!" A few voices call.

Hell no I'm not turning around. Tessa will lose her shit if she thought I was around strippers. I can practically hear her screaming at me over it now.

I wish she would have answered when I called. I try to call her one more time as Nate attempts to call my other line. I'm not going back in there, no way in hell. I came and participated in the birthday festivities long enough.

I bet she's mad at me right now for not calling her earlier butI don't know when I should and when I shouldn't. I don't want to push her but I don't want to give her too much space either. It's a difficult line to walk and I have no fucking balance.

I check my phone one more time and the "hey" I sent her is the last message sent or received.

Looks like it's me and that lonely ass apartment again. Happy fucking birthday to me.

Tessa's POV.

I wake up to a strange alarm and it takes me a few seconds to remember I shut my phone off last night because Hardin was calling me at midnight after I sat at the kitchen counter, my excitement dying a little with each passing minute, only to have him never show up.

I wash my face and get myself ready for the long drive to Vance, that's one thing I really miss about the apartment is the shorter drive. And Hardin. And the bookshelves that cover the wall. And the small but perfect kitchen. And that lamp. And Hardin.

When I walk downstairs Karen is the only one in the kitchen. My eyes go directly to the cake with the forty-one numbered candles and the stupid scribble that used to say Hardin but now has shifted from sitting out all night and looks like it says 'hell' , maybe it does.

"He wasn't able to make it." I tell her without meeting her eyes.

"Yeah... I assumed he didn't." She gives me a sympathetic smile and wipes her glasses on her apron.

She is the perfect housewife, she is always cooking or cleaning something but more than that she is so kind and she loves her husband and family, even her rude step-son, dearly.

"It's fine." I shrug and fill a mug with coffee.

"You know you don't always have to be fine, honey."

"I know. But it's easier to be fine." I tell her and she nods.

"It's not supposed to be easy." She tells me and I nearly laugh at the irony of her using the words that Hardin always uses against me.

"Anyway, we are thinking of planning a trip to the beach next week if you want to come that would be lovely." One of the things I love about Landon's mother is that she never pushes me to talk about anything.

"The beach? In February?" I ask.

"We have a boat that we like to take out before it gets too warm. We go whale-watching and it's really neat, you should come."

"Whale-watching?"

"Yes." She smiles.

"Okay?" I would like to go, I've never been on a boat before and the thought terrifies me but whale-watching does sound interesting.

"Great! We will have a nice time." She assures me and heads into the living room.

I finally turn my phone back on when I get to Vance. I need to stop turning my phone off when I'm angry. I can ignore his calls at midnight but I shouldn't have to turn my phone off. If something happened with my mother and she couldn't get ahold of me I would feel terrible.

I should probably call my mother again since we didn't get to talk much the other day.

Kimberly and Christian are leaning into each other in the hall when I step off of the elevator. He whispers something into her ear and she giggles before he tucks her hair behind her ear and smiles widely as he kisses her, both of them still smiling.

I hurry to my office to call my mother but she doesn't answer the phone.

The manuscript I begin to read pisses me off within the first five pages. When I skim through the last few pages I see "I do" and sigh. I am sick of the same old story, girl meets boy, boy loves her, one problem gets in the way, they make up, get married, have kids, the end. I toss it in the trash without reading further. I feel bad for not giving it much of a chance but it's not working for me. I need realistic stories where there are real problems, more than one fight, and even a break up. A real one. People don't hurt each other and keep coming back for more.. except me of course.

Christian walks past my office and I take a deep breathe before getting up from my desk to follow him. I smooth my skirt and try to practice what to say to him about Seattle. I hope Hardin didn't ruin my chance to go.

"Mr. Vance?" I knock lightly at his door.

"Come in Tessa."

"Sorry for bothering you but I was wondering if you have a few minutes to talk about something?" I ask and he waves for me to sit down.

I smile in appreciation and take a seat.

"I was wondering about Seattle, if there's any chance that I could transfer there? I understand if it's too late but I would really like to go."

"You want to go? Are you sure?" He asks.

"Yeah, I'm positive. I really would love to go. I know what Hardin told you but that isn't true."

"I should have figured as much.." His dimpled smile is so charming.

"Yeah.." I shift uncomfortably and smile.

"I would love to bring you to Seattle with us." He finally says.

"Really?"

"Yes of course, I'm bringing my best people so it only fits that you'll come along too." He praises.

"Thank you so much! I really appreciate it." I say and mean it.

"Do you have any idea when you will be ready to go? Kim, Trevor, and myself will be leaving in about two weeks but you can join us whenever you are ready. I know you have to transfer colleges."

"Two weeks should be good." I answer before I can think about it.

"Great, this is just great. Kim will be happier than ever." He smiles and I watch his eyes focus on the picture of Kimberly and Smith on his desk.

"Thank you again, this means so much to me." I tell him before leaving his office.

Seattle.

Two weeks.

I'm moving to Seattle in two freaking weeks.

I'm ready.

Aren't I?

Of course I am, I have been waiting for this moment to come for years I just never expected it to happen so soon.

When I get back to my office I have a missed call from my mother so I dial her back as I sit down.

"Hello Tessa." She says on the other line.

"Hey."

"How are you?"

"I'm really good, I have some really exciting news." I tell her and chew on my fingernails.

"What's that?" She sounds half interested.

"I'm moving to Seattle, with Vance Publishing."

"You're what! Really? That is great news." She says and I can tell she's smiling.

No matter how controlling or judgmental my mother is she has groomed me to have a great future and I thank her for that.

"When will you be going?"

"Two weeks. It's really soon but I'm ready." I tell her.

"Wow Theresa, that is really great. Just make sure you keep yourself focused and don't mess this up. Is Hardin going to Seattle as well?"

I knew she would ask but the pain in my chest still appears.

"No, not right now at least." I don't want to tell her what is going on between Hardin and I.

"That's good."

I ignore her comment and wait for her to talk again.

"Oh, I was meaning to talk to you about the dinner I had with the Porter's the other night."

Of course she was.

"Yeah?"

"Yes. I was a little thrown off when I met Noah's girlfriend."

"Mother, I don't have any interest in Noah's girlfriend."

"She looks an awful lot like your friend from the mall."

What friend from the mall?

Rebecca?

"The resemblance was very strong, I was a mess that day when I met her but I could have sworn..."

"That couldn't be.. Rebecca lives here and she's in high school."

She has to be confused.

"Noah's girlfriend lives there as well, she said she lives two hours away. She didn't seem to recognize me though so I didn't want to bring it up at a country club dinner. She didn't even flinch when I said your name on the phone but I swear it's her." She laughs lightly and I can picture her picking her teeth in the reflection on the toaster.

My mother is the biggest gossip queen and if this is true she will have a heyday.

"There's no way." I say again.

That would be too weird and Rebecca is dating Zed she just hasn't been around because she's been in Californ...Oh my god.

"Are you sure they looked the same?"

"Honey, I remember that face. Have you seen the girl's cheekbones they are flawless."

I roll my eyes and try to make sense of this. What are the chances that Noah and Zed share a girlfriend? It doesn't make much sense, they are complete opposites. I was a little surprised that Rebecca didn't have any tattoos when I met her but why would she date two boys that live two hours from each other.

"That's so weird." I say into the phone.

"I know right! That's what I thought. The Porter's don't like her much anyway, they say she is very impolite."

"I don't like her either, I haven't since I met her." I shouldn't have said that because I know my mother will run and tell Noah and his family, if not Rebecca herself.

Poor Noah, this is happening to him again.

Poor Zed, I reject him and his girlfriend is cheating on him. He has the worst luck.

"Well I need to get back to work, don't say anything to Noah about his girlfriend I'm going to make sure I know her first." I tell my mother, there is no need to mention Zed yet.

"Okay call me again tomorrow, you never call me anymore. And congratulations again on Seattle honey. Just remember what I said about messing it up." She reminds me and hangs up the phone.

I can't believe I didn't put it together before, the same name and they were both in California skiing, the thought literally never crossed my mind. I definitely need to tell Zed or at least bring it up to him before I tell Noah. Is it my place to even tell them?

No, but I have to. I care about both of them and Noah has always been a big part of my life, until Hardin of course. I text Zed first.

*Hey, I need to talk to you about something.* I send.

Seconds later my phone vibrates on the desk.

*I can talk now?* It reads.

*I'm at my internship, what about after?*

*Is everything okay?* He asks.

*Yeah, I just want to talk.*

*Just let me know a time.*

*5:30?*

*Sounds good, where?*

I can't have him come to Landon's.

*Your place?*

*See you then :)*

I feel so bad for him, he is so sweet. Not that he seemed to be thinking of Rebecca when he's around me but he deserves to be treated right and it's not fair what she is doing, if it's the same Rebecca. I have a strong feeling it is. I haven't liked her since I met her, now I know why.

So many things are going through my mind as I drive to Zed's apartment. The move to Seattle and Hardin are the biggest things. How will Hardin react? I don't think he will be too happy about it but this isn't up to him. He shouldn't have told Christian I didn't want to go in the first place. I have wanted this for so long and it's finally happening. I wish I could have called Hardin first and told him about Seattle, I wish he would have been excited for me and told me how happy he was, I wish he would have said, "I can't wait for us to move to Seattle."

But that would never happen.

If Hardin cared so much he wouldn't have blown me off last night without even giving me an explanation. He hasn't tried to apologize nor explain his absence at all today.

Zed greets me with a warm smile when he opens the door to his apartment.

"How is it out there?" He asks when I shiver.

"Cold." I smile and he moves out of the way to let me inside the warm apartment.

"Is everything okay? I've been a little worried since you text me." He says.

He's wearing dark jeans and a bright green shirt that makes his eyes even more rich in color.

"Yeah, I just have something to tell you, I think. But I want to tell you something else first."

"Is it about the party?" He asks.

He was there?

"You went?" I ask, putting my news on hold.

"Yeah, for a while but once those strippers showed up I left." He rubs the back of his neck.

My breath is lost.

"Strippers?" I croak.

"Yeah, everyone was so wasted and on top of that they had strippers. That's not my thing so I got out of there." He shrugs.

I was baking Hardin a cake and planning to spend his birthday with him while he was getting wasted with strippers.

I'm such an idiot.