"Can I eat now?" Hardin says and I lift my head up. We haven't moved from our spot in the chair for at least thirty minutes.

"Yes." I give him a weak smile and climb off his lap but he pulls me back.

"I didn't say for you to move, just slide my plate over." He smiles.

I get the feeling Hardin doesn't want to discuss his confession further so I slide his plate over and reach for mine across the small table. I am still reeling from this new information and now I feel a little uneasy about going to the wedding in the morning.

"You are a much better cook than I expected, I hope you know that now I expect you to cook often." I tell him as I take the last bite off my plate.

"We will see." He says with his mouth full.

"Are you still mad?" He asks after I load the dishwasher.

"Not exactly, I am still not happy about you being out all night and I still want to know who you fought and why." I tell him. He opens his mouth to speak but I stop him.

"But not tonight." I add. I don't think either of us can handle anymore tonight.

"Okay." He says softly. Worry flashes in his eyes but I choose to let it go.

"Oh, and I didn't appreciate you throwing my internship in my face either. That really hurt my feelings."

"I know, that's why I said it." He answers a little too honestly.

"That's exactly why I don't like it."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't do it again, okay?" I tell him and he nods.

"I'm exhausted." I groan in a small attempt to change the subject.

"Me too, lets lay down for the rest of the evening. I got the cable turned on."

"I was supposed to be doing that." I scowl at him.

"You can just give me the money for it.. if you wish."

"I do wish. I refuse to live here and not contribute." I remind him.

"I know.. I know." He rolls his eyes and sits next to me on the bed.

"What time are we leaving here tomorrow for the wedding?" I stare at the wall.

"Whenever we feel like it."

"It starts at three so I think we should be there by two." I explain.

"An hour early?" He whines and I nod. "I don't know why you insist.." He says but is cut off by my phone ringing.

The look on Hardin's face as he leans over and grabs it tells me immediately who it is.

"Why is he calling?" He huffs.

"I don't know Hardin but I think I should answer." I grab the phone from his hand.

"Noah?" My voice is soft and shaky as Hardin watches with a glare.

"Hey Tessa, I'm sorry to call you on a Friday night but..well.." He sounds panicked.

"What?" I push, he takes longer than necessary to explain stressful situations.

When I look over to Hardin he mouths, "speaker." I roll my eyes but put Noah on speaker phone so Hardin can eavesdrop.

"Your mom got a call from the dorm supervisor about your final bill being paid for the room so she knows you moved out. I told her I have no idea where you live now, which is the truth but she refused to believe me and she is coming there."

"Coming here? To campus?"

"Yea I guess. I don't know but she said she is going to find you and she is really pissed off. I just wanted to warn you, you know that she is coming."

"I can't believe her!" I shout into the phone and thank Noah before hanging up.

"Great.. now my mother is coming. What an excellent way to spend tonight." I lay back on the bed.

"She won't be able to find you. No one knows where we live." He assures me and rubs my fringe from my forehead.

"She may not find me but she will sure ask every single person she sees and make a huge scene." I cover my face with my hands. "I should just go find her."

"Or you could call her and give her our address and let her come here. On your territory so you have the upper hand." He suggests.

You're okay with that?" My hands move from my face.

"Of course, she is your mother Tessa."

"I will call her." I conclude and dial her number.

I don't give her any details about the apartment or where I live, I only tell her the address and hang up.

"She is still about a half hour away." I sigh and climb out of bed to straighten up.

"The apartment is already clean. We have barely touched anything." Hardin says.

"I know but it makes me feel better."

After I fold and put away the few items of clothing that were on the floor, I light a candle in the living room and wait at the table for my mother to show. I shouldn't be as nervous as I am because I am an adult and I make my own choices but I know her and she is going to lose it. I am already overly emotional from the small look into Hardin's past I was granted an hour ago and I don't know if I have it in me to go to battle with her tonight. I am glad that it is only eight so hopefully she won't stay long and we can get to bed early enough to not be tired tomorrow at the wedding.

"Do you want me to stay out here with you or give you two some time to discuss everything?" Hardin asks.

"I think we should have a little time one on one.' I tell him. As much as I want him by my side, fighting my mother with me I know that his presence will make things worse.

"Wait.. I just remembered something Noah said. He said my final bill was paid for my dorm." I look at him questioningly.

"Yea.. so?"

"You paid it didn't you!" I half shout. Not really out of anger, just surprise and annoyance.

"So.." He shrugs.

"Hardin! You have got to stop spending money on me it makes me uncomfortable."

"I don't see what the big deal is. It wasn't that much." he argues.

"What are you like secretly rich or something? Are you selling drugs?" I half laugh.

"No, I just make a lot of money and don't spend it. I lived for free the entire last year while I worked so my paychecks just kept piling up. I never really had anything to spend money on.. but now I do and I like to do it so don't fight me over it." He smiles.

"You're lucky my mother is on her way and I only have time to go to war with one of you." I tease and he chuckles.

I don't like Hardin spending his money on me but I don't want to fight him over it right now, and I can tell he gets some weird enjoyment out of doing it.

A few minutes later there is a knock.. well pounding at the door.

"I'll be right in the other room. I love you." Hardin says and gives me a swift kiss before exiting the room.

I fill my lungs with the deepest breath I can manage and open the door. My mother looks eerily perfect, as always. Not a single smudge around her heavily made up eyes, her red lipstick smooth and silky, and her blonde hair sitting neatly in a halo around her head.

"What the hell do you think you're doing moving out of that dorm without telling me!" She shouts and pushes past me into the apartment.

"You didn't give me much of a choice." I counter. I focus on breathing in and out to stay as calm as I can.

"Excuse me? How did I not give you a choice?"

"You threatened not to help me pay for my dorm." I remind her and cross my arms.

"I gave you a choice but you made the wrong one." She snaps.

"No mother I didn't."

"See, look at you. You aren't the same Tessa that I dropped off at college three months ago." She waves her arms to gesture up and down my body. "You are defying me, even yelling at me! You have some nerve! I have done everything for you and here you are.. throwing it all away."

"I am not throwing anything away! I have an excellent internship which pays me very well, I have a car, and a 4.0 grade point average. What more could you possible want from me?" I shout back.

"Well for starters, you could have at least changed your clothes before I came. Honestly Tessa, you look like hell." Her voice is full of venom as I look down at my pajamas. "And what is this.. you wear makeup now? Who are you? You're not my Theresa that is for certain. My Theresa wouldn't be hanging out in some devil worshiper's apartment in her pajamas on a Friday night."

"Do not speak about him that way, I have already warned you." I say through my teeth.

She lowers her eyes and cackles. Her head falls back in laughter and I fight my urge to smack her across her dolled up face.

"And another thing.. this isn't just his apartment. It is our apartment." I say and she immediately stops laughing.