After

Chapter 78.

Hardin's eyes follow mine and widen as he sees her. He reaches for my hand but I pull away.

"What the hell are you thinking!" She yells as we approach her. I want to shrink and disappear.

"I..what?" I don't know what she knows yet so I stay quiet. Her blonde hair looks brighter, more angled towards her perfectly drawn on face.

"What are you thinking Theresa! Noah has been avoiding me for the last two weeks and I finally ran into Mrs. Porter at the grocery and you know what she told me? That you two have broken up! Why wouldn't you tell me? I had to find out in the most humiliating way!" she shouts.

"It's not that big of a deal mother, we broke up." I say and she gasps.

"Not that big of a deal? You and Noah have been together for years, he is good for you Tessa. He has a future, and comes from a great family! Luckily, I have just spoken to him and he has agreed to take you back, despite your promiscuous behavior."

Anger bubbles inside me. "How dare I? If I don't want to date him, I don't have to. What does it matter what type of family he comes from? If I wasn't happy with him that is what should matter. How dare you talk to him about this, I am an adult!" I push past her to open the door. Hardin follows me and she storms in after us.

"You have no idea how ridiculous you sound! And then you show up here with.. this.. this.. punk! Look at him Tessa! Is this your way of rebelling against me? Have I done something to make you hate me?"

"This isn't about you! Why do you have to make everything about you!" My tears are fighting to break free but I refuse to let her get the best of me. I hate that when I am angry I cry, it makes me seem weak but I can't help it. Hardin is standing by my dresser with his jaw clenched and hands shoved deep in his pockets. If only she knew that Hardin's father is the chancellor at WSU and has even more money than Noah's family. I refuse to tell her that, money has nothing to do with it.

"It isn't about me, it's about your future! You have to think of the future, not how you are feeling now. I know he seems fun and dangerous, but there is no future here! Not with him.. this freak!" She gestures to Hardin.

Before I realize what I am doing, I am in my mothers face. "Do not talk about him like that!" I scream. Hardin steps forward, grabbing me by the elbows to pull me away from her. Her eyes are wide and red rimmed.

"Who are you? My daughter would never speak to me this way! She would never jeopardize her future or be so disrespectful!" I begin to feel guilty and that's exactly what she wants.

"I am not jeopardizing my future! My future isn't even in question here, I have a 4.0 and a great internship starting tomorrow! You are beyond selfish to come here and try to make me feel bad for being happy. He makes me happy mom, and if you can't accept that then you should go." I am as surprised as she is by what I just said.

"Excuse me?" She huffs. Hardin steps between us. "You will regret this Theresa! I am disgusted to even look at you!"

The room seems to be spinning, I was not prepared to go to war with my mother, not today at least. I knew it would be a matter of time before she found out but she wasn't even on my radar for today.

"I knew something was going on from the first time I saw him in your room, I just didn't think you would be so quick to open your legs for him!" Ouch.

"You're taking this too far." Hardin warns her with dark eyes. I think Hardin may be the only person who could actually give my mom a run for her money.

"You stay out of this!" She snaps, crossing her arms once again. "If you continue to see him I will no longer speak to you and you surely can't pay for college on your own, this dorm alone cost me thousands!" She shrieks.

"You're threatening my education because you don't approve of who I am in love with?" I am astounded.

"In love with?" She scoffs. "Oh Theresa, my naïve Theresa, you have no idea what love is." She laughs. "And you think he loves you?" Her laugh is more of a cackle and it makes me sick.

"I do love her." Hardin interrupts.

"Sure you do!" Her head falls back.

"Mother."

"Theresa, I am warning you. If you don't stop seeing him, there will be consequences. I am leaving now but I expect a call after you clear you head." She says.

I watch her as she walks away, her heels clunking down the hall.

"I am so sorry." I turn to Hardin.

"You have nothing to apologize for." He takes my face in his hands. "I am proud of the way you stood up for yourself." He kisses my nose.

"I can't believe her, I can't believe she would act like that and threaten not to help pay for my college. She doesn't pay for all of it, I have a partial scholarship and I got some student loans. She only pays twenty percent, the biggest thing is the dorms. What if she really stops paying for them? I will have to find a job on top of the internship." I sob. His hand moves to the back of my head and gently pushed my head down to cry on his chest.

"Shh.. Shh.. It's okay, we will figure it out. You can move in with me." he says. I laugh and wipe my eyes. "I'm serious, you could. Or we could get an apartment off campus. I have enough money."

I look up at him and his expression is so serious. "You can't be serious."

"I am."

"We can't move in together." I laugh and sniffle.

"Why not?"

"Because we have only known each other for a few months, most of that time was spent fighting." I remind him.

"So, we have done a pretty good job getting along this weekend." he smiles and we both burst into laughter.

"You're insane, I am not moving in with you." I tell him and he hugs me again.

"Just think about it, I want to move out of the frat house anyway. I don't really fit in there in case you didn't notice." he laughs. It's true, his small group of friends are the only ones who don't wear polo shirts and khakis everyday. "I only joined to piss my father off but it didn't work as well as I had hoped."

"You could just get an apartment on your own." I suggest. There is no way I am moving in with him this soon.

"Yea, but that wouldn't be as fun." He smirks and wiggles his brows at me.

"We could still have fun." I tease. His wicked smile grows and he brings both hands down to my bottom and squeezes.

"Hardin!" I scold him playfully.

The door opens and my breathing stops. I am relieved when Steph and Tristan walk into the room. For a second I thought it would be my mother coming back to scream at me again.

"What did I miss? I am pretty sure I just saw your mom drive past me and flip me off?" She says and I can't help but laugh.