After

Chapter 67.

(A/N. I tried to attach a picture of the girl that I picture as Tessa in the outfit I have her in later in the chapter. I am not sure if I did it right but I hope so haha. xo)

I take the bus to the center of town where I know there are car lots. I wanted to wait and go further away from campus but I can't go another day without my own car. The salesman is a creep and he smells like stale cigarettes but I can't be picky any longer. After an hour of negotiating, I write him a check for the down payment and he gives me the keys to a decent 2010 Corolla. The white paint is chipped in a few places but I managed to talk him down low enough that I am willing to let it slide. I call my mother before I drive out of the lot to tell her I got a car, of course she says I should have gotten a bigger car and lists the reasons why. I end up pretending to lose service and shut my phone off. I glance in the mirror once and cringe at my tired appearance. I look terrible, my hair is tangled, my eyes puffy and my cheeks are still splotchy from crying earlier.

It feels amazing to drive my own car, I no longer have to depend on public transportation and now I can drive myself to my internship. I hope my cutting ties with Hardin doesn't effect it, I don't think it will but what if he is bored with just simply making me cry and does something to ruin it? Maybe I should talk to Ken and try to explain that Hardin and I are no longer.. dating? He thinks we are dating so I will have to come up with something besides, your son is the cruelest person in the world and he is toxic to me so I can no longer be around him.

I turn the radio on and turn it up louder than I would usually like but it does what I need it to. It drowns out my thoughts and I focus on every lyric to every song. I ignore the fact that every song seems to remind me of Hardin. Before heading back to campus I decide to go buy some more clothes, it is getting colder and I need some more jeans. I am growing tired of wearing my long skirts all the time. I end up buying a few new outfits to wear to Vance and a few pair of jeans, they are tighter than usual but they look good on me, and a couple plain shirts and cardigans. Steph isn't in the room when I return and I am glad. I really think I may need to look into changing rooms, I do like Steph but we can't continue to live together if Hardin is around. Depending on how much I will be making at my internship, I could get my own apartment and live off of campus. That would be ideal for me, my mother would lose it but it isn't up to her.

I fold my new clothes and put them away before grabbing my toiletry bag and head to the showers. When I return, Steph and Zed are sitting on her bed. Great.

"Did Hardin ever find you last night?" She asks and I nod.

"So did you work it out then?"

"No, well yea I guess. I am done with him." I tell her. Her eyes go wide, she must have assumed he would sink his claws back into me.

"Well, I for one am glad." Zed smiles and Steph swats his arm. Her phone beeps and she looks down.

"Tristan is here, we gotta go. Wanna come?" she asks.

"No thanks. I got a car today!" I tell her and she squeals.

"Really!" She says and I nod. "I will have to see it when I get back." She says and they head for the door.

Steph walks out but Zed lingers in the doorway.

"Tessa?" His voice is as smooth as velvet. I look up and he smiles at me.

"Did you think about our date?" He asks, staring into my eyes.

"I.. " I am about to reject him but why? He is very attractive and seems sweet. He didn't take advantage of me when he easily could have. I know he would be better company than Hardin, anyone would be honestly. "Sure." I smile.