Love doesn't have to be hard

Chapter 3: The end is here

So, the week has flown by, and Zed has been very sweet. That night, after we hung out, he sent me a text telling me goodnight.

Since then, he has sent me good morning and good night texts every day. Several throughout the day, just asking how I've been and how my day is going.

Noah will be here today, and he and I really need to talk. Zed asked me if I had plans, and I told him my boyfriend was coming to visit and that we needed to talk. I didn't feel right keeping things from him and needed to be honest. 

He replied with good luck; he may not appreciate the fact that you want to be honest, but I definitely do. Just shows you are a great person, Tessa. If you need me for anything afterward, just call.  

With that, I go to my last class of the day. When I walked out, there stood Noah with flowers and the sweetest smile. I hugged him, and we walked back to my dorm. 

Steph was getting ready for the party tonight, and she smiled and said hey to Noah, then headed out to meet Tristan and Hardin.

Noah was sitting on my bed, and I started to get really nervous. "Um, Noah, can we talk for a minute?"

"Yeah, sure, Tess. You look like you are freaking out. Is everything okay?"

"Noah, I want you to know how amazing you are. I need you to listen and not interrupt until I finish what I need to say."

"Okay, you have my full attention."

"Okay, well, since I started here, and you know that party I went to with Steph. Well, Hardin kissed me. Then we went to the lake, and he kinda touched me. I felt so bad, but I had to be honest with you."

"What do you mean he touched you?"

"I mean, he touched me like sexually."

"You slept with him?"

"No, I'm still very much a virgin."

"Did you consent to it, or did he force you?" He was getting very angry, and she started crying.

"I consented, but he's a big jerk, and that won't happen again."

"Okay, anything else."

"Yes, so I went out last Friday with Zed. He's a friend of Hardin's and Steph's. Nothing happened other than we hung out. He kissed my hand."

"Did you or do you want something more to happen?"

"I don't know, Noah. You have been in my life for so long, and it's always been a plan. Here, things are different, and people are different. I think we are different and that we may want different things than what our parents planned for us."

"Tessa, are you breaking up with me?"

She looked down as tears fell from her eyes and then looked into his eyes. "I think we need to discover ourselves before we make a commitment like this. I think we need to do that alone."

Just as someone barged in her door, Hardin opened it and saw the two of them sitting there talking. He saw the tears in Tessa's eyes. 

"Tessa, are you okay? Why are you crying? Did he do something or say something to hurt you?"

"Hardin, I am fine. What are you doing here?"

"Steph forgot her purse and asked me to run over and get it. So, this is the boyfriend."

"Is he the one that you were talking about that touched you?"

"Oh, so you did tell him about the lake. Yes, I did. I don't understand what is wrong with you, to have such a beautiful woman and never touch her or fuck her."