Hardin Scott has been madly in love with Tessa Young since the moment he first laid eyes on her, but there's no way she could ever see him as anything more than a friend. After all, he's a bad boy with a promiscuous past and she's a sweet and innoce...
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I'm standing at the end of the alley. I see Tessa and I go to meet her, but I can't move. My feet are frozen in place. Neil is coming up behind Tessa and I try to warn her, but I have no voice.
I watch in horror as he grabs her and throws her to the ground. He pins her down and rips her shirt open. He draws his tongue over her chest and up her neck before whispering in her ear, "I'm going to make him watch as I make you mine." He roughly pulls her pants down her legs and slips his hand inside her panties. "You're so tight. You won't be when I'm done with you." Her underwear is ripped from her and he unzips his pants.
"Hardin! Help me! Please stop him!" Tessa begs.
I want to help her, but I can't move. I manage to shout, "Tessa, I won't let him hurt you!"
Neil pulls his pants and boxers down and roughly thrusts into Tessa as he looks at me and smiles.
"Hardin! Where are you?" Tessa cries.
Neil continues to thrust himself in and out of Tessa as my eyes shed tears down my cheeks. When he finally finishes with her, he pulls his pants back up and says, "You know you liked it." He disappears into the night and I can finally move again.
I run over to Tessa. "Baby, I'm here now," I say as I hold her in my arms. She's bloody and her face is soaked in tears.
"Why didn't you save me, Hardin? You promised I was safe with you. You said you wouldn't let anyone hurt me. You lied."
"Tess..." I say as I look down at her, but she's disappeared from my arms. "Tessa? Tessa! Where are you? Please come back to me!" I call out.
"Hardin, wake up!" Tessa yells at me as she shakes me by the shoulders.
"Tessa? Tessa, you're here!" I shout as I pull her into me and hold her tight.
"Hardin, are you okay? You were screaming for me in your sleep."
"I-I was having a nightmare."
"Oh, Hardin... The one about your mom?"
"No, Tess, this was worse. It was about you."
"Me? Why me?"
"It was about you and... Neil."
"Oh."
"He was raping you and all I could do was watch. I couldn't help you and you blamed me for not saving you from him. You disappeared and I couldn't find you," I cry to her.
"It's okay now, Hardin," she says as she wipes at my cheeks.
"No, it's not."
"It is," she says as she hugs me.
"I dreamed that for a reason, Tessa. It's all my fault."
"Hardin, it's not your fault," she says into my ear as she continues to hold me.
"It is..." I sob.
"What do I have to do to help you see that it's not your fault? The only one to blame is Neil."
"I don't know if I'll ever see it that way. I don't think I'm any good for you, Tess."
"Hardin..." she scolds.
"It's true. Think about it! Ever since we got together your life has been turned upside down."
"Because of Zed, not because of you! Come back to bed with me."
"Tess..."
"Hardin, you're being incredibly selfish right now."
"What?" I gasp.
"I'm the one who was attacked and I need you to be here for me, but you're too busy throwing yourself a pity party to see it."
"You're right. I'm sorry. What do you need?"
"I need you to come back to bed with me."
"Are you sure?"
"Yes. I'm living my own nightmare right now and the only thing getting me through it is your love. Please hold me and help me forget what his hands felt like on my skin."
Tessa takes my hand and leads me from the couch back to our bedroom. I crawl in beside her and hold her close to me and a little tighter than usual. "Do you feel better now, Tess?"
"I do. Please don't let me go," she begs.
"I won't. Please don't ever leave me."
"I won't," she promises.
"I love you so much, baby."
I wait for Tessa to say it back, but when I look down at her I see that she's fast asleep, so instead, I kiss the top of her head and vow to spend the rest of my life making this up to her.
This is the most peaceful she's looked since it happened and I can at least find some redemption in the fact I was able to help her find some peace.
As my eyelids get heavy, I hope that holding Tessa will help save me from my own nightmares.
