It was meant to be

12 - Storm of Emotions

Hardin

The next few days are a whirlwind of preparation. Michael Thornton is as good as David said he'd be—sharp, decisive, and utterly committed to the case. We spend hours going over documents, gathering evidence, and planning our strategy. But no matter how focused I am on the legal battle, my thoughts keep drifting back to Tessa.

She's been incredible through all of this—calm, supportive, always ready with a reassuring word or a steadying hand. And as much as I try to push it aside, the connection between us is growing stronger. Every time I see her, every time we talk, I feel something pulling me closer to her.

It's late one evening, after another long day of meetings and phone calls. Tessa had come over to help organize some paperwork, and now that we've finally finished, we're sitting on the couch with a glass of wine each, trying to unwind.

"This case is intense." Tessa says, taking a sip of her wine. "But you're handling it well, Hardin. I can see how much you love Auden."

"Thanks," I reply, looking over at her. The soft lighting in the living room highlights her features, and I can't help but admire how beautiful she looks. "I don't know what I'd do without you, Tessa. You've been my rock through all of this."

She smiles, but there's a hint of something else in her eyes—something that makes my heart beat a little faster. "You'd do just fine. You're stronger than you think."

We sit in silence for a moment, the air between us thick with unspoken words. I can feel the tension building, the space between us on the couch seeming smaller and smaller. Without really thinking, I reach out and take her hand. She doesn't pull away, just looks at me with those warm, understanding eyes.

"Tessa..." I start, my voice low, "I don't know what's going to happen with this case, or with anything, really. But I know that you mean a lot to me. More than just Auden's nanny. More than just a friend."

Her breath hitches slightly, and she looks down at our joined hands. "Hardin, I..."

But before she can finish, I lean in, closing the distance between us. My lips meet hers in a soft, tentative kiss, testing the waters. For a moment, she hesitates, and I think she might pull away. But then she responds, her lips moving against mine, and suddenly the world falls away.

The kiss deepens, fueled by the tension that's been building between us for weeks. I slide my hand up to cup her face, pulling her closer as the kiss becomes more intense. It feels like everything I've been holding back is pouring out in this moment, every fear, every desire, every unspoken word.

When we finally break apart, we're both breathing heavily, our foreheads resting against each other. "Tessa..." I whisper, "I don't want to complicate things, but I can't keep pretending there's nothing between us."

She looks up at me, her eyes searching mine. "It's already complicated, Hardin. But maybe... maybe that's okay."

I nod, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders. "Yeah. Maybe it is."

We spend the rest of the night wrapped up in each other, forgetting about the court case, about everything outside of this moment. It's like the world has stopped, and there's nothing but us—nothing but the connection that's been simmering just beneath the surface.

As we finally drift off to sleep, her head resting on my chest, I can't help but feel like this is where we're supposed to be. Together.

*

Over the next few days, the whirlwind of preparations for the custody battle intensifies, but the memory of that night with Tessa lingers in my mind, a constant undercurrent to everything else going on. The kiss we shared, the closeness we felt—it's something I can't easily forget, and I'm not sure I want to.

Each day, Tessa continues to help, whether it's with Auden or with the endless paperwork that's become my life. The connection between us is palpable, growing stronger with every shared glance, every fleeting touch. It's like an unspoken agreement that we're in this together, not just for Auden, but for ourselves.

One evening, after a particularly grueling day, Tessa is still here, organizing documents while I sit on the couch, exhausted. Auden is already asleep, and the house is quiet, save for the soft rustling of papers. I watch her from across the room, admiring the way she moves with such focus and care.

When she finally finishes, she looks up at me, a small smile playing on her lips. "All set for tomorrow. Michael will have everything he needs."

"Thanks, Tessa. You've been incredible through all this." I say, meaning every word.

She walks over to me, sitting down on the couch beside me. "It's nothing, really. I just want to help."

I reach out, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, my fingers lingering just a bit too long. "It's not nothing. You're doing more than you know."

For a moment, we just sit there, close but not touching, the air between us thick with everything we're not saying. I can feel the pull again, that magnetic force that draws me to her, and I know she feels it too.

"Tessa..." I start, my voice low. "about the other night..."

She looks at me, her expression unreadable, but I can see the conflict in her eyes. "Hardin, we need to talk about that."

I nod, bracing myself for whatever she's about to say. "I know. We can't pretend it didn't happen."

"No, we can't." she agrees, her voice soft. "But we also can't ignore the reality of our situation. There's so much at stake right now, and Auden needs stability more than anything."

Her words make sense, but they also sting. I know she's right, but that doesn't make it any easier. "So, what are you saying?"

"I'm saying that we need to be careful. For Auden's sake, and for ours." She pauses, her hand resting on my arm. "I care about you, Hardin. A lot. But we have to be smart about this. We can't let our feelings get in the way of what's really important."

I take a deep breath, nodding. "I get it. But that doesn't change how I feel about you."

"I know." she says, her voice barely above a whisper. "And it doesn't change how I feel either. But maybe we should take a step back. At least until things settle down."

It's not what I want to hear, but I can't argue with her logic. We both know how complicated this is, and the last thing I want to do is make things harder for her—or for Auden.

"Okay." I finally say, forcing myself to let go of the tension in my chest. "We'll take a step back. But that doesn't mean I'm giving up on us."

She gives me a small, sad smile. "I know, Hardin. We'll figure this out. One step at a time."

We sit there in silence for a while, the weight of everything hanging over us. Eventually, she stands up, ready to leave for the night. I walk her to the door, hesitating as she turns to say goodbye.

"Tessa..." I say, stopping her before she can walk out. "Just know that I'm here. For you, for Auden. No matter what happens."

She nods, her eyes softening. "I know. And that means more to me than you realize."

With that, she steps out into the night, leaving me alone in the quiet house. As I close the door behind her, I can't shake the feeling that we're standing on the edge of something big—something that could change everything, for better or for worse.

But for now, all I can do is wait, and hope that when the time comes, we'll be ready for whatever the future holds.