It was meant to be

21 - Dangerous

Tessa

The next morning, I stand in front of the mirror, wincing as I touch the fresh bruise on my cheek. It's swollen, dark purple, and impossible to hide completely. I grab my concealer, but I know it won't do much—not with how bad it looks. The makeup barely lightens the bruise, and every time I brush my fingers over it, I feel the ache.

I try again, layering more concealer on top, hoping it will blend into my skin. But the swelling makes it obvious something's wrong. I can't let Hardin or anyone else see this. I can't explain it.

With a deep breath, I pull my hair down over the side of my face, hoping that it'll at least distract from the bruise. It doesn't help much, but it's the best I can do. I need to get through today.

I look at myself one last time in the mirror, trying to convince myself that it's not as bad as it feels. But I know better. The pain is a constant reminder of last night, and the sick feeling in my stomach won't go away.

When I arrive at Hardin's house, Auden greets me with his usual bright smile, and for a moment, I feel a little better. His innocence, his joy—it's a welcome distraction from everything swirling in my head.

"Good morning, sweet boy!" I say, picking him up and giving him a hug. "What do you want to do today?"

"Play blocks!" he giggles, his arms wrapped around my neck. I smile, grateful for the simplicity of his request.

As I take Auden to his playroom, I sense Hardin watching us. I try to avoid making eye contact, but it's impossible to ignore the weight of his gaze. He's always so perceptive, and I know he's going to notice something's off.

I set Auden down and help him start building a tower with his blocks. Hardin comes into the room a few moments later, leaning against the doorway, his arms crossed.

"Morning, Tess!" he says casually, but there's something in his tone—a hint of concern.

"Morning." I reply, keeping my focus on the blocks, hoping he won't ask anything more. But of course, he does.

"You okay?" His voice is softer now, more direct.

I nod quickly, still not looking at him. "Yeah, I'm fine. Just tired."

There's a pause, and I can feel his eyes on me, studying me. "Tessa, look at me."

I freeze for a second, my hands hovering over the blocks. Slowly, I turn my head toward him, forcing a smile. "What?"

His expression shifts immediately. He's seen it. The bruise.

He steps closer, his brow furrowed, and before I can even try to brush it off, he's standing right in front of me, gently lifting a strand of hair away from my cheek.

"Tess..." he says, his voice low, but there's a sharp edge of anger in it. "What the hell happened to your face?"

I pull back slightly, instinctively covering the spot with my hand. "It's nothing, Hardin. Just—just an accident."

"An accident?" He doesn't believe me, not for a second. His eyes are dark, his jaw clenched. "Who did this to you?"

I swallow, trying to find the right words, but nothing comes. I can feel the panic rising in my chest. I don't want him to know. I don't want to drag him into this.

"It's fine. I'm fine." I finally say, my voice shaky. "I don't want to talk about it."

"Tessa, I'm not letting this go." he says firmly. "You don't just show up with a bruise like that and expect me to ignore it. Tell me who did this."

I shake my head, avoiding his gaze. "It doesn't matter. It's over now."

He's silent for a moment, but I can feel the tension radiating off him. I know he wants to push harder, to demand answers, but he's holding back—for now.

"If you don't want to talk about it, I'll respect that." he finally says, his voice tight. "But don't tell me it's nothing. I can see it's something."

I nod, feeling a wave of relief that he's not pressing further, but also guilt. I hate lying to him. I hate that I'm letting Alex get away with what he did, even if just for now.

Hardin takes a deep breath and steps back, his expression softening slightly. "Just... if you need anything, you can tell me. Okay?"

"Okay." I whisper, forcing another smile. "Thank you."

He nods, though I can tell he's not satisfied with my answer. But for now, he lets it go. He turns and walks out of the room, leaving me alone with Auden and the guilt that's gnawing at me.

As I sit back down to play with Auden, I can't shake the feeling that this secret won't stay buried for long. Hardin's too protective, too stubborn to let something like this slide. And I'm not sure how much longer I can keep pretending everything's fine.

My phone starts to ring. I pick it up and I look at the called ID. It's Alex. I ignore his call, but he continues to call me. Shit. In this way, he going to come here, after me. Or worse, he's going to hurt Hardin. I have to tell him. Now.

"Auden, let's see what daddy does in hiss office."

"Yeah!" He says and we walk to Hardin's office.

"Hey... We're bothering you?"

"No, no. What's up?" He stops working and he gets up from his chair. As the trial is coming, Hardin decided to work from home for a while.

"I want to tell you something... The truth about what happened." I quietly say as I point to the bruise on my face.

"Finally."

"Last night, after I left, Alex was waiting for me in front of Mia's building." My voice shakes as I start to explain, feeling the weight of the confession on my chest. Hardin's eyes darken, his expression shifting from concern to something sharper, more protective.

"I don't know what got into him, but he was jealous." I hesitate, brushing a strand of hair over the side of my face, as if that could hide what's underneath. "Why? I have no idea. Okay, I agreed to give him a second chance. But... I didn't think he would be jealous of you."

Hardin's brow furrows as he leans in slightly, his gaze never leaving mine. "Jealous of me?"

I nod slowly, feeling the lump in my throat grow. "He started accusing me of things—of spending too much time with you, of being 'too close.' It didn't make sense. I tried to calm him down, but he wouldn't listen. And then..." I trail off, my voice cracking. My fingers instinctively touch the faint bruise, still tender beneath the makeup. Hardin's eyes dart to the side of my face, his jaw tightening as he finally understands.

"And then he hit you..." he says angrily.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you... But he's keeping calling me and I'm scared. I don't want him to come here and hurt your or Auden. I'm sorry I put you and your son in danger and I understand if you want to fire me."