It was meant to be

22 - You Are Family

Tessa

Hardin stands there, frozen for a second, his expression hardening as he processes what I just said. His fists clench, and I can see the muscles in his jaw working, trying to keep his anger in check. The silence between us feels like it stretches forever before he finally speaks, his voice dangerously low.

"Tessa, you're not putting me or Auden in danger. But that man—Alex—he's never coming near you again. Do you understand?" His eyes burn with an intensity that both scares and reassures me.

I open my mouth to respond, but the words stick in my throat. Hardin takes a step closer, his face inches from mine now, his voice softening. "You don't have to apologize for what he did. You did nothing wrong. But I need you to trust me, Tess. Let me help you."

My heart pounds in my chest. "I... I didn't want to drag you into this, Hardin. You've got enough on your plate with the trial."

He shakes his head. "The trial doesn't matter right now. You matter. Auden matters. Keeping you both safe is my priority." He runs a hand through his hair, frustration clear in every movement. "If this guy is still calling you, if he's threatening you, you need to take this seriously."

"I know." I whisper, feeling the weight of my decision to stay quiet crash over me. "But I just didn't want to make things worse. I thought if I ignored him, he'd just... go away."

Hardin's eyes narrow. "Tessa, men like Alex don't just go away. He's already hurt you once. I won't let him do it again."

Before I can reply, Auden tugs at my shirt, looking up at me with wide, innocent eyes. "Tessa, you okay?"

I crouch down, forcing a smile for Auden's sake. "Yeah, sweet boy. I'm okay."

Hardin watches us, his gaze softening as he sees the bond between me and his son. But then, without warning, my phone buzzes again, and I see Alex's name flash on the screen. Panic rises in my chest, and I quickly decline the call, my hands trembling.

Hardin's eyes darken as he sees the name. "That's it. You're staying here tonight. I'm not letting him anywhere near you. We'll figure this out in the morning."

I blink at him, surprised. "Staying here? Hardin, I don't want to be a burden."

"You're not a burden, Tessa." His voice is firm, leaving no room for argument. "You're family. And family takes care of each other."

For the first time in what feels like forever, I feel a sense of safety, even if just for a moment. But deep down, I know this isn't over. Alex won't give up that easily.

Hardin doesn't waste any time. The moment I hesitate, he pulls his phone out, his expression cold and determined.

"Hardin, what are you doing?" I ask, my voice trembling.

"I'm calling the police." he says flatly, his thumb already moving to dial. "Alex assaulted you, and now he's harassing you. This isn't something we can ignore, Tessa."

"Wait, no, please—" I reach for his arm, stopping him. "I don't want to involve the police. It'll just escalate things. He'll get angrier, and I don't want to cause more trouble."

His eyes soften slightly, but the anger remains just beneath the surface. "Tessa, this isn't about causing trouble. It's about keeping you safe. You can't keep protecting him, or pretending like this isn't serious. What if he shows up again? What if he tries something worse?"

I bite my lip, feeling the weight of his words. Part of me knows he's right, but I'm still scared—scared of what Alex might do if he feels cornered.

Seeing my hesitation, Hardin sighs and lowers the phone. "Alright." he says, voice calmer now, "if you're not ready to go to the police yet, we'll figure something else out. But I'm not letting you handle this on your own."

I breathe out a small sigh of relief, but I can tell Hardin isn't done. He paces the room for a moment, clearly working through his options.

"I'm going to get some security set up here." he finally says. "Cameras, alarms—whatever it takes to make sure you and Auden are safe. And I'll talk to Michael. He's a good lawyer; he'll know what we can do without escalating things too much."

I frown, feeling guilty for dragging him into this mess. "Hardin, I don't want to put all this on you..."

He steps closer, his gaze soft but unyielding. "Tessa, I'm not doing this out of obligation. I care about you. I care about Auden. We're in this together now."

His words hit me harder than I expect, and for a moment, I don't know what to say. The tension between us is thick, and I can see the raw emotion in his eyes—anger at Alex, frustration at the situation, and something deeper, something I've been trying to avoid acknowledging.

Before I can respond, he steps back and nods. "I'll make some calls. In the meantime, I want you to stay here. You'll be safe, I promise."

I swallow, feeling overwhelmed but also grateful. "Okay... Thank you, Hardin."

He nods again, his protective demeanor not wavering. "We'll get through this. Together."

As the day pass, a security firm comes to Hardin's house to install a performant security system. I try to keep Auden busy to not feel all the tension inside the house. Everything is done by 7pm, when I finish dinner. Hardin comes in the kitchen, with an exhausted face and I feel guilty for what happened.

"Thanks for making dinner."

"I should thank you for what you are doing for me."

"It's nothing. You are family."

After we finish eating, I take Auden upstairs to do his night routine. I start to give him a bath, then I help him to brush his teeth, then I take him in bed.

"Story?" He asks with a cute face and I can't resist. I pick a book and I start to read him. But after 10 minutes, Auden is asleep. I kiss his forehead and I get out of his room. I wince in the moment I find Hardin in the front of the door.

"Shit! You scared me!"

I let out a shaky breath, my heart still racing from the surprise. Hardin's standing there, leaning casually against the doorframe, but there's an intensity in his eyes that I can't quite place. He's not angry, but he's clearly deep in thought.

"I didn't mean to startle you." he says softly, his voice low. "Would you like to drink some wine with me?"

"Yeah, sure." We walk in the living room where I see two glasses and a bottle of wine on the coffee table.

"Look... I know I made a mistake with Vanessa... But I'm really sorry. My feelings for you are growing day by day... And I really want to try something with you."

"Hardin... I like you too, but... What happened with Alex... it's a trauma for me and I don't want to get involved this soon. I'm sorry." I touch his cheek. "You are a good man. And I can feel you are sorry for what happened. I would really like to try something with you, but... not now. I'm sorry."