Her bodyguard

Beneath the surface

Him :

Harriman watched as Dina’s shoulders relaxed slightly, the hope in her eyes warming the cold, empty room. But the relief was short-lived. His heart was still caught in a vise, squeezing tighter with every word he’d just spoken. He had promised to try, to let her in, but he could already feel the weight of that promise, like a noose around his neck.

Dina took a cautious step closer, her eyes searching his face. “I’m not asking you to be perfect, Harriman. I just need you to be real with me. What are you so afraid of?”

He swallowed hard, his throat dry, and looked away. “I’m afraid of what’ll happen if I’m not enough. For you, for this job. For myself.”

Her brow furrowed, concern deepening the lines on her face. “You’re more than enough. You’ve always been there for me, and I know it hasn’t been easy. But you don’t have to shoulder everything alone.”

Harriman laughed, a bitter, hollow sound that echoed in the quiet room. “Is that what you think this is about? That I want to do this alone?” He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. “It’s not about wanting to, Dina. It’s about having to. If I let you in, if I let anyone in, then I lose control. And losing control means people get hurt.”

Dina’s hand reached out, but she hesitated before touching him, her fingers hovering just above his skin. “No one has to get hurt, Harriman. We can figure this out together.”

His eyes snapped back to hers, and there was something dark, almost desperate, in his gaze. “You don’t get it. I can’t afford to let you in. If you knew half the things I’ve done—”

“I don’t care about your past,” Dina interrupted, her voice firm. “I care about you, now, here. I care about the man standing in front of me, who’s been protecting me even when I didn’t ask for it.”

He flinched at her words, the truth in them like a punch to the gut. Protecting her. That’s what it had always been about, hadn’t it? Even before he realized how deep his feelings ran, it was always about keeping her safe. But now, he wasn’t so sure who he was protecting her from anymore.

“Dina, you have no idea what you’re asking.” His voice was rough, barely more than a whisper.

She stepped closer, closing the distance between them, her hand finally resting gently on his chest. “Then show me. Show me what you’re so afraid of.”

For a moment, he just stared at her, his breath coming in shallow, uneven gasps. Then, with a suddenness that took them both by surprise, he grabbed her wrist, holding it against his chest, his grip firm but not painful. His eyes locked onto hers, and she could see the storm raging behind them.

“You want to see what I’m afraid of?” His voice was harsh, almost angry, but she didn’t pull away. “I’m afraid that one day, I’m going to cross a line I can’t come back from. I’m afraid that no matter how hard I try, I’m never going to be the man you need me to be. And I’m terrified that if I let you in, you’re going to see the monster that’s been hiding underneath all this time.”

Dina’s eyes never left his, her gaze unwavering. “I’m not afraid of you, Harriman. I’m afraid of losing you.”

His grip tightened involuntarily, his heart pounding so loud he was sure she could hear it. “You should be afraid, Dina. I’m barely holding it together as it is. You and Jackson, this job, everything—it’s choking me.”

She shook her head slowly, her other hand coming up to cup his cheek. “You’re not a monster. You’re just human, Harriman. And humans make mistakes. They struggle. But they also love, they fight for what matters to them.”

He closed his eyes, the warmth of her hand on his cheek almost unbearable. “I don’t know how to do this, Dina. I don’t know how to be what you need.”

“Then let’s figure it out together,” she whispered, her voice breaking slightly. “I don’t need you to be perfect. I just need you to be here, with me.”

He opened his eyes, the pain in them raw and unfiltered. “I don’t want to hurt you.”

“Then don’t,” she said simply, her thumb brushing against his jaw. “Let me in, Harriman. Let me help you breathe.”

He released her wrist, his hands trembling as he brought them to her shoulders, then down her arms, as if grounding himself in her presence. “I don’t know if I can.”

Dina took a step closer, their bodies almost touching now. “You can,” she said, her voice steady and sure. “We’ll take it one step at a time, remember?”

He nodded slowly, his hands still resting on her arms. “One step at a time.”

She smiled softly, the tension between them easing just a fraction. “We’ll figure this out, Harriman. Together.”

And for the first time in what felt like forever, Harriman felt something other than fear. It was tentative, fragile, but it was there. Hope. He didn’t know if it would last, if he could really open up and let her see everything he’d buried so deep. But for now, he was willing to try.

“Okay,” he whispered, his voice barely more than a breath. “Together.”

Dina’s smile widened, and she leaned in, resting her forehead against his. “Together,” she echoed, and for the first time in a long time, the silence between them wasn’t choking. It was comforting.

They stood like that for a long moment, breathing in each other’s presence, neither of them daring to move, afraid that the fragile connection they’d just forged might shatter. But it didn’t.

Harriman slowly pulled back, his eyes never leaving hers. “This doesn’t fix everything, you know.”

Dina nodded, her expression serious. “I know. But it’s a start.”

He nodded, the ghost of a smile tugging at his lips. “A start.”

She squeezed his arms gently, her voice soft but firm. “And we’ll take it from there, one step at a time. No more pushing each other away. No more hiding.”

Harriman let out a shaky breath, the tightness in his chest loosening just a bit. “No more hiding.”

Dina’s eyes shone with determination and something else—something that made his heart skip a beat. “There’s more to this than what we’ve been through. More than just the past. We’re not done, Harriman. Not even close.”

He could see the conviction in her gaze, the fire that had drawn him to her from the beginning. And for the first time, he allowed himself to believe in a future, one where they could be more than just broken pieces trying to fit together.

“You’re right,” he said quietly, his voice steady. “There’s more than this. More than what we’ve been. More than what we’ve lost.”

Dina smiled, a hopeful, almost defiant smile. “This is just the beginning. We’ve got so much more ahead of us.”

Harriman nodded, his grip on her arms tightening just a bit. “Season two, huh?”

“Or three,” she teased lightly, her eyes twinkling. “Who knows?”

He laughed, the sound surprising even him with its sincerity. “Yeah, who knows?”

And as they stood there, holding on to each other, it felt like the world outside that room didn’t matter. Whatever was waiting for them, they would face it together, step by step. There would be more battles, more struggles, and maybe even more heartbreak. But there would also be more laughter, more hope, and more of whatever it was that had kept them fighting for so long.

Because this wasn’t the end. It was just another chapter in a story that was far from over. And for the first time, they were both ready to see where it would lead.

There was more than this. So much more.

And they were just getting started.