Oneshots

The Love That Time Forget (Hessa) - Part 3

Tessa

Waking up feels different today.

For weeks, my memories have been a puzzle with missing pieces—fragments of a life I can’t fully grasp. The love in Hardin’s eyes has always been real, undeniable, but I was chasing shadows, hoping to remember the feelings he swore we shared.

But today…

Today, I wake up, and I know.

It slams into me like a wave, knocking the breath from my lungs. I clutch the sheets, my heart hammering as memories flood my mind.

Hardin.

Our stolen moments between bookshelves. Our endless arguments that always ended with desperate kisses. The way he whispered I love you like a secret meant only for me. The proposal...

My chest tightens as tears blur my vision. I remember him.

I throw the blanket off, my feet hitting the cool wooden floor as I stumble toward the kitchen. Hardin stands by the stove, his back turned, dressed in his favorite worn hoodie and sweatpants. He’s stirring his coffee absentmindedly, lost in thought.

"Hardin" I whisper.

He turns at the sound of my voice, his green eyes instantly softening. "Morning, Tess. Want some—"

"I remember."

The coffee pot slips from his fingers, shattering against the counter.

He doesn’t move. Doesn’t speak. He just stares at me, his body completely still, like he’s afraid to believe it.

"You… what?" His voice is barely a breath.

I swallow past the lump in my throat. "I remember everything."

His hands clench at his sides, his entire body trembling with restraint. "Everything?"

I nod, tears spilling down my cheeks. "Every moment, every word. Hardin, I—"

But I don’t get to finish, because in a heartbeat, he’s there.

His arms wrap around me so tightly I can barely breathe, but I don’t care. I clutch him just as hard, feeling the warmth of him, the realness of him.

"Tess..." he rasps, burying his face in my hair. "Tell me this isn’t a dream."

I pull back just enough to cup his face. His eyes are wild, filled with desperation and disbelief.

"It’s real!" I whisper. "I’m here. I remember you. I remember everything about us..."

And then I kiss him.

It’s not soft, not hesitant—it’s everything we lost and everything we’ve found again.

When we finally pull away, our breaths are ragged.

His forehead presses against mine, his voice raw. "You love me?"

I smile through my tears. "I always have."

And that’s when he breaks.

His arms tighten around me, his body shaking as he laughs—really laughs, like he’s just been given back the most precious thing in the world.

And maybe he has.

We start to kiss again. He quickly turns off the stove, then he lifts me up walking towards the bedroom. Our bedroom.

We kiss like crazy as he hurries to remove oue clothes. It's been a while, but I missed him. I missed making love to him. I missed us.

*