Brothers

Chapter 45

Hardin's POV

I turn the key to the apartment and open the door. Tessa is laying on the couch when I walk in, reading a book. She doesn't look up when I put my keys on the table and take off my jacket. She's mad. I know it. I deserve it. I walk over to the couch and lean over her and kiss her on the forehead.

"I'm sorry for how I acted." I say.

"It's okay." She says.

She moves up onto the couch and I sit next to her. I wrap my arms around her waist and she leans into my chest.

"I know you're mad at your brother for everything that happened at the wedding. I just don't want you guys to fight anymore. He loves you and you love him. You guys have been getting closer and I don't know, you seem happy." She says.

She's right. I am happy. When Christian Left is, I felt like I was alone. When he was around, when Ken left mum, we had Christian to take care of us. He was a little older than I was so he taught me everything that a father was supposed to teach their son. He made all the pain of losing a father go away.

"I'm sorry Tessa. Please forgive me. We have been doing so good I don't want to go backwards." I say nuzzling my nose into her neck.

"I love you Hardin. You know that." She says burying her head into my chest. I kiss her on the forehead and we lay there in each other's arms. I close my eyes and doze off to sleep, holding Tessa.

We've come so far since I first met Tessa. Our fights don't last as long as they used to, and we usually sort things out quick. She's usually right, and I've learned to talk out my feelings with her, Something I learned in therapy. I would have never thought to go to therapy before I met Tessa, but in all honesty it's nice talking to someone and getting help with fighting the demons I've been fighting ever since I was a child. I learned a lot about myself over the last year of therapy. It's helped my relationship with Ken, Vance, my mum and Tessa.