After Forever & Ever

Chapter 22

Hardin-Present

Reed texted me "meet me at the docks now."

Tessa's scream as I go to leave.

This sends my mum into my path ...she throws her hand out pushing my chest as I go to walk past.

"If you leave I'm calling the police." She tells me.

"Go ahead." I tell her calling her bluff because it's not the first time she's threatened me with that.

I go to open the door to leave and Vance pushes it back closed. "Vance get out of my way." I tell him.

"I'm not letting you leave" Vance replies.

I push him out of the way. He surprises me and pushes me back up against the door and grabs me by my shoulders.

"Vance I don't want to hit you." I say to him.

He pushes me into the door harder.

"You know what Hardin go...if this what you are choosing for your life...go" Vance says as he releases his grip off me.

Tessa instead grabs my hand on the door then moves herself in front of it.

"Tessa, move." I calmly tell her.

"No Hardin. You won't ask Vance for help so I will." She says.

"Tessa stop." I tell her.

"He needs money Vance...He owes money and..." before she can finish.

I decide forget this I don't have time for this if I'm not there Reed isn't going to trust me and if he doesn't trust me I won't be able to repay this debt and he will seek out payback in ways I don't want to find out.

I head towards the back door. Slide open the screen door and go out the side gate to head back towards the front of the house to get to my car.

I guess calling her bluff was a bad idea. And I was caught up between Vance and then Tessa I didn't even realize my mum wasn't in the room.

"Freeze, hands where I can see them." A cop screams at me as I have my hand on the handle of my car door.

I place my hands on my head and I have one cop pointing a gun at me while another grabs my right hand places a cuff on it and pulls it down then he grabs my left and cuffs me behind my back.

I don't say a fucking word.

I'm wondering why they aren't just taking me away instead they make me stand up against the cop car.

Vance is talking to one of the cops. While Tessa and my mum are just watching from the porch.

Vance walks over to me and the cops leaves my side.

"You have two choices right now Hardin get back in the fucking house or go to jail.."Vance says to me.

"What's my third option?" I ask.

"Let me fucking help you Hardin." He says to me.

I look away from him and look down.

"Don't you get it Vance no one can help me." I reply finally.

He walks away and goes back to talk to the other cop. So I ask the cop standing next to me. "What am I being arrested for anyways?"...

"We received a call for a disturbance in the home" the cop replies.

"Let him go." The cop who was talking to Vance says to the cop near me.

He turns me around and takes the cuffs off.

"I guess it's your lucky day." The cop says.

I look over at Tessa and then turn around and get in my car and I go to turn the key and I stop.

I just stop for a minute.

And I take the key out of the ignition and I get out. I walk over to Vance and place the keys in his hand and walk past Tessa and my mum.

I either just made the best decision or the worst....

They follow me in. "You all got what you want." I tell them as they just stare at me.

"Hardin what is going on!" My mom screams at me.

"Turns out I'm a bigger fuck up then you thought..." I respond.

"What did you do?" She asks.

Vance walks in. "Does this mean you are going to let me help you?" He asks.

"It means you need to help me get them out of here..." I tell him.

"What did you do Hardin?!" My mom screams again.

"You and Tessa need to leave. I don't have time to explain maybe Tessa can, but you both have to leave, now!" I respond back.

"Damn it Hardin." My mom breaks down and goes into the other room.

Tessa just looks at me. "I can't leave and not know if I am ever going to see you again."

I bring her into me and wrap my arms around her. I take a deep breath ".....You will but you have to go" I tell her.

"Hardin I'm scared." She says to me as tears start forming in her eyes as she looks up at me.

"I love you and you have to go, and don't come back no matter what...promise me." I say to her.

"What's going to happen Hardin?" She questions.

And it's not fucking Reed or Dean I'm worried about. This is like the English fucking mafia I'm dealing with and I don't know what's going to happen but I can't keep them safe if they are here right now.

I don't answer her I just gently kiss her forehead and tell Vance to order them a car. He lets me know 10 minutes until it arrives.

My mum comes out with her bag and drops it to the floor and hugs me and just keeps hugging me and doesn't stop.

"I love you" she tells me

"I love you too mum and I'm sorry." I say to her as she walks out and goes to talk to Vance.

Moments later Vance pops in...
"The cars here" he says.

I grab Tessa's bag and I walk outside with her.

I say goodbye to my mum and Vance says goodbye to both of them and he heads back in the house.

I then, throw Tessa's bag into the back and we stop outside the car door.

I grab her hand and open it and I put my chain in it.

Tears just start cascading down her face.

"Don't do this" she says.

I grab her behind the neck and just kiss her and don't stop. I don't want to pull away from her.

But finally I open the door. And kiss her again on the forehead. "Goodbye Tessa" I say to her.

She gets in reluctantly and I close the door.  Tears still streaming down her face.

And the car drives away....

I can't tell you how awful it feels to know I couldn't protect her and that what I did led to this.

My heart is broken and I feel numb at the same time. It's like I am feeling everything and nothing.

But now that I know they are going to be safe. I can go.

I get my spare key out of the garage since Vance is inside still, and I know... why wouldn't I just have him help me....

It just doesn't fucking work like that. These are not people you can say "hey my daddy is going to pay you...so were good right?"

That just doesn't work.

I leave. I have to.