AFTER YOU SAVED ME // ZESSA

Chapter 34: Family First

Tessa's POV

At least that is what I thought happened. I shut my eyes right as a loud bang rang throughout the room, causing me to flinch back, just in time for Hardin to catch me.

Clinging to him for dear life, I feel my heartbreaking into thousands of little pieces as the sound of a scream, I am assuming Anna's... Heather's, echoes around the chamber just a second after the bang.

I cry into Hardin's chest, not wanting to look up at the gruesome remains of my baby. Not wanting to see what that monster did to my precious child. But Heather's scream is quickly silenced. In fact, I do not hear anything except the quiet whimpers of two babies.

I can barely bring myself to look up, convinced maybe I am going crazy and will still be met with bloodied splattered remains of my son.

"Tristan?" I hear Zed mutter from across the room, and instantly my eyes snap up.

The scene before me has me baffled, as my eyes strain to adjust to the now well-lit room.

It seems Tristan – Steph's boyfriend and our old friend from last year – is here. In the abandoned building I have been held in for months. In the very room where there is a stand-off between us and Dan. He seems out of breath and his dirty blonde hair is a bit disheveled as he looks around the room at each of us.

He must have come in from the door behind Dan, as it is now wide open, the light from the nearly setting sun blasting in from the horizon. Looking at the open door, now swung against the wall, I see a large dent near the handle. He must have kicked it in – and that was the bang I heard, not Dan shooting my baby.

My baby.

Looking back at Dan, I see the baby in his arms is indeed alive and crying. I have not lost my mind. He is okay.

I nearly collapse from relief as I finally suck in a breath of air, unaware I was holding it in.

Hardin rubs my shoulders, pulling me closer as he feels my muscles relax. "What are you doing here?" Hardin asks, his voice shaky.

"I came to find Dan." Tristan looks directly at Dan, moving slowly as his eyes land on the gun still pointed at the baby in Dan's arms.

"How did you know where I was? How did you get here?" Dan demands, taking a step away from Tristan as he eyes him up and down.

"I followed them," Tristan admits, gesturing towards Zed, then Hardin. "I knew they were trying to find you and... I guess they did." He looks at Zed with critical eyes, but turns his attention back to Dan. "I came to help you Dan."

"You what!" I gasp, Hardin holding me tight in case I make a break for it, though I do not make any attempt to move closer. "How could you help him? You know what he did! Steph told you – I thought you were my friend – how could you –"

"I'm sorry, Tessa." He says quickly, his face sincere, while I remain dumbfounded. How could he be helping Dan? I always thought of Tristan as the sweet friend of the group. One of the only guys who seemed semi-decent in that group of delinquents. "This has nothing to do with you, but I'm glad you are okay," he continues, turning back to Dan.

My eyes go from Dan, to Zed, and up to Hardin. They all look just as confused as I feel, their eyes wide as they wait for Tristan to elaborate.

"You know we owe our supplier," Tristan says aloud, his eyes on Dan. "He is going to come after me if we do not pay him. I have the money, Dan. I can get us out of this. You just have to tell me where he is."

This is about drug money? I know Steph told me Tristan was in contact with Dan several months ago, but I thought it was just for a few bucks on the side, and that it was not going to be as serious as last time during Spring Fest.