Indulgence ( PATIENCE #2)

Prologue

HARDIN

6th October (Three years back)

Turning on the shower temperature to almost scalding, I hop in. A tiny hiss escapes past my lips at the first contact but I keep standing beneath the jet with gritted teeth, adjusting.

Because this is what we all do innit? The the universe keep raising the temperature and we keep adjusting. We adapt to the scorch and sears of fate.

I stand there regardless, rolling my neck. Theresa is finally trying to focus a little on studies. Which I hope will divert her mind from the pain. This is going to buy me a little time to shower properly. Which is like not possible these days. It's scary to leave her alone even for seconds . The lack of sleep from watching over Tess even when she is asleep and then activating my spidey senses for looming threat is catching up on me. But I need to stay strong for her.

Twenty seconds in I start feeling better as the almost burning water start to numb the stress granting me a little rejuvenation.  I sigh because it's too much. But I as I said I need to stay strong for her and cannot let this facade falter. The way she gets anxious every moment. The ways she only relaxes when I am around. The way even a breaking of a twig makes her jump. It's painful.
She is clinging on to me with hope to recover and I will not let her fail.

But nonetheless sometimes staying sane and not break or burn every goddamn thing my eyes falls on is too stressful.

The stress of Situation.

The stress of loss.

The the stress of history repeating itself.

The stress of hiding truth from that woman who owns my heart, because I am helpless.

The stress of watching my babygirl crumble time and again, then try to assemble herself.

The stress of seeing my Tess suffer, the same way I did years back.

The  fact is I was ok with suffering, I was born like that. I was born and taught to fight and rule over what I won. It has become a part of me.

But Tess, she wasn't supposed to be a part of this dirty Warfield. I didn't want her to get hurt. She wasn't supposed to get tainted from these horrible circumstances.

The pain she is in constantly is burning me alive and I feel utterly helpless. Everyone around that I assigned is combing through every informations and hints and clues trying to find out who was behind the sabotage but nothing. But It's like the imposter has disappeared into thin air like every other time.

A sabotage. Yes, A fucking sabotage again.

I hold on to the fancy shower knob,  where my grip tightens purposely stopping me from throwing a punch at the glass walls of the shower. I need to be Patient.

The moment I opened the door at her parents house, at the deadening sound, watching the burning car in front of me I realised the reality. It did not even take me full minute to be sure that it wasn't a malfunction.

Her parents died in a similar Car sabotage like the one which took away Hazel . Ben confirmed that.

The blast was meant for my Tess. Every time I think of the probable outcome, I almost suffocate. I cannot even begin to fathom the kind war I would have waged if she got actually ki_

No no  Hardin... She is ok. Hurt, in pain. But ok.

I take a few deep breathe pushing away the scary fucked up possibility.