Chapter 180- Hardin's Fear
HARDIN'S POV
I stepped out of the steaming shower, water dripping from my hair and rolling down my back. The towel around my waist felt heavy, but it was nothing compared to the weight that had been lifted off my chest earlier tonight. Ariana. That kiss.
I ran a hand through my damp hair, exhaling deeply. For the first time in weeks, I felt… at peace. The chaos of my life, the constant battles, and the walls I’d built around myself all seemed to melt away when I was with her. It was insane how much she got under my skin, but for once, I didn’t mind.
I grabbed a fresh shirt from the drawer and slipped it on before tossing the towel aside and pulling on a pair of sweatpants. My body was tired, but my mind buzzed with thoughts of her—her smile, the way her lips trembled just before I kissed her, the warmth in her eyes that I hadn’t seen in so long.
I picked up my phone from the nightstand, planning to set an alarm before heading to bed. That’s when I saw it.
One single message.
Help.
The word was simple, but it hit me like a punch to the gut. My heart stopped for a split second before it began racing, pounding so hard I could feel it in my throat.
I stared at the message, my brain scrambling to make sense of it. It was from Ariana, and it had come in nearly an hour ago.
“Shit,” I muttered, my fingers flying to dial her number.
The phone rang once. Twice. Three times. No answer.
“Ariana, pick up,” I whispered, my voice laced with urgency as the call went to voicemail.
I tried again, and again, each unanswered ring making the dread in my chest grow heavier. Something was wrong. I could feel it in my bones.
Grabbing my keys, I bolted out of the bedroom and down the stairs, barely sparing a glance at the clock on the wall. The cool night air hit me as I stepped outside, but I didn’t care. My mind was racing, piecing together every possible scenario, none of which ended well.
Where could she be? Why had she sent that message and then disappeared?
I climbed into my car, my hands gripping the wheel tightly as I started the engine. My first thought was her house. Maybe she was there. Maybe she’d dropped her phone, and I was overreacting. But deep down, I knew better.
The streets were eerily quiet as I sped toward her place, every red light feeling like an eternity. By the time I pulled up to her house, my pulse was pounding in my ears.
I rang the bell, knocking hard enough to wake anyone inside.
“Ariana!” I called out, my voice echoing in the still night.
No answer.
Frustration bubbled in my chest, but I forced myself to think clearly. If she wasn’t here, where would she be?
Then it hit me.
She must’ve gone somewhere alone. That message… she’d known something was wrong. She’d needed help.
I got back into my car, gripping my phone as I scoured through my contacts. If I couldn’t reach her, maybe someone else could. Sasha’s number came up, and I hit call.
It rang twice before she answered, her voice groggy. “Hardin? What’s going on?”
“Sasha, it’s Ariana. Have you seen her?” I demanded, not bothering with pleasantries.
“No,” she said, her tone immediately sharpening. “Why? What’s wrong?”
“She sent me a message. Just one word: help. I’ve been trying to call her, but she’s not answering.”
“Oh my God.” There was a rustling sound, like she was getting out of bed. “She was here earlier, but she left. She didn’t tell me where she was going.”
“Damn it,” I hissed, running a hand through my hair.
“I’ll call her too,” Sasha offered, panic creeping into her voice.
“Do that. I’m going to find her.” I hung up before she could respond, my mind working overtime.
I didn’t know where to start, but there was one thing I was certain of—I wasn’t going to stop until I found her.
Then, as if the universe was answering my silent plea, my phone buzzed with a notification. I glanced at the screen and saw her location—a feature I’d activated on her phone weeks ago after a particularly close call. I didn’t think I’d ever actually need it.
The pin on the map showed an address on the outskirts of the city, far from anywhere she would usually go.
Without wasting another second, I floored the gas, my car roaring as I sped toward her location. The streets blurred past me, but my focus remained sharp. The closer I got, the more my stomach churned.
When I finally arrived, I pulled up to an abandoned warehouse. The building loomed in the darkness, its broken windows and rusted walls giving it an ominous presence.
Her car was parked nearby.
I killed the engine and stepped out, my eyes scanning the area. The air was heavy, the kind of silence that screamed danger.
As I approached the warehouse, I saw the faint glow of a discarded phone in the grass. Picking it up, my chest tightened—it was hers.
My grip on reality slipped further as I pushed open the metal door, the sound echoing through the empty space inside.
The first thing I saw was her.
Ariana was kneeling in front of her mother tied to a chair. Her back was to me, but I could see the tension in her shoulders, the way her hands trembled as she tried to untie the ropes.
“Ariana,” I called softly, but my voice carried through the room.
She spun around, her eyes wide with a mixture of relief and fear. “Hardin…”
I stepped closer, my gaze flicking to the woman in the chair. Her face was pale, her expression frozen in terror. It had to be Ariana’s mother.
“What the hell is going on?” I demanded, my voice low but firm.
Before she could answer, a slow, deliberate clap echoed through the space. The sound sent a chill down my spine, and I turned toward its source.
From the shadows, a figure emerged.
I froze, my breath catching in my throat.
It was someone I hadn’t seen in years. Someone I’d thought was long gone from my life.
“Hello, Hardin,” they said, their voice dripping with mockery.
My fists clenched as recognition slammed into me.
“You,” I growled, my voice filled with equal parts anger and disbelief.
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