THE HOURS AT WORK didn't seem to pass. Every minute felt like an hour, increasing Tessa's restlessness. Tessa had never smoked as much between shoots and during her breaks as she did today.

Besides smoking almost a whole pack, Tessa also checked her phone every five to ten minutes. There was no new message from Cal. It just had to be him, anything else wouldn't make sense. Little whore gave him away, revealing that he was behind the text and the attack on Tara.

God, Tara would hate her once she found out she was responsible for the attack. But she had to tell her the truthᅳ and everyone else too, especially Happy. This was something she couldn't keep to herself. In order to protect themselves, the club had to know about this, no matter how uncomfortable it made the Laney woman feel.

Taking a deep drag of her cigarette, she held the nicotine in her lungs for a while, slumping her shoulders. Why couldn't she finally just live her life? First she had to be afraid of Cal, her sociopathic ex, and then she was controlled for years by her father who was using Sawyer as leverage. Now it was CPS that she had to worry about. And to top it all off, the cherry on top so to speak, Cal came back into her lifeᅳ stabbing her friends for fun.

Why didn't the universe allow her to be happy for once? All she asked for was to live her life with her son in peace, maybe even with Happy in the future. And now, now all of that was at stake because everyone was in danger because of her.

A painful hiss fell from her lips as Tessa dropped her cigarette, being too absorbed in thought that she didn't notice how the stem had already burned down to the end and would now leave a small burn on her finger.

"Hey sweety." At Lyla's soft voice, Tessa wiped around, forcing a smile on her lips as the blonde came up to her and tucked a strand of hair behind her ear. "Are you okay? You seem off track today."

Worry flashed in Lyla's eyes, worry for her friend and Tessa felt miserable not being able to tell her what was going onᅳ yet. First she wanted to talk to Happy before she sat down at a table with Tara, Lyla and Gemma.

"I'm just a little tired", she waved her friend off with a strained smile, rising from the bench she had been sitting on. "And what happened to Tara..it's not fair."

"Shit, right. " Sighing, Lyla scratched her eyebrow. "I think I'll head over to her place and bring her some take out, make sure she's doing okay."

"I think she'd like that", Tessa assured, happy that Lyla would also check in on Tara. Still, Tessa was worried as hell about her two friendsᅳ the only real friends she ever had. "But just be careful, okay?"

"I will." Lyla scrutinized the younger woman, gently nudging Tessa's arm. "Hey, don't worry. Some idiot probably just tried to attack her because he thought a doctor must've a lot of money in her pocket."

With a tight-lipped smile, every muscle in her body tense, Tessa nodded. "Yeah..you're probably right about that."

The raven-haired woman felt Lyla's intense gaze on her, her blue eyes staring into her soul, as she noticed that Lyla was skeptical. But then the blonde placed a kiss on her cheek and clutched the handles of her bag.

"Okay, I'll leave so I can spend a few minutes with Tara before I have to pick up Piper", Lyla let her know, already on the way to her car before she turned around again. "You know you can talk to me if something bothers you, right?"

"I know, Lyla", Tessa replied, gratitude evident in her tone. "The same goes for you."

"That's what friends are for, right?" With a smile, Lyla patted the roof of her car with the palm of her hand before slipping in to make her way to the Teller House.

ᚔ

AFTER HER SHIFT and finally back in her clothes, Tessa pushed open the large, heavy doors of the porn studio, a cigarette dangling from her lips.

Five hours may not have been a long working time, but at some point it became tiring to walk half-naked or even completely exposed through a former warehouse, from set to set, only to constantly have to perform uncomfortable poses for the perfect picture.

But it was a job and Tessa was grateful for it. The good feedback also boosted her self-confidence. For the first time, the twenty-one year old felt really comfortable in her bodyᅳ with or without clothes.

Reaching into her pocket, where half of her arm disappeared, Tessa looked for a lighter, groaning in annoyance when it took her forever to find the little thing. When she finally found one, she brought the flame to her cigarette, but looked up as the awful feeling of being watched returned.

Lowering the lighter, she removed the cigarette from her mouth, staring across the street. A little further away there was a car parked that suddenly seemed quite familiar to her. Since about two weeks the same car was always parked in a different parking lot near the studio.

Tessa had never thought about it until nowᅳ to be honest she hadn't even noticed how often the car was parked here. Until she got that text earlier. Since then she has been paying attention to every little detail and being more attentive than ever. Only then it dawned on her.

With shaky breaths, she rushed over to her old BMW, wasting no time in getting in. Swallowing, the Laney woman threw her bag onto the passenger seat and, without hesitating, started the engine and rounded the corner with squealing tires.

Tessa gave Gemma a quick call, asking her to watch Sawyer for a while longer, which turned out to be no problem at all. Gemma loved spending time with her grandkids and Sawyer. Then she also called Happy and asked him to come home because she really needed to talk to him.

And, as if they had planned it, they both arrived at Happy's house almost at the same time. Just a moment after her, Happy parked his bike next to her car and met her as soon as she got out.

His grim, stoic expression was tinged with slight worry as he looked down at her. "You okay? Did something happen?"

"I'm okay", she let him know quickly as she began to look around nervously, checking to see if the car had followed her. "But something happened", she added quietly, almost in a whisper. "We need to talk, Hap."

With a curt nod, Happy placed a hand against her back before gently pushing her towards the house, taking a look around himself. Tessa didn't seem so nervous and paranoid for no reason and Happy wanted to know why. If someone threatened her, which he suspected, they should prepare to lose the fight because he would kill that person before they could even try to run.

ᚔ

She lowered her gaze in embarrassment as Happy's clenched fist came down on the table, her phone sliding across the table with Cal's text still open after she was completely honest with him. The tension in the air was thick, so thick it could be cut with a knife.

"The fucker won't live long enough to get close to you or Sawyer", Happy said with a low growl, a hint of madness in his gaze that sent a shiver down Tessa's spine. "You're sure your ex is behind this?"

The last time she saw him so angry, so full of madness and rage, was when she stormed into the clubhouse that one Friday night a little over two months ago and told him what her father had done to his mother.

"Yes", she murmured meekly, her self-confidence long since gone. Fumbling with her fingers, Tessa swallowed quietly. "He always called me little whore when he was angry", she told him with a shrug of her shoulders, something sad and disturbed in her tone. "He loved calling me thatᅳ anything that sounded humiliating."

"You know that I'm serious about him dying, right?" Happy's intense gaze was on her, boring into her soul while the muscles in his jaw twitched. "Until he's no longer a threat, you won't go anywhere alone. Andᅳ", he stood up, exiting the kitchen for a moment, leaving Tessa wondering.

But her eyes widened as Happy came back and placed a black Glock 19 right in front of her.

"You'll carry that with you in the futureᅳ always, you hear?", he said, putting emphasis on the word always, his look meaningful, showing her that he wouldn't discuss about this. "And if he comes close to you, you shoot without a second thought, Tessa."

"Happy, Iᅳ", her voice trembled as her breath hitched in her throat. With caution, as if she could release the trigger with just a touch, she ran her fingertips over the weapon. "I've never used a gun before, I have no idea how it works."

"I'll teach youᅳ it's not as hard as some might think, little girl", he rasped, something stubborn mixed with anticipation flashing in his dark eyes. "I just want to know that you can defend yourself if you need to and that the same thing that happened to Tara doesn't happen to youᅳ or worse."

The Laney woman uncertainly raised her gaze when Happy's hand slipped onto her shoulder, standing so close to her that she could smell the fabric softener on his clothes that she had been using regularly over the last few weeks. Before she moved in, it was a typical male householdᅳ which was okay, but she had added a few things anyway.

"Tara's going to hate me, right?" Her voice cracked at her question, tears welling up in her eyes. The guilt she felt towards Tara was eating her alive. "I never wanted anyone to get hurt because of me, you have to believe me."

"Why would you even think that?" With a grunt, he sat down in the chair next to her, shaking his head as soft sobs filled the kitchen. "No one's goin' blame you for this, Tess."

Despite the occasional tear rolling down her cheeks, a small smile tugged at her lips as he called her Tess, apparently a new nickname for her besides little girl. And she liked it. "But it's my ex, and he's only here because he wants revenge."

"Yeah, probably", the SAA said with a shrug, reaching for her hand, which he clasped in his to stop her from tearing at her long, black fingernails any further. "But you can't help it that your ex is a fuckin' psychopath, little girl."

"I'm so scared, Happy", she finally admitted, her voice no louder than a whisper as another tear rolled down her cheek, leaving a black streak from the mascara and eyeliner on her pale skin. "He'll hurt my baby. Or maybe even ᅳ"

Without even saying it, one sob followed the next, heartbreaking sniffles filling the kitchen as she wiped her nose and cheeks, desperately trying to stop her emotional outburstᅳ without success.

"I'm sorry", she choked out, probably never feeling so ashamed in her life.

Having such a breakdown in front of a man like Happy, who now probably thought she was weak, was nothing she was proud of. Then, when he leaned forward and placed a hand against her cheek, wiping away a few tears with his thumb, she felt an immediate sense of comfort and safety.

"Never apologize for things that don't need an apology, woman", he taught her, giving her his famous iron stare. "You don't have to be scaredᅳ I won't let anything happen to you, or Sawyer. You're familyᅳ and as you already know, I cross some lines to protect the people I care about."

Sniffling, she listened to his words, her nose stuffy and her eyes bloodshot from the many tears she had shed in just a few minutes.

Looking straight at him, Tessa took another deep breath, trying to get her voice under control as Tara's words from earlier swirled around in her mind.

'Talk to him and get to know him better.'

"Murder doesn't seem to be a problem for you", she stated matter of factly without sounding judgmental. It was frightening, yes, but on the other hand the whole thing also made her curious. Happy wasn't a bad person, that was for sureᅳ but he still seemed to have blood on his hands. "I want to know more about you. What you do, who you really are. Iᅳ"

Happy cut her off, looking at her closely. "I don't think you want that."

"Yes, I do", she replied softly, now placing her hand, which was not yet clasped in his other hand, on his. "Because I like you, really like you. And I just need to know who exactly I'm slowly falling in love with."

Her cheeks were glowing, blushing hard, as it had taken so much braveness for her to confess to him that she was slowly developing feelings for himᅳ if she hadn't already. Despite the shame she felt, this time she didn't look away from his now intense gaze.

"Okay", Happy simply grunted, leaning back in his chair. Of course he heard what Tessa had said, but he had to process it firstᅳ maybe he just wanted to pretend it wasn't a big deal. But secretly he knew how much he had been waiting to hear such words from her. "You want to know who I am? You're sure you're ready for that?"

She nodded slightly, her hand still on his. "Yeah, I'm sure. You know who I am, you know my whole story now. Let me know who you are, Hap."

Happy rolled his shoulders, getting ready to share his life story with the woman who was, so far, the only one he'd really considered opening up to completely. That just showed that he trusted her, that she was now one of the people in his life that he would kill and die for.

"In 1987 I started to sell drugs to support my Ma and me. She got sick around that time and we needed the money. I thought selling cocaine on another dealer's block would bring me new customers and more money. But that guy, Will, he jumped me and punched me in the face and I pulled a fucking gun. Well, it wasn't loaded. His crew beat me to a bloody pulp and I ended up in the hospital. I was arrested later for drug and gun charges and ended up in prison. That's when I met Tig for the first time. After I did my time I got out but Will kept harassing my Ma and me andᅳ", he trailed, studying her face to watch her reaction. At the thought of how he got his first smiley tattoo, a satisfied smile took over his face. "ᅳ and one day I snapped and killed him and another guy that was with him with an axe."

With her jaw dropped and her eyebrow lifted, Tessa stared at the man in front of her, swallowing softlyᅳ which he noticed. Yet Happy still continued.

"In Tacoma I got my first two smiley tattoos." Leaning back a little more, Happy pushed his shirt up to reveal all his smiley face tattoos so she would understand what he was talking about. Yet he was sure she had gotten a glimpse of them already once or twice when he was walking around shirtless. "I get a smiley face for every kill. Or, well, at least the important murders."

With her lips slightly parted, Tessa stared at the smiley tattoos, finally knowing what they were all about. She had often wondered whether they had a meaning or were just there on his skin because he liked them.

"My position in the club as SAA means that I'm the one, besides Tig, who's taking out the club murders. I have enough torture methods to get information out of people. And you know what? I even enjoy it most of the time", he finished his story that she wanted to know so badly with a slight shrug and pulled his hand back. Fishing a cigarette out of the pack on the table, he held the pack out to her, pretty sure that she needed a cigarette more than he did at the moment.

Happy wasn't a smoker, now and then he lit a joint, especially after a long day. But cigarettes, they had never been his thingᅳ yet he really needed something right now.

"That's my story",  he said calmly, his dark lenses resting on her. "Are you still falling for me? The person I really am?"

Tessa chewed on the inside of her cheek, not taking her eyes off him. The entire time she had listened, she didn't break eye contact. As Happy handed her the lighter after lighting his cigarette, blowing the smoke to the side, she also placed the cancer stick between her lips.

The young woman placed the lighter back on the table wordlessly, letting the nicotine fill her lungs as she thought about an answer.

She was shocked, surprised even, and perhaps a little intimidated by the thought that Happy enjoying inflicting pain on people. But she also knew his other sideᅳ his caring side.

He was helpful, kept Sawyer and her from any danger, and made sure they were safe. Since she was here in Charming, despite Happy still not being happy about her decision to take the job as a nude model, he hasn't let her down for a moment or even thrown her out of his house, which he could've easily done.

Happy, people could think whatever they wanted of him, had a good soul.

"I should probably be more shocked than I am right now", she finally said, breaking the silence as a large cloud of smoke formed in front of both of their faces and immediately disappeared again. "But I got to know you, your good side, before you told me about this side. And, as stupid as this sounds, you only kill when necessary, when someone is a threat to you or your family."

"That's exactly what I do." Surprised and not too surprised at the same time, Happy frowned, brushing off the ashes from the cigarettes in the ashtray. "So no, I'm not just going to go out on the streets and cause a bloodbathᅳ I'm not a damn psychopath", he said with a huff, as if he didn't know for sure that he had sociopathic traits.

"I didn't expect that either", Tessa answered calmly, her heartbeat still a little faster than usual. But that was probably just the adrenaline that was pumping through her body from his story. "So yeah, I'm still falling for you. At least now I know where the nickname Tacoma Killer is coming from", she added with a shrug. "You won't be able to get rid of me that easily, Happy."

"Who says I want to?", he asked with a rasp, the slightest grin tugging at his lips, drawing a smile from her.

A comfortable silence fell over them as both took the last puffs of their cigarettes, just looking at each other. It was a look that said it all, a look full of commitment.

Happy had opened up to her, which was supposed to show her that she was special to himᅳ and Tessa felt the same way about him. He was special to her.

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