Watch as she buckles and bends but never breaks

Haven was nervous, it was a different kind of nervous to the one she felt before matches. That nervous was a comforting kind, the one that came from knowing she was where she wanted to be and a desire to excel. No, this nervous was the kind that twisted her up inside and made her stomach feel like it was being torn to shreds. A nauseous taste of doubt and fear burned the back of her throat and her hands, often a giveaway for her nerves, were shaking.

She felt as though her whole body was shaking; her brain was rushing through everything she knew about the man who had asked to meet. He was a cruel and dangerous man - her grandfathers star pupil and utterly obsessed with her mom. He was cruel to her, he hurt her and punished her for being more naturally gifted than he was. He had almost killed her once. - her family had so many reasons to have kept Haven safe from him and now here she was, walking into his grasp.

I need you, I don’t want to go alone.

Usually she struggled with admitting she needed him. Just the day before they had argued because she was afraid to tell him that she was being jealous and acting out of hurt. That fear came from the same place her nerves did now; a deep seeded belief that she had to handle everything alone. Aiden was slowly breaking that down, which was how she found the confidence to ask…

“Thank you.” She turned to him with soft, frightened eyes. Her trembling fingers reaching for his to hold them. Haven didn’t need to say anything else, he knew what she was saying in her silence.

Sitting at the table inside the restaurant she had picked, somewhere public and near to the house. Comforting familiarity within this great unknown, they waited for him to show.

Aiden sat beside Haven, his hand steady and firm in hers, a stark contrast to her trembling fingers. His calm presence was unwavering, but his eyes were sharp, scanning their surroundings with quiet vigilance. He didn’t need her to say anything more; the weight of her unspoken words was enough. Her fear, her bravery… it all spoke volumes to him.

“You’re not alone in this,” he said softly, his voice low and grounding as he turned his head to meet her gaze. “Whatever happens, we’ll handle it. Together.”

He squeezed her hand gently, offering her a small, reassuring smile. Aiden understood the depth of what it took for her to ask for his help, and it only solidified his resolve to be there for her.

Leaning back in his chair, he kept his other hand resting lightly on the table, his posture relaxed but ready. His eyes flicked toward the entrance every so often, his protective instincts kicking in as they waited. He shifted slightly, keeping his voice calm and measured.

“When he shows up, just remember, you’ve got nothing to prove to him. He doesn’t get to define who you are, Haven. Not then, not now, not ever.”

His gaze softened as he looked at her again, his thumb brushing lightly over her hand.

“And no matter what, I’ve got you. Always.”

She met his eyes with hers, her fingers tightening around his as she nodded. She wanted to respond verbally but the fraught energy her nerves brought about made it almost impossible. Her throat felt tight and like breathing was a chore in itself. The little she knew about her father wasn’t great.

“I know.” She managed a couple of soft, almost whispered words as she nodded again. Just Aiden being there was enough, his touch kept her grounded and his voice was soft and familiar, she found a safety in that. Before she could say anything else though, he appeared.

He was older than any of the few photographs she had seen of him, but even still he was tall and imposing. His dark hair and strong features so different from her own that you wouldn’t know to look at them they were related at first. Where she was panicked and calm, he was stern and cool.

“You look just like her.” His voice was softer than she had pictured, a level of control to it that didn’t seem to fit the manic danger she knew him to be.

“Yeah, thanks I… people say that a lot.” Her hand squeezed Aiden’s again, her nervousness caused her to forget her manners and she caught herself almost immediately but before she could say anything more, her fathers laughter interrupted her.

“It wasn’t a compliment.” His tone was the same, sitting down and staring at her intently with a gaze that made her feel uncomfortable in a way she couldn’t describe.

Aiden felt Haven’s grip tighten around his hand, her anxiety radiating through the contact. He didn’t look at her, though as his eyes were locked on the man who had just entered. His presence was heavy, his words calculated, and Aiden could feel the tension settle over the table like a dark cloud. He kept his posture calm, his expression neutral, but the protective edge in his body language was unmistakable.

When the man’s laughter cut through the air, paired with the coldness of his words, Aiden’s jaw tightened ever so slightly. He glanced at Haven, giving her hand a gentle squeeze, silently reminding her that she wasn’t facing this alone. Then, he turned his gaze back to the man, his voice steady but firm.

“You’ve got a lot to say for someone who hasn’t earned the right to say anything at all.”

His tone wasn’t aggressive at all. In fact, it was calm, measured, but with an edge that made it clear he wasn’t going to let anyone unsettle Haven more than she already was. He leaned forward slightly, keeping his focus on the man, his fingers never leaving Haven’s.

“She’s not here to play games, and neither am I. So if you’ve got something to say, say it. Otherwise, we’re done here.”

There was no bravado in his words, just quiet strength and a steady presence for Haven as she faced the unknown.

Haven could feel the burn of tears in the wells of her eyes, not enough for ant to fall, just enough for her to know they were there. Aiden’s protection and grounding influence allowed her to hold onto the strength she had buried deep down. Her hand in his was enough to keep his presence in the forefront of her mind.

What had she expected from a man that had been deemed so dangerous her own mother abandoned her just to protect her? She wasn’t sure but now, sitting here? She felt as though she had thrown all of the sacrifices her mom made for her in one night.

“I know.” She spoke to Aiden though she didn’t look at him, an inside nod of her head in agreement. “Nobody controls me but me…” her soft tone, her timid nature, all of it made it so that she didn’t sound sure. But she was.

Even as she spoke to Aiden she didn’t really look at him, staring ahead at her father who seemed so unbothered by the things that Aiden had said. The sneering smirk on his lips not fading for a second.

“My mom… Zoeey, she gave up the one thing she really loved, just to keep me safe from you.” Her tone was a little louder, but her voice shook. A flood of emotions she had been holding back for a long time. “You robbed both of us, of any chance we had at a relationship. Because she was so… so afraid of you that she didn’t believe she could keep me safe…” she felt a tear or two threaten to fall, pushing her chair back she got to her feet.

“You’ve robbed me of too much time already, I’m never getting that back and I’m not wasting any more on you.” The words came out in an angry tremor, but the pain beneath that, where she drew the words from hung on every syllable. Unable to hold back those few stray tears, she turned to walk away.

His hand shot out, he was on his feet so fast she hadn’t even noticed until the pull on her wrist span her back towards the table.

Aiden was on his feet the moment her father grabbed her wrist, his chair scraping sharply against the floor. His entire demeanor shifted in an instant. From calm and grounding to fiercely protective. He stepped between Haven and her father in a fluid motion, his hand resting firmly on her shoulder as his eyes locked with the man’s, cold and unflinching.

“Let. Her. Go.”

His voice was low and even, carrying a weight that left no room for argument. It wasn’t a yell, but it didn’t need to be because there was power in his restraint, a quiet fury that simmered just beneath the surface.

The tension between them was palpable, but Aiden didn’t falter, keeping his hand steady on Haven’s shoulder as a silent reassurance. His gaze didn’t waver from her father, his protective instincts taking over entirely.

“She said everything she needed to say. This is over.”

He didn’t move, didn’t flinch, his body a wall between Haven and the man who had brought this fear into her life. The way he stood, firm and unyielding, made it clear—if her father wanted to escalate this, he’d regret it.

“Let her go,” he repeated, his voice colder this time.

As soon as he released her wrist she pulled her arm back, pressing the wrist to her chest as if shielding it from her being touched again, even from behind Aiden, his body her barrier of protection, she could feel the tremor in her bones. Even as she felt like she was falling apart, she dug the heel of her other hand across her cheeks to force away the tears.

Her father released her hand quickly, holding both of them up with his palms facing them. But as he did so, he laughed. Clapping a hand down on Aiden’s shoulder in a condescending manner that lasted for a couple of seconds at most, removing his hand with that sneer of a smirk back on his face.

“Well aren’t you the twat in tinfoil posing as a white night.” Even in his jovial tone there was something sinister to it, his eyes flicking to Haven as the smirk melted into a faux pitiful face, his tone low but mocking. “Your mom didn’t leave to protect you from me…”

He leaned back, adjusting his jacked and clearing his throat before he stepped around the pair; clearly making his way to leave. “She left because she saw then what I see now… nothing.” His last few words cut through her resolve and as he headed towards the door he turned back for just a second, looking her over with a level of disdain that could wither a flower at a glance.

Haven could feel people looking at them, even without looking up from the floor she could feel all of the shed boring into her. But those words cut through all of that, she felt a sinking sensation in her chest; her breath knocked from her lungs so hard that even a partial inhale lit up her insides with a deep, aching burn.

Without a word she sunk back down into her seat, not even looking back at the man who had so easily stabbed a dagger into her heart. Everything was blurry thanks to the tears in her eyes and distant, fuzzy, as though she was somehow removed from reality in that moment.

Aiden didn’t flinch when the man clapped a hand on his shoulder, though his jaw tightened ever so slightly. He stood like stone, unmoving as the man spewed his venomous words. The sneer, the mocking tone—it all boiled his blood, but Aiden stayed focused, his priority solely on Haven. Even as her father’s parting words cut deep, he didn’t turn to watch the man leave. Instead, his attention remained firmly on her.

As soon as she sank back into the chair, he crouched in front of her, his hands resting lightly on her knees to ground her, to pull her back to the present. He didn’t say anything immediately, giving her a moment to catch her breath, but his eyes were soft, filled with concern and quiet strength.

“Hey…” he said softly, his voice low enough that only she could hear. He reached up, brushing a stray tear from her cheek with gentle fingers.

“Don’t listen to him, Haven. He’s wrong. He doesn’t see you because he’s too blinded by his own bitterness to see anything at all. That’s on him, not you.”

He stayed there, crouched in front of her like a shield against the world, his hand resting lightly on hers as he continued.

“You’re strong. Stronger than he’ll ever give you credit for. And you don’t need him, or his approval, to know your worth. You’ve already proven who you are—every day, every match, every moment.”

His voice softened even more, his thumb brushing lightly against her trembling hand.

“Let’s go home, babe. You don’t need to stay here, not for him. You’ve already won by walking in here and facing him. That’s something he’ll never understand.”

He stayed close, his steady presence like an anchor in the storm, waiting for her to take the lead on what came next.

At first his words didn’t register, she could feel him there. More than just the touch of his hands to her, something greater and deeper than just his presence, she felt him there. Like a tether to the moment, a safety line between the agony of her mind, thoughts and memories mixing together to create a monstrous roar in her head; she could feel him on the other side.

“I…” her words trailed off, failing her entirely as se swallowed a sob, like a bubble in her chest that just kept expanding. His words shouldn’t have carried any weight, but as the last living person with whom she shared DNA, a bloodline, they felt heavier than any other words she had ever heard before.

She felt the sway of grief, pushed down and ignored emotions that she had shut up in a box somewhere inside of her, pounding on the walls of their container. But instead she moved her fingers and then her hand, curling fingertips around his. Reaching for her anchor, her home.

“Yeah, home… let’s go home.” She nodded and she felt the words come out of her mouth, it sounded like her voice and they carried from her lips but still she felt some fuzzy disconnection from them. As though she were puppeteering her own body through the motions of existence, unsure where this meeting had left her truly.

Finally when she lifted her gaze, meeting his eyes, that strong protective look touched by something more vulnerable, something she felt was a reflection in her own. “Thank you.” She whispered it, in fact she wasn’t even sure the words came out at all but she meant them, they were her words.

Aiden felt her fingers curl around his, a small but significant motion that told him she was ready to move forward. He nodded softly, giving her hand a gentle squeeze as he stood, staying close to her.

“Alright, my love,” he said quietly, his voice steady and grounding. “Let’s get ready to go.”

Without letting go of her hand, he helped her to her feet, his presence a quiet reassurance as they turned to leave together.

She sort of sunk into him, her body leaning into his and her head resting to his shoulder as they left. The cool air stung her cheeks as she stepped outside, it caught her breath in her chest and she turned suddenly to look at him, chewing at her bottom lip for a moment before she stopped and wrapped an arm around him, her voice soft and timid even still.

“I don’t want to go back to the house… I can’t face anyone tonight.” Her eyes looked glassy in the light from the streetlamps, tears still waiting to fall as she held onto her resolve. “Please.”

Aiden felt her lean into him, her weight light but the emotional toll heavy. He wrapped an arm around her shoulders as they walked, his touch steady and protective. When she stopped and turned to him, her voice barely above a whisper, he caught the glassy look in her eyes under the streetlamp’s glow. Her words were so soft and so vulnerable… They were enough to send a ripple of something deep and primal through him.

He nodded at first, brushing a hand along her arm to comfort her, but then his gaze flicked back toward the restaurant. The memory of her father’s words, his sneering face, and the way he’d grabbed her wrist ignited something sharp and cold in Aiden’s chest. His expression darkened, and before Haven could say anything else, he stepped away from her, his movements swift and purposeful.

He turned on his heel, marching back toward the restaurant with a quiet fury. Haven barely had time to register what was happening before Aiden stormed through the doors, spotting her father lingering near the bar. Without a word, Aiden closed the distance and swung hard, his fist connecting with the man’s jaw in a crack that echoed through the room.

Her father staggered back, clutching his face, but Aiden didn’t stop. He grabbed the man by the collar, pulling him up before slamming him against the bar. His fists flew in rapid succession, each strike fueled by the raw anger and frustration that had been building ever since her father’s first sneering comment. The patrons around them froze, some gasping, others backing away as the scene unfolded.

The look in Aiden’s eyes was cold, almost unrecognizable, as he pinned her father down, his knuckles bloody from the assault. The only sound in the room was the heavy, uneven breathing of both men, Aiden’s fist still raised, ready to strike again.

Everything seemed to hang in the air, waiting for something—or someone—to intervene.

It took her a few seconds to register where he was going which was just enough time for him to have that head start on her. When she made it back into the restaurant she did so just in time to see that first swing. She knew she should have acted then, but something stopped her; instead she hesitated in the doorway of the restaurant as the scene unfolded in front of her.

Finally her mind engaged with her body and she made her way over, slipping through several other patrons who were just stood around watching, a couple even with their phones out and recording the chaos. Pushing one of those phones down as she passed she reached out and placed her hand on Aiden’s wrist.

“Don’t…” the word formed before she could follow it up. Her hand moving to his face, his cheek, turning his head her direction and meeting his gaze with her own. “He’s nobody. He doesn’t get to do this…” it was a strength she never could have found for herself. An iron will that the man who had already taken too much from her, wasn’t going to take the family she had chosen to.

Especially not Aiden and certainly not like this. Instead she placed her other hand over his bloody hand, her eyes locked on his face as she shook her head. The pleas for him to walk away, though silent were defeaning.

“Let’s go home ok? Take me home, please.”

Aiden’s chest heaved with heavy breaths, his bloodied fist trembling under Haven’s touch. Her words reached him, cutting through the haze of fury that had consumed him. His cold, sharp gaze softened ever so slightly as her hand pressed against his cheek, her presence pulling him back from the edge. Slowly, he let her guide his wrist down, her quiet strength grounding him in a way that nothing else could.

He nodded once, his voice rough and low as he muttered, “Okay… let’s go.”

But just as he started to step away from the bar, the sound of hurried footsteps and clipped orders echoed through the restaurant. Aiden turned toward the commotion, only to be tackled to the ground by two police officers. The force knocked the air out of him as they pinned him facedown on the floor, quickly cuffing his wrists behind his back.

“Stay down! Hands behind your back!” one officer barked, his name badge reading “Sgt. Daniels.” Another officer, “Officer Grant,” kept Aiden restrained, his knee pressed firmly into Aiden’s back.

Aiden gritted his teeth, not resisting but clearly furious as his gaze flicked up to Haven. The expression on his face wasn’t one of regret, but of concern for her, for how she was handling all of this.

“Miss, step back,” Sgt. Daniels ordered, his tone firm but not unkind. He glanced at Haven, registering the distress on her face.

Aiden turned his head slightly, his voice steady despite the situation.

“Haven,” he said, his tone low but calm, “it’s going to be fine. Just… go to the car, okay?”

His eyes locked with hers, silently willing her to stay strong even as the officers began to haul him to his feet.

Quiet terror settled in as the officers tackled Aiden and put him in handcuffs, her heart broke with the weight of the guilt she felt, seeing him paying for her issues. Even as he didn’t resist, his eyes on her she couldn’t help but feel responsible for what was happening now. She had asked him to come, she had brought this into their lives and now this.

“What… what are you doing?!” She addressed the officer who spoke to her, her hands shaking as she moved her arms up to keep him from touching her, stepping more to the side than back when she looked back to Aiden, guilt and concern etched into every line of her face.

“Okay… okay.” She breathed out the words, trying to feign being calm not wanting to make things any worse, wanting to be strong for him in this moment, that will pushing her on, keeping her planted in the moment. “I’ll follow you, to wherever they’re taking you and… and get this sorted out… I’m sorry.”

Her last words were barely a whisper to him, her eyes locked on his until he was pulled to his feet. She didn’t even look back to the man who was now slouched up against the bar, receiving medical attention. Whatever tie to him she has felt, was severed the moment she saw Aiden in those handcuffs.

She had no idea how this worked or what was happening, flashes of prisons back home and how people in them were treated tried to invade her thoughts but she pushed them back, choosing to focus on Aiden and making sure she got him out of this as quickly as possible.

Aiden winced slightly as the officers hauled him to his feet, the cuffs digging into his wrists. His focus, though, remained on Haven. He could see the guilt etched into her face, the way she was struggling to hold herself together, and he hated that she was blaming herself for this.

“Hey,” he said, his voice steady but firm, cutting through her spiraling thoughts as Sgt. Daniels and Officer Grant began leading him toward the door. “Don’t do that. Don’t blame yourself, Haven. This isn’t on you.”

He exhaled slowly, trying to ease the tension in his body as much as possible.

“This isn’t my first time in cuffs, alright? I’ve been through this before. Back when AJ’s mom…” he trailed off briefly, his jaw tightening before continuing. “She left him in the car once, and I took the fall. Protecting people I care about? I can handle it.”

His voice softened as his eyes locked with hers again, trying to anchor her in the moment.

“You just focus on you, okay? Don’t worry about me. I’ll be fine. Just… take care of yourself.”

Before he could say anything more, the commotion grew louder as Haven’s father emerged from the back of the restaurant. His face was bloodied and swollen, his suit disheveled, but his sneer was still firmly in place. He staggered toward the officers, pointing a trembling finger at Aiden with all the dramatic flair he could muster.

“That psycho!” he shouted, his voice rasping and loud enough to draw the attention of everyone nearby. “He threatened my life before he beat me half to death! I want him arrested for attempted murder! Full charges, do you hear me? Don’t let him out on bail!”

Sgt. Daniels glanced at Haven’s father with a raised brow, clearly skeptical of the scene but obligated to follow procedure. Meanwhile, Aiden barely reacted, his focus staying on Haven as the man ranted and raved.

As her father’s accusations echoed through the room, Aiden shook his head slightly, his voice low but steady as he addressed her one last time before being led out.

“Don’t let him get in your head, Haven. You know the truth. That’s all that matters.”

With that, the officers began escorting him outside, leaving Haven standing amidst the chaos, the weight of everything pressing down on her shoulders.