Page 31 of Truck Hard

His eyes meet mine, dark and intense, filled with a hope that makes my chest ache.

The courthouse bustles around us, but in this moment, it’s just us—standing on the edge of something new, something possible.

“Listen, about the other day,” I say, the words tumbling out before I can stop them. “About Cam.”

Liam’s expression shifts, a mix of hope and fear crossing his features. “Hannah, I—”

“Mrs. Fisher?” James interrupts, appearing at my shoulder. “The judge is ready.”

My heart leaps into my throat. This is it—the moment that could change everything. I glance at Cam, still sitting on the bench, his legs swinging nervously.

“We should go.” I tell Liam, though every part of me wants to stay, to finally have this conversation. “Maybe we can talk later?”

He nods, understanding in his eyes. “I’ll be right behind you.”

The walk back into the courtroom feels different this time. Charlie’s chair sits empty, but his presence lingers like a shadow. I take my seat beside James, drawing strength from Cam’s hand in mine and Liam’s steady presence behind us.

Judge Matthews surveys the courtroom, her expression unreadable. The silence stretches, broken only by the soft whir of the ceiling fan and the scratch of the court reporter’s pen.

“Bring the defendant back in,” she begins, “I’m prepared to make my ruling.”

Chapter 7

Face the Fire

Liam

Charlie shuffles back into the courtroom, his shoulders hunched and jaw tight. Two bailiffs flank him, their hands hovering near their belts. The chains around his wrists clink with each step, a metallic reminder of what he’s become. What he always was.

I can’t believe I didn’t see it when we were younger. We shared everything back then—baseball cards, comic books, even Grams’s chocolate chip cookies. Every Friday night, he’d crash on my bedroom floor, and we’d stay up talking about girls and cars until Grams yelled at us to quiet down.

His family had money, but he never acted like it mattered. Not until senior year. That’s when things started changing. Little comments here and there about how some people were beneath him. How his dad said certain families weren’t worth associating with.

I shake my head, remembering the day he first asked Hannah out. It was only a few short weeks after Hannah and I broke up. The way he’d smirked when she said yes, like he’d won some kind of prize. I’d brushed off the unease in my gut, told myself I was just jealous because no matter what happened between Hannah and me, I’d always love her.

I foolishly assumed it would be one date, maybe two. That Hannah only said yes to get back at me. But then one date turned into several and the next thing I knew, they were engaged. I lost my best friend and the love of my life within a matter of months.

The signs were there. The way he’d hover too close to Hannah when other guys looked her way. Especially me. How he’d “joke” about how she belonged to him, hinting that she was property. I’d watched from a distance, but never once let myself believe he’d ever actually hurt her.

My hands curl into fists. I’d convinced myself he was just protective, that he had her best interests at heart. Every muscle in my body screams to stand up, to put myself between him and Hannah. To shield her and Cam from those cold eyes that scan the room like a predator seeking prey.

But I stay seated. This isn’t my fight.Not yet.

Hannah sits ramrod straight at the plaintiff’s table, her spine stiff as steel. Even from behind, I can see the tension in her shoulders, the slight tremor in her hands as she clasps them in her lap. Cam leans against her arm, his young face set in a mask of determination that mirrors my own.

My son. The thought still hits like a punch to the gut. Every time I look at him, I see pieces of myself—the stubborn set of his jaw, the protective instinct that burns in his eyes. Things I would have recognized years ago had I met him sooner. Charlie was right to hide him if he never wanted me to know.

Judge Matthews clears her throat, commanding attention. “Having reviewed all evidence and testimony presented, I’m prepared to issue my ruling.” She peers over her reading glasses at Charlie. “Mr. Fisher, I trust you can maintain your composure this time?”

Charlie’s lip curls, but he nods stiffly. His lawyer whispers something in his ear.

“Very well.” The judge shuffles her papers. “In the matter of Fisher versus Fisher, regarding petition for divorce, I find clear and convincing evidence of physical abuse and endangerment. The marriage is hereby dissolved.”

A soft gasp escapes Hannah. Her shoulders sag slightly—relief or exhaustion, I can’t tell.

“Regarding custody of the minor child, Cameron Fisher,” Judge Matthews continues, “I award full physical and legal custody to the plaintiff, Hannah Fisher.”

Charlie surges forward in his chair. “You can’t—”

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