“Lucas… Levi…” I whimpered, my lip trembling as I spoke the two names I never thought I’d have the chance to utter again.
“Hey, babygirl…”
“Hey, princess…”
I pressed my palms into the bed, pushing myself forward so I could reach out, missing their touch, their warmth. I needed to feel them to ensure that this was real and I wasn’t dreaming. That I had come home to them, and this wasn’t my twisted version of purgatory.
“Whoa, hang on there, Tessa.” A firm hand was set against my chest, forcing me back down and refusing to let me up. “Your body’s been through a lot over the past six hours. I need you to take things slow right now. Can you do that?”Who in the hell?
Tearing my gaze from the two men at the edge of my bed, I shifted my attention to the man standing beside me, taking note of the last nameMorrisembroidered on his white lab coat, and immediately flipped into flight mode. A Doctor.Psyche?
“No, no, no, no, no, please. Please don’t take me away.” I cried, every breath becoming more erratic as I attempted to push him away. “I don’t want to be committed; it was all just a mistake,please.”
“Tess. Breathe.” Theodore gripped my bicep from my opposite side, giving it a firm squeeze to calm my body and nerves as both Lucas and Levi stepped in front of the Doctor. They bothwhispered something briefly before ushering him away and filling his place at my bedside.
“You’re not going anywhere except home with us, babygirl.” Levi cupped my face in his cool hands, my skin flushed from anxiety as his thumbs dragged soothing circles along my cheekbones.Oh, how I loved the feeling of his palms, their sense of security.
“He’s one of…us,” Lucas added with a slight pause and clearing of his throat, lending a side-eye to Theodore as he gestured with his head for the Doctor to leave.
“I’ll be back in about an hour to prepare her for discharge and release her into your care. Until then, none of the hospital staff shall enter this room without my approval first. If you need anything, please don’t hesitate to press the call button.” The man announced right before exiting the room, softly shutting the door behind him.
They weren’t taking me away… Home…
“I want to go home.” I rushed out the second the lock clicked into place.
“And we will, princess. But we need to make sure you’re okay before we can do that.”
“Promise me…” I pleaded desperately, reaching up and gripping Levi by the collar of his shirt, pulling his face down to meet mine as his brother laid a hand on my thigh for reassurance. “Promise me you won’t leave me here—on another floor…” I searched his eyes and saw them soften, sighing as if he couldn’t believe that I would even consider that as an option—for either of them.
“Babygirl—”
“They wouldn’t dare.” A rough voice finished from over my shoulder, and I loosened my hold on Levi as he gestured with a flick of his eyes to the man still standing behind me.Theodore…
“Teddy, what are you doing here?” He had my full attention, but I still couldn’t manage to bring my gaze high enough to meet his, focusing more on his shoulder and arm than his face. Every time I thought about that day…
“I saw the news. Dropped everything to come and find you.”
“H-How—” I felt embarrassment washing over me at the fact that what had been leaked was the reason why he was here. That even after retiring, I was still affecting his life, tearing him away from his family again.
“I have my ways. Just like your boys seem to have means of their own...” He glared at Lucas and Levi before clearing his throat, not asking or pressing for answers they couldn’t give. “And seeing as though you are in good hands with these two, I think it’s finally time we announce your retirement, the right way. You’ve sacrificed more than enough of yourself—your life.”
“You’re saying I can—I can leave? Be done with everything and just…leave?” There was disbelief in my tone because I never thought I would have this moment. Forever a prisoner to a life without purpose other than for someone else’s entertainment.
“We’ll sugarcoat it one last time, but once everything’s been said and done, you’ll be free to be you, without the chains and the eyes of the world weighing you down. You’ll become a memory faster than saying goodbye, but in a good way, and all while keeping yourname. Your new one, that is...Mrs. Castiel.” Theodore grinned, and I blushed from the sound of their last name on his tongue.
I suppose at some point while I was unconscious, they told him. But that minor detail aside, I could finally be me—theirs, without the strings, the fear of judgment, or the constant need to hide who I was.
Because for once, no one would care. I would no longer come with a price tag. I would be irrelevant to everyone. And that word felt more like freedom than it should.
As I silently celebrated my new outlook on life and what this meant for my future, Theodore smiled, taking a step away from my bedside as he pulled a phone from his pocket.
“I think I’ve said more than enough since arriving here. I’m just glad that you’re safe and well protected, Tess. I’ll get a start on things, and when you’re ready, come back to Malibu to say your formal farewells.”
I watched as he strolled toward the door, tapping away at his screen, but this time it wasn’t as hard a goodbye as before. This time, I had closure, and I accepted that he was leaving.
“And you two…” Theodore looked back one last time, his stern eyes set on my husbands, glowing with a threat he’d more than happily cash in if the need arose. “You have my blessing to care for the woman I tried my fucking hardest to raise. To be the light she needs when her world falls dark… To love her for all she’s worth and more.” His watery eyes held on to mine, and I felt my heart nearly burst from my chest at the sight. “I should have said this a long time ago... I love you like a daughter, Tess. I always have,always will.”
“Teddy…”
