“I died, Teddy. I had no control over it. Physically, I’m fine. Mentally, I’m screwed, but hiding away in here isn’t going to make me feel any better. What I need is to feel strong, confident,and positive. None of that is going to happen if I continue to remain holed up like this. Weak. I’m only going to wind up further behind.”
He bolts upright in the bed. “You’re not weak, Ivy.”
I give him a pointed look. “Teddy, I?—”
He infiltrates my space, pressing his finger against my parted lips as his jaw tics. “You are a fucking phoenix, Ivy. I’m sure everything has been insane, but the magnitude of that should not be ignored. A phoenix. The first blessed to the Fifth Kingdom. The power you hold is undeniable; you just need help harnessing it.”
My pulse thunders as I blink up at him, locked in a trance as his words settle over me.
They don’t calm the uncertainty that wars inside of me, but they at least keep the self-destructive thoughts at bay.
“Thank you,” I rasp, my lips brushing against his finger, and he nods, still not removing his hand.
“Any time, Princess. Now, are you actually serious about these classes, or can we go back to sleep? I like it when you drool on my chest,” he says with a wink, and I roll my eyes.
“As enticing as it is to drool all over you, I’m dead serious about classes,” I say firmly, and he nods in understanding.
“You’re going to need an escort.” His words hang in the air, stealing more of my breath with every second that passes. “And before you start going full kick-ass Ivy, the order has come down from your brother. Regardless, since your safety was already a risk before all of this, it’s even worse now.”
“If I don’t want an escort, I don’t need an escort.” Each word is slow and deliberate so he understands, but as he finally pulls his hand away, I note the crinkles at the corners of his eyes, and it’s clear it’s not a lack of understanding I’m faced with.
“They’ve decided not to pursue consequences with Odesa and her loser mate,” he blurts, and my veins turn to ice.
With the chaos surrounding my father, I had forgotten all about her. My mouth dries as disappointment clings to me.
“Of course they have,” I grumble, pinching the bridge of my nose, and a hand lands on my shoulder.
My mind is a storm cloud, impossible to see through the rage.
He must sense my inner turmoil as he pulls me against his side, and I don’t fight it. As he leans back against the headboard, I rest my face against his bare chest, allowing myself a second to bask in the bliss that comes with his presence. It’s impossible to forget the pain I’ve felt at his hands,theirhands, but right now, it’s a little lost in comparison to the shockingly long list of people wanting to kill me.
His fingers run through my hair soothingly. “I can’t imagine what you’re feeling, Princess, but I’m here. We all are. I know we’re on your shit list too, and I’m sure we’ll be there for a very long time, rightfully so, but we’re also the ones desperate to keep you out of harm’s way.” He exhales slowly. “It’s my fault your father and Leonardo took you, and I’ll forever be riddled with guilt because of it, but just know that it makes me more alert now. I can’t let anything like that ever happen to you again.”
I frown, tilting my head back to see his face, and find his chin tucked against his chest and his eyes scrunched shut.
“It’s not your fault, Teddy,” I whisper, trying to get a read on him, but his expressions are like a vault, which means I have to take him at his word, but there’s no guarantees with that.
“I shouldn’t have been so careless with the power being out. I should have ensured your safety, especially since your father was already on campus. I just wasn’t thinking.”
Heat washes over me as I recall that night. “I don’t think either of us were.”
His eyes pry open an inch as he reaches for my chin, stroking his thumb across my skin. “Did I hurt you?” he asks, and I blink in confusion.
“Hurt me?”
“I didn’t know you were a virgin, Ivy. I swear I didn’t. Otherwise, I would have gone slower, I would have taken my time, I would have made sure you were comfortable, I would have?—”
I shush him with my finger pressed against his lips this time as sadness threatens to consume me. Everything crumbled after that moment, but I wouldn’t change a single thing.
“It was everything, Teddy,” I promise, letting him search my eyes for the truth before he sighs.
“I wish we could go back to that,” he admits, and I hum in agreement. “Don’t worry, Princess. I’ll make it happen.”
I scoff. “You’re so sure?” I muse, and he grins.
“With you? Always.”
My heart races in my chest as I blink at him, memories of that night consuming my thoughts as I consider what it would be like to feel his lips pressed against mine again.
