Chapter 29
Alexis
The steady beeping fades into the background after a while, my body slowly settling into the unfamiliar comfort of the bed, the ache in my eye dull but persistent, like a reminder I can’t quite shake.
It’s only when I shift slightly, testing what I can and can’t do, that I feel it.
Warmth resting across my legs.
I still.
Then carefully, slowly, I lift my head just enough to see.
Dex.
He’s slumped forward in the chair beside the bed, his arms folded beneath his head where it rests against my legs, his hand still wrapped around mine, like he refused to let go even in sleep.
His hair is tousled, his shoulders tense even now, like his body hasn’t caught up to the fact that it’s over.
My chest softens instantly.
“Dex…” My voice is barely more than a whisper, rough from disuse, but it’s enough.
He stirs, shifting slightly, and the movement pulls at something sore in my body, making me wince before I can stop it. His head lifts immediately at the sound, eyes snapping open, sharp and alert before they soften the second they find mine.
“Tinker…” He’s up in an instant, hands hovering like he doesn’t know where to touch first, like he’s afraid of hurting me.
“I’m okay,” I whisper, but my voice doesn’t quite carry the way I want it to.
His jaw tightens, his eyes scanning me, searching, checking.
Then he sees it.
His hand moves to the blanket, hesitating for half a second before he lifts it slightly, and I feel the shift before I even follow his gaze.
The faint outline of fingers against my thigh.
His breath cuts off.
His hand freezes midair, his whole body going rigid as his jaw locks, something dark flashing through his eyes, sharp and immediate, like he’s right back in that room and this time he won’t stop.
“Dex…”
My hand moves before I think about it, slow but steady as I reach for his face, my fingers brushing his cheek.
The change is instant.
The anger, the violence simmering just beneath the surface, dissolves into something softer, something that pulls tight in my chest for an entirely different reason.
So much love it almost hurts to look at.
“I’m okay, Pan,” I whisper.
His eyes close briefly as he leans his forehead against mine, a breath leaving him like he’s been holding it in since the moment I disappeared.
“I was so scared of losing you, Tinker.”
The words are quiet, but they hit deep.
He pulls back just enough to look at me again, his fingers brushing gently over my cheekbone, careful, like he already knows it hurts.
“I’m so sorry I didn’t get there fast enough.”
Remorse fills his eyes, heavy and real, and I shake my head immediately, even if the movement makes the room tilt slightly.
“Don’t you dare feel guilty for what that bastard did,” I say, my voice stronger now despite everything. “You saved me.”
Tears slip free before I can stop them, and he catches them without hesitation, his lips brushing my skin, gentle in a way that feels like the opposite of everything that came before.
“I should’ve gone,” he mutters. “Taken the cotton candy instead of you.”
“No,” I cut in softly, pulling him closer just enough to make him look at me. “I’m a grown woman. There’s nothing wrong with me going to a stand on my own, and nothing wrong with my boyfriend letting me.”
He kisses my forehead softly.
“Pan?” I search his eyes. “I didn’t mean those words…” My voice cracks.
Dex brings his face closer to mine. “I know. You’re not a good liar.”He tries to joke, but his stare turns serious.
“I lost control,” he says, his voice raw.
“I know.”
I study him. He’s looking down, almost ashamed. “I hate that you saw that part of me.”
I put my hand on his cheek, and he looks up.
“I don’t care. You saved me. You lost control, yeah, but you lost it on the person hurting me, not on me. And I didn’t mind, Dex. I love you, and… I don’t think I’m that black-and-white kind of woman anymore.” I swallow softly. “I think I like living in your grey now.”
I lift my head and press a soft kiss to his lips, grounding both of us.
“The only one to blame for any of this is Russel.”
My throat tightens slightly as another thought pushes through.
“Mason?”
The word comes out smaller than I mean it to.
Dex’s hands come up to frame my face again, steady, reassuring.
“He’s okay. A few broken ribs, some damage to his left hand, but nothing serious.”
Relief crashes into me so hard it almost hurts.
“He can’t play football?” I whisper, tears slipping free again.
“Just for a couple of months,” Dex says gently, brushing his thumb under my eye. “He’ll be back stronger than ever. No permanent damage.”
I nod, even if my chest still feels tight.
A knock sounds at the door, soft but firm, and before I can respond, it opens.
A nurse steps in, guiding a wheelchair.
Mason.
The second I see him, my breath catches hard in my chest.
“This one’s been asking for you since we brought him in,” the nurse says with a small smile.
“Mason…” My arms open instinctively, and he doesn’t hesitate, ignoring the nurse’s protest as he carefully pulls himself up just enough to wrap his arms around me.
“I was so worried, Rocket,” he says, his voice breaking. “I’m so stupid. I let them use me to do this to you.”
I pull back just enough to take his face in my hands, forcing him to look at me.
“None of this is your fault. Do you hear me? Not one thing.”
He nods, swallowing hard, then glances at Dex.
“Thank you, man. If it weren’t for you…”
Dex just nods, placing a firm hand on Mason’s shoulder.
“Told you I’d walk through storms for her,” he says quietly. “And for you, too.”
Mason nods again, emotion still thick in his eyes.
The door opens once more, and this time the nurse sighs softly as the room fills almost instantly.
The Hawthornes.
Every single one of them.
Voices overlap, concern etched on every face as they step inside, filling the space with warmth and noise and something that presses deep into my chest.
Penny holds up her phone, and I catch a glimpse of Grace and Jace on the screen, both talking at once, their voices tinny but just as worried.
For a moment, I just look at them.
All of them.
And for the first time since waking up, I believe it.
I’m safe .