Page 115 of Knot Just for Show

“Cool it—he’d lay you out without straining a pinky,” David hisses at Joshua under his breath—keeping my elder brother from doing anything foolish…for now.

“And then I met Ursula. For the first time I couldn't rely on my good looks, and my charm seemed to have no effect on her. As a matter of fact, she tried to get rid of me almost as soon as we met. On our very first dates, she skewered me as shallow, self-involved, and completely unready for real, genuine companionship. My affections, which may have started as an act, very quickly became reality.”

Tears begin to run down my own face as Teddy continues speaking.

“Ursula saw my worth. Beyond my appearance, beyond my physical prowess. She looked past my shitty fuckboy attitude and my casual selfishness and cruelty. She brought me together with my packmates, in a way that I never thought possible.” Teddy draws close to me lifting my chin with his finger as if to ask permission before I close my eyes and purse my lips—allowing him a chaste kiss on the lips.

Teddy's voice cracks. And he turns his face to regard Lysander.

“When I say I didn't know what I wanted, I mean, I didn't have the slightest clue. It took Ursula bringing us all together for me to realize what love looks like—whatpackmeans to me.”

He reaches across the table, taking Lysanders hand in his before pressing a kiss gently to Lysander’s lips.

Though Teddy’s trio of besties appear to have their souls leaving their bodies—-Teddy’s mothers are both smiling now—holding each other close, nodding encouragement with broad smiles to their son.

“That day when Anton tried to expose me on the beach—to shame me for having chosen Ursula and Lysander and the rest of my pack…I should have told you everything, but I was afraid that you wouldn’t believe me when I said that what I felt for you, for Pack Gold, was—is real.” Teddy gets down on his knees in front of me.

“I told the boys, I told my moms, I told Meesh, Dom, and Pol the truth. I asked them if they thought I should even try to ask for your forgiveness, to seek redemption and your love.” He grits against his steady tears.

“We told him life without love isn’t life at all,” Mei interjects, her slight frame held tightly against her wife’s as the two of them look at me expectantly.

“I beg for your forgiveness.” Teddy reaches up and places his palms on my knees, gently pressing his forehead to the backs of his hands. “All I want is to be by your side, to lead Pack Gold.”

“Yes, of course yes you stupid idiot,” I sob, pulling his hands from my kneecaps—not able to stand being outside his embrace a second longer.

Teddy sweeps me up into his arms and swings me around; Ronan, Ash and Lysander all rising from their seats to join him. Through the haze of tears, I can just barely see Mavren’s tall, lithe thorn making its way through the golden rectangle of light from the kitchen to join our tangled embrace.

We found it. No matter how difficult, no matter how complicated, we have found each other. We have found home.

Chapter Thirty-Eight

Ronan

Ihad woken from my nap alongside Lysander and Ursula to find the rest of the guys huddled and whispering in hushed voices in the grand salon.

I couldn't quite make out the details at first, but as I drew closer, I could hear the boys talking in more detail about theirplans for La Cerise, the new supper and jazz club Mavren had been planning to open, now that he and Ash had begun to mastermind a venue where Mavren could have a new restaurant location and Ursula could have an outlet to perform as a jazz singer.

Ash, rapidly approaching the time in his career where he would be put out to pasture as an elder DJ, forced to retire or ever more, be labeled a ‘has-been’, clearly seemed to enjoy the idea of working with Ursula in the context of making music together—regardless of fame or larger commercial success.

It was only once things turned toward the conversation of finances that the conversation started to go off the rails.

Out of nowhere, Teddy was all at once baring his soul to us

As it turns out. That nagging feeling in the back of my skull. That off feeling in my gut, wasn't misplaced. Teddy confessed to us the reason that he had originally joined the cast of Build-A-Pack-Blind was to help his ailing career. Even though he had thought that he was on a roll in the biz, Teddy soon found himself without jobs, without paychecks, doing whatever he could to get by to pay his own rent.

When Teddy had been doing well, he had been sending money home to his moms who had been struggling to make the payments on their rising rent for both their home and their dual dojo and ballet studio.

Now, as it so happened, Teddy was in a position where he had to tell both of his moms that not only would he not be making more money or getting more opportunities based on this reality show appearance—he also had to confess to his deception and how he had acted like such a complete and total ass.

For the briefest of moments, I really thought that Mavren might punch Teddy out. Lysander looked none too happy either. While Ash and I sat back exchanging knowing looks with one another.

While I can't say that I love the fact that Teddy kept this secret so long, it doesn't exactly surprise us, considering his confession after that day with Anton on the beach. While it hardly excuses his behavior, it's easy to see how our himbo, Teddy Wong, walked into this situation and ended up getting more than he bargained for in the best possible way.

It was then that we resolved to come together to help Teddy and Teddy's moms. After all, isn't that what families are for?

We resolved to make a couple of important stops before dinner that night. First on our list was the small space downstairs on Mariposa. A perfect spot for La Cerise.

After everyone took a look at the place, Lysander and Ash signed the necessary papers and made a deposit.

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