Page 83 of Thorns That Bloom
The perfectly cast kick right into my bladder finally makes me accept that I have to get up. When I pat the space next to me only to find it cold and empty, I open my eyes. I sit up and look around, slowly coming to terms with the fact that what happened yesterday wasn’t just some horrible nightmare.
I notice the folded note with an uneven heart drawn on it that sits on the pillow. With a smile, I reach for it.
It smells like Theo. His pheromones still linger faintly in the air. And so does the memory of his kindness, and the warmth of his touch from last night. They overshadow the crippling pain from earlier almost completely.
Resting against the back of the bed with a sigh—and praying I manage not to piss myself for a few more minutes—I open the note.
Before you read any further: stop and look at the bedside table. That water is for you. DRINK IT! Please. You need to hydrate, ok? *face with tongue sticking out emoji*
Snorting, I glance at the full glass exactly where he said it would be. My chest expands, so much so that the fluttering heart of mine feels like it might fly out.
I made you some porridge for breakfast. I’m not sure what you like, but it’s a comfort breakfast for me. It has butter, brown sugar, maple syrup and apples. I hope you like it. I left it in the pot on the stove, I hope it’s still warm when you wake up.
A strange sensation passes through me. A bittersweet mix of joy and regret.
How long has it been since someone made me breakfast? Or since I let anyone take care of me like this? I stare at the words, as scrambled and with a few little scratched-out mistakes as I would imagine from Theo, and it almost feels like he’s here with me.
Speaking of, sorry I couldn’t be there. I had to sort something important out. I didn’t want to wake you up. Figured you needed your rest. And you looked so at peace. Did you know you mumble in your sleep? Mostly just nonsense. It was really cute tho. *winking emoji*
Am I seriously blushing like a teenager right now?
I roll my eyes, a stupid smile on my lips. Theo's writing gets smaller as he realizes he's running out of space, and I can tell he was panicking to fit everything in because of how closely he squished the words together.
I remembered us talking about both having to work this Saturday, so I called work and explained a little of what happened. Don’t worry, I talked to my supervisor. He’s the one who suggested to me what happened to you before you came here. I made him swear he won’t be talking to anyone else! He knows the gist of what went down and told the higher-ups at your end. They don’t expect you today. It’s all sorted.
So you don’t have to stress about that. *smiling emoji* I still went for my shift. I wasn’t sure if you’d maybe want to be left alone to think or… Well, I didn’t want to be too much or breathe down your neck.
PLEASE call me if you don’t want to be by yourself. I’ll come if you want me to. But if you need to be alone to think and process, that’s okay, too.
I brush the paper under my fingers, breathing in Theo’s soothing scent.
No one else has taken care of me in this way before. In reality, it’s probably because I’ve never let an alpha be like this. I always enjoyed doing things my way and by myself. But this…feels nice.
I know what happened yesterday was stressful and traumatizing enough, but this is important. There’s a business card on the kitchen counter. I talked to my sister in the morning. She actually deals with your sort of cases. Works for a charity called Spyrax. You might have heard of it?
Narrowing my eyes, I search my brain. It’s definitely familiar. I’ve seen ads for it online.
Trust me, if I’d known that those “people” are still free and walking around, I would’ve connected you sooner. Anyway, she’ll take on your case and help you get justice, I hope. When I spoke to her, she said that this needs to be handled swiftly. They’ll need every bit of information you can give them. Any proof, files or agreements. All the legal stuff you have. With that, they might be able to make sure the bastard from yesterday can’t come close to you or the baby.
I know this is a lot. I’m sorry you have to do this. But calling her and setting up a meeting as soon as you can is the best chance of keeping you safe right now.
If you want me to be with you when you meet her, I can, though… it’s probably better if you do it alone, all things considered. You’re strong enough to do it. I know you are.
Could you text me when you wake up? Just so I know you’re okay.
Then, in the very corner at the bottom is his name, with a tiny filled-out heart next to it, which I suspect is a stand-in for something too heavy like ‘I love you’.
While my heart still beats in a steady, powerful rhythm because of his sweet care, the gravity of the situation is coming into focus for me. He isn’t wrong; yesterday was a lot, and the last thing I want to do is to open that plain white box at the bottom of my wardrobe that houses all the legal paperwork to do with the worst day of my life.
But Theo also wasn’t wrong in saying that this has to be done.
This fucking nightmare needs to be finished. Put down like a rabid animal. I was so close to feeling complete again, even if momentarily. So close that the wound inside me almost finally scabbed over. I can’t have that bastard just waltzing intomy life and ripping it off to leave me with a gaping, bleeding hole in my soul again.
One of them has actually done this. What’s stopping the rest of them from feeling the same twisted entitlement to claim this child as theirs, too?
There was some kind of a clause about them staying away from me, I think, but I bet he could get around that, especially if he claims parental rights. If he acts like a good alpha, a good father, agood manwanting tofix his mistakes…he could probably find a way to get what he wants.
Just like when they all acted like they were nothing but poor fools controlled by pheromones and got away with it. ‘Victims of the act as much as the omega was’. The words of their lawyer echo in my mind, sending a violent shiver down my spine.
