Chapter 103: The Set Up
LUCIAN’S P.O.V.
As Teresa led me into my room, I felt the tension rolling off her in waves. Her hand was firm but gentle as she guided me toward the bed, a blend of resolve and hesitation in every step. When we reached the edge, she softly said, "Sit," and I obliged, sinking into the mattress.
She moved to take the baby from my arms. "I’ll put her to bed in my room. You should get some rest," she said, her tone clipped but civil. Always civil—so painfully civil these days.
"I, uh..." I hesitated, scratching the back of my neck. Ares growled in frustration. "Say it, you fool!"
I tightened my hold on the baby, cradling my child against my chest. "Wait." My voice was softer than I intended, almost pleading. "Teresa, could you... could you and the babies stay here tonight? Just for tonight."
"What?" she asked, incredulous.
Her breath hitched, and I could hear her heartbeat stutter and then race. I knew she was already forming a polite refusal, her lips probably pressed into that determined line I’d seen countless times.
"I know you don’t owe me anything," I continued quickly, "but this is my first night like... this." I gestured vaguely to my unseeing eyes. "It feels like I’m trapped in a nightmare I can’t wake up from. I’d call someone else to stay, but—" I swallowed hard, letting the vulnerability seep into my words. "I can’t let anyone else see me like this. Weak."
I wasn’t entirely lying. The thought of being alone, shrouded in this endless darkness, terrified me. But more than that, I just wanted her here. To feel her presence, to hear her voice, to remind myself that she and our children were real and still within reach, no matter how far away she kept herself emotionally.