50. Tessa

50

TESSA

T he world swims around me as I slowly come to, the sterile scent of disinfectant filling my nostrils. My eyes flutter open, but everything feels hazy and disjointed. A dull ache radiates through my shoulder, and I can hear the soft beeping of machines nearby. Where am I?

Panic rises in my chest as the last memories flood back—Max, the fire, the knife…Devin. My heart pounds and I try to sit up, but a sharp pain shoots through my body, forcing me back down. I let out a quiet groan, blinking rapidly to clear my vision.

"Tessa," a familiar voice says softly beside me. I turn my head, and relief floods through me as I see Jace sitting at the edge of my bed, his face lined with concern. Alec is standing just behind him, arms crossed but looking equally worried.

"You're okay," Jace reassures me, reaching for my hand. "You're safe."

I take a breath, then touch my face, realizing I've got a cannula in my nose. "They didn't think you were going to make it," Alec says, his voice tight. "But you were a fighter."

My throat feels dry, and I struggle to speak. "What…where's Devin?"

"I'm right here."

Alec steps aside and reveals Devin in the bed just a few feet away. He's got a matching cannula in his nose, delivering him oxygen as well. He looks a little worse for wear but he's alive. I feel a wave of relief wash over me.

"You've both been through hell," Jace adds, his voice filled with emotion. "But we got you out in time. Max is in custody. He won't hurt you again."

The mention of his name sends a shiver through me. "How…how did he even get out? I was keeping track, looking for any news…" My voice trails off, confusion thick in my words.

Alec's jaw tightens as he exchanges a glance with Jace before answering. "Max's family pulled some strings. They used their money and influence to get him quietly released after just a year. No headlines, no announcements. We only found out after we took him down."

I shake my head in disbelief. "I should've known…"

Jace squeezes my hand. "There's no way you could've known, Tess. His family made sure of that. But we've got him now. He's not getting out this time."

I take a deep breath, trying to steady myself, but the weight of everything that's happened—the fire, Max, all of it—won't let me rest. Devin's eyes are still on me, filled with concern, and Jace and Alec are waiting too, like they know there's more I need to say.

"There's something I haven't told you guys," I begin quietly, my voice shaky. "Something about Max."

Jace leans forward, frowning. "What is it, Tess?"

I hesitate, my fingers gripping the hospital blanket tightly. "We…we dated. Freshman year. For a few months."

The room goes still. I can feel Devin's eyes burning into me, but I don't look at him, not yet.

"He was charming, you know? Cool, confident—everything a freshman would fall for," I explain, feeling the memories resurface. "At first, I was caught up in it. He seemed like he had everything together. But then…I started seeing this darker side of him. He had a drinking problem, and when he drank, he had a temper. He'd get possessive, angry over small things. I tried to look past it, thinking maybe I was just imagining things or overreacting."

"But you weren't," Devin says softly, his voice tight with restraint.

I shake my head. "No, I wasn't. Things kept getting worse. He was unpredictable, and I started feeling scared around him. So I broke it off."

The words hang heavy in the air, but I keep going. They need to hear this.

"A few days later, he sent me this email—completely out of the blue. It was long, rambling…and drunk. He said that I'd be sorry I ever broke up with him, that I didn't understand who I was dealing with. He went on about how all women were evil, that we all needed to be put in our place." My voice catches, and I glance at Alec, who looks grim. "He said he was going to make sure no woman could ever reject him again. That he'd never let anyone make him feel small."

Jace's jaw clenches. "Jesus, Tess…"

"I should've told someone," I whisper, guilt knotting in my chest. "It was a huge red flag, and I knew it. But I was terrified. He had so much influence on campus, so many connections. I didn't know what he'd do if I tried to expose him. So…I stayed quiet."

I finally look at Devin, my heart pounding. His eyes are dark with an emotion I can't quite place—something between anger and understanding.

"You didn't do anything wrong," he says, his voice low and firm. "Max did."

"But I should've said something. Maybe if I had, none of this would've happened."

Alec shakes his head. "That's on Max, not you. He's the one who escalated things. You couldn't have known what he was capable of."

I nod, but the guilt lingers. The truth is out now, but it doesn't feel like enough to make up for the nightmare Max had put all of us through.

Devin shifts in the bed next to me, his voice steady but laced with frustration. "Tess, even if you had said something back then, it wouldn't have changed who Max is. He's got power, money…all of that. You saw how he was released from prison after everything he did. His family used their connections to get him out early. If you had exposed him before, there's no telling what he would've done to you."

Jace nods in agreement, his expression hard. "Max is a bad person, Tessa. It wouldn't have mattered whether you broke up with him or not. He would've found some reason to lash out, to hurt people. That's just who he is."

I want to argue, to say that if I had done something, maybe it would've stopped him, but deep down, I know they're right. Max was already on a dangerous path long before I was involved.

Alec speaks next, his tone quiet but firm. "He would've found someone else to target. People like him…they're looking for any excuse to act out. Hurting others is just in their nature. Don't blame yourself for this. Max was always going to be dangerous."

I press my lips together, trying to absorb their words. Logically, I know they make sense. Max wasn't just a mistake from my past—he was a ticking time bomb, waiting for the right moment to explode. And maybe it was never about me at all, just about his need to control, to dominate.

"But what if he—" I start, but Devin cuts me off.

"No. Don't do that to yourself," he says, his voice gentle but firm. "Max is responsible for Max. Not you. He's been hurting people long before you came into the picture, and if it wasn't you, it would've been someone else."

I lean back against the hospital pillow, exhaling a shaky breath. The weight of my guilt eases, just a little, but it doesn't disappear.

Jace leans forward, his hand finding mine, his grip warm and reassuring. "Tessa, we're in this with you. All of us. We're not going anywhere. What happened with Max…it doesn't change how we feel about you. You're not alone in this. We're bonded now, and nothing is going to break that. Nothing."

Devin, lying in the bed next to me, shifts slightly so he can meet my eyes. "He's right. We're going to be there for you, no matter what. You, and the babies. We'll always protect you from harm, Tess. We're not letting anything happen to you. Not again."

Alec steps closer, his usually guarded expression softening. "You're ours, Tessa. We're family now. We take care of each other, no matter what comes. Max might have tried to tear you down, but he can't touch you now. We won't let him."

My throat tightens, the overwhelming sense of safety and love almost too much to bear. "I don't know what I'd do without you guys," I whisper, my voice cracking. "I'm scared."

"We know," Jace says, giving my hand a squeeze. "But you don't have to be scared anymore. We've got you. All of us."

Tears prick my eyes, but they're not just from fear—they're from relief, from knowing I'm not facing this alone. It's not just about Max or the past anymore. It's about the future, and knowing that no matter how uncertain it feels, these three men will always be by my side.

Devin smiles, despite the pain I know he's in. "We'll keep you and the babies safe, Tess. I promise."

"And we're not letting anyone—or anything—come between us," Alec adds.

Jace leans in, resting his forehead against mine. "We're yours, Tessa. Forever."

I close my eyes, letting their words sink in. For the first time in what feels like a long time, I believe it.

Just as I'm about to respond, the door to the hospital room swings open, and Dr. Shepard steps in, his familiar white coat catching the light. His face is calm, but the tension in the air shifts immediately.

"How's everyone feeling?" he asks, glancing at all of us, then back to me with a small smile. I try to smile back, but my nerves have already kicked in.

"We're doing okay," I say, my voice shaky as I lean up a little in bed. "Is there…is everything alright?"

Dr. Shepard's gaze softens, but then he glances down at his clipboard, flipping a page before looking back up at us. "I've got news about the babies," he says slowly, his voice careful.

The room goes completely still.

Jace straightens beside me, and I feel Alec's hand on my arm tighten just slightly. Devin shifts in his bed next to mine, his eyes sharp and focused, like he's bracing himself.

I swallow hard. "What kind of news?"