Chapter 120: Sofia
The morning light feels warm and gentle as they help me out of bed, each of them hovering like I might break at any moment. Nate keeps a steady hand on my waist, guiding me carefully down the hall, while Riley carries my bag like it’s some precious artifact. Danny’s ahead, glancing back every few steps, his usual smirk softened with something more serious. It feels surreal, almost like a dream, to have them all here, taking care of me like this.
When we get outside, the fresh air wakes me up a little more, lifting some of the fog from my mind. Danny pulls open the car door, grinning as he offers me a hand. I roll my eyes but take it anyway, settling into the backseat. Riley slips in beside me, his hand finding mine, while Nate takes the wheel and Danny hops into the passenger side.
As soon as I’m settled into the car, exhaustion creeps back over me like a heavy blanket. I lean against Riley’s shoulder, letting my eyes drift shut, feeling his hand lightly stroking mine. The car’s warmth, the soft murmur of their voices, and the gentle vibrations from the road lull me into a half-sleep.
I start to doze, feeling safe for the first time in days, but as we hit a turn, I catch a snippet of Nate and Danny’s low conversation up front.
“She’ll probably need more than just rest,” Nate murmurs, a hint of worry in his tone. “Maybe we should stock up on, you know, extra vitamins and… whatever else.”
Danny nods, but I catch his smirk in the rearview mirror. “Let’s just not make a big deal out of it, alright? She’ll figure us out in two seconds.”
Riley’s thumb traces gentle circles on the back of my hand, keeping me anchored to the moment as my mind flits between waking and sleep. I open my eyes just a little, catching his smile, a mix of relief and something deeper.
I squint up at him, drowsy but curious. “What are they whispering about?”
He laughs softly, brushing a strand of hair from my face. “Nothing you need to worry about, princess. They’re just being overly prepared, as usual.”
I can’t help but smile at his words, the ease in his voice. The feeling of them surrounding me, all this quiet fussing and protectiveness, makes me feel more whole than I have in days. I sink back into Riley, letting myself rest fully, a small smile tugging at my lips. Home is close, I can feel it.
They wake me gently, bringing me out of the soft haze of sleep and back into reality as we step into the house. I blink, my eyes adjusting to the familiar sight of home, and as I step inside, a thousand emotions hit me at once. Relief, exhaustion, disbelief—all swirling together in a chaotic mess.
And then I see them.
Leo and Cole are sitting on the couch, their faces tight with pain, torsos bare except for the bandages wrapped around their midsections, covering dark bruises and healing cuts. My breath catches, and for a second, I can’t move. Everything in me wants to rush to them, but I feel frozen, as if moving will break this fragile moment. Tears start to blur my vision as the full weight of the last few days comes crashing down.
I thought I’d never see them again. I thought I’d lost them.
Leo looks up, his gaze meeting mine, and in his eyes, I see the same mix of relief, pain, and something else—something that makes my heart break all over again. He opens his mouth, his voice coming out raw and broken. “I thought I’d never see you again, baby.”
The words sink deep, and a single tear slips down his cheek. Leo never cries. He’s the one who always stays steady, always strong. But here he is, as shattered as I am. The sight of it cracks something open inside me, and the tears start to fall freely, uncontrollably.
I stumble forward, choking out an apology. “I’m so sorry,” I whisper, my voice trembling, barely able to get the words out. “I… I thought I’d lost you. I thought I’d never—” My throat tightens, and I can’t finish.
Cole pushes himself up slowly, every movement marked with pain. He crosses the room in a few shaky steps, reaching me and pulling me close, his arms wrapping around me carefully, as if he’s afraid I might disappear. “You saved us,” he murmurs, his voice soft and filled with a deep, quiet gratitude. “If you hadn’t agreed to go with him… if you hadn’t bought us time, Lukan would’ve…”
His voice trails off, and his arms tighten around me, like he’s trying to anchor himself. I bury my face in his shoulder, clutching him, feeling the warmth of his skin under the bandages. “It was stupid, though,” he whispers, his voice thick. “We never… we never wanted you to put yourself in danger for us, Sof.”
Leo steps forward, his expression a mess of relief, pain, and frustration. He brushes his thumb over my cheek, wiping away my tears as his own continue to fall. “You could’ve been killed,” he says, his voice breaking. “You didn’t think of yourself. You didn’t think about what it’d do to us if we lost you.”
The guilt gnaws at me, and I shake my head, unable to form the right words. “I didn’t know what else to do,” I manage, my voice barely a whisper. “I couldn’t lose you. I couldn’t just stand there and watch…”
Leo’s hand trembles slightly as he cups my face, leaning in close, his eyes filled with all the emotions he’s kept hidden for days. “I never thought I’d get to see you again. Every second I thought… I thought that was it. That I’d lost you forever.”
I press my face into his shoulder, his arms wrapping around me as the sobs come, rough and jagged. Cole’s hand rests on my back, his touch gentle, grounding me as I cling to them both. I don’t care about the pain, don’t care about the tears—I’m home, and they’re here, and that’s all that matters.
“I missed you so much,” I whisper, the words tumbling out like a confession, filled with all the fear, all the love I’ve been holding back. “I missed you both so much.”
Leo’s voice trembles, breaking through my sobs. “We missed you too. More than you’ll ever know.” He stumbles over the words, his usual steady confidence shattered, and in that moment, I realize just how close we all came to losing each other.