Chapter 120 Maybe Healing Looked like this.

Chapter 120 Maybe Healing Looked like this.
Tyler's POV
The hospital was exactly where neither of us wanted to be. But unfortunately, life rarely cared about what we wanted.
I sat on the examination bed while a nurse carefully wrapped my shoulder into what felt like the world’s most uncomfortable sling. The fabric was stiff and too tight, and every time she adjusted it a dull ache pulsed through the joint. Apparently I hadn’t completely broken it so I was lucky.
Quin will not let me forget how stupid I had been throwing myself down like that but I don't regret it.
“You threw yourself and an entire chair into a wall.”
I looked at him. “ You didn't have a better idea though. And it was the fastest way to escape.”
“You were being reckless. What if he had
The nurse snorted under her breath. “You’re supposed to be on my side. I'm your patient.”
“I'm sorry but I don't support intentional self harm.”
Quin looked far too pleased by that answer. I glared at both of them but they ignored it.
Two hours later we were finally released. The fluorescent lights of the hospital hallway felt too bright after everything we’d been through. Jake drove us home personally. Mostly because he didn’t trust either of us. Especially me.
“I still can't believe you went alone.”
I groaned and leaned my head back against the seat. “We’re doing this again?”
“Yes.”
“I already admitted it was a bad idea. And I'm sorry.”
Jake’s hands tightened on the steering wheel. He almost drove into a curb. “You called that an apology?”
“I said the magic words, didn't I?”
Quin laughed quietly from beside me. Jake looked like he regretted saving us.
By the time we reached the mansion, exhaustion had settled deep into my bones. The last forty-eight hours felt like a nightmare that refused to end. The long driveway, the familiar gates, the sight of the house—I expected relief when we walked through the front doors. Instead, I just felt tired. Really tired and exhausted.
Cassie nearly tackled both of us the second we stepped inside. Her arms wrapped around us so tightly my injured shoulder protested. Then she started crying, from crying she started yelling. She went back and forth crying and yelling. The emotional whiplash was impressive.
“You idiots! What if you didn't make It."
“We're sorry.”
“I was so worried! Did you know what it felt like to get a call that my best friend was missing again"
We kept on apologising, especially me. Quin wasn't a big fan of the whole apologising thing but he made an effort.
She pointed at us dramatically, eyes red. “I hate both of you.” Then she hugged us again, softer this time. Quin looked helpless. I couldn't help but laugh.
Jake eventually forced everyone to calm down. The police had Luca and Security had taken over the investigation. For the first time since everything started, there was nothing for us to do. Quin kept cursing every now and then,wishing Jake had been five minutes late. He wished he had killed Lucas himself, even though I kinda tried to stop him.
The moment we entered our bedroom, I collapsed face-first onto the mattress ignoring the nurses order to be careful with my hand. The soft sheets and familiar scent of our room wrapped around me like a blanket. A second later Quin collapsed beside me and we lay in a comfortable silence.
Eventually I turned my head. Quin was staring at the ceiling, one arm thrown over his forehead.
“You okay?”
He answered a few seconds later. “No.”
The honesty surprised me. Then again, maybe it shouldn’t have. The past few days have been hell. I reached across the bed and grabbed his hand. His fingers immediately tightened around mine.
“I’m sorry.”
His head turned. “What?”
“I’m sorry you got dragged into another disaster because of me.”
Quin looked genuinely offended. “Tyler.”
“I’m serious.”
“How is any of this your fault for heaven sake"
"It's partly my fault. My mother had a hand in it."
Quin looked slightly pissed“ Stop trying to take responsibility for things that aren’t your fault. The only person responsible for Lucas is Lucas. Not you. And if anyone was to take the blame it would be me, because I was the one involved with him.” His thumb brushed across my knuckles, slow and grounding. I nodded as I already lost the argument.
The woman I called my mother tried her best to make me miserable, fortunately for her, she left this planet and I get to stay and be happy with the man I love.
After a few minutes of thinking sleep finally took over.
Three days later I was starting to lose my mind. Recovery was boring, Painfully boring. I was confined to the house. My shoulder still hurt with every wrong movement although Quin refused to let me lift anything heavier than a coffee mug.
I was in the middle of complaining about this when Quin appeared in the doorway while putting on a nice shirt, blue jeans and obviously expensive watch. I narrowed my eyes.
“You’re going somewhere without me.”
His lips twitched. “Maybe.”
“At this point I'll actually run mad”
“Get dressed. We're leaving in ten."
I sat upright, ignoring the pain but I immediately regretted it. That wasn’t important. “Where are we going?”
His smile widened. “My parent's.”
I groaned loudly, but I was happy we get to leave the house. Being stuck inside one place was starting to make me itch all over.
Thirty minutes later we were driving toward the McKenzie estate. I wasn’t nervous. Okay, that was a lie. I was absolutely nervous. Quin’s parents loved me, that much I've gathered. But sometimes I still feel like I need to work harder to prove something I don't even understand to his father. Visiting them felt different now. Because now I wasn’t Quin’s fake husband or accidental husband turned contractual husband. Now I was his fiancé. The realization made my stomach flip.
Quin noticed immediately. “You look sick.”
“i am sick." I said pointing at my shoulder.
He stretched his hand and held mine. My nerves came down immediately.
The mansion came into view twenty minutes later. The front door opened before we even reached it. His mother appeared first then his father with about three staff members. Then what looked like half the household. I stopped walking.
“Why are there so many people?”
Quin sighed. “Because my mother heard we were coming.”
That explained everything. His mother reached us first. She pulled Quin into a tight hug, then immediately inspected his face. And every visible part of him.
“You've lost weight.”
“Mom, I'm fine."
Then she turned toward me. I didn’t even get time to react. Suddenly I was trapped in a hug. A very aggressive hug that smelled like expensive perfume and home-cooked food.
“You look terrible.”
I blinked. “Thank you.”
“You’re welcome honey.”
Quin laughed behind me. His father approached a moment later. Unlike his wife, he maintained some dignity, at least for five seconds. Then he pulled me into a brief, firm hug too. I looked at Quin. He looked just as surprised as I felt.
We were immediately dragged inside. Lunch appeared and torns and torns of food appeared. I was beginning to suspect rich people solved emotional distress through excessive feeding. By the third dessert, I was certain.
“You need to eat.” His mother placed another pastry in front of me. I stared at it. Then at Quin. “Help me.”
“No.”
“You don’t love me anymore.”
“I absolutely do. I love you the most in the world”
“Then save me just this once.”
His mother ignored us both. “You’ve gotten thinner. People would think my son isn't feeding you well”
The rest of the afternoon passed peacefully. At one point Quin and his father disappeared into the study, leaving me alone with his mother. A terrifying experience. She poured tea with steady hands, then looked at me like she was about to cry. I immediately got nervous.
Then she smiled softly. “Thank you.”
“For what?” I was confused.
“For loving my son.”
The answer caught me completely off guard. For a moment I didn’t know what to say. She looked toward the study door, her expression gentle. “You make him happy.”
Something tightened inside my chest. “He makes me happy too.”
“I know.” Her smile grew. “I can see it.”
For a second neither of us spoke. Then she laughed softly. “You know, he used to be impossible.”
I smiled. “Used to be?”
She laughed harder. “ Ok fine, he still is but he's a lot better than before and it's all because of you.”
We talked for a while and she asked me about a lot of things including my ambitions and dreams.
By evening we were sitting outside in the estate garden. Just me and Quin. The sunset painted everything gold—the grass, the trees, the distant fountain. For the first time in what felt like forever… Everything was peaceful and calm.
I rested my head carefully against his shoulder. The injured one was mine, not his thankfully. His arm wrapped around me, solid and warm. I love how he makes me feel safe.
“I needed this.”
“So did I.” he answered quietly.
I looked at him. His eyes were on the sunset. I intertwined our fingers and he immediately squeezed my hand.
“We survived yet another one.”
His laugh was soft. “I’d rather stop collecting psychopaths.”
“Same.” A pause. Then—“If another ex kidnaps us…”
Quin groaned. “please no.”
“I’m serious. I’m making a spreadsheet.”
He looked horrified. “A spreadsheet?”
“Yes. I need names and weaknesses and everything I can on them.”
He laughed, making me smile.
And as I sat there watching the sunset with my fiancé beside me, I realized something. Maybe healing wasn’t dramatic or some grand moment where everything suddenly became okay. Maybe healing looked like this. Holding hands, making stupid jokes, watching the sun go down and remembering that despite everything the world had thrown at us…
We were still here together. That was all that mattered anyways.
Billie would be so proud of her little brother. I miss her too.