I woke slowly, like surfacing from underwater. Everything felt heavy—my body, my breath, even the air around me. For a moment, I didn’t know where I was. The lights above me were soft, sterile. Monitors beeped steadily nearby. Then I shifted slightly and felt something warm and small pressed against my side. I turned my head with effort. A little body was curled next to me under the blanket, tiny curls splayed across my hospital gown. Liberty. She was fast asleep, her cheek resting gently against my arm like she belonged there.
My throat tightened. I didn’t remember falling asleep. Didn’t even remember getting here. But I remembered her. Standing in that ring like a lion cub, her arms stretched wide, fearless. I’d never seen anything so brave in my life. A soft hum came from the chair beside the bed. Cody sat slouched to one side, his hat pulled low over his eyes, arms crossed like he’d meant to stay awake but lost the battle. His face was bruised, his bottom lip slightly split. He looked exhausted.
Liberty stirred, then blinked up at me. Her face lit up instantly. “Auntie Angel!” she whispered, like shouting might break something. Before I could say a word, she wrapped her little arms around me with surprising strength for someone her size. I let out a soft, shaky laugh and gently hugged her back.
“Hey, Libs,” I said hoarsely. My voice cracked, but she didn’t seem to notice. “You okay, kiddo?”
She nodded against my shoulder. “I’m okay. 'Cause of you.” Her voice was so matter-of-fact, like there’d never been any doubt in her mind. “You protected me.”
I closed my eyes for a second, swallowing hard. Cody stirred. He looked up, blinked a few times—then saw me. Relief washed over his face instantly, and he sat up straighter. “Well, well. Sleeping Beauty finally decided to wake up.”
I laughed softly, my ribs protesting the motion. “Takes one to know one, Rhodes. You snore.”
“I don’t snore,” he said, feigning indignation. “That’s slander.”
“Sure, and I’m the next Undisputed Champion.”
“You just might be,” he muttered, grinning. “With the way you fought out there? Hell, I’ve never seen anything like it. You scared me half to death, Angel.”
I let out a breath and nodded, the smile slowly slipping from my face. “I scared myself.”
His brow furrowed, and I avoided his gaze for a second, staring down at the small arms still wrapped around me. I brushed one of Liberty’s curls back with gentle fingers. “I—I’m sorry,” I said quietly. “For the way I acted. For pushing you away. After what happened with my father, I let the darkness take over. I thought it was the only way to survive him. I didn’t think I deserved anything else.”
Tears stung my eyes before I could stop them. My voice cracked. “But then Liberty stepped in. Like this tiny, glowing light in the middle of all that ugliness. And you… you never gave up on me. If it wasn’t for the two of you, I think I would’ve lost myself for good.”
Before Cody could answer, Liberty wiggled back so she could look at me face-to-face. Her little brows were drawn together seriously, the way only a child could manage. “We’re not mad at you,” she said firmly. “You’re family. And family sticks together no matter what.”
My heart shattered in the best way. I couldn’t stop the tears now, so I just pulled her back into my arms and held her tight, my chin resting on her soft hair. “You’re wise beyond your years, you know that?” I whispered.
Cody smiled, pride glowing on his face. “She gets it from me.”
I looked over at him, eyes blurry, but I smiled anyway. He leaned forward in the chair, his voice softer now. “Angel… you did the same for me. Back when I thought I couldn’t get through it. You were there to drag me out of the darkness too. I never forgot that. And I never will.”
He paused, eyes locking with mine.
“So if it ever comes for you again, I’ll be there. Always. I’ll pull you back. I promise.”
I couldn’t speak. I didn’t need to. I just nodded, squeezing Liberty again, and reached out my other hand toward Cody. He took it without hesitation, holding on like he always had—steady, grounding, real. We stayed like that in silence, just the three of us, our scars and fears tucked away for a while. Because at that moment, none of it mattered. We were together. We were family, not by blood but by choice.
ns216.73.217.69da2
and then Add to home screen.