TEDDY

ALICIA

Great. It had all been a dream - albeit the best dream she’d ever had.

She checked the time on her phone; it was six thirty. She had to be home in time to see Tobey before he left for school.

How could she have even spent the night at her restaurant? She was angry and exhausted, and had apparently gotten so drunk that she just passed out right there in the room.

This was not the kind of mother she wanted to be for Tobey. His father was already a scoundrel.

She began to gather her things and was putting on her heels when she noticed the small piece of paper on the table. She picked it up and froze when she saw the number on it.

Who left the paper here if she was the only one in the room? And if she hadn’t been alone, then she hadn’t been dreaming.

A wave of dizziness washed over her. She felt the strong urge to puke. Who was the man she was with? She’d seen Theodore’s face on him. She’d touched him, held him, kissed him, and it hadn’t all been a dream.

It couldn’t have been Theodore. Though at the thought of him, her heart skipped a beat and took a while to steady.

She hadn’t seen him in seven years. If her brain had started to paste his face everywhere, it was because she had never been able to get him out of her head, no matter how hard she tried.

Every single day, she thought of him, and every day she had to force herself to remember that it could never be.

Even though her heart had belonged to him, her duty belonged elsewhere.

(flashback)

“It’s getting late, princess,” Teddy said in a tender voice. “You should go in now before your parents start to worry.”

“They won’t notice. They care about my siblings more, anyway.” She replied, her tone sensual, looking up at him as she rested her chin on his chest.

Teddy chuckled - a sound that always made her feel warm inside.

“The day you think they wouldn’t notice is the day they will.”

“Fine.” She drawled, pushing herself off him.

In one swift motion, he brought her back on him, capturing her lips in a sweet kiss.

“Will I see you tomorrow?” he asked. He always did.

“If I recover from that kiss, maybe.”

He laughed again, then took her hand, walking her to his limit on the Rutherford property.

When he stopped, she took two more steps and then turned to him.

“I love you, Teddy.” She whispered, like a gentle secret delivered to the wind. She felt it more than she thought the words could ever convey. Unfortunately, she had to cram all her feelings into those three restricting words.

“I love you more than I could ever say,” Teddy said in an equally soft tone, like the words were too sacred, yet not sacred enough.

A few more seconds of unspoken emotion passed between them before she finally turned and left.

Passing through the gates, she already felt something was off. By the time she stepped into the mansion, the air was thick with tension.

She’d barely made it three steps in when her father’s voice stopped her. He called from the drawing room, west of the mansion, on the ground floor. The whole was so big for only five people that their voices echoed everywhere.

“Yes, Dad.” She went cautiously, already preparing a believable tale.

But when she got there, the rest of the family stood around, all eyes staring her down. She soon realized it would take more than a well-cooked lie to get her out of whatever she had just walked into.

“Mrs Arabeth informed me that her daughter, Lacey, saw you frolicking with that boy around the local park.. again.” Her father began, his voice cold as ice.

He was seated on his leather chair, while the rest of the family stood about him. Her mother stood close on his left, while her sister and brother stayed on her right.

She was the middle child; Liam was before her, and Willow was after her. But she was right. Her parents gave her just as much attention as they gave a housefly. Liam was their only son and his father’s pride. Willow was her mother’s handbag. And Alicia was the forgotten package on the front porch.

Nonetheless, it was just like Teddy had said. The day she thought they wouldn’t notice her disappearance was the day they not only noticed, but it also became a cause for a family meeting.

“I thought I told you to stay away from him.”

“Dad, I--”

“You never listen!” Her mother hissed, scowling at her. “You’re 20 years old. You’re not a child. Yet, 17-year-old Willow has more sense than you.”

The words struck her like a knife to the heart, but she’d mastered the art of swallowing pain. Both physical and emotional.

Willow herself looked at her sister with disgust, and Liam wore a mask of apathy, slightly tainted with disappointment.

“Dad, Mom, please. I’m sorry. But I love Teddy, and he doesn’t cause any harm.” She pleaded.

“No harm?!” Her father sat up. “You, a Rutherford, seen running around with a homeless vagabond, and it causes no harm?”

“He’s not a vagabond!” She cried.

Immediately, pain sliced across her face, and she fell to the ground.

Her mother stood over her. “Don’t you dare raise your voice, you spoiled brat.” She spat.

Then, turning away, she continued. “Liam is so perfect and responsible. Willow is so proper and endearing. Where did I go wrong? Someone tell me!” Her mother cried, feigning emotion.

Willow took her into her arms, petting her as she stared daggers at Alicia on the floor.

“It doesn’t matter what you say or do now, anyway.” Her father began again, the ice sitting well in his tone. “I’ve arranged for you to marry Levi Connard. He is the first son of my new associate, and this agreement signifies a merging of our empires.”

She thought it was a joke and began to laugh, first under her breath, then it came out in a soft chuckle.

“Marry a stranger? Really?”

“Is something funny?” Liam asked, his voice somehow colder than his father’s.

She looked up at her brother. “Liam, that’s insane.”

“That’s final.” Her father responded instead. “In two weeks. And you will not leave this house till then.”

“Dad, you can’t do this.”

Her mother turned to her, “Pathetic girl. Your father can do whatever he wants. If you weren’t too busy soiling the family name, you would have noticed that this merger is the only thing between us and bankruptcy. We’re lucky Dr. Connard suggested this.”

“This is not a negotiation. Prepare to leave this mansion. In fifteen days, you’ll be a Connard.” Her father said harshly. Then he added, “Two wins for the family - regained security, and getting rid of you.”

At that, her sister chuckled while her brother shook his head.

As for Alicia, she was dying where she sat. This wasn’t happening to her. Tears began to stream down her face. She gathered her legs in her arms, breaking within. She didn’t even know when his name made it past her lips.

“Teddy.”

“Ugh.” Her mother reacted. “Please never say that name again.”

With that, everyone walked out, leaving her to her misery.

(flashback ends)

“Teddy.” She whispered again into the empty room.

The same tears revisited her eyes along with the memory of the last time she saw him.

She looked at the paper again; the number had to belong to someone.

Pressing her knees together in her arms, she let her tears flow some more.

“What the hell have I done?”