The Boxer And His Sparrow

Chapter One.

Tessa’s POV.

The strong smell of antiseptic and the steady beep of a heart monitor was all I could focus on as I helped one of the nurses stitch up a patient that had just been rushed into the ER bay a few minutes ago.

I paused for a second and blinked hard in an attempt to clear the lightheadedness that was beginning to take hold of me.

“You should get some rest after this Tess, I mean it.” The head nurse stern voice cut through the silence of the room and I glanced up to find her glaring right at me.

She was right, I’ve been working countless shifts for the past two weeks. I didn’t have to but I did, because being immersed in work was the only thing that could take my mind off my predicament.

Suddenly, the door burst open and a nurse rushed in,

“Tess. Your phone.”

“I’m with a patient,” I said, not looking up.

“It’s your brother. He’s called the main line twice. He says it’s an emergency.”

The words emergency and my brother in the same sentence sent a jolt through me. My hands stilled but the head nurse immediately stepped in and snatched the needle away from me.

“Go!”

That was all I needed to hear before I ripped off my gloves and practically ran to the break room, my heart hammering against my ribs.

Four missed calls. I tried to calm my racing heart as I fumbled around with my phone and instantly hit the call back sign.

He answered on the first ring and the voice that came from the other end wasn’t my brother’s usual confident baritone.

It was raw and trembling lightly as if he was scared and fear was something I never knew my brother, Kian Aldren, was capable of.

“Tess… it’s Dad.” Those two words hit me harder than anything else ever had. I collapsed against the wall and couldn’t stop myself from sliding down to the cold, linoleum floor.

“He’s out of surgery now but w-we almost lost him. He needs you Tess, you need to come home.” His voice was clipped, all business, but I could hear the slight tremor he was struggling to control.

My palm flew up to press hard against my mouth as tears pricked at the corners of my eyes, my throat stung so bad as I struggled to stifle my sobs.

“Everything has been handled, your flight leaves in three hours. Kade would be waiting for you at arrivals. Just… get here.”

The line went dead.

I stood there, the phone still pressed to my ear. Of course it was handled, the Aldren family always handled things. They handled problems, rivals and four years ago, Kian had handled me- packing me off to a prestigious nursing program on the other side of the world, far away from them and everything I had ever known.

They trapped me in a profession I didn’t even want.

I still hated them for it, still felt the bitter taste of my hatred fill my mouth as I sat there but this was Dad. I had to go to him.

Mom would have wanted me to.

Without a word, I left the hospital. Dad owned the entire building so no one would dare challenge me for it. I went straight to my apartment, showered, threw some clothes into a bag and headed to the airport.

The ride down there; the flight up until we touched down was all a blur.

Just like Kian had said, Kade, my father’s most trusted bodyguard, was standing outside the airport beside a black sleek car. Without a word, he took my bag and opened the car door for me.

We drove straight to the hospital, the once familiar yet unfamiliar city of Veridia stretching before me as the sun dipped into the ocean that surrounded it.

The room was too quiet, the air too still, the man I had always known to be very strong and imposing looked so small on that bed, swallowed by tubes and wires.

A sob caught in my throat as my body trembled lightly. The memories of Mom in this same situation four years ago flooded my mind as a sharp, searing pain shot across my chest.

No! I cannot lose him too.

Hot tears pooled at the bottom of my eyes as I rushed over to his side and took his limp hand in mine.

His eyes fluttered open, they were drowsy and clearly fatigued but the will in them was still there. Still controlling.

“Tess,” he breathed with so much difficulty, “you’re here.”

“I’m here Dad. I’m here.” I whispered as I planted a kiss on the back of his hand and wiped my tears with my other hand.

He squeezed my hand weakly, his chest rising and falling like it was going to be his last. That was when it hit me; the reality that we could actually lose him too.

No! Please God No! I wasn’t ready for that.

“Tess… I don’t think I’ll make it out of here.”

“Don’t say that Dad,” I snapped, holding on tightly to him as if he was going to suddenly slip away from me, “you’re getting discharged soon, I’ll speak to the doctor and make sure they do everything possible to make you feel better.”

I could no longer fight back the tears, it was now sliding down my cheeks and dropping onto his hairy arm.

He smiled, a lifeless smile that made my heart ache,

“I want to see you get married Tess, I want you to be happy. You don’t deserve a life here in Veridia. I had Kian look up some potential suitors, he’ll be taking you to them tomorrow. One of them will be your husband.”

What?!

Those words landed like a slap. I’d just arrived and he was already planning to send me far away again? Planning my future without asking me what I wanted?

“Kian, see to it. Make sure your sister finds the perfect match.” He turned his head slightly and that was when I noticed Kian standing by the door, rigid and cold like always.

He didn’t even blink, didn’t even acknowledge my presence, he simply gave a single, sharp nod,

“I’ve already started looking into it dad, don’t worry about it. I’ll handle it.”

Handle it?! As if I was merely a business merger to be arranged.

How could they be so cruel? Even after all these years, they were still doing everything in their power to push me away, like I was some fragile thing they needed to be kept away from the mess.

“I-I… won’t….” I stuttered.

I dared myself to scream, to refuse. To tell him I didn’t want any of this, for once in my life, I wanted to have a say in my own life but seeing him like that, holding onto life so desperately clawed at my conscience.

My words died in my throat.

“Mom.” I sobbed softly. I wish she had never left us alone like this, broken and unable to piece together as a family again.

“Let’s go.” Kian’s firm hands came down gently on my shoulder as he pulled me away from Dad who had drifted back to sleep.

The ride home was silent, I stared out the window, lost in thought and tempted to push open the door and just run. Run as far away as my legs could carry me.

But just like all those years ago, I was trapped.

“Rhy’s throwing a party tonight, I have to be there and I can’t leave you alone at the house. Roseline got you a dress already, get dressed and meet me down here in ten minutes.” Kian commanded as he pulled up in front of the family mansion.

That name was a trigger.

Rhys Alistair. My childhood crush and the only man I had ever loved.

We were close, at least before I left and he never saw me as anyone other than "Kian's little sister" while he chased every other woman in Veridia.

At that moment, something snapped inside of me. If I was going to be sent away again, then I would have one night for myself. One night to stop being invisible.

I was going to that party. And I was going to make Rhys Alistair finally see me.