Tethered (Book Two of The Invisible String Series)

Begin Again

Y/N POV

"Are you sure you feel up to doing this? The school said to take as long as you need to."

Nodding, I clip my visitor's badge to the collar of my t-shirt before looking over at my girlfriend's worried face, reaching up to smooth at the crinkle between her eyebrows with my thumb. "I'm fine, Liz. I just want things to go on as normal as possible, and that starts with this. So stop worrying about me so much, you're gonna get wrinkles."

Lizzie lets out a sigh, pulling my hand away from her face, only to bring our now conjoined hands to rest against her chest. "I'm sorry. I know I'm being a little overbearing and protective. I just..."

I gently tug on our joined hands when she trails off, pulling the shorter woman in closer until I can wrap my free arm around her back, giving her a squeeze. "I know, my love. It's okay."

I let the two of us stand there for a few minutes, content to just hold my girlfriend in my arms. I'm well aware of the reason why Lizzie's been so over the top lately. You don't just get stabbed and almost die and not expect your girlfriend to be a little cautious afterwards. That's just all part of the package, but I had hoped that after getting the stitches removed yesterday and the official all clear from Dr. Greene to start doing things again, slowly, would help to alleviate some of Lizzie's worries. But it hadn't. If anything, she's hovered more the past two days than she did the whole first week after we came home from the hospital. Which is why I didn't protest when she said she was coming with me to the school, for my first lesson back with the kids.

After a few more seconds I pull away, checking the watch on my wrist and realizing we're a few minutes late. Oh well. "We should probably head to the music room, otherwise they're going to think I stood them up."

Hand in hand, Lizzie and I make our way towards the music room, only to be met by Evelyn as she exits her office.

"Oh, Y/N! Hello!"

"Hi, Evelyn. It's good to see you again."

The blonde nods, a little too enthusiastically. "Likewise. How are you?"

I shrug, feeling uncomfortable with the direction this mini conversation is healing. The last thing I want to do is discuss what happened, so I quickly wrack my brain to find something else to say that will keep me from doing just that. "I'm good. Also, I hope you don't mind that I brought my girlfriend with me today."

Evelyn glances over at Lizzie, almost as if she hadn't noticed the other woman's presence until just now as she extends her hand towards the brunette. "Oh! No, that's perfectly alright. It's so wonderful to meet you, Miss Olsen! I'm Evelyn, the school's music teacher."

Lizzie, much to my amusement, gives the blonde a tight smile before letting go of my hand to shake the woman's hand. "Thank you. You can call me Lizzie."

Jumping in, I reach up to grab a hold of Lizzie's elbow, gently tugging her towards the music room just a few doors down. "Well, we probably shouldn't leave the kids waiting. It was nice talking to you, Evelyn. Bye!"

We make it to my intended destination just as she calls out a farewell towards us. I hesitate just outside the classroom, making sure that Evelyn has disappeared back into her office before I smile down at my girlfriend, who's refusing to meet my eyes, a light blush on her cheeks. "Really, Liz?"

Lizzie shuffles before finally meeting my gaze. "Shut up."

Bending down, I place a quick kiss to her cheek before opening the door to the classroom and ushering her in. The chatter of the room dies down, until the only thing I hear is the sound of a chair scraping across the floor and footsteps coming rapidly towards me. I barely have time to look up or brace myself before a familiar figure enters my line of sight and collides with me. I grunt, the force of the teenager's hug knocking all the air from my lungs and jolting my still kind of sore body, but I don't comment on it. Instead I find myself laughing as I return the hug, giving the teenager a squeeze. "Hey, Liv."