The Edge of Everything

Chapter Twenty Four

I checked Cassian and he was still sleeping. So I pushed myself out of the bed and walked into the living room. The house was quiet, Rey was sound asleep in her bed. Rhysand's jacket was draped over the back of the couch. I sighed as I stood by the table looking at the normal surroundings of our home.

A dark laugh came from the couch. I picked my head up and saw Tomas sitting there. My body went still, what was he doing here? In our house?

"You thought you got rid of me," his voice was deeper, he played with his hands, "but you'll never get rid of me. I'm in your blood."

My heart pounded as he stood up and faced me. He was holding that damn gun again, scratching his head with it. My hands were shaking, I couldn't scream. I couldn't wake my family. I swallowed the fear and let out a breath. I felt someone come up behind me and then there was a flash of light.

A shot rang out, Cassian fell to the ground. There was blood everywhere, he wasn't breathing. Tomas stood holding the gun, laughing as the man I loved died. Laughing as Rey started to cry, my hands were shaking as I reached for her. But I was too late. Another shot rang out, a bullet for me.

I sat up in the bed panting, pushing my hair out of my face. The room was still dark, I was still curled up beside Cassian. He was asleep on his back, his chest rising and falling slowly. My heart started to slow down as I realized it had all been a dream. I laid back down, only to turn over to find Rey asleep beside me.

Her hair was sprawled around mine and her cheeks were flushed from heat. I ran my hand down her cheek and she twitched under my touch. She burrowed into the blankets, her little hands pulling on the pillow. She was adorable when she was asleep. I could see her, the baby I had once held, lying there beside me.

I missed the baby she had been. The little girl that fit into my arms perfectly. I missed her crying at all hours and only settling for me or my best friend. I missed her smell, she always smelled so fresh when she was a baby. Now she was always dirty, always covered in paint or dirt. But she was growing up, she was becoming her own person. And I loved watching that more than anything else in the world.

I pressed a kiss to her temple before Cassian shook slightly beside me. Then he gasped, reaching for my hand. I turned back to face him, "you okay?"

His eyes opened slowly and I knew he had a nightmare too, "yeah," he whispered placing my hand over his heart, "I just. Felt you wake up."

"Bad dream," I whispered pulling myself closer to him. I kissed his shoulder and let his scent wrap around me, "Rey must have had one too. Her feet feel like ice pressed against my legs."

Cassian laughed quietly, "like mother like daughter. When you were pregnant you used to burrow your feet under my legs to warm them up. They were always freezing."

I smiled slightly as he looked at me, "I love you Cassian."

"I love you too sweetheart," he kissed my forehead.

"I'm sorry I broke down. I just. We were so close to losing you," he pressed his thumb over my lips, stopping the words before they fell out of my mouth.

"You will never lose me. I promise you this," he whispered softly before kissed me. I closed my eyes as we both laid back down. I fell asleep in his arms, Rey's feet pressed against my thigh. Our little family was whole once more.

——

It took Cassian a full weak to be able to wander around the house without one of us helping him. He was slow at first, but after a few days he would get up and wander, annoying Feyre mostly. He would watch her paint, watch her cook. Rhysand told him he wasn't allowed back at work until the doctors cleared him for everything. So he was stuck at our house, because I refused to let him go home.

Not that he wanted to go home, but he did talk about starting to move my things to his place. I told him we would cross that bridge once he was completely better.

So he wandered and watched movies with Rey. She was in heaven having her favorite person at home with her for all hours of the day. Sure he slept a lot, because he was still on his pain medicine. But she was just happy to curl up with him and watch Tangled and Frozen and other movies she loved.

I had to testify at Tomas's hearing. Since Cassian was injured and barely remembered the events that led up to the shooting, I was the one the court asked to speak on behalf of him. So I dressed up and held my hand on a bible. I told the truth and I put the man who hurt my family behind bars. I didn't stay to hear his sentencing. I didn't stay to hear how long he would be away from me.

I left as soon as I could. I left and never looked back. Because I was done with Tomas and everyone else associated with him. Rey was my daughter and one day soon she would be Cassian's official daughter. Because blood does not make a family whole. Love does.

Feyre started to talk about the wedding, Mor was more than excited to take me dress shopping. We spent all the yesterday wandering around and looking at places where we could hold the small ceremony. In the end I told them I just wanted it to be the seven of us standing in the field where Cassian and I had finally find each other.

Mor almost cried when I explained everything I wanted. She said it was perfect and set out to get everything we would need today. I didn't have the heart to tell her that I wasn't sure if we should get the field ready yet. Sure I would love for the wedding to be this summer, the end of the perfect summer when I had Rey and my best friend.

But I wasn't sure if I wanted the wedding to happen as soon as everyone else. Because Cassian wasn't completely healed. He was still waiting for the pain to leave him. I didn't want him to stand in front of our friends and not be the man we all knew and loved. I didn't want to be selfish, to ask him for my wedding right after he took a bullet for me.
I sighed as I got home from the cafe, I had called off one too many shifts and I knew I had to go in today. So I went in early and that mean I was done by the evening and found Cassian having a tea party with Rey in the living room. I smiled as he held his pinkie up high and looked at me. He even had a big white floppy hat tilted on his head.

"Aw my girls are so pretty," I kissed the top of Rey's head as I passed her by.

Cassian glared at me as he set his cup down, "how was work?"

I sighed, "long. I missed you both," I sat down on the couch and he followed me. He kissed my cheek and I leaned into his side. Rey kept playing with her stuffed animals and I closed my eyes, "I wanted to talk to you."

"Yeah? About what?" He kept his voice low, "did I mention the doctor told me elevated heart rates are okay now?"

I laughed and shook my head. I pulled away and looked at him, "yes. You told me last night and this morning," I took his hands between mine and ran my thumb across the back of his hand, "yesterday Mor and I went dress shopping. And I might have found the perfect dress."

He nodded his head slowly, "yeah? That's great, you should've told me yesterday."

I blushed, "but I didn't buy it. Because I needed to talk to you first. About us, about the wedding."

Cassian leaned forward, "you know that proposal was a sealed deal before Tomas came waving a gun at us right?" he ran his thumb across my ring again. I smiled at him, "so all I'm waiting for is for you to pick a date and tell me when and where. Because I want to marry you, I want to spend the rest of my life with you Nesta Acheron. Not even a bullet can change that."

Tears filled my eyes and I wasn't even sure why I thought he would've changed his mind. Because he had been so sure, so certain of what he wanted every since we started dating. I smiled and leaned in, kissing him. I wrapped my arms around his neck and he pulled me onto his lap.

I pulled back, "I cannot wait to be Mrs. Cassian Moten."

He kissed me again, "you better go buy that dress Nesta. Because this is it, this is what happiness finally feels like."

I knew he was right. There was nothing that would ever feel as amazing as this moment, at home in my soon to be husband's arms.