When Family Became a Place I Couldn’t Return To novel Chapter 438

Brody let out a heavy sigh and went quiet, like he knew he’d just made things awkward for everyone. On the drive back, Teddy pushed the car to its limits, the engine humming beneath them. Jessie sat beside him, eaten up with guilt. If they hadn’t agreed to help look for that girl, maybe none of this would have happened. She couldn’t stop thinking about how badly she felt for Nelly and Brody.

Teddy must have sensed what was on her mind. He reached over and squeezed her shoulder, giving her a little bit of comfort in the dark. The road twisted along the edge of the cliff, night pressing in closer with every mile. Teddy looked exhausted, and soon his thoughts began to drift.

Strange images flickered in his head. He remembered Jessie, standing under a sky so blue it almost hurt to look at, her smile wide as she asked him his name. He glanced at the clouds, soft and bright in the distance, and the words just tumbled out. “My name is Casey.”

“I’m Jessie,” she said, her eyes shining.

The memory shifted. Suddenly, he was back at headquarters, in a room full of serious faces, all of them poring over a huge international case. The suspect’s identity was a huge deal, something that could affect the whole country. Teddy was one of the undercover agents, sent out to different universities to dig up information. But the next time he came back, his boss broke the news: every single undercover agent had been exposed. The only one who could keep following the target was him.

The scene changed again, and now he was in a tiny, cozy apartment, holding Jessie’s hand, not wanting to let go. “I might have to leave for a while,” he said softly. “Wait for me.”

Everything blurred after that. Hospital lights flashed. He was flat on his back, being resuscitated, family standing on the other side of a glass window, their faces drawn and worried. His grandfather kept sighing, repeating over and over to the man beside him how much he regretted sending Teddy into such a risky assignment. He promised if Teddy survived, he would keep him safe, let him live the life he deserved as a Phillips.

Teddy’s mind was still tangled in memories when Jessie’s terrified voice cut through everything. “Watch out!”

A massive boulder blocked the road ahead. Teddy slammed on the brakes, but they were going too fast. He jerked the wheel, but the car still smashed into the side.

When Teddy came to, he was lying in a small hospital room. Jessie was there, slumped over and gripping his hand, an IV taped to the back of it. His head throbbed. A nurse came in and gently changed his bandages, telling him it was just some scrapes and a cut on his forehead, nothing serious. Jessie woke up at the sound, and as soon as she saw Teddy’s eyes open, she rushed to ask if he was okay.

Teddy just stared at her, emotion making his eyes dark and stormy. His throat bobbed as he tried to speak, and when he finally did, his voice was rough. “I’m fine…”

They told him he’d managed to hit the brakes right before the crash. The car was totaled, but everyone inside was safe. Nelly had driven them all back. But Brody hadn’t been so lucky. He’d collapsed as soon as they got in, poisoned by snake venom, and ended up in intensive care. Thankfully, they said he’d pull through.

As Jessie explained this, Teddy couldn’t take his eyes off her. Jessie noticed and awkwardly touched her face. “Is there something on my face?” She’d only just dozed off and was suddenly self-conscious.

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