I wake up as the dawn filters in from outside, Harper is fast asleep, her lips folded over against the pillow and her hand tucked under her chin.

"You are so beautiful" I whisper stroking her shoulder, not wanting to wake her just yet.

I stretch, allowing my hands to rise up into the air as I lean sideways and stretch out my neck. The last few days waking up with Harper had been such a breath of fresh air, as if the whole world had released from my shoulders, and I was free.

I reach for my phone and lift it up checking the messages.

One from Avery;

A-
Are you home now from mount Olympus. Did you survive your siblings? I'm home in MN. Teddy, I think I already found a home slice, we matched up on a dating app last week and she is, man I can't even describe her, but yeah, she's incredible. I will send a pic through. Please send me one so I know you are still alive x I miss you! (In an appropriate way) Avery.

I smile, and scroll down to the picture. It is Avery sat in a bar, her blonde hair is long and wavy and she is in full make up.  I wasn't used to seeing her in make up, she had on a trendy outfit and her taut waist was on display. The girl beside her is beautiful, dark hair, styled straight, golden brown skin, her style was very much like Avery, on trend and gorgeous. They made a cute couple, and the caption read "Amelia"

T-
Avery, I am quite alive, and no I'm not sending a picture. I'm quite nude. But I am alive, thriving, and content in Manchester, back with Harper and Wren. I will see you in a few months. Make sure you send me updates on Amelia, she looks wonderful and you deserve a little fun... hopefully a little love?! Ted x

The second message was from Demitra;

D-
I bet you are absolutely fucked sideways by now, but I just wanted to say, if you get any time tonight, please call me for a catch up. If I don't hear from you, I'm guessing you two are still at it like a pair of rabbits and I will wait for you to find time to call me back. P.s Thea told me your baby names, and you can have them Theodora... if you want them. Luckily neither was on my list x love you x D x

Thea was next;

T-
Do not come for me when Demitra reveals I told her your baby names.I know she will. I bet she has already! she's speedy on that phone. Luckily for you she is going with either Clio or Orion. Don't tell her I told you that, bet you will though. Ah well, I can survive the wrath of Demitra, she can't lunge at me now she's pregnant. Love you Teddy x T

I laugh a little. My sisters were ridiculous, nothing was ever a secret.

The last message was Calliope;

C-
Hi little menace, how are you and Harper? I bet the reunion was fun ;) I just wanted to invite you both to come down in early April before your camp starts, for Mommas birthday weekend. We were thinking of hiring out a weekend holiday let, for everyone to stay together. I know you are eye rolling me Theodora, but it won't be as awful as it sounds, and Momma will love it. I want Luke to meet you guys, again. He remembers you as a little kid. Please?! Let me know. I'm going to book it later, this obviously includes Willa and Allie too. Mary and Erica already said yes. Love you x C

I type back to Callie;

T-
Of course we will come, send me the details and I will book the tickets. We will probably be able to stay a week if Harper is on spring break, which would be perfect. I hope little peanut is behaving and not making you too sick Cal. I love you xx

Then Demitra;

T-
Demi I am far too busy boning my girlfriend to call, but thanks so much for letting me keep my baby name, how thoughtful of you ;) Thea told me yours... so... we are quite squared up now. ;) LOVE Clio and Orion... very nice 👍🏼 X T

And lastly Thea;

T-
Thea you are something, thanks ever so, for sharing my secret. I shan't tell you that Harper and I are now officially girlfriends, you know incase it got around to anyone within your vicinity with working ears. Love you x your little sister, Theodora the great ;)

I flick through my contacts to Willa and send her a message;

T-
Hey, I hope you and Allie are having a good time :) we miss you, sort of, do you know how to fix a table leg? And how I could get a stain out of your couch? ;) see you tomorrow:) T x

***
I place my phone down and roll over to Harper, placing a kiss on her arm, and admiring the red of her hair as the sun filters over her, making it appear, flame like. I sigh and slip out of sheets, padding out to the bathroom and stepping into the shower. The water runs the night before away. I soap up and shampoo my hair, imagining all the ways I would have loved to have woken Harper up this morning if I hadn't have needed to go for a run. I step out of the shower, turning the nozzle off, as I went. I dry off with a fluffy white towel and walk back down the hall. I peek into Wrens nursery, and she is stirring so I shut the door slowly, going into Harpers room where I had my bag. I pulled on a running bra and Lycra shorts and organised my hair into a ponytail. I clip on my running belt and attach my phone, placing headphones into my ears as I bend down and pull on socks and my running shoes. I pop back up and look back down to Harper still snoozing, down the hallway I find Wren in the same position, her and Harper both slept with their hands tucked up under their chins. I smile at the peace of them both and wonder down the stairs, straight out to stretch a little on the front yard. I start a slow paced run up the sidewalk, the morning dawn a beautiful sight ,as I pounded the pavements, five miles easy before heading back.

I walk through the front door to find Harper in her T shirt at the sink, washing up a bottle for Wren.

She turns and smiles as she hears the door shut "I wondered where you went, you could have left a message"

I walk over and kiss her lips, my hands sliding down her hips, feeling the flesh of her thighs.

Her hair was wet from a shower still. I leant down and inhaled her neck as she buckled a little at the contact. "Teddy" she chastises and she turns and looks to me appreciatively "so sweaty" she observes, eyebrows wiggling a little.

I let out a loud laugh that catches me by surprise"you stole my wiggle" I moan childishly with a grin.

She grabs my cheeks and kisses me hard, her hands running around my neck, her lips moving over mine and making me feel, way too turned on, for a simple open mouthed kiss. Luckily she broke away before I lifted her onto the kitchen counter and took her there and then.

"You stole my strap on virginity" she accuses.

I shake my head and laugh "and... I ... would ... do ... it ... again" I say purposefully teasing.

She growls at me, and goes back to washing up.

"Harper are you wearing underwear" I ask.

She turns a little, and smiles knowingly "nope... I just got out the shower and threw this on"

She knows exactly what she is doing to me as I look down to her toned thighs that stick out from the oversized T shirt. I didn't think I had even the slightest restraint, seeing them exposed, and knowing I want to be between them. I pick up the baby monitor beside her and look to check if Wren is awake... she isn't yet. I place the monitor back down and sweep Harpers hair aside, my hands unbuckling my running belt and tossing it aside with my phone.

I run my hands run down the sides of her as I gently kiss the nape of her neck, "mmm"she moans as my mouth discovers her flesh beside her pulse, and up to her ear.

I slide my hands down the back of her thighs, she turns herself, her foamy wet hands grabbing my bare waist and pulling me against her. Her mouth hungrily takes mine, her tongue pushing against my own, the brush of it sending heat down my torso. I rake my finger tips up her thighs, brushing the T shirt higher, our kiss intensifying, and the fight for dominance beginning.

She pushes her hand down my shorts, making me gasp with the confidence and determination to take me first, and she pushes me back into the counter. Her fingers slip down through my wetness and push inside of me, the kiss breaks and my mouth drops open with muffled sighs and moans.

She is unrelenting with her thrusts and her tongue swabs my neck making my knees go weak "oh god" I cry out as her body presses into me further.

My teeth graze across her shoulder as I pull down the corner of the material of her t shirt, the rush of an orgasm coming too quickly, because of how turned on I was by her taking charge.

I move up to her neck... two could play at this game. I kiss her intensely, sucking enough to draw a whimper, but not mark her skin, and I push her hand out of my shorts and lift her, her legs wrapping around my waist as I walk around the kitchen island and drop her down onto the counter. The cold marble top against her flesh, makes her squeak, and her hands take my shoulders as I lower between her legs and suck her clit, rolling my tongue over it and making her body lurch upward.

"Teddy" she begs breathily "mmm" she moans, as I run my tongue over her and inside of her.

Her thighs clamp down on my shoulders, but I urge them back open, pushing my tongue inside of her, gripping her rear and pulling her forward onto my mouth, devouring her, tasting her, leaving her completely at my mercy. She rolls her head back, mouth open, euphoric sighs and moans sipping from her lips as I added two fingers and took her, both inside and outside, the taste of her turning me on far too much as she came in my mouth, her thighs clamping around my cheeks, my fingers slowly slipping from her.

I stand up and she slumps against me, her forehead pressed to my chest. "Wow" she whispers "you just made me break a rule..."

I smile and kiss her forehead "it was worth it... I expect this breakfast bar has seen worse..."

Harper looks up and frowns "eew" she returns and she jumps down "now I need to take another shower" she muses looking down at the wet on her inner thighs that glistened on her flesh.

"Me too" I say with a grin "let's have one together and then we can wake up sleepy head for breakfast"

"Deal" she whispers reaching up and placing a kiss on my lips.

"Let me just wipe down the breakfast bar" I add with a laugh as Harper shakes her head at the rule breaking.

***
I walk back into the bedroom in my towel, Teddy is still in the shower. I check the monitor and Wren is finally stirring, the swimming must have knocked her out yesterday, she's never slept in past eight.

I grab my bra and a sweater and pull them on, slipping underwear up my legs and wriggling into some slim fitting jeans.

Teddy's phone lights up on the bed and I see Willa's name appear in a text, and then straight after that a text from Avery pops up. I squint as I read what's on the screen.

A-
Yes, no nudes please Nomikos... although I've worked you so much out of my system that I now can't even remember what you look like. Amelia has seen to that! Who the hell is Teddy Nomikos. Ha! See you soon! A x and P.P.S yes lots of loving happening thank-you for your concern ;)

I stand back up and try and calm my erratic heartbeat, my hands run through my damp hair. I take the phone and take it into the bathroom.

Teddy wraps her towel around her waist as I walk in "what's wrong?" She asks looking at the frown on my face and seeing the bubbling of confusion and pain coming to the surface.

"Why is Avery texting you about nudes" I ask.

She takes the phone and reads the screen before placing it back on the bathroom side "it was a joke Harper... just a joke"

I shake my head "okay it was a joke, but what about the bit after that... did something else happen when you went back? Why is she working you out of her system?" I ask.

I can't believe this. I have been so horribly jealous of Avery for months and months, and now I had to read that. It was basically everything that I feared in one message.

"Harper it's not like that" Teddy replies trying to take my arms.

I shirk her off "what is it like Teddy" I ask her, because this wasn't the end of this, she was dancing around the subject as only Teddy Nomikos can dance, a deadly weave, so quick the opposition never saw her coming and at this moment, that was me.

"Avery ... she .. there was a moment where we stopped talking .."

"Why" I ask sternly.

She runs her hand through her dark hair, stress evident on her face. "She liked me more than she realised, and she was upset"

"About what" I ask.

She shakes her head and looks back to my waiting eyes "Harper she was upset about us, because she saw how much I loved you, and it made her realise, that she liked me. But I moved apartments and we spent time apart, and when we got to the last few days we reconnected. She apologised, and said it was a silly crush. Honestly, we are fine now..."

"Teddy how am I meant to take all this, why didn't you tell me when it was happening" I ask.

She leans against the counter and takes a breath "Harper would you have had me call and tell you all this in Turkey, so you could stew on it and imagine the worst was happening" she asks.

She had no idea how I thought that constantly, anyway. I was so far from her when she was in Turkey, and she was with people that I knew liked her, or had slept with her. It was fucked up how that had made me feel, and even after ignoring it, it popped up in jealousy as I watched Teddy's games and her relationship with Avery grow.

The months after finding out about Teddy in Turkey with other people, they were painful. I batted thoughts away constantly at first, on returning, what had happened to us both was so horrific, and so violating. Teddy had done things she felt ashamed for and I felt ashamed for how those things happened, because of me, his obsession with me, and I was intent on not letting him win this one. I didn't want Ethan to change or distort my view of this girl I loved and adored, and so I didn't let it consume me, I place it all in a box and locked it away. The thing is, now that I looked at that text from Avery, it was clear my insecurities were not gone.

"Harper" Teddy says coming over and wrapping me against her body "please don't ignore me" she whispers kissing my forehead.

"This thing, with Avery, is nothing... she's over it and I was never in it. Harper it's only ever been you... please tell me you know that" she asks.

I nod against her chest as she runs her hand down the back of my hair.

"You are quite honestly it for me Harper. I don't ever want to be with another person ever again in my life. You are my one and I will make you feel that every damn day. I swear to god Harper you will never feel like you're second to anything. You and Wren come before everyone else, you come before basketball and money, and all that comes with that life. If you wanted me to walk away from it right now, and never work with Lane again, I would. I love you, I want you, I need you... and I need that to be forever"

"I need that too" I say looking up and meeting her worried gaze "but will I be enough for you" I ask feeling so unsure if I would be. Teddy had had such a different life to me. I was in the most part sheltered from the wild teenage years, and my first sexual experience had been basically  a sexual assault whilst I was intoxicated. I didn't know how I could meet Teddy's level of experience or what I could offer her, literally inexperience at this point, and that made me worry, perhaps unwarranted.

"Harper" Teddy says cupping my cheeks "you are more than enough"

"But I am so inexperienced compared to you" I ask.

She shakes her head slowly and unbelievingly "Harper I may have had more experience but I've never in my life made love with someone or felt half of the emotions that I feel when you make love to me. What went before was just actions, emotionless actions with people I didn't even care about, there was no connection and so sex was just an act. I quite literally feel like I only just lost my virginity, to you, last year when we were together for the first time, when we made love. Harper that means so much more, it was real and vulnerable and we connected body and mind, and that's much more sacred, much more important"

Teddy takes a breath and looks into my eyes "What we have is not the same as anything that went before it. I don't consider any of that to be previous experience, because I've never experienced what we have... this is all new territory for us both. We are going through this at exactly the same time... it's virgin territory, sacred ground, it's ours and nobody else will ever experience it, your love or mine, don't you think that's kind of magnificent?! That neither of us have ever been in love before each other, and yet we both fell so hard when we weren't even meant to?! When it was hardest too. Harper this is end game for me, you are my end game. The most incredible, beautiful, funny, sassy girl I've ever met in my life. You are the mother of my child, and the girl I want to have more with... to share life with... all of it" she adds.

I sigh and feel a tear prick my eyes "God Teddy... you know how to make a girl feel like a million dollars in three seconds flat... that was, god, that was exactly what I needed to hear... I love you so much it hurts"

She leans down and kisses my lips. I thread my hands around her neck and lean into it. Teddy was endgame for me too, which is why it made me so crazy to feel like I wouldn't be enough... but god, I was wrong wasn't I. Of course Teddy could make me feel a complete contradiction in only moments.

Theodora Nomikos always looked at me, drew me in and made me feel like the centre of her world... she always had. Even when we were friends, Teddy would make me feel so warm and loved from one gaze, one embrace.

Safe, I felt safe. Teddy was my one, and together we would be two, we would then have four, as our love multiplied and we became six. Five of us always feeling safe, content and loved in Theodora's arms. Our journey was only just beginning ... one year at a time.

***