Chapter 15
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Andrew
“Anyone using this stall?” An employee calls out as they try the handle.
I clear my throat to respond. “Yes, almost done. Thanks.” The footsteps move away, and I let Tessa down.
I had opened my mouth to spill it all. That I remembered her; the castle, the photos, her father, every moment we shared that had been knocked out of my head was back.
I wanted to tell her that even though memories had failed me, she was still etched into my soul like carvings in an old tree. I wanted her to know that I forgive her for leaving, that I know how scared she must have been, traumatized by the hell she walked through when I wasn’t there to protect her.
What I needed to say was, that try as I might, I still loved her, and would never stop loving her.
But when I opened my mouth to speak, those beautiful blue eyes filled with fear. She’s not ready to hear it, so I’ll give her time. I can be patient.
I won’t let her slip through my fingers. Not this time.
“Can’t let those assholes win, give me that shirt.” I smile reassuringly, wanting her to relax and still have a good time today. I just have to keep it light, keep it fun.
Her eyes flicker with uncertainty, but she hands over the shirt. I pull it on and shake my head when I look down. The hot pink shirt has a silver unicorn and the words “I’m magical” scrawled in cursive underneath.
“We aren’t done yet, cowboy,” she sniggers, setting a tiara on my head and clipping plastic flowers on my earlobes. With a satisfied nod, she raises the camera and snaps a picture of me before I have time to protest.
I eyeball the photo as she waves it back and forth. “We are burning that picture,” I warn, but she ignores me. With one last look at my new outfit, Tessa smothers a giggle with the back of her hand, blue eyes twinkling once more.
When she gives me the all clear, I change back into my shirt and stride out of the stall. We sneak out of the fitting room area and power walk out of the shop, only stopping to laugh once we’ve passed two more stores.
“Okay, Blackwell, what’s next on the list?” she asks breathlessly.
We spend the next few hours jumping from shop to shop until our pockets are full of Polaroid pictures. With fifteen minutes left on the clock, we head to the food court to meet Chase and my sister.
Just as we pass a fountain, Tessa stops abruptly and turns to face me, eyes full of suspicion. “You tricked me.”
“How so?” I ask with feigned innocence.
“This was supposed to be a double date, and it’s just been me and you this whole fucking time.” Her forehead creases as she scowls.
I smirk. “To be fair, I never agreed to a double date in the first place.”
“Ugh.” She rolls her eyes and turns to walk away, but I catch her hand and spin her right back. Pulling her closer, I rest a hand on the small of her back and look down at her quizzical expression. I tuck a wild strand of hair behind her ear, letting my fingers trail across her soft skin.
This afternoon has been perfect. This date, just the two of us, talking and laughing like we did when we were kids was nothing less than perfect. Our sordid past melted into the background and we allowed ourselves to enjoy the time together.
Once we are back with the others, reality will set in. She will slam up her mental walls, and my anger will find a way to seep back in.
As I hold her in the middle of the crowded mall, I pull a quarter out of my pocket and flip it into the fountain. Closing my eyes, I make a wish that time will stop and let me have this moment for as long as possible.
I wish for us to get the chance to rebuild our broken castle.
Reopening my eyes, I watch a tear roll down her cheek. Rising up on the balls of her feet, she kisses my cheek and rests her head against my chest, allowing me to pull her into a tight embrace.
“This is confusing,” she whispers against my shirt.
I rest my chin on her hair. “I know, sweetheart.”
“I missed this.”
“I missed this too,” I admit. “We still have some stuff we need to talk about.”
“I’m so sorry I left you, Andrew.” Her voice is thick with emotion. When I look down, her glistening blue eyes refuse to meet mine.
“I know, and I’m sorry for being such an asshole. But Tess, we still need to talk.”
I remember everything, princess, I need you to know.
Her eyes slide up to mine. “Do we have to?” she whimpers.
I chuckle. “Yes, we have to.”
“Fine,” she groans.
“Tick-Tock fuckers.” Flicking my eyes up, I see Chase motioning to his watch as he taps his foot. I grumble in protest when her body jerks away from mine. She smiles when she sees Chase and walks over to meet him and my sister. I watch for a minute as they chat. He’s showing her some of the Polaroids from the hunt, and her head throws back in laughter.
I envy them and how easy their relationship is.
I make my way over to them, increasingly annoyed that I have to share Tessa at all. I need to tell her everything that’s been weighing on my chest like a fucking boulder since I saw her that day outside the hospital.
Just before I reach everyone, I stop with a sudden realization. I haven’t been angry since we got to the mall. No big feat for most people, but for me it’s fucking huge. Crowds alone give me anxiety. Then there was the guy who spilled his soda on me—I just laughed it off.
The more I’m around her, the less angry I become.
I snort at my own absurd thought. Arriving at the table, I watch on while everyone lays out Polaroids and begins counting up points. Handing over my photos, I grin at their collective excitement.
Chase hops up and motions for me to take his seat. “Okay scrubs, I’m gonna grab us some hamburgers. Marybeth make sure they don’t cheat.” Before he turns to leave, he slides one last Polaroid picture into my hand. As he walks away, I turn the photo over and examine the image. It’s a picture of me and Tessa from just a few minutes ago, he must have snapped it right before yelling at us. I have my arms wrapped protectively around her. Just one side of her face is visible as her cheek is pressed against my shirt. In the photo, I wear a soft expression as my lips press against her dark hair. Tessa’s eyes are shut, but she has a peaceful smile.
Our perfect moment was frozen in time after all.
I made a wish, and unknowingly, Chase made it come true.
Fucking hell. I so wanted him to be the bad guy. I was content to go on with the rest of my life hating him and Tessa forever.
Growing up, I always read about the hero and the villain, but the truth is never so black and white. They both acted out of fear and self-preservation, not because they wanted to hurt me, as I so selfishly believed. Now, to really fuck with my head, it turns out Chase might in fact be our biggest supporter. Why else give me this picture if not to open my eyes by providing me with hard evidence that there’s still hope?
Laughter snaps me out of my deep thoughts. Three photos are lined up, playing out the sequence of events. The first photo is Chase stealing pennies out of a fountain, then one of him being chased by an overweight mall cop. The last is him tossing pennies back into the fountain with the security guard scowling behind him. Priceless.
After eating, calculating team points, and a few heated debates, Chase and Beth are declared the scavenger hunt champions. He attempts to bring my sister in for a celebratory hug, but is rejected by a toss of long blonde hair.
Those two are as hot and cold as my mood swings, I swear.
The ride back to the motel is long and filled with an uncomfortable silence. A part of me hoped that by doing something light and fun we could all slip back into the kinship of our teens. We’ve gone through so much, and none of us really knows where we stand with the other. Unsaid words thicken the air between us.
Parking in front of their room, we agree on a time and place for dinner tomorrow night. Before getting out, Tessa’s eyes find mine in the rearview mirror. So many emotions ripple across her features, but when she bites her lip and gives me a small smile, happiness blooms in my chest.
“Today was fun, thank you.” Her voice is timid, almost shy.
“It was honestly a blast,” I agree. “See you tomorrow?”
She nods and slides out of the car.
I watch until she disappears into the room.
Our fairytale isn’t over, not by a long shot.
This is just the beginning.
Marybeth looks at me curiously from the passenger seat. “You were different this afternoon.”
I shrug. “Not really.”
She scoffs. “Not really? I haven’t seen you that calm or. . . gentle, for lack of a better word, for a very long time. I kicked you under the table and you told me sorry.”
“Wait, you did that on purpose?”
She waves me away. “Not important. Seriously, Drew, I’m not saying she’s magically curing you or anything, but maybe this is what you’ve needed, to have her back so you could find some sort of closure.”
“I broke your cabinet this morning,” I point out.
She rolls her eyes. “I mean it’s not going to be spontaneous, you will probably always struggle with it to a certain extent. But I think once you deal with this, get everything out in the open, you can start to heal. Today I got to see a glimpse of my sweet brother, and I’ve missed him.”
Her eyes flash with hope, and guilt eats away at me. I’ve treated her like crap, and not once did she give up on me. I owe it to my sister to figure out my shit and become worthy of her respect and admiration once more.
I give her a solemn nod. “I’m going to do whatever it takes. No matter what happens with Tessa, I’m going to find a way to let go of this anger,” I promise.
She gives me an encouraging smile. “Well, the first step is admitting you have a problem, so you’re on the right path.”
I snort. “Yeah, I guess so. Time for amends, huh?”
“Yep. Maybe you should start by telling her the truth?”
I nod in agreement. “Soon. Today was just about having a little fun, especially after everything I’ve put her through since she got back.”
A sly grin blooms across my sister’s face. “Maybe you should show her?”
I raise an eyebrow as I consider what she’s suggesting. “Might be the best idea you’ve had yet, big sis.”
“Get used to it, I got the beauty and the brains of this family.” She slides her oversized shades on and spins the volume knob until music blares from the speakers.
Shaking my head, I laugh and pull out of the parking lot. My head swirling with thoughts of what the uncertain future holds.