Chapter 21
─────
Andrew
Tessa stirs and flips around on the mattress to face me in her sleep. I wrap an arm around her waist and kiss her forehead gently, hoping not to wake her. It’s still early, I should try to fall back to sleep myself, but the events of last night swirl restlessly through my mind.
I’d never met Tessa’s mom before. Now, every time I think of the way her sneering face looked at Tessa with disgust, my anger reignites. I didn’t get anything but a slap on the wrist for dropping that old bitch to the ground. Perks of having a district attorney for a father. But he won’t always be there to clean up my mess, I’ve got to get a handle on this shit. Tessa helps with my anger tremendously, but she can’t always be there to calm me down.
The shrieks of her mother being shoved into the back of the cruiser were nothing compared to hearing Sam’s wife scream Tessa’s name in fear. Her crumpled form on the porch froze my blood. She was only out for a few minutes before her eyes fluttered open in confusion.
“What happened? Where is she?” Her eyes darted back and forth as she looked around. Fear twisted her features.
“She’s gone, likely sitting in a jail cell this very moment. You think I was going to let her take you away?” I ran my fingers through her hair as I spoke to her.
“Worse, I thought she would turn you against me,” she whispered.
“Never,” I growled. She nodded, a single tear slid down her cheek. I wiped it away and directed her gaze to meet mine. “You know, you’ve really gotta stop fainting in my presence.”
A smile lit up her face as she pushed my shoulder and shook her head.
Everything was going to be okay.
Mom had put on a teapot and made Tessa drink hot chamomile tea to help calm her nerves, but she was still pretty shaken up. I took her home, wanting to get her away from that house. She passed out from exhaustion as soon as we crawled under the sheets. It wasn’t exactly how I pictured our first sleepover going, definitely more clothing than expected, but getting to hold her throughout the night was all that mattered.
Careful not to jostle her awake, I move off the bed and pull on a pair of sweatpants. I slip out of the room, closing the door softly behind me, and I head to the kitchen. Marybeth is already there pulling milk and eggs out of the fridge.
I stifle a yawn and pull out a stool from underneath the small kitchen bar. “Morning,” I mumble as I take a seat.
She looks over her shoulder as she cracks a few eggs into a mixing bowl. “Morning sunshine, couldn’t sleep either, huh?”
“Nope, nobody throws a birthday party quite like the Blackwells, huh?” I grimace. It was supposed to be perfect, now she’s never going to stop thinking she’s cursed.
As if sensing my thoughts, Marybeth begins to talk as she rummages around in a drawer. “Don’t beat yourself up. Even with her psycho mom crashing the party, it was still a great day. Shit, I thought she was gonna throw you onto that birthday cake and mount you when she saw those little stick candles.”
I laugh as I remember how Tessa’s eyes snapped up from that cake. The way she yanked me forward and kissed me with such intensity. It was hot as hell.
“Did you watch her open those gifts?” Beth asks with a thoughtful sigh. “It was like a kid at Christmas. I’ve never heard her squeal before, Drew, she freaking squealed.”
My fists clench. “Probably because she’s never had a single birthday party. How fucked up is that?” I breathe in through my mouth and out through my nose, slowing the anger before it gets out of control.
Marybeth’s blonde ponytail swishes back and forth as she shakes her head. “It was one thing to hear about her mom, but I never imagined. . . that. God, Drew, she was horrible, those eyes. . .” She trails off with a shudder.
“How the fuck did she survive dealing with that every day?” I ask, not really expecting an answer to my rhetorical question.
“She survived because she’s a fighter. Because as much as she wanted to give up, she didn’t. Too stubborn to take the easy way out.” We both look over to Chase leaning against the kitchen door frame.
“Why the hell are you here?” I groan.
He gives me a sly look in response. “You really want me to answer that?” He begins thrusting the air vigorously.
“Oh Jesus, sis, you can do so much better.” She doesn’t turn around but makes an annoyed sound as she whisks eggs at the counter.
Chase flips me off but kicks out the stool beside me, takes a seat, and breathes in deeply through his nose. “Mmm, my girl can cook,” he brags.
“I’m not your girl,” she hums in response.
I snigger, and he punches my shoulder. It hurts like a bitch but I refuse to flinch.
“I know that hurt baby bird,” Chase whispers directly into my ear.
Okay, I’m done here.
Shoving his face away from mine I stand up. “I’m gonna let Tessa know breakfast will be ready soon.” I point at Chase. “Don’t be here when I get back.” He smiles and blows me a kiss.
With an exasperated sigh, I return to my room only to find the bed empty. My heart hammers in my chest as the worst thought in the world flits through my mind.
She ran again, she’s gone.
A soft noise comes from my office next door and I release the breath I’d been holding in. She’s still here. There’s a pang of guilt at thinking she would run after everything that’s happened between us. She wouldn’t do that to me, not again.
Would she?
I shake off the little devil on my shoulder and move to my office where the door is cracked open and light spills into the hallway. I stand there a moment and watch as she examines my most recent painting. Her head tilts up to me as I step into the room.
“Hey,” she says as if we’re standing in a church rather than my paint splattered workshop.
“Hey back.” I smile and take a moment to appreciate the view.
Before bed she threw off her dress and stole one of my undershirts to sleep in. I can see her perky breasts and nipples beneath the thin gray material. Her tiny black underwear leaves little to the imagination. I would love nothing more than to stride over and rip them off. By the looks of it, I’m not the only one doing a little appreciating as I watch her bright blue eyes travel blatantly down my bare chest as she bites her bottom lip.
“Hi,” she says softly.
“Hi back, beautiful.” She smiles, and not for the first time I wonder if this is really happening. It’s still difficult to wrap my head around the fact that she’s back, that it’s not just a vivid dream. Like a summer storm ending a long drought, she’s quenched my soul and breathed life back into my desiccated heart.
In two quick steps, I stand before her. Sliding my hand behind her neck, I tilt her face up and land a light kiss on her full lips. When I pull back, a smile lights up her eyes.
“Love you.”
She kisses along my jaw. “I love you too.”
I turn to look at the canvas she was staring at before I interrupted her. “Do you like it?”
“Like it? I have no words to describe how beautiful this painting is. Is this really how you see me?” Her eyes roam across the painting I did of her dancing at the club in her red dress. Her hands are thrown up high, curls flying through the air and a peaceful expression on her face. She looks carefree and damn gorgeous if I do say so myself.
“This hardly does your beauty any justice.”
She rolls her eyes but a smile tugs at the corner of her mouth. “You thought I ran, huh?” she asks casually as she continues to admire the canvas.
“It crossed my mind,” I admit.
“I don’t blame you. It’s not like I have the best track record.” She sighs.
Catching her hand, I pull her close and lay it flat against my chest. “Are you going to run again, Tessa Kinsley?” I search her eyes for a flicker of doubt.
“I’m not going anywhere, Andrew, I promise.”
“Okay, then I won’t worry about it again.” I grab her hand and kiss her fingertips. “You up for a little adventure today?” My mysterious tone makes her giggle.
“An adventure? We haven’t had one of those in a very long time. I might be a little rusty.” She slides her hands around my neck, eyes twinkling with excitement.
Grabbing her hips, I tug her closer. “Guess we’ll just have to practice. Hours and hours of practice.” Her whole body shudders and I let my fingers travel from her hips to where her ass cheeks peek out beneath her panties.
A voice calls out from the door, “Watcha’ guys doin’ in here?” I groan as I discover that Chase never left. Tessa struts across the room to where he smirks. With a hiss, she slams the door in his face but we both hear him howl with laughter from the other side.
“Breakfast is ready you filthy sinners,” he shouts.
At the mention of food, Tessa’s stomach rumbles. “Let’s get you some breakfast, then we need to do a little shopping.”
“Okay, I actually had a few job applications I wanted to drop off downtown anyway,” she says. “Give me one second to get dressed, I’ll meet you in the kitchen.” After giving me a quick kiss, she skips out of the office.
She’s applying for jobs?
The thought of her putting down roots in Alder Grove slaps a giant smile across my face as I head back to the kitchen.
ʢ ʢ ʢ
After breakfast with my sister and the cock blocker, Tessa and I went downtown. As she submitted a few applications, I got everything we needed for our adventure, including a few packed lunches. When we got back to my place, Tessa demanded she needed a shower first, then changed into an outfit she had picked up while we were out.
Now, she stands by the door hopping from one foot to the other in maroon Vans, black jean shorts, and a Nine Inch Nails t-shirt. She looks hot as hell and my dick twitches as I watch her tits bouncing under the angry looking shirt.
She laughs, snapping her fingers in my face. “Hey perv, adventure time, remember? Chop chop.”
She’s quiet during the drive, only when I pull into my parents’ driveway does she speak up, “You’re taking me home? Wow, you really suck at this adventure thing.”
I don’t respond, instead, I lead her inside making a pit stop in the kitchen to snatch a couple of apples. I continue upstairs. Tessa follows me around silently with a raised eyebrow.
Motioning for her to wait outside, I slip into Marybeth’s old room and snatch the last item I need. After shoving everything into my backpack, I sling it over my shoulder and lead her to the backyard. Using a gap in the bricks as a foothold, I climb up the wall separating my yard from her old one, and I take a seat at the top.
“Blackwell, are you insane?” she screeches looking up at me.
“No, but I am a little brain damaged,” I quip.
Her voice gets a few octaves higher. “That’s not fucking funny. Not even a little bit.”
I throw my head back and laugh. When I look back down, she has her arms crossed and her mouth twisted into a scowl.
“Look, the house was raided already, and the dragon is locked up in a cell. It’s not like we’re going inside the house itself, I promise.” I give her an encouraging smile and hold my hand out to help her up.
She shakes her head in defiance, ignoring my outstretched hand. “You don’t get it. On the other side of this wall is where he—Where you. . .” She looks away with a clenched jaw.
“I know, but you need to do this. Something that would change our lives forever happened in that backyard, Tess.”
“Yeah, something that would destroy everything,” she chokes out. Her hand reaches to the brick wall as she leans against it for support.
“Wrong.” Her eyes snap to mine. “I’m not talking about the day of my accident. I’m talking about the day I met you. Without your friendship, I would have grown up to be just like the rich jerks at my private school; snotty and cruel. You taught me to be thankful for what I have, the importance of kindness, and to appreciate my loved ones. I may have lost my way a little, made some mistakes, and let anger get the best of me, but I’m trying to go back to being the man you taught me to be.”
A tear slides down her face, her mouth opens to speak, but it closes quickly as she stares up at me. “Now, we have to go backwards to move forward. You need a little closure, and frankly, so do I.”
Once more, I hold out my hand for her to take.