Because I wasn't acompletedick, I didn't love how this latest stay had come about. Sure, it worked out for me. But for Tessa's sake, I hated that she and Maisie were still on the outs.
And yet, that didn't stop me from appreciating the fact that she was choosing to stay here until things with Maisie thawed out. Even now, I could see her face as she'd said, "I guess I should give her some space, huh? Maybe a day or two at least?"
A day, a week, or longer – my space was Tessa's space, and I wasn't complaining.
My stint at the bike shop had been even shorter than predicted – a single day, thanks to more developments with Maisie and Griff. That was fine by me. I hadn't been doing it for the money.
With a lingering smile, I opened my laptop and pulled up the files I'd been ignoring since yesterday – emails, numbers, things that behaved better when I gave them attention.
But today, they refused to cooperate. My thoughts kept drifting back to Tessa – to the way she smiled when she woke up, to how she worried about everyone but herself, to the way she made me feel when we were together.
It was like nothing I'd ever felt before.
I was in over my head, which should have worried me. But it didn't.
Tessa worried enough for both of us, which meantmyjob was to be the opposite. Call it a good balance.
Or hell, call it fate, because we fit, really fit, in all the ways that mattered.
I leaned back in the chair and checked the time – midmorning already. In another hour, I'd have a decent excuse to swing by the coffee shop and whisk her away for lunch.
Sure, it would need to be someplace private like here on the balcony – but I'd decided it was no big deal. We didn't have to hang out in public to feel like we were together.
I was still thinking of lunch when the phone buzzed on the table.
At first, I barely glanced, because I was too busy wondering whether the balcony would be warm enough by noon. When it buzzed again, I frowned and reached for it, expecting something routine.
It wasn't.
I stared at the screen longer than necessary, reading the message twice before my smile faded.
And then, I read it again, slower now, making sure I hadn't misunderstood.
I hadn't.
But I didn't believe it.Or rather, I didn'twantto believe it.
And yet, the sender had no reason to lie. So yeah, I had to believe.
I set down the phone and stared toward the balcony, trying to decide if that feeling in my gut meant I was overreacting.
Some might say this wasn't a big deal.
And evenIrealized it didn'thaveto be.
But with my family history?
Yeah, it was.
And even if I wanted to, I wasn't sure I could hide it.
86
Right
Tessa
By now, I didn't think twice about walking directly into Ryder's suite. I had my own key card, my own drawer in the bathroom, and Ryder's assurance that I should make myself at home.
