I’m running through every scenario in my head and thinking over our options because—it’s time. No more daily chitchat, questions, and cheerful interactions. None of that matters when she’s going home to someone who is hurting her.
Before I can wrap my head around her way out or say anything else, the bell above the door chimes.
A man walks in. Tall, well-dressed, confident. He’s wearing an expensive suit, his hair perfectly styled, his smile polished.
And the second Tessa sees him, all the color drains from her face.
“Hey, babe. Thought I’d stop by and say hi.”
Preston.
It has to be.
Tessa’s entire body goes rigid. “Hi,” she says, her voice barely above a whisper.
Preston’s eyes flick to me, calculating. “Hey, aren’t you…?” Recognition dawns as he realizes who I am. He looks between Tessa and me, his eyes narrowed in assessment.
“This is the guy who signed your jersey,” Tessa says quickly, forcing a smile.
“Yeah.” Preston nods slowly. “The great Logan Wright. Interesting to see you here. I’m Preston Vale. Tessa’s boyfriend. Is there a reason you’re here?” He extends his hand.
I don’t want to shake his hand. Every instinct in me is screaming not to. But I do it anyway, gripping harder than necessary.
“For coffee.” There’s not an ounce of humor in my voice. “I assume that much would be obvious.”
Preston’s eyes narrow slightly, like he’s trying not to lose his temper. “It just seems odd that Tessa sees you at a signing event and now you’re here.”
“Is it? A guy needs his daily dose of caffeine. Not only is the coffee here the best but it’s only a few miles from the arena. Doesn’t seem odd to me, at all.”
I take in Preston and then Tessa, and nausea rolls through me.
There’s an anger humming beneath Preston’s skin that’s palpable—visible in the tight set of his jaw and the whiteness of his knuckles as his hand grips the edge of the counter.
Perhaps I should’ve kept my snarky comment to myself and played it cool. But I have no patience for this vile piece of shit before me, and I can’t pretend that I do.
Tessa is so still. She’s standing there like a statue, her chest barely rising with shallow breaths. I know her well enough by now to recognize the signs. The way her eyes have gone distant. The way she’s holding herself so carefully, like any sudden movement might shatter her. She’s utterly terrified.
I also know that this meeting—this confrontation between Preston and me—will not go unpunished.
The second they’re alone, he’s going to take his rage out on her. He’s going to hurt her because of me. Because I was here. Because I dared to speak to her. Because she looked at me with hope in her eyes, even for just a moment.
I can’t let that happen.
I’m not going to let her go home with this man tonight.
Maybe it’s not my place, and I’m crossing a line. I could be making this worse by inserting myself into a situation I don’t fully understand.
But I won’t allow her to be hurt on my account, which is exactly what will happen if she leaves with this monster.
One way or another, she’s leaving this place with me.
I pick up my phone and call Jaden. I could have called anyone on the team—they’d all drop whatever they were doing to help me—but Jaden feels like the right choice. He’s married to an A-list celebrity, an actress who has undoubtedly dealt with her fair share of unstable people. If anyone understands security, resources, or how to handle situations like this, it’s him.
After Jaden, I plan to call Penny, because there’s no problem that woman can’t solve.
“Hey, man,” I say when he picks up. “I need your help.”
“Of course,” he replies without hesitation. “What is it?”
