You’re coming here?
He sent a GIF of a boy rolling his eyes and saying, “Duh.”
She replied with a GIF of a little girl waving a hand and saying, “Whatever.”
“All good?” Luke asked.
“Yeah. She said they were furious, but they love her.”
“And that, friends, is the summary of the evening.” Gil stood. “Might as well go to Tessa’s so we can all tell her that we love her too, and she’s an idiot for not sharing it with us sooner. Then we need to sleep, because if I know Tessa, she’s going to plan to be in the office around four a.m., and someone’s going to have to go with her.”
“We’ll sleep next week.” Benjamin grabbed his jacket. “Let’s go.”
TESSASLID HER PHONEinto her pocket. “The guys are coming here.”
The women around her grinned.
“Then that means we only have a few minutes.” Hope rubbed her hands together in obvious glee. “You shared the hard stuff, but I think we all know we want to end the evening on a positive note. Spill.”
Tessa kept her face a mask of calm. “I’m sorry, Hope. I don’t know what you want me to share.”
The entire room exploded in laughter. “I know what I saw in the parking garage.” Faith pointed at her. “And I know that Zane was not holding you the way he would hold a friend after a traumatic incident.”
Tessa slouched in her chair. “I don’t know what to say, and I’m not ready to talk about it. It’s too...too...”
“Private?” Hope suggested.
“New?” Ivy added.
“Yes. I...we...it’s terrifying. He’s my friend. I cherish that. If I mess this up, mess us up? I don’t even want to think about it.”
“I hate to have to point this out, but I think you left friendship behind a long time ago.” Faith’s statement was met with agreementfrom the others. “And, honestly, could you watch him fall in love with someone else?”
“No.” Tessa didn’t need time to process her response. “Knowing he’d been on a few dates in DC made me lose my mind. I told him his dating days are over.”
Ivy nudged Hope and said in a stage whisper, “She doesn’t seem terrified to me. Am I missing something here?” Ivy’s attempt at seriousness failed when she and Hope dissolved into giggles.
“Laugh it up.” Tessa was spared having to answer more questions by the buzzing at her door.
She opened her door to find a group of men with their arms crossed and expressions that all but screamed their annoyance and frustration. Luke and Gil were each tapping a foot. “Tessa Reed, if you ever do anything like that again”—Luke paused and took in a deliberate breath and blew it out—“we will still love you forever.”
He pulled her into his arms and whispered into her ear. “But don’t you dare.”
She was passed from Luke to Gil to Benjamin. Even Charles, the newest of the group, gave her a quick hug and said, “You’re a gift, Tessa. Not a burden. Never a burden.”
And then everyone was inside, and she was in the hall with Zane. “Thank you for doing that for me.”
He pulled her to him. “Anything for you.”
The door opened, and Faith stuck her head out. “I would think by now the two of you would understand how this works. Come inside and kiss where we can see you.”
“Go away, Faith.” Zane didn’t release Tessa and didn’t move from his position. “You’re messing with my game.”
“Game?” Luke joined Faith at the door. “Since when do you have game?”
“He doesn’t need game!” Gil yelled from somewhere inside.
Tessa pulled away enough to look into Zane’s face. “If we go in, maybe we can get them to leave.”
