Tessa Ever After

by Brighton Walsh

  “I’m sorry to cut this short, but it’s been a long week at work and I’m a little tired. Would you mind if we headed out?”

  “Oh sure. Of course.” He moves to stand, then reaches for my coat. “Here, let me help you with this.”

  He’s always the gentleman, helping me out of the car, opening doors for me, pulling out chairs. And it’s something I should want, right? That kind of man is exactly what I’m looking for.

  But if he’s what I want, why can’t I even muster up a shiver of excitement when I’m around him?

  And why do I feel so much when I look across the room, my gaze automatically seeking out Jason, and find him staring back at me? The butterflies I’ve been desperately searching for, the same ones who’ve been absent in Greg’s presence, suddenly make themselves known and flutter rampantly in my stomach.

  From a single glance.

  From a single glance from the wrong man.

  NINE

  tessa

  “Come on, come on,” I say, turning the key in the ignition once more. When only a soft clicking greets me, I slam my hand on the wheel. “Goddammit!”

  Haley gasps from the backseat. “That’s a bad word, Mama.”

  Closing my eyes, I rest my forehead on the steering wheel, counting backward from ten. It feels like one thing after another is happening, and I just keep getting buried under it all. I need for something to go right. I just need a goddamn break. When I finish counting down and reach zero and it hasn’t helped a bit, I take a deep breath and say in as calm a voice as I can, “I know. Sorry, baby.” I unbuckle my seat belt, then get out and open her door. “Let’s go inside. Mama’s gonna have to call someone and get the car looked at.”

  “What about school?”

  “Looks like we’re skipping school today. I’ll call them when we get inside.”

  “Can we skip Miss Melinda’s, too, and have a jammie day?” Her big brown eyes peer up at me, her expression so hopeful. I quickly go over my schedule in my head, trying to figure out if I can swing it or not. It’s not a packed day, so I know Brenda, the receptionist, will be able to reschedule my clients easily.

  Instead of committing to it until I know for sure, I say, “We’ll see.”

  Once we’re inside, I get her set up with a coloring book and crayons while I grab my phone and figure out what the hell I’m going to do. Normally, I’d call Jason. But after last Friday night¸ things are different. Strange. Tense. We haven’t talked since we parted ways on the dance floor and he went back to his friends while I rejoined my date—something highly unusual for us. I don’t want to think about how much I’ve come to count on his company, how much I’ve come to enjoy it.

  And I definitely don’t want to think about the way my body positively came alive when he was pressed against me on the dance floor.

  Unfortunately, the only other person here whom I could count on—Paige—knows even less about cars than I do, so with a sigh, I dial Jason’s number, waiting only a moment before his deep voice answers.

  “Hey.”

  “Hi . . .”

  The hesitancy in my voice must be obvious because he immediately asks, “What’s wrong?”

  I blow out a deep breath. “I’m not sure. My car won’t start. It just clicks whenever I try, so I don’t think it’s the battery, but I don’t know. Do you know anything about cars?”

  “I can take a look at it. I’ll be right over.”

  I glance at the clock, seeing it’s just after eight. I remember him telling me he had early classes nearly every day this semester. “You don’t have class?”

  Instead of answering, he says, “See you soon.”

  While I’m waiting for him to arrive, I call Haley’s preschool, letting them know she won’t be in today. I wait to make any other arrangements, hoping Jason can get my car started once he gets here. If that’s the case, I can make it to work on time and drop Haley at Melinda’s on the way.

  Not even ten minutes later, I hear a car pull up outside. “Haley, Mama’s gonna go out and see if Jason can figure out anything with the car. I’ll be right back in.”

  “’Kay,” she says, her eyes not moving from her coloring book.

  Grabbing my coat, I open the front door and head outside, slipping my arms in the sleeves as I walk down the path. When I get to where Jason is, he’s already got my hood up and is looking under it, fiddling with different things.

  “Hey, thanks for coming.”

  He glances at me over his shoulder, his eyes taking a slow perusal of my body, and just like last Friday night, my entire body lights up from it. “No problem. So it just clicks, you said?”

  “Yeah, doesn’t turn over at all.”

  He hums, his eyes focused once again in front of him. After a few minutes of him reaching out to mess with different parts of the car, I look back and forth between his expression to where his hand is, and a smile tugs at my lips. “You have no idea what you’re doing, do you?”

  Glancing over at me, his lips curve at the corner. “Am I that transparent?”

  Laughing, I say, “Probably not to most people, but I’ve known you a long time.”

  “Yeah.” His eyes hold mine for a minute until I look away. He clears his throat, then closes the hood. “I’m not sure what the problem is, but I can call my mechanic and find out what he thinks.”

  “You have a mechanic?”

  He rolls his eyes. “My parents.”

  “Your parents have a mechanic?”

  “They have an everything.”

  In all the years Jason’s been a part of my life, I’ve met his parents only a couple times. When the guys were still in middle and high school, Jason spent a lot of time at our house when he wasn’t with his grandpa. I rarely remember Cade going over there. The lasting impression I have of them is that they’re the epitome of elitist parents, and Jason’s surety that they won’t budge about his future, despite how little he wants it, only proves that fact. How they ended up with a son like him, someone so laid-back and genuine, I’ll never know. And the really sad thing is that they’re probably disappointed in the man he’s become.

  Realizing I don’t know anything more about his situation, since we haven’t talked in a few days, I ask, “Did you decide to do anything? Talk to your parents?”

  “About what?”

  “The whole school thing . . .”

  He laughs, though it’s harsh and humorless. “Yeah, actually. I went and talked to my dad. Told him I could swallow going to work there if we could resurrect the Elise Montgomery Foundation.”

  “The one your grandpa started? Building homes for low-income families?”

  “Yep,” he says. “His answer . . . well, it was a much more colorful version of no.”

  “Just like that? He won’t even entertain the idea?”

  “Nope. And the partners will make sure of it. Not good for the bottom line, giving away your profits like that. So, not only do I not get to do the one thing that was ever worthwhile for that company, but I’m still stuck there thanks to being the only Montgomery left after my dad.”

  The stiffness of his shoulders and the harshness of his words prove what I already know—that he doesn’t want this. “Why do you let them do that to you? Why don’t you just say the hell with it and do what you want?”

  “They have a very specific idea of who I should be, whether or not it’s something I want.”

  “But you’re not the kind of guy to go along with something if you’re not into it. You never have been.”

  “Except where they’re concerned.”

  “But why?” I ask, genuinely perplexed. If Jason doesn’t want to do something, he doesn’t. That’s how it’s always been. “That’s what I don’t get.”

  “My grandpa always told me you don’t turn your back on family. I just keep thinking maybe they’ll change.” He shrugs, acting like this doesn’t bother him, but I know it does. “And if I pushed back on this, they’d consider me out of their lives for good. Out of
the family. And even though they’re shitty parents, they’re my shitty parents and they’re all I’ve got.”

  Frowning, I reach out, tugging the sleeve of his jacket. “They’re not all you’ve got, Jason. We might not be blood, but you’ve got me, Haley, and Cade. Adam, too. We’re family.”

  He stares at me for a moment, his eyes searching mine, and I wonder if he’s looking for reassurance or simply the truth in my words. He offers me only a short nod, and then he pulls his phone out of his pocket and turns around. With his hand on the small of my back, he guides me into the house as he dials his mechanic. “Hey, Dan, this is Jason. I’ve got a problem—”

  I tune out his conversation, trying to keep Haley entertained so she doesn’t interrupt the phone call. My powers go only so far, though, and as soon as Jason hangs up, Haley runs at him full force. He lifts her easily into his arms, and she starts talking a mile a minute.

  “Guess what, Jay? The car didn’t start and then Mama punched it and said a bad word and now it’s a jammie day!”

  He looks at me with a full grin on his lips. “Is that right? Hit the car and said a bad word? What does Mom have to do when that happens?”

  I glare at him, definitely not in the mood to deal with his teasing.

  “She hasta make me cookies. Any kind I want!” she yells right in his face with a smile. Haley turns toward me, her finger on her lips as she looks to the ceiling, deep in thought. “Chocolate peanut butter, I think.”

  “Thanks a lot,” I say to Jason.

  “Hey, you’re the one with the potty mouth.”

  “I was frustrated. And like you wouldn’t have said something a million times worse. Now what’d your guy say?”

  “That it’s probably the starter and he can get it fixed today. He’s sending a tow truck over now.”

  Groaning, I drop my head back and close my eyes. The last thing I want to do is wait at the shop for them to fix my car while a rambunctious four-year-old runs circles around me. Never mind how much it’s going to cost me with the tow truck and then the repair. After the burst pipe, my savings isn’t as padded as I’d like it to be, and this is just going to drain it further.

  “It shouldn’t take too long, so I’ll ride over in the tow truck and leave my car here in case you need it.”

  I snap my head up to look at him. “Wait, what?”

  Shrugging, he says, “It’ll be a lot easier for me to wait for them than for you and this one.” He tips his head to Haley while he tickles her stomach. She falls into a fit of giggles, leaning backward over his arm until he eventually drops her on her back onto the couch.

  “I—”

  He holds up his hand to stop me. “It’s not a big deal.”

  “Don’t you have class?”

  “Missing one day isn’t going to kill me . . . or my GPA.”

  “Well . . . okay. If you’re sure.”

  He shrugs again, then turns his smile on me. “Better make a double batch of those cookies, though.”

  Knowing I can’t afford to miss an entire day of work, I sneak off to call Brenda and have her reschedule today’s appointments for my next scheduled day off, and take today off instead. Once that’s taken care of, I make my way back into the living room, finding Jason and Haley lying on their stomachs on the floor, each coloring a page in her coloring book, and I freeze, a flush sparking right in the center of my chest and working its way all over my body.

  A little while later, the loud beeping of the tow truck echoes from outside, and Jason says good-bye to Haley, then tosses me his keys as he walks out the door.

  I watch out the front window as he speaks to the guy hooking up my car. After Jason opens the door to the truck, he turns around and gives me a quick wave before disappearing inside the cab. As they drive away, I’m left wondering when Jason became the guy I call when I’m in need of help.

  And when he started always showing up.

  jason

  It takes only a couple hours for Tessa’s car to get towed to the shop and repaired—one of the benefits of having someone on call to drop everything for your needs. It’s not quite noon, and I should probably hurry and drop off the car, then head to my afternoon classes. Except I know once I go inside and see her and Haley, I’m going to want to do anything but.

  We haven’t talked since I saw her and her date out on Friday, and part of that is because I needed the space to get my head on straight. Whatever I feel—whatever this draw to her is—needs to go the fuck away. Having made up my mind that night, I flirted with the blonde after Tessa and Greg left, let her put her hands on my chest and brush against me. I was ready to take her home, just to wash away the thought of Tess . . . to forcefully push it away. And I would have, too, if the girl hadn’t stumbled around in a drunken haze. Apparently trying to keep up with the guys left her a little inebriated. And no matter how much I needed to fuck the thought of Tessa out of my system, I have some sense of integrity. I wasn’t about to screw a drunk girl, especially not while I was thinking of another the entire time. Instead, I made sure she got home okay, then went to my apartment. Alone.

  And today, seeing Tessa again, I realize I’m no better off than I was three days ago.

  I pull her car into the garage and enter the house through the side door. Singing is coming from the TV in the living room, so I head in that direction. I come around to the front of the couch and nearly laugh at the sight in front of me. A very happy Haley looks up, chocolate crumbs all over her face, while at the same time a very guilty-looking Tessa meets my eyes, cookie halfway to her mouth.

  “Jay! Guess what? Mama made cookies and that’s what we’re having for lunch!”

  “Shh! You’re not supposed to tell him,” Tessa hisses at Haley.

  I grin. “Is that right? Cookies for lunch . . . Must be a special occasion.”

  Haley nods her head. “And I got to pick out the movie. See? Tangled!”

  “You’re a pretty lucky girl.” Haley’s attention is already back on the TV, so I focus again on Tessa. “Did you save any cookies for me?”

  She rolls her eyes. “We didn’t eat four dozen cookies for lunch.”

  “Four dozen?”

  “I told you I’d make extra.”

  “No you didn’t, I just asked.”

  “Yeah, well . . .” She shrugs.

  “Shhh!” Haley interrupts, her eyes still glued to the movie.

  I stare at Tess for a minute, her eyes meeting mine quickly before looking away. When she glances up again, I tip my head toward the kitchen and head that way, Tess pushing off the couch to follow behind me.

  Before I can say anything, ask how her date went even though I really don’t want to know, she asks, “So what’s the damage?”

  I lean back against the counter, legs crossed at my ankles. “It was the starter, like he thought. Got it fixed, though,” I say as I grab a cookie from the cooling rack. Now that I can get a good look at her, I see Haley wasn’t joking with the whole pajama-day thing. I raise an eyebrow and gesture to her clothes. She’s in some wide-legged cotton pants with sea horses all over them, and she’s wearing a tank top that has to be from high school—maybe even middle school. The hem is tattered, the material thin and clinging and doing absolutely nothing to hide an ounce of her figure from me. A blink is all it takes for me to recall her in the pale pink shirt when the pipe burst—the translucent pale pink shirt—and I have to turn away. Clearing my throat, I tease her about her pants, though it sounds strained even to my ears. “Sea horses. Nice.”

  She slaps the back of her hand against my stomach as she walks past me to the fridge. “Shut up.” She pours a glass of milk before setting it in front of me and putting the jug away. “How much is it gonna set me back?”

  I wave her off, shaking my head. “Don’t worry about it.”

  “Jason.”

  “Tessa.”

  She huffs, rolling her eyes. “Don’t do that. Tell me how much it is.”

  “It’s roughly four dozen cookies.”r />
  I hold her gaze as she stares at me, her jaw set. She crosses her arms, the act pushing her tits up, and—Jesus—that’s all it takes for me to remember the exact shape of her nipples I saw through her shirt. Immediately, I lift my gaze to meet hers again, and she lifts her eyebrow. Caught. Fuck.

  Rather than calling me out on it, she says, “Well, I’m going to be short on payment. This is our lunch, after all.”

  “Okay, how about three dozen and a pajama day?”

  She sputters, her eyes growing large as she gawks at me. “A what?”

  I gesture toward her sea horse pajamas, then tip my head to the living room. “Pajamas. Movie. Cookies.”

  “Oh, right. Yeah, of course.” She looks visibly flustered, and I wonder briefly what she thought I was referring to. “You’re not going back to school?”

  I know I should. I should leave, if not to stay on top of my classes then to get some much-needed space between me and Tessa. Because I just keep digging myself further into this hole I’ve somehow found myself in where she’s concerned.

  But instead of walking away, I shake my head. “Nah. I could use a little Tangled today. That Flynn Rider, he’s so dreamy.”

  She laughs and turns around, leading the way into the living room. “You would go for someone tall, dark, and handsome.”

  I watch her walk away, noticing the sway of her hips, and there is something seriously wrong with me if I’m actually thinking her ass looks good with fucking sea horses all over it.

  “Don’t forget cocky, too,” I say.

  “So you’re attracted to a mirror image of yourself? Nice.”

  “Aw, Tess, you think I’m handsome.”

  “Oh please, everyone in the state of Michigan thinks you’re handsome. It’s not a newsflash.”

  Except it is coming from my best friend’s kid sister . . . someone I never saw as anything more than that until recently. Someone I still shouldn’t see as anything more than that.