by Mj Fields
Tessa glanced at Lucas and his jaw twitched as he scowled.
When they had finished he took her arm, ���We need to talk���.
���Let go of my arm,��� Tessa demanded. ���What do we need to talk about?���
���You okay, Tessa?��� Toby asked.
She nodded.
���Tessa, you���re not wearing a bra,��� Lucas said, looking angry.
���I know, it���s very freeing,��� Tessa said.
���Do you have a coat?���
���Lucas, what do you want?���
���For you to forgive me,��� he said.
She glared at him. ���I have. Let it be.���
���If you had not left me for them, this wouldn���t be happening.���
She leaned into him and whispered in his ear. ���I got a bikini wax when I was there, too.��� She stepped back and looked at him trying to control his breathing, ���That was for you.��� She raised her eyebrow. His mouth opened slightly as he breathed in. ���That pain won���t be wasted tonight. Now, you have fun with Marie.��� She walked away.
Jade met her, ���You okay?���
Tessa smirked. ���Never been better. I told him I wasn���t wasting the wax. Now, where���s my date?���
* * *
Lucas stood and watched as all the parents were let in for the crowning of king and queen. Tessa���s mother and father took lots of pictures of Alex and Tessa, Alex and Phoebe, and Tessa and Toby. Lucas watched as her mother hugged Toby. Lucas���s mother would not be there tonight; she had fallen back into the black hole. He was following her, as he always did, into the darkness. Tessa was beautiful and full of hate and it was his fault, and he hated himself for it.
���Good evening, Ladies and Gentlemen. Last year���s queen is unavailable to help me with this year���s crowning. She���s currently in the Peace Corp or some silly thing like that,��� Toby said. Everyone laughed. ���So tonight, it will be just me.���
* * *
Tessa waited in line for court to be called. Phoebe, Jade and Becca took their flowers, and Sadi stood next to Tessa waiting expectantly to be named queen. Sadi was called as first runner up. She gave Tessa a dirty look. Tessa looked down, trying not to appear rude and holding back the childish desire to stick out her tongue.
���And your Queen; my date,��� Toby laughed. ���Come up here, angel.��� Toby crowned her and gave her a quick kiss on the nose. ���Stay up here and help me crown king,��� he winked.
It was down to Alex and Lucas for king. Tessa was praying it was Alex. It wasn���t.
Tessa placed the crown on Lucas���s head and he looked at her with his sad eyes. ���Congratulations, Lucas. Now smile so your Mom can take your picture,��� she said.
He flashed his dazzling smile and pulled her into his side. ���Lucas, please let go.��� Tessa whispered as she smiled for the cameras.
���Never.��� Lucas turned and looked at her, his eyes burning through hers, then slowly released her.
���Will the king, queen, and court, please step to the floor for your dance,��� Toby instructed.
Lucas took Tessa���s hand and led her to the dance floor. He stopped and whispered to the DJ, and the DJ smiled and nodded. Eternal Flame started, and Lucas pulled her close. ���This isn���t over, Tessa. I love you, and I know you feel the same.���
Tessa���s heart pounded hard against her chest. Finally, she was able to pull her eyes away from him. Lucas pulled her head to his chest and kissed her gently.
���Stop it,��� Tessa whispered.
Lucas watched Tessa, his gaze intense.
Tessa looked for Lucas���s mom in the crowd and she wasn���t there. Tessa looked back at him. Why wasn���t she there? She wondered.
* * *
The rest of the night Tessa avoided Lucas, she danced and had fun with her friends, occasionally she saw him and each time he was watching her.
���Hey,��� Alex said, ���after the dance a bunch of us should go to camp.���
Everyone agreed.
* * *
Tessa had Toby stop by the house so she could change. She put on jeans and a long sleeve tee. When she got back outside, he had changed into jeans and was in the process of putting on a sweatshirt. Her jaw dropped; he was jacked.
���Damn, Toby,��� slipped out of her mouth. He laughed. ���My future husband is fine.���
���And the Future Mrs. Green is hot as hell, and a Queen to boot. Jump on,��� he said, pointing at his back. He carried her out to the car.
The boys pulled in and jumped out to change. Lucas was with them.
She laughed, smacked Toby on the ass, and yelled ���Giddy up Cowboy.��� He plopped her in and buckled her up, then grabbed a cowboy hat from the back and placed it on her head before tearing out of the driveway.
* * *
Tessa and Toby started a bonfire and pulled a big lounge chair closer. He pulled her into him and the sat quietly. They watched as a few trucks pulled in. Tessa started to get up and he pulled her back. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head.
���Relax and enjoy, Tessa.���
Alex, Phoebe, Jade, Tommy, Lucas and a few others walked down and sat around the fire. Some of their friends had brought beer, and Tessa asked for one.
Toby laughed. ���Your dad would have your fine little ass, girl.���
���And he would have yours. I heard you say that,��� Tessa said, shivering.
He whispered in her ear. ���Check this out.��� He stood up and loudly said, ���Angel, you cold?���
���Why, yes I am,��� she answered, smiling. He slowly pulled his sweatshirt off and put it on her. ���Better, angel?���
���Not quite yet,��� she laughed. Everyone was looking and Lucas was fuming mad.
���I���ll be right back.��� Toby smiled and kissed her cheek.
���Holy shit, Tessa he���s freakin��� hot,��� Jade said. Everyone except Tommy and Lucas laughed out loud.
���He is, and he���s nice. He kisses like…��� she started.
���Like what?��� Toby asked picking her up and planting one on her.
���Just like that,��� Tessa laughed.
Tessa went to grab another beer from the cooler next to Lucas, and he closed the cooler with his foot.
���Excuse me,��� she laughed.
���You���ve had enough,��� He said.
Tessa pushed his foot off and grabbed a beer. She slammed it and threw the can at his feet. She grabbed another and did the same. Tessa went for another, and Lucas slammed the cooler again. She shoved his foot off, grabbed three more beers, and walked away. She sat down, and they glared at each other across the fire.
���Thirsty, Angel?��� Toby laughed.
���Yes.���
Toby laughed at her and pulled her on his lap. ���Tessa,��� he said and grabbed a blanket and covered them up, ���slow down.���
���No,��� she pouted. ���Shouldn���t you be kissing me?���
He pulled away and looked at her. ���No regrets. No awkward moments after tonight. I���m not rebound material, Tessa, I���m a keeper, and you, angel, deserve to be kept. But one more kiss for me.��� His kiss was soft and caring. She enjoyed it very much. ���How was that?���
���Beautiful,��� she whispered.
���Do you need more?��� he asked.
���No Toby, I can wait.��� She knew
that was exactly how he meant for it to be.
Toby uncovered their faces and smiled at her lovingly. She closed her eyes and lay her head on his chest, then promptly fell asleep.
* * *
Lucas watched as she slept in Toby���s arms.
���We are out of beer,��� Mark announced.
���There are three over here, she doesn���t need them,��� Toby said stroking her hair. He looked at Lucas and shook his head slowly. Lucas knew that this man cared for her, but it didn���t make this any easier.
He broke her, she told him so, and now Toby was going to fix her. Because I don���t know how, he thought. He stood up and walked to Tommy.
���Hey man, I am going to go down to the cabin and crash, you staying here?��� Lucas asked.
���Yeah ��� Alex is too,��� Tommy said.
���Alright see you in the morning,��� Lucas said as he bent over and picked up some of the cans and set them inside the empty cooler. He listened as Jade and Tommy talked.
���How can you talk to him?��� Jade asked.
���Pretty girl, he���s my friend, I���ve known him all my life, and I love him like a brother,��� he said. Jade saw the hurt in his eyes and understood.
���Ok,��� she said. ���Ok,��� she kissed him and he moaned. She smiled, ���four and a half more months there hot stuff.���
���It���s going to kill me; do you have any clue how amazing you looked tonight? Now? Every day!��� Tommy asked.
Jade smiled and laughed, ���Yes I do.���
He made his way to the cabin and climbed into the loft and tried to force himself to sleep.
CHAPTER THIRTEEN
Lucas watched as Toby carried Tessa into the cabin. He laid her down on the pull out sofa bed and kissed her cheek.
���Sleep angel, I���ll be back.���
Lucas heard him leave and got up and climbed down the ladder from the loft. He sat and stared at her; she was an angel. Lucas lightly rubbed her hand. Her skin was so soft, her lips full and beautiful. Her hair was tousled, and he pushed a stray strand off her face. He desperately wanted to hold her, but he knew it wasn���t okay. He bent down and kissed her lips lightly. Her mouth opened, and he pulled gently at her bottom lip with his own.
���Lucas,��� she whispered. ���I love you.���
She was still sound asleep as a tear fell down her face. Lucas kissed it away. He heard the door open, and quickly climbed up the ladder and lay in bed.
Toby lay in bed next to Tessa, holding her in his arms. She opened her eyes.
���Sorry Tessa ��� did I wake you?���
���No, I had a dream.���
���Wasn���t about me was it?��� Toby said.
���No, it wasn���t,��� she admitted.
���Tessa, what happened?��� Toby asked.
���It���s complicated. Very, very complicated.���
���Do you want to share?���
���I don���t know, I feel weird telling you my issues with Lucas,��� Tessa admitted.
���Tessa, this is me. You and I have known each other forever. Don���t start acting funky on me. I won���t let things be weird. I asked you to the dance and quickly figured out why you had no date,��� he said, laughing.
���What gave it away. I mean, at first?���
���When you sent me to ask Alex permission it should have been my first clue, the Tessa I know and love doesn���t ask permission for anything,��� Toby laughed. ���But that didn���t give it away; it was the quarterback. When I asked Alex, the quarterback sneered no you can���t at me through clenched teeth.��� He laughed.
���Seriously?��� she laughed.
What did you expect Tessa? You set me up! Lucas thought.
���So did you have ..?��� Toby started to ask.
���Toby! You���re really going to ask me that?��� she interrupted.
���Why not?��� he asked.
Because it���s none of your fucking business, dick, Lucas thought.
���No, actually. I even got drunk and came onto him. He didn���t do anything,��� Tessa said and they both laughed. ���Toby why do you think he didn���t?���
���He cares about you Tessa, just seems like the kind of guy who doesn���t know how to show it. Maybe he���s afraid. Maybe he���s a virgin.���
Maybe you���re a douche- canoe, Lucas wanted to scream.
Tessa laughed out loud. ���He���s not. I was going to be unlucky number thirteen,��� she said.
���Damn!��� he laughed.
Tessa told him about Sadi and the three B���s, about the many times she offered herself. She told him about the good things, too, and that she loved Lucas and he said that he loved her. But she didn���t tell him the more personal stuff. Not about the abortion or the drunken mother or absent father. She held his secrets safe. And then she told him about the day she stopped at Lucas���s house and how her body froze, and that she never thought it was possible to be numb and still feel the dull nagging pain she had felt since that night. She told him about Marie being number one, and what she had said about Toby being her number one. They laughed.
���You are going to get through this, Tessa, and I���m going to help you,��� Toby said. ���You know how you felt when you kissed me tonight? And not the ones that were part of the scandal.���
Fuck, Lucas thought, I need to get out of here.
���Yes,��� she said softly.
���What did it feel like?���
���Like it was enough, like it wasn���t rushed, like it would be there whenever I wanted it,��� Tessa admitted.
���Okay and what about with him?��� he asked.
Lucas wanted to scream.
���I couldn���t get enough,��� she said, ���and I wanted more.���
���Tess, you know me right? You know that if I tell you something, I���m going to do whatever it takes to get it done. I���m safe and comfortable. I���m not going to hurt you, and in your heart you know that, even though we���ve never had a conversation like this, even though we never had feelings like this for one another before, right?���
���I guess, but I did have a crush on you the summers you helped with hay,��� Tessa laughed.
���And I have already told you; I know your heart and love it. So with the quarterback, it���s not like that. You are so eager to please him…��� Toby began.
���Alright Toby, I get it. I don���t know him; I haven���t formed a relationship with him based on trust and friendship, right?��� She began to cry. ���It was starting, I was starting to trust him with my heart Toby, I really was, and then I don���t know what happened. I don���t know why he would cheat. I truly would hate to think it was over a bikini wax and Mani Pedi.���
���Tessa, do you talk to him as freely as that?���
���What do you mean?���
���Bikini wax?��� he laughed.
���No, he didn���t know that until I told him today,��� she laughed. ���I told him I wasn���t going to go through that pain for nothing and sort of alluded to the fact that������ she started.
���I get it, but you can���t talk like that to someone without driving him crazy.���
���Why doesn���t it bother you?���
���It���s all about self- control. I want a relationship with you someday. If I c
heck out the new do I would, well… Tessa can we go to sleep, please?��� Toby said exhaling deeply.
���Oh,��� she told him, ���you should think about dead puppies. Are you a virgin?���
Toby laughed. ���No Tessa.���
���So how many women have you been with?���
���Four.���
���Oh,��� she said, surprised. ���Is four a lot?���
���More than it should be.���
���So twelve is like way too many?���
���Different paths, Tessa. Don���t judge, just try to understand. Everyone has their own path to walk,��� he said. ���But for you, Tessa, two is too many, got it?��� he laughed. ���What are you doing tomorrow?���
Minus the four women and his lips on my girl this guy should be wearing sandals and walking on water, Lucas thought.
���Children���s choir practice and running are all that I have planned,��� she yawned.
���I have family to visit, but after that, can I take you on a real date? One with no pressure or expectations?���
���I would love that,��� Tessa yawned again.
Scratch that, Lucas thought. He���s still a dick.
She rested against him and they fell asleep.
* * *
Tessa woke up earlier than anyone else and walked out to the back porch. She stretched and yawned, looking at the sky. The sun was shining and there was not a cloud in the sky. It looked like it would be a nice day. She walked to the outhouse and went to the bathroom, then washed her hands in the creek and squatted beside it watching the water run. She hugged her knees and closed her eyes and took in a deep breath smelling the fresh fall air. When she opened her eyes she saw someone walking through the woods coming toward her; she stood up and watched him as he crossed the creek stepping on the stones not covered by water.