by Mj Fields
- Drive safely���Your bud, Tessa
He smiled at her response. What does that mean? He wondered.
���Lucas, here���s a check for your mother���s rehab,��� his father said. ���The conditions are as follows; first, you come here one weekend a month. I want to see you, and your sisters seem to love you. Second, your mother stays in treatment for three months. I want her to recover for good this time.���
���Thanks, Dad, See you tomorrow.���
Lucas hugged his dad, trying to remember how long it had been since they���d actually embraced. It felt good.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
Tessa was at lunch when Lucas walked in.
���Hey, baby,��� he said, wrapping his arms around her from behind. He kissed her cheek and sat next to her.
She wanted to punch him in the face. He has been playing her since day one; she was tired of his game and had spent most of the morning thinking of a game of her own, but her well thought out plans were quickly gone as her heart pounded wildly in her chest. How was she supposed to concentrate on revenge if just being near him did this to her?
���You okay, Tessa?��� he asked.
She nodded.
���So tomorrow some college���s are sending recruiters here to check us out.��� Lucas said. ���My Dad talked to the head coach from Syracuse personally, and he���s sending out some guys. Isn���t that cool? I���d be close to you and at a great school.��� She smiled and nodded. ���Tessa, what���s going on?���
She pointed to her throat.
���You lost your voice?��� he asked.
���No. Just sore,��� she whispered. I���ll cry if I talk, you asshole.
She tensed up as he felt her forehead. ���You aren���t warm.��� She stiffened and felt her eyes narrow. ���Baby, are you okay?���
The bell rang.
���Got to go. See ya.��� She darted out the door. Where the hell was Donna Summers voice in her head when she needed her?
Tessa walked into class and sat down next to Jade.
���What was that about, Tessa. You have been acting weird all day!���
Tessa couldn���t tell Jade because she would probably tell Tommy or kick Lucas���s ass. ���I���m just off. I���ll be fine.���
Tessa excused herself and went to the locker- room. She quickly changed for hockey and made it to the field before the boys came out. She practiced hard. She was a good person she kept telling herself, she had to help him get through tomorrow with his family and the SU recruiters, she could do this and then she would just tell him to leave her alone.
After practice, Tessa showered and changed. She went quickly to the truck, hoping Alex and Jade would come out before Lucas. She flipped through her phone and looked again at the pictures he had sent. Her eyes started to tear up when she realized that the reflection in the mirror from the first picture with Lucas and the girls was the same as the one from them jumping on the bed. She noticed the girl, Leah, she assumed, was wearing his shirt. She heard people coming from behind, closed the phone, and sunk down, trying to breathe deep and slow to stop the flood she knew was coming. One more day, she told herself. One more day.
���Tessa, what the hell is going on with you?��� Lucas asked. ���Do you need to go to the hospital, baby? You are a mess.��� He opened the door and tried to touch her.
���Don���t,��� she said.
���Okay Tessa, sorry,��� he said, looking confused. ���I need to know what is wrong.���
You are wrong, you asshole. You and your games. ���I have my period and don���t feel well,��� Tessa said, trying to make him uncomfortable enough to walk away.
���Oh,��� Lucas said. ���Okay. Do you get like this usually? I mean is this normal?���
Now she was getting pissed. ���No,��� she snapped.
���Okay.���
���Hey Lucas, come up for dinner. Tessa put a roast in the crock pot big enough to feed an army,��� Alex offered as he walked up to them.
Are you kidding me? she thought.
���Sounds good,��� Lucas said. ���You alright with that, Tessa?���
���I���m probably just going to bed anyway, but you���re more than welcome, bud,��� she said through clenched teeth.
���Ride with me?��� he asked.
���I would rather not move,��� Tessa said, looking away.
���Alright,��� he closed the door and walked to his car.
���Tessa, what���s going on with you?��� Alex asked.
���I have my period,��� she said, knowing it would freak him out.
Alex cringed. ���Gross,���
* * *
They pulled in the driveway and Lucas followed them into the house. Tessa walked in the door, and Chewy bounded up to her and pounced on her. Lucas came in a few seconds later, and Chewy went nuts. Tessa set him down and he ran to Lucas.
���Daddy���s home, huh boy,��� he said, winking at Tessa as he picked up the dog.
���Traitor,��� Tessa whispered.
Tessa checked the roast; it was falling apart and ready to eat. Kendall, Jake, and John walked in the door wrapped in towels.
���Did you tell Lucas about the hot tub?��� Kendall asked
���I forgot,��� she said.
���That���s cool,��� Lucas said as he messed up Kendall���s hair.
���Yeah, Lucas likes hot tubs, don���t you?��� she asked snidely.
He looked at her with hurt in his eyes. She was putting the food on plates, and he walked over to help. ���Sorry, baby,��� he whispered. ���We do need to talk about that sometime.���
���Spare me the details,��� she said.
She noticed him watching as she pushed the food around on her plate. There was no way she could eat. She emptied her food in the garbage and went to lie on the couch.
She heard John whisper as she lay on the couch.
���What���s wrong with Tessa?��� John asked.
���She has her period,��� Alex answered.
���Does she always act like this when that happens?��� Lucas asked looking scared.
���No,��� Alex and John said at the same time.
When dinner was finished Tessa was hoping he would leave so she could crawl in a corner and cry. But he didn���t, Lucas helped clean up. He washed dishes and Kendall and Jake helped rinse and dry. They told him how good Chewy was doing with the invisible fence training and they laughed as they told him that he was no good at fetch, ���Well I would love to help him with that, our last game is tomorrow, after that I will have some extra time until basketball starts,��� Lucas offered.
He came over to the sofa and kissed her cheek. She pretended to be asleep.
���Goodnight baby, I love you,��� he whispered in her ear. He said goodnight to everyone and thanked them for dinner, Chewy barked when he left.
Her phone chimed. She did not smile.
- Day 7 without Tessa Ross has been odd. I don���t understand woman things but I���m here anytime you need me. Just like you have been for me���LYA Lucas
She walked into the bathroom and got ready for bed.
���Tessa, you okay?��� Her dad asked.
Tessa nodded, kissed John on the head, and walked up the stairs. She was emotionally drained, and the thought of going through this again tomorrow brought her to tears. Her phone chimed again, this time it was Toby.
- Hello angel, I had this sudden urge to say hello lot
s of studying and tons of thinking of you, I hope all is well���Toby
- things are alright. I miss you, when will you be home again?...Tessa
- Thanksgiving, not soon enough and a very short stay���Toby
- UUGGHH I can���t wait���Tessa
- Sorry angel���Toby
- not your fault, proud of you!...Tessa
- Thanks girl, gotta go���Toby
- Goodnight ..Tessa
She fell asleep thinking of Toby, hoping he was for real because that���s the kind of man she wanted. Not someone who played games. Not someone she desperately wished could be who he said he was.
Tessa decided to go into school after lunch the next day with the hope of avoiding Lucas. .
- very worried about you baby, tell me you���re ok���LYA Lucas
- I���m ok I will come in after lunch so I don���t have to miss the game���Your Bud Tessa
- Ok see you then���LYA Lucas
Lucas was waiting for her after practice the next day. ���I know you don���t feel well but I need a hug or kiss. I am a ball of nerves right now. I want SU to pick me, and I want to be close to you, Tessa,��� Lucas said softly.
Selfish ass, Tessa thought. But she hugged him anyway. He wrapped his arms tightly around her. He kissed her head, and she wanted to fall apart right there. Lucas lifted her chin and lightly kissed her lips, then buried his head into her neck. She knew this was the last time she would be hugging him. I am going to leave him wanting more, she thought, pulling back. He looked at her, she kissed him and he relaxed, he pulled her bottom lip and she willingly let him in. It was a gentle exploration by him. She didn���t reciprocate.
���There he is,��� she heard little voices yell.
Lucas smiled. ���Time to meet the family.��� He turned around and knelt down, and they jumped in his arms. He smiled. ���I missed you two very much.��� He set them down.
���Lucas, is this your princess?��� Ally asked.
���One of the three,��� he said.
Or four or thirteen, she thought.
She smiled at them. ���Hello, Ally and Alexandra. I���m Tessa.��� She smiled at them and extended her hand. ���She���s beautiful,��� Alexandra said to Lucas.
���And you both are too. And very sweet,��� Tessa laughed.
���Where���s the doggy that���s always with you?��� Ally asked.
���What?��� Tessa giggled.
Lucas laughed. ���Chewy���s at her house. He doesn���t go to school yet. He���s too young.���
Lucas looked so happy, so innocently happy. She loved this Lucas, the one without walls or that dirty mind racing. She started feeling a knot forming in her throat.
���Tessa, this is my father, Landon, and my step mother, Audrianna,��� he said.
Lucas���s father looked like she imagined Lucas would in twenty years; handsome and tall with dark clean cut hair and amazing green eyes. And Audrianna was beautiful. She had gray eyes and straight blonde hair.
Tessa smiled. ���Pleasure to meet you.���
His father looked her up and down, making her feel like she was being judged at the county fair.
Audri hugged her. ���It���s wonderful to meet you, Tessa. It���s nice to put a face to the name of the girl who has made Lucas so happy.���
���Thank you.��� She managed to smile.
���She���s beautiful, Lucas,��� Landon said, smiling. ���Good job, son. Would you like to join us for a small dinner before the game, Tessa?���
���No, thank you,��� Tessa said softly.
Landon looked annoyed.
���Tessa hasn���t been feeling well for the past couple days,��� Lucas said. ���She just got done with hockey practice. She should probably go home and rest before the game. You are coming to the game right baby?��� Lucas asked.
Big girl pants, Tessa she thought. ���I wouldn���t miss it for the world.���
���She���s not pregnant is she Lucas?��� Landon asked bluntly.
Tessa���s eyes widened and she looked down.
���Dad,��� he said and gave him a nasty look and whispered, ���quite the opposite.���
Holy shit Tessa thought, he just told his father I have my period.
���Okay you three we have managed to make Tessa uncomfortable in less than five minutes, let���s get in the car and wait for Lucas,��� she hugged Tessa, ���I am so sorry for that, he can be such an ass,��� she whispered in her ear.
Tessa smiled. ���No need to apologize.���
���I want you to know that he loves you and I see him finally, he hasn���t had the best role models. Thank you.��� Audrianna kissed her cheek and took the girls��� hands.
���Well hello, Landon, Audrianna, girls,��� Sadi said, approaching them. ���I see you���ve met the farm girl,��� she said. ���No offense, Tessa.���
���None taken, Sadi,��� Tessa sneered.
���Sadi, you look beautiful,��� Landon smiled.
���And you, Mr. Links are hot as hell, as always��� they laughed.
Lucas looked at Audrianna and narrowed his eyes.
���Let���s go girls,��� she smiled.
���She isn���t a princess Tessa,��� Ally whispered to Tessa.
Tessa bent down to hug her, ���She���s a nasty old troll.���
Both girls laughed and hugged her.
���Will you bring the doggy tonight?��� Ally sweetly asked.
Tessa smiled. ���I don���t know. He may be very busy doing doggy stuff, but I will certainly ask him,���
���Don���t be long, Lucas. Girls, let���s go. Nice to meet you, Tessa,��� Landon said as he turned and walked toward the car.
���Sorry about that, baby,��� Lucas said and hugged her. ���The girls love you almost as much as I do.��� She didn���t respond. ���I hope you feel better soon. Can we get together after the game?���
���Maybe, if you win.��� She smiled at him.
���She smiles, thank God.��� Lucas kissed her. His father honked the horn breaking up the kiss.
���See you tonight.��� He reached into his bag and grabbed his away Jersey, then handed it to her. ���Will you wear this tonight?���
Hell no, she thought. ���Sure Lucas, anything for you.���
He kissed her again and walked away.
Damn it, she thought, why do I feel like I have to walk on egg shells for this dick! Only a few more hours she told herself.
* * *
Tessa brought a chair to sit on the lawn so that no one at the game would be tripped up by the ball of fur. She had called the pet store and found out how much each item had cost so she could pay Lucas back, and she put the money in an envelope with a note thanking him for the gift.
The game was awesome. Another shut out by the boys in blue. Jake grabbed Chewy���s leash and headed for the field at the end of the game. He dropped the leash and the little fuzz ball took off through the crowd. Tessa jumped up and tried to help Jake and Kendall catch him, but the little traitor ran right to Lucas. He was pulling at Lucas���s laces when Tessa got there, and Lucas���s sisters were all over Chewy, laughing as he licked their faces.
���Sorry about that,��� Tessa said. ���I think he was excited to meet you both. I told him all about the two pretty princesses.���
���That was an awesome game, boys,��� the man with the SU jacket said a
nd he shook Alex, Tommy, and Lucas���s hands. ���How long have you three played together?���
���Tommy and I played together all through high school, our schools merged, and we started playing with Alex this fall. Alex, this is your first year playing right?��� he asked. Alex shook his head yes, ���Unbelievable right?��� Lucas said to the scout.
���None of you play like high school students. You boys are amazing,��� he said, ���Mr. Links, thank you for the call. By the way how are your grades?���
Again Lucas spoke, ���All national honor society, but Alex is second in our class so far, until I beat him��� that is,��� he said smiling.
���Amazing, so you play basketball?��� he asked, all three nodded their heads yes, ���Don���t go getting injured. You���ll be hearing from me soon,��� and he walked away.
Tessa hugged Alex and he spun her around. John and Maggie were there with the kids. Next to them was Lucas���s family.
���Alex is it?��� Landon said. ���You did great. How you know Tessa?��� he asked with a slight scowl.
���She���s my sister, sir,��� Alex answered.
���Oh, ok,��� Landon relaxed.
���Thank you for getting him here,��� Alex said, nodding to the SU recruiter walking away.
���No problem,��� Landon smiled.
Lucas was staring at Tessa, she leaned toward him. ���Good game rock star.���
He picked her up and kissed her. ���My parents,��� she reminded him.
���Oh, sorry Tessa.��� Lucas put her down and kept her hand in his.
���Dad, Audrianna, this is John and Maggie Ross, Tessa and Alex���s parents, this is Kendall and Jake and Molly isn���t here, they are Tessa���s family. This is my father Landon, step mother Audrianna, and these two are Princesses Ally and Alexandra.���