by Bria Berg
The rest of her pack readily agreed, adding in their own adjectives to describe the men as they made their way towards the back of the store where Tessa was hiding.
“What was up with them always hanging around Whoretessa though?” Brigette questioned while the others giggled. “Ethan still does during P.E. so I wouldn’t be surprised if she gave them freebies to be her clients.”
More giggles erupted from Brigette and her friends, before they all began talking about how desperate Tessa was.
Tears burned in Tessa’s eyes as she remained crouched down low between the dressing rooms and the rack of colorful dresses that was shielding her. They even had a nickname for her. Great. Nicole came out of the dressing room then. She didn’t see Tessa at first as her eyes wandered over to Brigette and her friends, and then to the entrance of the store, where Milo and Sam were making their way in. Nicole glanced at Tessa before moving her eyes back up to the brothers. “Those really gorgeous guys from the school board are in here,” she whispered then added, “What are you doing on the floor?”
“They came in here?” Tessa asked in alarm. After what Brigette and her friends had just said, northing good would come from this.
Milo gazed around the room searching for Tessa. When he saw Brigette walk into the store followed by her gaggle of lemmings, he wanted to get Tessa out as fast as possible. He spotted Nicole in the back talking down to someone. He and Sam made their way through the store while Ethan waited out in the mall hallway.
“Hey Brigette,” Nicole said causing Milo to pause and Tessa to hold her breath. Why was she talking to Brigette? They weren’t friends.
“Nicole! Stop it, is that your prom dress?” Brigette asked motioning to the dress wrapped around Nicole’s arms.
Turn around, turn around, Tessa kept willing Brigette.
“You’ll look so hot in it! If Neil doesn’t already have a hotel room he’s going to get one after he sees you in that,” Brigette said with a wink.
That is a tone that Tessa knew well. It’s a bit more high pitched than normal, with way too much excitement. Brigette was being as fake as could be to Nicole, and Tessa couldn’t help but wonder why. She glanced up at Nicole, who looked down at the same time. Tessa pled with her eyes for Nicole not reveal that she was hiding, but she didn’t have that kind of luck.
“I know right,” Nicole agreed with Brigette’s statement sounding like her old self. “Tessa is here with me, and you were totally right, she denied the rumors just like you said she would.”
“Well duh, she has to keep her business a secret. It is illegal to be a prostitute. Where is she then?” Brigette asked looking around the store.
Tessa watched Nicole’s mouth open in dread, but she stopped from speaking. She was staring at someone. None of the girls attention was on Nicole anymore though, they all looked at the two newcomers of the group. Just when Tessa thought she might stand up to hurry and get the degradation over with, Milo’s voice stopped her.
“Hello ladies,” he said smoothly coming to interrupt the group. He and Sam both knew that Tessa had been hiding, and heard enough of the conversation to know she was humiliated.
All of the girls present blushed and giggled in the brother’s presence.
“Shopping for prom?” Sam asked, further diverting their attention away from Nicole and therefore Tessa.
“Yes,” Brigette replied being the boldest of the group. “We need to look hot for the last dance of our high school careers.” She finished with a flirtatious grin. She glanced at Tessa hiding on the floor for the first time and added, “For those of us going anyway.”
Neither brother so much as smiled at her comment. “You know,” Milo began with a little grin. “Girls like you are a dime a dozen.”
“Excuse me?” Brigette asked smiling, though she was clearly confused by his choice of words.
“Let’s just go,” Tessa pled in a small voice standing up. It was clear that Nicole wasn’t really her friend, and she was so done being in this situation.
Brigette looked back and forth between Milo and Tessa as a devious smile crossed her lips. “Oh I get it.”
Anger built up in Tessa’s stomach like acid and the lights in the store flickered. “You don’t get anything, Brigette,” she said.
“Tess,” Sam warned softly, eying the lights.
“Sure I do,” Brigette said oblivious. “You’re so desperate that—”
“Enough,” Milo interrupted with a dangerous look in his eyes which were solely focused on Brigette. “You are not even worthy enough to look at Tessa, let alone talk to her. The only desperate one I see here is you.” He leaned in closer and added, “Remember one day when you are home with only your ugly, miserable, self to keep you company, with no one there who loves you, know that Tessa will always be surrounded by people who love her. She will never be alone.”
There was an audible gasp in the group of Brigette’s friends, while Tessa’s eyes filled with tears. She couldn’t believe what he had said, and the look on Brigette’s face was priceless. Silently, Sam came to her side and tucked her under his arm before guiding her out of the store. Milo glared at the group a few seconds more before turning to follow.
Once they were in the parking lot, Tessa threw herself into Milo’s arms. “Nobody has ever stood up for me before,” she whimpered into his shoulder. Every feeling of anger she had been feeling towards him over the week vanished. She would take Milo, in whatever way she could have him.
He embraced her tightly, his arms molding around her body perfectly. “I’ll always protect you Tess. Always.”
“Guys,” Ethan said cautiously.
Milo and Tessa turned at the same time to see her dad walking towards them. Tessa tensed, while Milo’s arms tightened around her. Jim held his hands up in a non-threatening way as he neared them. A lump formed in Tessa’s throat as she stared at him. He had almost succeeded in taking her to Dracul; she wasn’t one hundred percent sure she could trust him, despite what Milo thought.
“What are you doing here?” Sam demanded.
“I came to let you know that Dracul has stepped back for the time being,” Jim replied.
“Why?” Ethan asked.
“If that man has anything, it is patience. He said he would allow Tess to graduate before coming for her again. It took some pleading on my part, but he eventually relented. Why I don’t know, but he seems confident, and that worries me. He believes he knows your weakness.”
“My weakness?” Tessa questioned.
Jim shrugged his shoulders not having the slightest idea.
“It’s not safe for you to be here,” Milo said to him. “Why did you come?”
Jim pressed his lips together and his eyes softened as he gazed at Tessa. “I wanted to tell you I’m sorry Tess. I never wanted any of this for you. Whatever happens… I want you to know I’ll always be there for you.”
Tessa nodded, not yet ready to have this kind of conversation with her father. Even if he hadn’t tried to kidnap her and take her to Dracul, her childhood and lack of a father in it was cause enough to stay silent.
A flash a disappointment mixed with sadness fell over Jim’s face before he nodded once and turned to leave. Sam, Ethan, Milo and Tessa piled into the car to leave only moments later. Tessa glanced out the window as they drove past Nicole’s car and frowned. It’s not like she and Nicole were ever super close; she had a bad attitude ninety-five percent of the time. Still, it hurt her that Brigette had managed to somehow take away the only remaining friend she had at school.
Tessa rested her head against the window gazing blankly outside at the passing trees, buildings and people as they drove through the city. Knowing that Dracul didn’t plan to attack until after she graduated was a relief, but at the same time it was disconcerting that he was confident he would succeed in taking her. She peeled her eyes away from the window, glancing at the three men who she cared about more than she could express in words. Sam was driving, Ethan sat in the front seat playi
ng on his phone, and Milo sat in the back with her, leaning his head back and eyes closed. A realization hit her; they were her weakness, but more than that, they were also her strength.
Chapter 37
Even though Jim had said Dracul wouldn’t come for Tessa before graduation, that didn’t stop the brothers, especially Milo from being incredibly overprotective. School was the only place she could go without being accompanied by Milo, yet Ethan was still there. Everything else, everywhere else she went, Milo was there, watching, waiting for any sign of a threat.
Tessa talked to Hailey as much as she could while at school. She felt a little guilty that she had practically moved out and left Hailey alone with their mother. They were different though, and nothing could change that. Hailey’s attitude towards Tessa had altered ever since she learned the truth of what had happened between Tessa, Dean, and Brigette; she didn’t act like it was a pain to talk to her older sister anymore. A new cell phone was bought for the sole purpose of Tessa and Hailey being able to talk to each other on the phone. Tessa was still worried about her sister; Hailey was still dating Jake, and who knew who else that could be bad news as well. Tessa called Hailey every night, just to tell her goodnight, and listen if she needed to talk. She didn’t want Hailey to ever feel as alone as she once did.
Prom came and went, and the night of the dance, the brothers took Tessa out to a movie so she wouldn’t even think about missing her senior prom. Each of the brothers, even Milo had approached her, willing to take her, but Tessa really didn’t want to go. The memories of high school, with all the people she knew in it, weren’t memories she would cherish or even wanted to remember. The memories she would cherish from this stage of life were ones with the Rick’s brothers, her new family.
When graduation finally came around, it seemed like it had snuck up on Tessa. She had been waiting for this day for so long, and finally it was here and yet it seemed to come so fast. When her name was called to receive her diploma, she smiled hearing Milo’s, Sam’s, and Ethan’s hoots very loud and very clear. They were so noisy she didn’t even hear the snickers and giggles that sounded as “Baby Tessa Grant” was called. It was a bitter sweet moment; she was free of high school, but she wasn’t safe anymore, and that meant the brothers weren’t either.
After the ceremony, Tessa was genuinely surprised to see that both her mom and dad had come. The brothers surrounded her, eying Jim cautiously. He could have only showed up to try and take her again for all they knew. Jim didn’t seem as if he was a threat at the moment however; he was too busy staring daggers at Sandra’s new boy toy that she had brought along. He was young, his age showed as he openly checked out several of the high school girls that walked by. Sandra didn’t seem to notice though, especially after her eyes landed on Milo, Sam and Ethan.
“These are the… friends you’ve been staying with?” Sandra questioned Tessa, not at all discretely ogling the three of them.
“Yep,” Tessa replied.
“Well I just don’t know how I feel about this. It isn’t very appropriate is it?” she said, even though she was smiling flirtatiously.
“Appropriate?” Jim asked before Tessa could respond. “You are hardly one to talk Sandra, and besides she is eighteen, she can do whatever she wants, with whomever she wants.”
Tessa wasn’t sure if she should be grateful to her dad or not. Even though what he said was true, he most likely only said it for the purpose of disagreeing with her mom. They always did that. “Mom, I haven’t lived at home for a few months now. Did you even notice I was gone?”
Sandra laughed to cover up her embarrassment. “Of course I noticed, silly. I know Hailey especially misses good homemade meals, but no, you decided to just leave us. Your sister and I have been having to eat out much more lately, but what else is there do?” she finished with a delicate, helpless shrug of her shoulders.
“I don’t know, maybe learn to cook for yourselves?” Tessa replied dryly. Was her cooking really the only thing that her mother missed?
Sandra laughed off Tessa’s comment with a flick of her wrist, as if it was the most preposterous thing to actually cook for herself. That’s when Jim started laying it on thick to his ex-wife that she should have allowed him to take the girls when he wanted to years ago.
“Congrats sis,” Hailey sidled up to Tessa, putting her around her shoulder. Their parents arguing was more of an annoyance now rather than a source of pain like it used to be.
“Thanks Hailey,” Tessa replied giving her a squeeze.
Hailey’s smile fell slightly. “You’re not coming back home, are you?”
Tessa sighed. “No. I still have some things to get, but I finally found somewhere I belong.”
Nodding, Hailey smiled encouragingly. She understood why Tessa would want to leave home. Tessa was different than her and their mother. With one last hug, the sisters separated, but not before Hailey whispered, “Don’t be a stranger.”
“I won’t,” Tessa promised.
Her parents were still in the midst of the squabble so Tessa didn’t even bother saying goodbye as she walked away. Ethan came and pulled her against his side, flicking her little tassel dangling from her graduation hat playfully. Milo and Sam weren’t far behind.
“We need to go celebrate,” Ethan said lightheartedly.
Tessa raised an eyebrow in question. “I thought that after graduation we were going to basically go into hibernation until we figure out what Dracul is up to?”
“You deserve it, Tess,” Sam said nudging her from the other side. “We’ll still be cautious, but I think we all need to have some fun. Today might be our last chance for a while.”
“What do you have in mind?” Tessa grinned, liking that idea very much.
Chapter 38
After driving for an hour, they pulled into the parking lot of the local theme park. The massive roller coasters circling around over and over again made Tessa’s stomach dance with nervous excitement. People were everywhere, eating cotton candy and turkey legs, laughing and playing. Rides swooped around, clicking and clanking in the process, while people screamed from the rush.
“You look like a little kid in a candy store,” Milo laughed, watching her wide eyed expression as she took it all in.
“I’ve never been to a place like this before,” Tessa admitted, flinching slightly as the rollercoaster they were next to roared down the track loudly.
“You’ve never been to a theme park?” Ethan asked in bewilderment.
She shook her head no. Not for lack of wanting, but it’s not like her parents ever took her when she was a kid.
“Well the day is already halfway gone, so let’s get started!” he said nudging her towards the nearest ride.
While standing in line, they watched the people ahead of them load onto the seats, and the safety harnesses came down over their shoulders. Once they were secure, they suddenly blasted upwards like a rocket hundreds of feet in the air, before dropping again. Tessa couldn’t contain her excitement as they got closer to the front of the line. Unable to stand still she shifted back and forth from foot to foot as the brothers watched her in amusement.
“Are you ready for this?” Milo bumped her playfully.
“Yes!” she replied stepping up to the seat.
Her heart raced as she was strapped in. Milo and Ethan took up the seats on either side of her while Sam sat next to Ethan. She laughed as the shoulder straps came down over their big broad bodies; it looked awkward and almost like they wouldn’t fit. A count down started, coming from the speakers in the head rest. That was the only warning before they shot upwards. The G-force was more than she had ever felt before, and her head was forced back against her seat. It felt like she couldn’t breathe until they reached the top and there was a moment of respite before the ride plummeted down. Her insides stayed up at the top, at least that’s what she thought for a moment before the ride jetted back upwards once again, over and over again.
Tessa’s legs were wobbly when she sto
od up from her seat after the ride had finally stopped, and Milo laughed as he reached out to steady her. She beamed at the brothers, her adrenaline still on a high.
“That was awesome!” she exclaimed. That feeling of floating and soaring was terrifying and amazing.
For the rest of the day, the four of them went on every exhilarating attraction they could go on. It was the most free and uninhibited Tessa had felt in months, perhaps even her entire life. The fact that they were in such a public place gave them the safety and relief knowing that Dracul would never attack with so many human witnesses, and she felt like a teenager without a care in the world.
The sun was beginning its decent and it was time to go home. They made it about twenty feet towards the exit when Ethan got distracted by a gorgeous blonde wearing a mini skirt. Sam needed to use the restroom so he left Tessa and Milo standing alone. The Ferris wheel turned above them while Tessa gazed up at it. They didn’t get the chance to go on the ride, since they were more concerned about going on the faster, more thrilling attractions. The line was practically nonexistent since most people seemed to have to same idea.
“You want to go on it?” Milo asked watching her.
“It seems almost blasphemous that I wouldn’t go on the Ferris wheel on my first trip to a theme park,” she smiled walking towards the ride.
Milo joined her and after waiting in line for a short time, they climbed into one of the seats. Milo pulled the bar over their laps, and they jerked upwards.
“There are no harnesses?” Tessa asked in a panic as a cold sweat suddenly formed on the back of her neck. Their seat rocked forwards and backwards with every small movement she made and she feared she would flip right out. The feeling only got worse as the wheel moved them closer towards the top. Every stop jerked them about as she clung to the bar over her lap.
“Are you scared?” Milo asked in disbelief.