Forever Marked (Marked Series Book 1)
Page 25
We never exchanged contact details and I don't know why. Maybe things had been just too head-over-heels in the end? Maybe you didn't want to because you thought that I needed to focus on other things. Maybe you thought I wouldn't contact you. Either way, I figure I need to fight for this harder than I have ever fought for anything. That sure means something because I am a soldier. Anyways, I got your address from the front desk. Remember that you needed to sign it? Well, technically the solider did that for you, so maybe it slipped your mind. It certainly vanished from mine. Either way, thankfully Tank reminded me of protocol.
It’s too funny how he suddenly changed his tune about you because he thinks you are what will keep me sane. Little does he know that sane is not what you do to me.
When I think of you I cannot help but feel all warm. I want to be rough with you even while I'm soft. I want to mark you mine even while I hope you'll mark me yours. I want to own you while I want to be owned by you.
I've never been one to write letters. I always hated that there was no response or no chance to see what the person reading thinks while doing so. With you I don't mind. I guess it's because I can always tell myself the letter got lost.
Or someone kept it from you.
I don't know how good I'll be with writing, or how often, but I want to try, because the need to pick up the phone and call you is overwhelming. Not that I have your number or anything...
No matter what's coming our way, Tessa, remember that I'll always be your soldier. Remember that you are the woman who cracked my heart wide open. Remember that you are all I want. There are moments when I think that you are maybe MORE important than anything else. Does that scare you?
It sure as hell scares me. And proves one thing:
I love you.
Jazz
Chapter One
October 2014
Tessa Rowan checked her list for the hundredth time. It wasn't every day that she would be traveling to the US to meet all her crazy online acquaintances. Aimie, Hilary and Emma were going to be there once she arrived. Three weeks of fun, friends and festivities. She hated that her best friend wouldn't be able to join them, but Evy had just gotten a promotion and wasn't ready to leave yet.
“What if we don't get along?” Tessa asked again, hearing her best friend sigh. She was trying to help her pack, but she didn't offer much useful advice. Instead though her best friend seemed distracted.
“It'll be fine. The good thing is none of the girls have met before. I mean this will be new for all of you. Imagine how I'll feel next time I come along. You already know each other and I will be the outsider,” she complained and Tessa turned back to her, placing her hands on her hips. As if she'd let her bestie feel left out.
“Please, as if I'd ever give you the chance to feel unloved,” Tessa mumbled, grabbing a pair of jeans. For some reason, she was nauseous. In less than twenty-four hours she'd be sitting in a plane, getting away. For years she had thought about that trip and finally it was becoming reality.
“I know you’d never do that, but still, I want to go with you,” Evy fussed and Tessa rolled her eyes.
“And I want your ten thousand plus paycheck every month,” she replied, and Evy grinned, sitting up. That definitely was something she really liked. This probably was one of the few moments where her best friend didn’t look pensive.
“Okay, so I checked you in online. You’ll have a window seat throughout almost every flight. In LA you’ll have to hurry since I’m not able to reserve a seat from there to Monterey. Not that it will matter, because by then you’ll be ready to drop.”
Evy was damn good at her job as a travel agent and therefore, Tessa didn’t have to arrange anything. She had just pulled out her credit card and paid for whatever Evy had gotten her.
“Thank you, I can’t say that enough.”
Her best friend just waved that off, giving her a hug before finally starting to fold Tessa’s clothes and helping her pack. She had so much stuff that she would need six very strong guys to carry her bags. Half of it would stay in the US, since Tessa had agreed to bring chocolate and other goodies with her, but she sure would fill the space with new items in no time.
“I want you to message me once you’ve landed and found Wi-Fi. Remember, roaming costs are enormous. You want to avoid them, trust me,” Evy explained and Tessa felt a little as if her mother had gotten a twin. Between those two it wasn’t hard to feel twelve years old again: “Wear a sweater. It’s California, I know, but it’ll be October nonetheless.” Her mother was worried out of her mind, and Evy wasn’t far behind, even though her best friend would never officially admit to being concerned.
“Keep an eye your bags. You’ll most likely have them checked in all the way, but your handbag and carry-on definitely need watching. There’s a lot of pickpocketing in LAX, but I’m sure you can keep your stuff together. Split your money. Everything you have should be in four different bags. It’s safer for you. Plus, the credit card; keep it where you can reach it and not lose it. I don’t know, sew a pocket into your bra or something,” Evy went on and Tessa turned, cocking her head.
“It’s not my first flight. Even though my last trip to the States was more than a decade ago, I still know overall what I need to be aware of. Besides, I plan on keeping my credit card with me at all times. It’s the only thing that can save my life after all,” Tessa winked, hoping that once she’d start her trip, her calm would finally return.
Thinking about which handbag to take for the flight, and which to pack for use in the US, she threw her favorite black one into the luggage since it was too small for a trip like that.
With combined forces they closed the two suitcases and then sat down on them, sighing. This was it. She had her clothes ready and all she had to do now was wait for morning and her trip to begin.
The moment it was time to say goodbye, the tears started streaming down Tessa’s cheek. It made her realize how quickly life could be over. Even though airplanes had amazing statistics when it came to delivering their passengers safely to wherever they wanted to go, there were enough accidents to bring Tessa to remind Evy that she loved her more than anyone on this earth. She was the sister heaven had refused to give to her.
“I’m going to miss you like hell. No matter what’ll come, you’re the best friend a girl can wish for. I’m gonna text you whenever I can. And I’ll facetime you every night. You work forever anyways, so we’ll have all the time in the world. Please, try to get out of work earlier than you did the last few days though. Actually, don’t. It might make you regret not coming, and regret is something you shouldn’t be feeling. We’ll make sure the next get-together is here, at our home,” Tessa promised, seeing how Evy wiped away her own tears.
“Stop making it sound like we’ll never see each other again. I want you to get out, clear your head and have fun. I know you need it.”
And it was true. Tessa’s life had run in circles for the last three years and her usually calm demeanor had changed into a short-tempered, frustrated one.
Besides, Tessa knew she needed to get away from her monotone routines in order to find out what she was missing. Hanging with the girls seemed to be the perfect way to get her head back in the game and think about what she wanted from life, because even though she always used to have a plan, life seemed to take an entirely different turn. Twenty-nine was by no means old, but she wasn’t the exactly a teen anymore, either, and kids seemed to be a fantasy that didn’t belong in her reality any longer. After all, just the timeline already was difficult: finding a guy and getting to know him enough to maybe plan a baby … that could take years. And then you never knew if you’d even get pregnant right away … nah, children most likely weren’t in her cards anymore, especially since finding a guy seemed impossible. Once burned, twice shy; that was definitely Tessa’s motto since her ex-boyfriend had managed to crumble her self-confidence into little pieces again and again.
Perfect, none-cheating guys existed only in books. Romanti
c gestures were a creation of the female mind because they were deprived of the flowers-and-candles-reality. Maybe all stories had spoiled Tessa for any real guy out there. She had no idea and didn’t want to think about it any longer.
“We both know I do,” she agreed and then kissed her best friend’s cheek another time before hugging her tight. Her luggage was checked in, her tickets were safely put away in her handbag and her credit card rested between her Starbucks- and her health-insurance-card.
“I want postcards. A million. And pictures. A million-and-one,” Evy whispered before releasing her.
“Everything you want, I promise,” Tessa laughed and then stepped back, knowing she needed to go now or she wouldn’t ever leave without stowing her best friend away in her handbag.
Passing through security, Tessa thought about the last time she had been so excited and obviously it had been too damn long because she simply couldn’t remember it at all.
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Table of Contents
Dedication
Prologue
Chapter One
Chapter Two
Chapter Three
Chapter Four
Chapter Five
Chapter Six
Chapter Seven
Chapter Eight
Chapter Nine
Chapter Ten
Chapter Eleven
Chapter Twelve
Chapter Thirteen
Chapter Fourteen
Chapter Fifteen
Chapter Sixteen
Chapter Seventeen
Chapter Eighteen
Chapter Nineteen
Chapter Twenty
Epilogue
Acknowledgements
About the Author
Sneak Peek from B.A. Dillon
Sneak Peek from Sam Destiny