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I didn’t answer, telling myself that Tessa’s chance of survival increased without me.
Chait slipped into the back seat carrying a duffle bag. “I snuck out the window and jumped the fence when no one was looking, then sprinted down the block. I’m pretty sure no one knows I left.”
Without saying a word, I started the car. Tessa stared out the window.
“Uhm, is everything okay?” he asked.
“Everything’s peachy,” she said after a few moments of silence, then gave a sigh-moan combo. “I need to go home and see Bree. What are our plans tonight? Or am I assuming too much, Hayden, by thinking that we’re all still a team? Have you decided to go on alone?”
“We’re a team, Tessa. We’re sticking together, no matter what.”
“I’ve heard that before,” she muttered.
Chait poked his head between the two seats. “What the hell is going on?”
“Hayden dumped me. Cool, huh? I shouldn’t be surprised, but what can I say? I’m a girl. We tend to believe guys when they say they care — even users like Hayden. May as well write sucker on my forehead.” She glared at me.
“It wasn’t like that. I never meant to mislead you.”
“Maybe you guys should finish this when I’m not around,” Chait said mercifully.
If I had my way, the subject would go away and Tessa would forget about it completely. She was the most grounded and confident girl I’d ever met. Once she recovered from the sting of betrayal, she’d realize what a dog she’d fallen for and wonder what she ever saw in me. Unfortunately for me, that would come too soon. I hated the thought of Tessa getting over me. Realistically, there probably wouldn’t be much for her to get over. How much could she really care for someone like me anyway?
Until then, I would be eternally grateful that Chait would be stuck to us — he’d offer a much needed buffer. If she and I had been alone together, she’d make me talk and eventually, I might tell her the truth — how much breaking up with her ripped me up inside.
But if I had to watch her take up with him or anyone else, I couldn’t hang around. I’d pick sides in a hurry or take my chances with Boris.
* * * *
Bree did her homework at the dining room table at Tessa’s while we practiced moving objects in the living room. We huddled into a triangle and kept the lights dim, so Bree couldn’t easily see what we were doing.
“So you’re really going to stay, huh?” she asked me between turns. “You’re not obligated.”
I loved Tessa, more than anyone I’d ever loved my entire life. But her occasional barb made me want to pick a fight. I wanted to yell at her and tell her to get over it.
Then take her to bed.
“I said I would.”
“I thought with your commitment phobia, it might be a problem for you.”
“Tessa, can we stop this? I never lied to you and the last thing I want to do is hurt you.”
“That may or may not be true.” She nodded. “But that’s not what I mean. I’m talking about being honest with yourself. You knew from the begi
“Can you guys do this later?” Chait asked.
Tessa plowed on as if he hadn’t spoken. “If, deep in a corner of your mind, it occurs to you that the next girl might not be right, maybe you should pay attention. You might try not asking her to be your girlfriend.” She stomped off and a moment later, a door slammed.
“Dude, what the hell are you doing?” Chait asked, voice low.
“We’re waiting for Tessa to get back. When Bree’s done with her homework—”
“You know that’s not what I’m asking.” Chait looked genuinely concerned.
I squeezed my eyes shut. “The door’s open for you and you’re questioning me? You like her. Here’s your chance.”
“Yeah, who wouldn’t mind hooking up with that? But she likes you, idiot. Besides, I don’t do rebound girls.” He shook his head. “No, thank you.”
Inwardly, I breathed a sigh of relief. Tessa shouldn’t be with me. She needed to move on.
But not while I watched.
Chapter Thirty-five
Tessa
Bree fell asleep during her bedtime story and I curled up on the floor at the foot of her bed. I cried. Not the kind of crying you do when you’re frustrated, hurt or a little angry. It was the cry that contorts your face and makes your nose run, your eyes bloodshot.
That bastard.
I’d known better, but had stupidly let my guard down. My instincts had screamed at me but I’d ignored them — because he’d looked at me and touched me like he cared. He’d been so convincing. Could anyone fake it that well? If he hadn’t learned to block his thoughts, I would’ve known.
When I’d cried myself dry, I tiptoed out of her room and crept close enough for the boys to hear me, while keeping some distance, so they wouldn’t see my splotchy face. “I’m jumping in the shower.”
In the bathroom, I called my grandmother. I knew I shouldn’t since it wasn’t an emergency. But I needed to hear her voice and see how Zoe was doing.
“Hi, sweetheart. We can’t talk long.”
“Okay.” I was elated she picked up the phone at all. “But I have to know how she’s doing.”
“We gave her blood and an IV with medicine and nutrients so she can begin healing. Plus I’ve worked on her personally, as a healer. She was in bad shape, honey, and she’s got a ways to go. But I think she’ll be waking soon. We’re seeing more movement.”
“When she’s up, will you tell her that Rena, the one who tried to kill her, is dead? After all she’s been through, I think she might like to know.”
“I will. Be safe, baby.”
After my shower, I took some extra time making myself presentable by blow drying my hair and putting on a tiny bit of makeup. I wouldn’t be leaving the house the rest of the night, but that didn’t mean I had to look frumpy. We would be up a while so no point in wearing pajamas. I threw on a tank top and short shorts, then left the safety of my room to face the boys.
I’d be nicer to Hayden. Being bitchy only stirred things up. He couldn’t help how he felt and I couldn’t force him to love me. I wouldn’t go out of my way to be friendly though.
“Hey.” I smiled at both of them. Hayden flinched and looked away. I sighed inwardly and focused on Chait. Thank goodness for him or I’d feel so alone. “What are you guys doing?”
“Working on Hayden’s mind reading skills. I’m showing him the difference between an image completely made up and something the person may have seen through someone else.”
“Oh, good. Yeah, I did that with Frank and Lila.”
“Tessa,” Hayden said, “if we go to school every other day and switch like that, it’s going to look weird by the end of the week. I was thinking it might be a good idea for you to go to school tomorrow. I’ll stay and train with Chait. At night, I can take care of Bree while you train.”
Why would he do such a thing, taking care of a little girl? He wasn’t my boyfriend anymore. “I—”
“I don’t mind. Bree’s a sweet girl. We have fun when we hang out. You and I are still a team, right? Neither of us can do it alone.”
“He’s right,” Chait said. “We might come up with a better plan up the road, but for now, it’s a start.”
“If I’m using Hayden, I may as well use the babysitter. Same difference. That makes me as bad as my mom.”
“No,” Hayden said. “Because you’ll still be close by and available if she needs anything.”
* * * *
I squeezed in with Bree and snuggled up to her little body. The boys slept in my room, one on the bed and the other on the floor. I’d heard my parents come home in the middle of the night, laughing. Together. Strange. They hadn’t looked in on their children before disappearing into their room right across from Bree’s. They never did.