Tessa Ever After by Brighton Walsh Page B

playing. “I don’t know if that’d be a good idea.”
    I frown. “You don’t trust me with her?”
    “No! No, that’s not it at all. Of course I trust you with her, Jason.” She expels a deep breath and avoids my eyes. “I’m just not sure everyone would be . . . comfortable.”
    “Who wouldn’t be comfortable?”
    “Um, you.”
    “Why the hell wouldn’t I be comfortable? I hang out with Haley all the time.” When she doesn’t answer and brings her thumbnail to her mouth, chewing on it relentlessly as she avoids my eyes, I say, “Tess, I have no idea what the hell you’re talking about. Just spit it out already.”
    She drops her arm and meets my gaze, her shoulders back as if she’s bracing for my reaction. “I’m going on a date with Greg. That’s why I called a babysitter.”
    And she was right to brace herself, because I feel like I just got punched in the goddamn stomach. For days, I’ve done nothing but think about her, about that night on the dance floor and the time spent with her and Haley when we all skipped our obligations, and try to figure out how I could possibly make this work. I came over here tonight with the intention of telling her, asking if she might be interested in trying, despite the warnings from her brother. Despite knowing it’s a bad idea.
    And while I was doing all that, she was making plans to date the boring-as-fuck dude I know is better suited to her than I am.
    I stare at her, my jaw flexing as I try to get myself under control. When I think I can talk and not give anything away, I affect nonchalance as I shrug and say, “So go on your date.”
    Her head snaps to mine, her eyes wide. “You . . . you don’t mind?”
    “Why should I mind, Tess?” My voice is low, controlled as much as I can manage.
    “Just . . . the other night . . . and . . .” She shakes her head, snapping her mouth shut. “Nothing. Of course. Well, if you’re sure . . .”
    I pull off my coat and toss it on the couch, shrugging as I cross my arms against my chest. “I’m sure.”
    Her gaze is pulled away by lights shining into the living room, and she goes over to look out the window. “That’s him. I’m just going to go say good night to Haley.”
    Not a minute later, the doorbell rings, and I answer it, coming face-to-face with an obnoxiously large bouquet of flowers—roses—and I’m smug in the fact that I know Tessa thinks roses are a cop-out. She hates them. “Aw, Greg, you shouldn’t have.”
    His face betrays his surprise before he’s composed again, the smile he wore the whole time I intruded on their date last week once again present. “Jason. Hi. Sorry about that. I assumed Tessa would answer.”
    Moving away and falling to sit on the couch, my arm stretched out along the back, I say, “She went to say good night to Haley.”
    “Oh. So you’re . . .” His eyebrows are raised as he trails off.
    “Staying with Haley. Her babysitter canceled.”
    He frowns, his attention focused on the hallway where I can hear Tessa going over the rules with her daughter. “She didn’t need to call you. She could’ve canceled. Or we can just stay in. I’m sure you have other things to do.”
    “Nah. I’m here for them. Whenever they need it.” I maintain eye contact with him, and it’s physically obvious the moment he registers my words as something that may threaten what he has with Tess. Before, even when I dragged Tessa away to dance, he didn’t see me as anything more than her brother’s friend. Someone so much younger than him, less established than him, someone who was no competition at all.
    That was before he knew I was in the game.
    tessa
    I have no idea what I was thinking when I agreed to have Jason watch Haley. The very person I’m trying to forget about, trying to push out of my mind, here while I go out on a date with the man I’m trying to fill the void with.
    After saying good-bye to Haley and reminding her to be good, I slip out of her