“Maybe because they have people watching, they don’t feel it’s necessary to talk.” Chait leaned against the dresser and folded his arms over his chest. “They know you’ll be back under their control at school tomorrow.”
“So they think,” Tessa said. “And what if I don’t choose sides for another month? Or three months. How long before they decide to eliminate me?”
“You could string them along for a while,” Chait said. “But why wait longer than necessary?”
Tessa lifted her chin and inhaled deeply. “I want to know who killed my sister.”
Oh, great, now she listens to me. Poking around would be too dangerous. I’d rather she choose the dark side and stay alive. But knowing Tessa, living a life that meant doing things she couldn’t be proud of wouldn’t work for her at all.
“I wanted to give you the heads up that Hayden’s being replaced tomorrow. If you don’t have any more questions, I’ll take off.” Chait walked the several feet to the window.
“Here, let me help you out.” I closed in, not to push him but to make sure he left.
“Hayden.” Tessa looked at me like I was an ass. Whatever. I wanted Chait gone.
He paused, one foot through the frame. “What scares you more? That I’m older and wiser? Or that as a sorcerer she could have a real future with me? Or is it that I have less… flaws than you?” He brushed his index finger along his own cheek, mirroring my scar.
“Chait, go. Now.” But Tessa looked at me when she ordered him. As if I’d been the jerk.
“It’s not fear, Chait. It’s boredom. You’re a mama’s boy. No personality. Bland.”
He flipped me off. I grinned, knowing my barb hit its mark, then closed the window and locked it.
Her hands went to her hips, cheeks blazing. “Why do you antagonize him? It’s not helping my situation. Would you please try to be nicer?”
Tessa’s words barely reached my ears. Waiting was getting old. I wanted her. Not to use and discard but for as long as I could keep her. No way would some pretty boy get in my way. If she was open and I made progress tonight, could I stop once we got going? Maybe. If I didn’t put the brakes on, she probably would.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” She canted her head and took a step back.
“Like what?” I asked.
“Like you’re about to kiss me.” She folded her arms over her chest. “I thought we had an understanding.”
Which would be worse — that she wouldn’t like me back or that she would and risk ruining her future by being with me? Tonight, I didn’t want to worry about doing the right thing. I just wanted Tessa. “You mean like the way you looked at me earlier at my house?”
“Before you remembered that I’m beneath you?” She cocked a brow.
“C’mon. You should know by now that if I felt that way, I wouldn’t be here.” I took a step forward. It was a terrible idea to put myself out there for rejection, especially when I knew I’d been a total jerk. But she was worth the risk. “I’d like you beneath me though.”
“This is a familiar conversation,” she said in a low growl. “God, Hayden. Like I’d really be in the mood to make out after you were so rude to Chait.”
Now she was pissing me off. I’d proved myself by being there for her earlier. Several times over the weekend, in fact. He hadn’t.
“Do you ever stop? I mean, right when I think you might be a decent human being, you remind me why I could never give in to you.”
She was right. Out of everyone that Tessa and I had dealt with so far, Chait was the only one who’d been straight with us. Just because he irritated me with his perfect face and perfect ideals didn’t mean he deserved to be treated like crap.
Damn. I’d totally blown my chance with Tessa for the night. Knowing there was no chance of anything happening between us anytime soon… Well, the upside to that was being able to fall asleep despite her being close by. Maybe.
Staying a safe distance from Tessa was probably for the best anyway. That’s what she kept insisting she wanted. The evening turned out exactly as it should have. Except that disappointment stuck in my throat, threatening a night of misery. “Chait’s a jackass.”
“In this instance, I’m going to have to disagree.” Her glare told me I was getting in deeper and deeper. Which meant Chait looked even better in her eyes. That pissed me off.
“Whatever. You’re defending him and you don’t even know him. He probably had this rosy childhood,” I said bitterly, “with parents praising him for every little stupid thing. It’s not that easy for the rest of us, you know. Some of us are too haunted. Things follow you. They’re always there.”
“What the hell are you going off about? Does this have to do with your parents?” She rounded on me, her eyes shooting daggers. “Poor Hayden. At least your parents know you’re alive. And all those trophies must have taken a while to win. Years?”
I shifted my weight to the other leg and looked away a moment, wondering what she was getting at. It felt like a trap. “Yeah, why?”
“You’ve been able to defend your mom and yourself for a while. Several years later and everything that goes wrong is still your dad’s fault? When is your life your responsibility?”
“Step-dad,” I corrected. That was a mistake. Her face flushed an even deeper shade of scarlet and she looked like she was about to pummel me.
“Get out of my room. Now.” She pointed to the door. “You can sleep on the couch or go home. Whatever.”
Chapter Nineteen
Tessa
No boy had ever spent the night at my house. Thankfully, my parents hadn’t come home.
I needed to get Bree to school but my car still sat in the driveway at Hayden’s house. Once again, I was at his mercy.
He darkened my doorway. “Hey.”
I spared him a glance, long enough to notice his bare chest and his well-defined arm muscles bracing the doorway to my bedroom. “What’s up?” I continued putting away the mountain of clothes I’d taken out of the closet during my quest for anything to wear that I wasn’t completely sick of.
“What time do we have to leave so Bree’s not late for school?”
So he remembered. A thin layer of last night’s annoyance peeled off. “Twenty minutes.”
“Okay.”
Unfortunately, his behavior and our argument the night before hadn’t dampened my lust for him at all. I stayed focused on my clothes, hoping he’d leave before I begged him to put a shirt on — or jumped him. I was grossly disappointed in myself and my compromised standards.
Why was he still standing there?
“Hey, I’m sorry about last night, with Chait. I, uhm…” His eyes strayed across the room. “I got a little jealous. It was a stressful day. It was late. Sorry.”
Did he have to go and admit he was jealous, apologize and be shirtless — all in one breath? And, Holy Mother of God, his sculpted six-pack threatened to override any good judgment I had left. The slow smile creeping over his face told me I’d been caught ogling. “Yeah, nice abs.” I took pains to make sure I sounded bored. “Now, would you please put a shirt on?”
“Yes, ma’am.” He grinned. “I’ll be ready in about five minutes. Need any help with anything?”
The last bit of anger melted away and all I wanted to do was kiss him for his offer of help. “Would you mind finding Bree and make sure she’s ready and not playing? I’ll start on her lunch in a minute, then make breakfast.”
As we headed out the door twenty minutes later, I grabbed Bree’s lunch and my purse. “Bree, let’s go.” I’d seen her a minute ago. Where was she? What happened to Hayden?
“Yeah, but if you marry Tessa, you can read to me every night.” Bree entered the living room clinging to Hayden’s hand.
“I don’t think your sister likes me that much.” Hayden wrinkled his nose at her and she giggled. “C’mon, let’s get you to school, midget.”