Page 20 of A Constant Reminder

Chapter 12 – Sam

While I was throwing on some clothes, Tess took the liberty of making us a pot of tea, so ten minutes later, we were both sipping on the chamomile flavored liquid.

“So, what I can I do for you, Tess?” I asked bracing myself for the worst.

“Well, for starters, you can stop looking so scared.” She gave me a silly grin. “I don’t bite.”

I adjusted in my seat trying to calm down and relax a little. “Sorry. I am just not really used to this, and after the encounter I had with your mother, I’m not entirely sure how to act around your family.”

“Let me apologize for our mother. She’s a bit of a control freak. Tyler doesn’t confide in her much about his life, so I think she feels the need to try to really pry into his love life. The fact that he brought you home to meet her was a huge deal.”

“Not to mention everyone just loves Marisol.” I said haughtily.

She let out a small laugh. “Yes, Mer and I are close, but not nearly as close as we used to be after what she did to my brother.”

Confusion took over. Marisol had cheated on Tyler, but he had let everyone believe that they broke up for other reasons. Last time I had talked to Tess, she acted like she had no knowledge of Marisol’s indiscretions.

“Wait, last time we talked about Marisol, you told me that Tyler was the one who was at fault.”

“Sam, I’ve known from the beginning what happened. Marisol told me everything, but Tyler didn’t. He wanted to play the martyr so no one would hold any animosity towards her since our families were so close.”

The thought of Tyler taking the rap for someone breaking his heart killed me but also reminded me why I loved him.

“You should tell him that you know. I think he thinks you and your mom hold it against him, and it’s not fair.”

She nodded. “You’re probably right. But our mother still doesn’t really know the truth, and even if she did, there’s no guarantee she would believe it, so you might have an uphill battle there.”

We both sipped our tea quietly for a moment. This was a side I hadn’t seen to Tess. Usually, she was moving and talking at the speed of light, but today, she had a certain calm about her. Maybe the chamomile was really working.

“Look Sam, my father told me what happened to you…not specific details or anything…just the gist of it.”

“I don’t understand. Did Tyler tell your dad?”

She looked at me like I had lost my mind. “He came up to sit with Ty while you were still unconscious. Even when you woke up, he stuck around to see if anyone needed anything…even went to the airport to pick up your family. You didn’t know?”

I shook my head, “No, he never came into the room.”

“Probably wanted to give you your privacy. He’s thoughtful like that.”

“But why would he do all that for his son’s girlfriend that he had just met that same night?”

She set her tea down and laid her hand on my knee. “I told you that Tyler doesn’t bring girls home…ever. Marisol was the exception just because our families were close. So, when he walked through the door with you, we all knew it had to be serious. If Tyler Wendell loves a girl, we better damn well lover her too.”

“Except your mother…” I sighed.

She nodded. “You know I think she can see it too. Maybe that’s why she’s freaking out. Her baby is getting swept away by a woman she doesn’t know. Don’t worry, she’ll eventually come around.”

I tried to smile, but it came out weaker than I expected. Knowing my luck, his mom would always hate me. After all, it isn’t like my social status was changing anytime in the future.

“But enough about her. Look Sam, I came to tell you that I know you probably don’t want to talk about what happened. But I’m here if you ever change your mind. I don’t know you don’t have any family nearby, and you really don’t have any females around to talk to. So, I’m here if you just want to talk…or even hang out and not talk... or if you ever need help with anything.”

I wondered why she was being so nice to me, but it wasn’t that long ago that I was wondering the same thing about her brother. Her warm smile assured me she was being sincere.

“Thanks, Tess. Maybe I’ll take you up on that.”

Right when I said the words, a tall figure with a smoldering voice walked into the room.

“Take her up on what, Kansas?” Tyler said while walking over to give me a kiss.

Tess answered, “I was just telling Sam I’m always down for some girl time if she’s interested.”

“Hmm…okay,” was all he said as he pursed his lips together.

She changed the subject. “Are you coming home for Christmas?”

“Can Mom behave?” He retorted. “I’ll only come if I can bring Sam, and I’ll only bring Sam if Mom can be nice.”

“I’ll talk to Dad and see if he can get her off her high horse for the night,” she quipped. “Well, I better be going. Sam, get my number from Tyler. Call anytime.”

She gave me a quick wink and hug before heading toward the door.

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