Page 44 of Pretty Broken Promises

I toss my hands up. “That's what I would like to know.”

Taking my phone out of my back pocket, I unlock it and hand it to him. “Look at her last text.”

He scrolls through the thread. His dark eyes are nearly black when he hands it back to me. “I’m sorry. I’ll talk to Raven. I don’t know what the fuck she was thinking bringing that shit up to Tessa. She knows how hard of a time Tessa is having with all of this. I’m sure it seems like the three of us just forgave each other and had a fucking orgy while we treated her like a pariah.”

I didn't realize how strongly he felt about Tessa, and frankly it's making me a little uncomfortable. I feel like an asshole for just thinking it, because I'm mostly glad there are people, besides me, who care about her and have her best interests at heart. I also know he doesn't have romantic feelings for her, however, he hasn't always had purely platonic feelings for her either.

Actually, that's probably not true, because I doubt he had any feelings for her whatsoever. I don't recall there being a lot of feelings involved when he hooked up with our old friend the night we first met him at Carlo’s bar. He was trying to run from his feelings for Raven that night too.

“You’re looking at me funny. I don't have to be a mind reader to know you're jealous as fuck right now because I've seen that look in the mirror when your friendship with Raven started.”

I roll my eyes because he's right, and I'm going to have to deal. But it doesn't mean I have to like it. It isn't that I don't want them to be friends. I just don't want her to turn to any other men in her life except me. I want our relationship to be less toxic, but baby steps. I'm not going to go from where I was to being in a healthy relationship with her overnight. The best we can probably hope for is for me not to smother her with my possessive assholery.

“And do you have any suggestions on how I can deal with this green-eyed monster I am suddenly burdened with?” I finally ask him.

Sin smiles, like he's been waiting for this kind of payback for, well, over six months. “Sure I do. You can shove that shit deep down, and try and not let her see that it bothers you. And when it starts to come up, making you gag, choke on it.”

“Is it like this every day?” I'm honestly curious and I really hope that it's not because I thought we were all on better terms now.

He shrugs. “Nah, not every day. Not so much after you got your ass blown up. I'm not going to lie, before that, I was really having a hard time with the two of you spending time together. I lied and told her I wasn’t, but even after that night at the gym, I still didn't like the two of you being alone together.”

My head is nodding the entire time he’s speaking, because for the first time, I understand. “Yeah, now that she is back, I really fucking hate her living here with you.”

He opens his mouth, but I hold up my hand before he can tell me what I already know. “You don't have to say it. I know that there's no way in hell you would ever cheat on Raven. I know that you're not even tempted to. And I'll tell you how I know that. Before Tessa came back, you were right to not want me alone with Raven.”

His jaw clenches, and I know I need to speak faster. Hand to hand I could possibly take him, but it doesn't matter that I am taller with a bit more muscle, he fights dirty. So do I, but I've killed a significantly less amount of people than he has. All of them have been after I've met him and Raven, and while trying not to die myself. I make a mental note to add that to the laundry list of reasons why I probably need therapy.

“You were right not to want me to be alone with her, not because I wanted her, I was still madly in love with Tessa, but I was envious of what the two of you had together. There were a couple of moments I got confused about what exactly I was thinking.”

His nostrils flare. “Explain,” he demands. His voice has that low, deadly quality I’ve heard when he was threatening enemies.

“It would just be a moment here and there where I would wonder, very fleetingly, if I wanted Raven or what you had with Raven. And by fleeting, I mean the moment the thought entered my head within seconds I knew that the face I saw when I pictured myself in a relationship was Tessa’s. I am right where I wanted to be the entire time. Now I just need for my friends not to fuck it up.”

“She's not exactly wrong when she said you should have told Tessa, but how does that conversation come up?” Sin asks.

“Beats me. But the thing is, I didn't not tell her. I honestly don't think about that night like the two of you probably do. That whole exhibitionism/voyeurism thing is your kink, not mine.”

Sin crosses his arms across his chest, turns his head to the side, and studies me. “There's no way you’re vanilla.”

“I never said I was, I just don't get off on people watching me while I'm fucking. No judgment, it's just not my thing.”

“What's not your thing?” Tessa's husky voice asks, making me jump.

“Goddamn, hybrid cars,” I mutter.

“What was that?” Sin asks. He’s smirking like the motherfucker he is.

“You knew I didn't hear her car pull up in the driveway,” I accuse.

“You're getting soft. Two girls just snuck up on you. How are you going to defend your home and your woman?” He's kind of joking, but his default setting is always hyper-awareness. I guess I can't really blame him after the shit he's been through.

Tessa doesn't rush straight in to hug me, a strong indication she’s at least a little mad. But she's here and talking to me so this is fixable. Groveling is pretty much my default setting right now, and probably will be for a while. After how badly I keep messing up, I am very lucky she hasn't taken off already.

She's getting irritated since I still haven't answered her question, so she swivels her head to ask her good buddy, Sin.

“Please tell me you're not trying to figure out how to blow smoke up my ass. Raven already spilled the beans about the three of you and your freaky night at the gym. I just don't understand,” she mumbles the last part.

“What don't you understand?” I ask before she can continue to focus on him.

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