Page 7 of Pretty Broken Promises

“What more is there to say, Ford? You said we’re fated, but all we do is hurt each other. I’m tired of hurting. I’ve had more than enough pain, especially the last few months. It’s time for us to let go.”

She still hasn’t told me what happened when Jesse held her captive. I’m not even sure how long he had her. My imagination is working overtime to fill in the details, but I hope I’m wrong. He was a sick fuck, and I’m glad he’s dead, I just wish he died slower and more painfully.

“When are you going to tell me what happened?” I ask her.

She wraps her arms around herself. “I can’t, not with this. I’m not saying this to hurt you, but you’ve turned on me before. This is too raw, and if you use this against me I won’t just break, I’ll shatter.”

“Tess,” I start and reach for her. She flinches, and I drop my hands. “Vixen, tell me what I need to do to prove to you that you’re safe with me. What do I need to do to show you that I want us to be together? I’ll do anything.”

She swallows. “I don’t know if there’s anything you can do. You say you love me, but your love hurts. But if you really love me, then let me go.”

Tessa slips under my arm and out the door. I have to stand there for a minute and think about what she said. Maybe she’s right. I know I love her, but my love for her is selfish. It’s about how I feel, what I want, and for once I need to think about what’s best for Tessa. I just hope in the end that turns out to be me.

* * *

I tryto rejoin the others and watch the game like I haven’t had an earth-shaking revelation moments ago. Tessa, however, doesn’t come into the living room with the others.

After a few minutes, Shane elbows me in the side. “Are you planning on watching the game, or the hallway to see when Tessa is coming out with her overnight bag?”

My head whips around quickly enough to give me a sharp pain in the side of my neck. “Why would she need an overnight bag?”

Sin, Raven, and Jen squirm in their seats. Everyone knows something I don’t, and they’re all trying hard not to be the one to tell me what she’s up to. They’re all saved from that fate moments later when she does walk down the hall with a small canvas duffle bag.

She bites her lip when she sees all of us watching her. “I know we all spend a freakish amount of time together, but I promise you’ll be fine for a couple of days without me.”

Sin looks over at me, and back at her. “Yeah, I don’t think that’s why everyone’s gawking at you,” he grumbles.

Tessa takes a few steps back. “I know that we’ve had issues in the past, but I thought we’d gotten past all of that. Look, if everyone is uncomfortable having me around, I can find somewhere else to stay. I’m only here until the end of the semester anyway, and then I’m gone. If you guys want, I can make myself scarce until then.”

I can’t let her walk out of here thinking everyone wants her to leave, thatIwant her to leave. Jumping up out of my seat, I rush over to her. Her reaction doesn’t register right away, not until Sin leaps over the back of the couch and gets in between us. He puts his hand on my chest and pushes me back.

“You’re freaking her out,” he tells me.

I look back at Tessa, and her back is against the wall. Her arms are wrapped around herself, and she’s shaking. Sin is right, she’s terrified, and I did this to her. He turns to Tess, and tries to comfort her. He holds his hands in front of him. “I’m not going to touch you. What can I do to help you feel safe?”

Her teeth chatter while she shakes. “I—n…n…need—Benji,” she stutters.

My heart sinks. If ever there was a sign that I need to let her go, this seems like a billboard.

Of course, being the perfect motherfucker that he is he chooses this moment to knock on the door. Sin lets him in, and the only thing I can do is stand by and watch Bennett do everything for her I’ve never been able to.

“Shh, baby doll,” he whispers to her as he wraps his arms around her. Him she’ll let touch her. “I’m here. You’re safe with me. What can I do to make you feel that way right now?”

Tessa snuggles close to him and lays her head against his chest. The familiarity between them screams love. I can’t tell if they’rein lovebut they definitely love each other. “I wish you could just take me home,” she says muffled against his chest.

He strokes her hair, something I used to love to do when she was mine. “How about I take you back to my suite? You can get some rest and then we can get some dinner.”

“I’d like that,” she says softly.

This is the real Tessa, not the girl I’ve painted her out to be, not the brazen girl who walked the halls of Ocean Bluff High, and not even the bold girl she tries to be around us. I’ve always wanted to be the man who held her up while she found herself. But I went and fucked that up, and now someone else has stepped into that role.

Bennett grabs her bag off the ground and takes her hand. I watch him pause, and he smiles at her. It takes me a second to catch on that he’s noticed she’s wearing his ring. Tessa looks over her shoulder at me, and there’s a sad smile on her face. It’s then that I know if I don’t do something drastic she’s going to say yes to him.

He leads her out the door, and I have no choice but to let her go to a hotel with another man. To say I’d rather let Shane kick me in the nuts wouldn’t be an understatement, but I don’t have a choice. Sin closes the door behind them, and everyone turns to glare at me.

There’s a painfully long and very awkward silence before Sin finally speaks up. “As your newly appointed best friend.”

Raven clears her throat. “Uhm, husband dearest. He’s my best friend. I called him first, so I get to keep him.”

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