Page 6 of Claiming Tessa

Chapter Three

Gavin followed Diegooutside.They brought in Tessa’s duffle and backpack but stacked the boxes in a room they didn’t use.

“We need to talk to Jared.”

Gavin nodded, picked up the phone in their office, and dialed, then hit the speaker button.

“This is Jared,” a gruff voice answered on the first ring.

“Hey, man.It’s Gavin and Diego.You’re on speakerphone with us.”

Jared grunted.“You found her?”

Diego spoke up, “Yeah.Besides being exhausted, she looks fine.”

“Did you guys get her home?”

Gavin glanced at Diego and cleared his throat.“Well, we had a problem with that.”

“Fuck,” Jared cursed.“What did my mother do?”

“For one, she wasn’t even there.”

“That doesn’t surprise me.”

“Your sister didn’t even go into the house.”

“Why the hell not?”Jared asked.

“Arthur told her your mother had all her things packed and put in a shed on the property.”

“Are you fucking kidding me?”

“No,” Diego said.

“We loaded all her things in our truck and brought her home with us.When we asked about going to you, she said no.She didn’t want to disrupt your life or some shit like that.”

“I’ll come get her now.”

“No, don’t.She really is wiped out,” Gavin told him.“Let her sleep.”

“You’re right.Call me when she wakes up.”

“We will, man.Can you explain what’s going on?We know it’s none of our business...”

“No, it’s fine, Gavin.My mother was married to my father, and after he died, she married again and had Tessa.”

“Oh,” Diego said.“So, she’s your half-sister?”

“Yes.I’ll let her tell you the rest of it, but after her father died, my mother started resenting Tessa, and she was only thirteen at the time.Before he died, my mother, who’s a piece of work, nagged at her because she didn’t turn out looking like her side of the family, with her white-blonde hair and being very tall and thin.”

“Why is that her fault?”Gavin asked in confusion.

“It’s not.My mother is very bitter for some reason.She has to get along with me at the moment because I take care of the estate money that keeps her in the lifestyle she wants.”

Gavin wanted to shake the woman.He knew there was more to the story, but he couldn’t believe Jared’s mother could resent her own children.

“I think Tessa will tell you the rest eventually.Have her call me.”

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