Authors: MJ Fields
No one said a word the rest of the ride home. He passed Tessa
’s house.
“
Luke, you missed the turn,” Jade said.
“
Alex is meeting us at camp,” Luke said still angry.
“
You called my brother?” Tessa asked annoyed.
“
No Tessa, I answered his text on your phone while you were throwing up on the side of the road,” Luke sneered.
They pulled into camp and Alex was standing there, his arms crossed and he looked concerned and a bit mad. Luke got out of the car and Jade and Tommy got out of the back,
“You stay,” he said to Tessa his eyes gave a warning.
They got out and Alex walked towards them,
“She okay?” he asked.
“
Just let her sit there for a minute Alex,” Jade said, “We went to dinner and she saw,” Jade started.
“
I know what she saw Jade, I’ve known for a week that Mom was seeing someone, Dad told me,” Alex sneered.
Tessa heard him and jumped out of the car and ran towards him,
“You knew, Alex, and you didn’t tell me? Dad knew?” she screamed. “What the fuck is wrong with you two?” she said as she started crying and she tripped over a rock and fell. She started to get up and screamed, Luke grabbed her and helped her up.
“
Is she drunk?” Alex yelled.
“
Yes I am… I am loaded Alex and guess what else, I showed Luke my boobs and asked him to bite them, and I wanted him to,” she yelled.
Alex went to grab Tessa and Luke said,
“Not now man, leave her alone, not now.”
“
You need to leave Luke, I will deal with her, and you’ve done enough,” Alex said through his clenched teeth.
“
Don’t talk to him like that, he was a good boy, you should be patting him on the back, he wouldn’t touch me,” Tessa yelled back at him.
“
Tessa enough,” Luke said. “I got this man, give it a minute, please,” Luke picked her up and carried to the other side of the car and set her down.
Jade told Alex the story about the restaurant and the wine and the way Tessa was coming onto Luke and he was a perfect gentleman. She asked him about the man with his mother and he told her that he worked at the hospital with her.
“Tessa drink this,” he said handing her a bottle of water as he sat next to her crossing his arms in front of his chest. “I did not call you a bitch at the park; I said not to act like one. I trusted you with my deepest darkest secret and expected you to keep that secret. Now I am not a Sadi fan Tessa, but that was mean, cruel actually. I have watched you for over a week, how you treat people, your softness was what drove me crazy about you. Tonight I didn’t see that Tessa. I know you are hurting and I am sorry I can’t fix it for you, but don’t you ever slap me across the face again, got it Tessa,” Luke said sternly.
“
You called me a bitch in the car,” she whispered.
“
Again Tessa, you were way out of line,” Luke said.
“
Don’t call me that again, even if I deserve it, got it Luke,” she said.
He stuck out his hand to shake hers,
“Deal?”
“
Deal,” Tessa smiled.
“
You ready to see your brother yet?” he asked.
“
No,” she snapped.
He pulled her against him and she wrapped her arms around him
and lay her head on his chest.
“
Why didn’t you want to touch me tonight?” she asked.
“
I wanted to Tessa; your breasts are beautiful, perfect actually. It just wasn’t right, I don’t want to have sloppy drunk sex with you, not for your first time,” Luke said and winked.
“
Well I wasn’t asking for sex, I was asking you to, well you know,” she said shyly.
“
Not when you’re drunk Tessa, sober and very alert and not for a long time,” he said kissing her cheek. “Drunk women are good for one thing and you are better than that and not when you’re hurting, I want no regrets with you,” he said and kissed her head.
Luke watched his mother bring different men home all the time from her nights out and he despised it, hearing the noise coming for her bedroom disgusted him. Tessa fell asleep, or passed out and he stroked her hair.
Jade, Tommy, and Alex stood on the opposite side of the car, they snuck away. “That was so sweet,” Jade said to Alex.
“
I guess, but I want to slap Tessa right now,” Alex snapped.
~
They sun started peeking through the horizon, it was morning.
Tessa squinted and immediately felt her head feeling like it was going to explode
, she groaned as she sat up. “How are you feeling baby?” Luke asked.
“
Like an elephant stepped on my head,” she groaned.
“
I guess you drank too much hu?” Luke said standing up and extending his hand to her.
“
What happened? I mean I remember drinking and seeing my mom, but the rest is a blur,” she said.
“
You really want to know?” he smiled.
Her eyes widened and the sun stung them,
“Ouch, yes I do, but I need to sit.”
“
Maybe you should ask your brother, you told him everything,” Luke chuckled.
“
Or maybe you should just tell me,” she asked as she sat back down and held her head.
“
Well you danced in the parking lot of the restaurant, and I made you sit on the bench, you climbed on top of me and were grinding on my lap, you put my hand on your backside, and chest and when I tried to pull my hand away you held it there and told me I already got to second base, shall I go on Tessa?” she shook her head yes.
“
We went to the park in Ithaca because you had to pee, you asked me whether or not I had STD’s, and by the way, I said no,” he laughed. “Then we sat and you wanted to feed me, the fork was kicking your ass so you decided to feed me mouthfuls of pasta with your fingers, while sitting on my lap with your shirt hiked up grinding into me. Then at one point I bit down on your finger and you seemed to like it a lot. You pulled up your shirt, I guess to see how your body reacted to that excitement, and sat there as I was face to face with my two new favorite girls and fed me more, and then asked me to bite your very alert nipples, by the way I did not,” she finally breathed. “Then Jade came over. Shall I go on?” he asked. She shook her head slowly yes looking scared. “You danced and had fun with Jade. Sadi and Tommy’s ex Kate showed up, you said something about not being on the pill, I told you not to be a bitch and you slapped me across the face in front of them, we left, pulled over, you threw up about a dozen times, Jade changed your clothes on the side of the road, by the way I watched,” her eyes widened again, “You got back in the car and got mad at me and started to tell them about the thing with Sadi, you know my secret?” he scolded “I actually called you a little bitch at that point, which I am sorry about and we came here.”
Holy shit she thought, why didn
’t he want to touch me? Holy shit, why is that what I am thinking about?
“
Are we okay,” Tessa asked quietly.
“
Yes baby we are fine,” he said.
“
You sure you liked your two new friends,” she smiled and her head throbbed.
“
Baby, I can’t wait to meet them on a more personal level,” Luke smiled and kissed her head. “You are relentless.”
~
Alex brought Tessa home. She couldn’t even look at him, let alone answer his annoying questions, she snuck into her bed; her father was still asleep, it was only six in the morning. At noon she got up to go to the bathroom. Alex and John sat on the couch. “Stomach bug,” her father asked as she walked passed him.
“
Uh hu,” she said.
She came out and went into the kitchen and made some toast. While she waited she grabbed a couple pain relievers and drank two glasses of water. She ate the toast dry and it seemed to help a bit. She went into the bathroom and ran a hot bath. She soaked until the water started to get cold and when she walked into the living room with her rob
e on her mother was sitting there with her brother and father. She walked past them “Tessa we need to talk,” her mother said.
“
I am going to get dressed,” she said stomping up the stairs.
She slammed the door and looked at her phone. She had missed a text from Luke.
-hey baby, how are you feeling? If you’re feeling alright my mother would like to meet you tonight, she is going to BBQ….Luke
- I just got this, just ate toast, don
’t think I can handle real food, but would love to get out of here, Mommy is here to talk I will text you back when that hell is over, got to get dressed and head down TTYL…Tessa
-Hmm Tessa where my mind is right now…you drive me crazy…Dinner is at 5, I will pick you up…Luke
Drives him crazy she thought, good maybe he would act on it before she was ninety.
~
Tessa went downstairs and sat in the chair, she looked at her parents, “Talk,” she snapped.
“
I have been on three dates with the man you saw me with last night. Your father knows everything about it. I don’t feel it’s something you should be concerned about,” Maggie said.
“
Why do you need to go on dates with him Mom, you’re married and have five kids for crying out loud,” Tessa said scowling at her.
“
Tessa, this is an adult situation and you don’t get to make the decisions here, things haven’t changed we both still love you and that has not changed,” John said.
“
Thank you John,” Maggie said.
“
Are you freaking kidding me? You’re okay with this?” she yelled at him. “Hey Dad, why don’t we set her up an online dating profile and start pimping her out?”
“
That’s enough young lady,” Maggie said “I will see you at your game on Tuesday!” she stood and hugged Alex.
“
Don’t plan on it Bitch,” Tessa screamed and her mother slapped her across the face.
Tessa stood up and ran to the bathroom. She could not believe she had said that to her, damn her
face hurt. She started laughing and couldn’t stop.
“
Tessa you okay in there?” Alex said just outside the door.
“
Hell yes,” she said laughing.
“
Tessa open the door,” Alex said.
“
It isn’t locked,” she said laughing.
He walked in and looked at her.
“Tessa I am sorry I didn’t tell you,” Alex said and his eyes were sad.
She continued laughing,
“Don’t you see,” she said “this takes us off the hook, no more straight and narrow Alex now we can let loose and have fun.”
“
No Tessa that’s not right and you know it,” he hugged her and she started to cry.
“
Why because she said so, look at her now Alex! All of our life we have done what she says and now look at her, seriously we have been taught all our lives that God’s law and family are what matters the most and we have done a real good job of it. And now look at her Alex! Look at her,” she screamed “I will not do a damn thing she says. She is nothing but a phony. And what the hell is he doing? Letting her date other people? What is this! So no Alex I will not follow their rules,” she said. “I will do what feels right and good,” Tessa was now sobbing and he held her tighter.
“
Tessa, you are their child not their judge, keep that in mind,” Alex said holding his sister.
Tessa went upstairs, she
knew Alex was right. How her Mother could be so messed up when she was the one who taught them right from wrong? She lay in her bed and cried herself to sleep. At four o’clock her phone chimed and woke her up
-Hey baby I will be there in thirty minutes
...Luke.
-Ok…Tessa
She jumped out of bed and grabbed clothes out of her closet, she didn’t even know if it was warm or cold. She ran downstairs and looked in the bathroom mirror. She was a train wreck, all puffy and red; she washed her face “Alex,” she yelled out of the room, “What’s the weather like?”
“
Sixty five degrees and sunny why?” he answered.
“
I forgot I was invited to dinner at Luke’s at five, he’s on his way and I am a train wreck,” she yelled.
“
Did you ask Dad?” he said.
“
No can you tell him for me?” she said as she put up the sides of her hair in a clip and combed her hair out, she put gel in it, she put on light make up, more to hide the redness than anything. She ran upstairs and threw clothes out of her closet until she found some black knee length shorts; she grabbed a blue cami and a grey cardigan. She grabbed some black thong sandals and dressed quickly. She ran down the stairs and Luke was sitting at the table with her father, she gasped,
where was Alex, she
thought.