Authors: MJ Fields
“
Come on Tessa let’s hear you sing,” Ben said.
“
Seriously what is this eighth grade or a Broadway production,” she said and giggled, “I’m good.”
The song ended and she took the towel off her head and sat up. She took a sip of her soda.
“You boys need to be up early don’t stay out here too late.”
Tessa stood up and walked pas
t them, she stepped out of the hot tub and walked inside. Alex watched as Ben and Luke both stared at her the whole time.
“
Do you know how disturbing it is to watch you two checking her out like that?” Alex asked.
They looked at each other and laughed.
“If she wasn’t your sister you’d be doing it too,” Ben said.
“
Alright, that’s my queue, Luke you can close this up right?” Alex asked.
“
Yep, see you inside,” Luke said.
“
Well this is uncomfortable,” Ben said and laughed.
“
I don’t think so,” Luke said.
“
As soon as you left the game I asked Tessa how long you two dated,” Ben said.
“
She and I are friends, as long as you’re a good guy, I am cool with that, I just want her be happy man, she is special,” Luke warned.
“
Well what happened with you two?” Ben asked.
“
She didn’t tell you?” he asked.
“
No,” Ben said.
“
She deserves better,” Luke said and looked away.
“
Says you or her?” Ben asked.
“
Me,” Luke said.
“
Alright then, no rush here,” Ben said.
“
Good,” Luke said, “she deserves the best Ben.”
“
Agreed,” he said and stuck out his hand. Luke shook it, “You sure you’re done?”
“
Yes,” Luke said and cleared his throat
. As if I have a choice
he thought.
“
Okay, I don’t want to be the rebound Luke I can wait,” he said “You live here man?”
“
Probably until after the holidays,” Luke answered.
~
They went inside and Tessa was sitting at the computer on Facebook. Ben leaned over her and clicked on friend requests, he clicked on his name, “You take it from here Ross,” she pushed accept. He sat down next to her and dried his hair with the towel. “Click on my page, I will show you around.”
Tessa clicked on his page and went straight to pictures, he showed her his best friends and she saw him in a band.
“You have a band?” she asked.
“
Sure do,” Ben said and smiled.
“
You sing,” she asked.
“
Some of the songs but I also play the guitar,” he said and smiled. “You’ll have to come see us sometime.”
“
I would like that,” she said.
Ben showed her his mother, his ex
-girlfriends and some pictures of him being crowned Homecoming king. She laughed and Luke came into the kitchen still in his swim bottoms, he washed out his glass and put it in the strainer.
“
Hey Luke, Ben was homecoming king too,” she said and laughed.
“
Cool, three for three Tessa,” he said and messed up her hair as he walked by.
“
What’s that about?” Ben asked smiling.
She clicked on her page and showed him Toby,
“This is Toby, possibly my future husband,” she said and laughed “he was my date to homecoming. He was homecoming king three years ago.”
“
Nice Tess, you deserve royalty,” Ben said and smiled.
~
They all went to bed without alarms, John stayed at camp. Like clockwork she woke at around 2:30 and Luke went in. He had promised her a couple weeks ago he would wake her and he decided he should in case Ben woke up hearing her. “Tessa you’re okay, wake up,” Luke said.
“
Everything okay?” Ben asked sleepily as he walked in.
“
Yep she does this every night, she has for a few weeks,” Luke said. “Tessa wake up, you’re okay, everyone is fine,” she started crying, he started to pick her up and looked at Ben. “You wanna take care if this?”
“
Sure I guess,” Ben said looking confused.
“
You have to pick her up,” Luke said and he did, she grabbed his neck and cried softly. “You may want to talk to her and try to calm her down,” Luke instructed anxiously.
Ben sat
“Tess wake up girl,” he said. She opened her eyes, “she’s awake.”
“
No she’s not, she will probably kiss you,” Luke warned him, and
probably say my name he thought.
She did and he slowly pulled away,
“Dude this is odd.”
“
I can leave,” Luke said.
Fuck that he thought
.
“
Tessa wake up,” he said and shook her lightly. “Tessa wake up,” he said in a firmer louder tone.
Tessa jumped and looked around confused. She looked at Ben and then at Luke who knelt before her, her eyes got wide; she stood up and ran down the stairs.
~
She sat in the bathroom crying and Luke opened the door.
“Tessa,” he said. “Are you awake now?” he asked.
“
Yes I’m awake,” she snapped.
She was angry and confused.
“Are you mad at me?” Luke asked confused.
“
Yes,” she said.
“
He heard you and walked in as I was trying to wake you. I told him to pick you up, and he did, you kissed him,” Luke said.
“
I what? And you let me?” she snapped.
“
Tessa it may have been more odd if you were kissing me in front of him,” he said trying to make some sense out of what happened. “Or not I don’t know, Tessa what the fuck did you want me to do?” he asked and now he was mad.
“
I don’t know get Alex,” Tessa said and cried.
“
That would be a bit odd watching you shove your tongue in your brother’s mouth,” they looked at each other, both pissed off and then they both started laughing. He wiped her tears away and kissed the top of her head. “Sorry baby I didn’t know what to do.”
“
This needs to stop, I need to know why I am doing this,” she said.
“
On a positive note you didn’t ask him to do the things you ask me to do,” Luke laughed and she slugged him.
They walked up the stairs and Alex and Ben were sitting in her room,
“You okay Tessa,” Alex asked.
“
Ya I guess I have kind of been freaking out at night, Ben I am sorry I shoved my tongue down your throat, however as Luke kindly pointed out at least it wasn’t Alex who I tried to assault,” she smiled.
“
Tessa Ross you don’t have to be sorry, I really enjoyed it,” Ben smiled.
Alex smacked him,
“I am going to stay in here tonight,” he grabbed the bottle of water off his night stand, “this should work to wake you up.”
Chapter
25
Tessa woke up feeling like she hadn
’t slept at all. She went downstairs and made sausage gravy, the biscuits where in the oven. She threw her hair up and popped in Bambi. She sat and watched it as the guys came down the stairs one by one. They all walked into the kitchen “What is she watching,” Ben asked smiling.
“
Bambi, she has watched that every year on opening day since she was four,” Alex said and rolled his eyes. “She doesn’t like hunting but she likes guns and bows. Weird hu?”
Luke walked in and sat next to her,
“Good movie?”
She smirked at him and winked.
Ben walked in and handed her and Luke plates, they thanked him. He returned and sat on the other side of her.
“
Good morning Tess, thanks for breakfast, is this venison sausage,” Ben asked.
Alex walked in and gasped.
“Nope,” she said and gave him a dirty look.
“
You guys out, cause I can get you a whole freezer full probably within the next few days,” Ben smiled at her and she smacked him in the stomach, he laughed, “Hurt your hand Ross,” he asked and dodged the next one.
Alex laughed
, Luke watched her try not to laugh.
“
You see once the momma gets nailed the baby should immediately get it. It is awful to make that baby walk around the scary woods alone; he is going to starve anyways. Plus that is the best venison, nice and tender,” Ben jumped up just in time.
They all laughed including Tessa.
Alex and Ben walked out to the kitchen to put there empty plates in the sink.
“
You sleep okay?” Luke asked.
“
No I feel like garbage,” she admitted.
He felt her head
“You don’t feel warm.”
“
No I feel like I didn’t sleep,” she said and shook her head, “It’s your fault,” she whispered.
“
Sorry baby,” he said and smirked.
~
She slept most of the day. Jade dropped Tessa off at camp before lunch. She plugged in the crock pots so they would be warm for lunch. Alex, Luke, and Ben walked out of the woods first. Ben was all smiles. “Hey Tessa, did you warn Bambi to hide on me today?” She smiled and shook her head yes.
“
Anyone get a deer yet?” she asked.
“
Luke got four doe but they’re kind of small,” Ben said and laughed. Luke smiled and shook his head no. “No but seriously he had three in front of him and didn’t even shoot one.”
“
Okay I am already bored of this deer talk. Lunch is warming up, give it twenty minutes, if you can’t wait there are sandwiches in the cooler. Have fun, Luke can I talk you.” Tessa asked looking at him.
He smiled as he ran up to her.
”Do you like it?” she smirked, “you don’t have to you know.”
“
It is fine, I will try it, who knows after I have done it once I may like it,” he said trying not to smile.
“
Nice Luke, I am working tonight are you still?” Tessa asked.
“
Yes why?” Luke asked.
“
I just wondered,” she bit her lip and grinned.
“
What’s going on Tessa?” Luke asked looking curiously at her.
“
I can’t sleep and I am tired, I just thought maybe, you could, help me out,” Tessa said smirking and grabbing his shirt.
“
Tessa,” he groaned.
“
What?” she said and stomped her foot, “I’m tired and irritable.”
Luke walked back to camp and yelled in,
“Hey Alex, Tessa just reminded me we have to work tonight, I am going to take off okay?” he said not taking his eyes off Tessa.
“
Sure man see you later, we will probably stop up for dinner,” Alex said.
“
Bye Ben, see you later,” Tessa yelled.
“
Bye Ben,” he said mocking her. They both laughed.
~
He drove and she couldn’t keep her hands off of him, they pulled into the farm and she kissed him wildly and put her hand on him, “Tessa,” he whispered.
An hour later they walked in the house and he ran up and changed and brought laundry down. He threw in a load and walked into the living room, she pushed him down on the couch and went to the bathroom and came out and lay next to him. She pulled the blanket off the back of the couch and covered them up and put her back to his chest and wrapped his arms around her and fell asleep within five minutes.
What the hell was that he wondered? Why had she acted like that, not that he wanted to complain but Tessa didn’t act like that
. He watched her as she slept, and after awhile he fell asleep.
Luke woke up and scooted out from behind her. He walked into the kitchen and grabbed a glass of water. He picked up the junk mail on the counter and threw it in the trash; he saw a bottle buried beneath some papers and pulled it out, it was cinnamon schnapps.
Exactly what she tasted like
, he had thought it was gum but now he knew differently.
When she woke up he handed her a couple pain relievers and some water. Tessa looked at him and he was not happy.
“Feeling better Tessa?” Luke asked crossing his arms in front of himself.
“
Yea a little,” Tessa said softly.
“
What was that all about earlier?” he asked.
“
I guess I missed you,” Tessa said.