Authors: Cassandra Cole
“Hey Tessa, come on.” Lucas unceremoniously took Tessa by the hand, and she jumped a little- so lost in her thoughts she hadn’t noticed him. He pulled her out of her seat and she only barely had time to grab her back pack before he was tugging her towards the double doors that led outside.
“What the hell, Lucas! Where are you taking me?” Scowling, Tessa followed in a rush after the long strides of the man that was leading her away from class, and he glanced back at her with a smirk.
“We’re going to make you feel better. I was at your house way too long last night because you couldn’t concentrate.”
Plucking her car key from her pocket, Lucas made his way to the parking garage and Tessa regretted parking in the same space as the day before.
“That doesn’t answer my question!” Shrieking in frustration, Tessa’s words made Lucas stop to half turn towards her, a slight smile on his face. It only made her madder, because there was nothing to smile about.
“You’ll see when we get there, okay? Trust me, right? I don’t want to be in class, and you’re just a volcano ready to erupt. It’s a recipe for a good time.” Climbing into the driver’s seat of her car, Lucas waited patiently for Tessa to decide if she really wanted to do whatever he had planned. After a moment, though, she gave up. It was better to take the kindness as it came than expect something bad to happen, and Lucas wasn’t nice to anyone very often. At least, he wasn’t nice unless he wanted to get into a girl’s pants.
Half an hour later Tessa’s car was sitting in front of a junk yard, and she was more confused than frustrated. Leaving her bag at her feet, she climbed out of the passenger seat and thanked her she hadn’t died because of Lucas’s wild and erratic driving.
“Okay, why are we at a junk yard?” The question came out curious, and Lucas smirked slightly as he grabbed her hand again to pull her through the giant front gate.
“My cousin owns this yard, and I kind of vented to him last night, so he said I could come here and beat the shit out of a junker car as long as I paid for it. Come on.” Now Tessa was more than confused. She didn’t want to beat up an inanimate object; she wanted to be validated that she could be trusted. True, her mother’s conversation had made her feel a little better, but she was far from fine with this whole situation.
Following quietly, though, Tessa couldn’t deny the thoughtfulness, the consideration that Lucas was showing her. He was probably going through the same thing she was. Frowning, she didn’t like that she’d just added guilt to her volatile mix of emotions.
“Thank you, Lucas.” Flashing another smirk, Lucas let go of her hand to duck into a murky looking office that reeked of cigarette smoke only to emerge two seconds later with sledge hammers and safety goggles.
“Let’s get this party started, babe.”
Tessa swung the sledge hammer with force and let out a laugh. Lucas had been right for once after all, and she felt a lot better now that she was getting her anger out. She’d only been hitting the car with all her might for half an hour, but she felt lighter than a feather. As for the car, well, it wasn’t even recognizable. Maybe she should’ve started playing softball or something.
“Yeah! Hit that bitch!” Cheering her on, Lucas stood nearby with his goggles on his face and a huge grin across his lips. Tessa was clumsy with the hammer and the fact that she was wearing tight shorts made for a good laugh, and he liked watching her backside move. It helped that she had a nice laugh and a witty personality.
“If we leave now we can make it back to school for my last course, Lucas.” Watching Lucas put the sledge hammers and goggles back, Tessa felt her elation slowly becoming heavier and heavier. Her lightness was disappearing, and she was worried because she’d never missed a day of college. Sure, her professors wouldn’t mind it, but she did.
Lucas, though, didn’t seem to be inclined to go back to school, and he crossed his arms over his broad chest.
“Don’t think so, Tessa. You and me are gunna have a talk now that you’re not going commando on my ass.” Groaning quietly, Tessa didn’t want to talk. She wanted to go back to class and keep feeling like everything was fine until she went home and apologized to her mother for being such a spoil sport. Making their way back to her car, Tessa was glad she was able to get behind the wheel, but she didn’t turn the car on as she waited for Lucas to continue the conversation.
“Listen, Tessa, my dad’s not a bad guy, and he feels like shit about just springing this on you. I mean, he feels bad for me too, but I’m his kid and… yeah. Anyway, he and your mom told me yesterday that they’re not gunna push anything on us, like moving in together or something.”
Thankfully Tessa already knew that- her mother had made it clear that they weren’t going to move in together until they were married, by which time she would have a place of her own. Hopefully, that is. Leaning back in her seat, she let out a deep breath and frowned as she stared at the drooping fabric that covered the ceiling of her car.
“I know- it just seems so weird. I mean, she couldn’t even get out of bed for months after my dad died. Thinking about her dating someone long enough to want to marry them is… insane.”
Their conversation dragged on and at some point Tessa glanced at the time only to find that she would just be getting home right about then. Pushing the key into the ignition, she reached up to rub her face before inhaling, not wanting to give Lucas another excuse to drive her car.
Safe to say that Tessa’s bad mood appeared almost immediately once they’d arrived at her house, because Lucas was absolutely clueless about power point presentations.
Frowning as she leaned over his shoulder, Tessa pointed to the screen once again before giving up and tapping him a little harder than necessary.
“You know what, why don’t you do the research and I’ll do the power point.” Taking his seat, since Lucas practically jumped at the chance to switch jobs, Tessa began fleshing out the general outline of the power point. Her fingers moved swiftly across the keyboard, and she pursed her lips together in concentration. At least Lucas didn’t make a total mess and force her to start over.
“Hey, I’m gonna go see what’s in your fridge really quick.” Without another word of forewarning, Lucas left Tessa to sit in a lonely silence that she relished. Sometimes being alone was a good thing, and it gave her a little boost of concentration. Leaning towards her laptop monitor, she started to bite her lip out of habit.
The days that passed by were starting to become routine, and it bothered Tessa. After three days, she started to expect Lucas to walk her to her car, come to her house and work on their presentation. She started to miss his company and the goofy things he’d say when she was angry at him for doing something stupid.
So, instead of driving home alone like she knew she should’ve, Tessa made her way to the formidable unknown that most people called the football field. She sat on a low resting bleacher, and pulled out the latest installment of her favorite book- if she was going to sit here, then it might as well be worth it.
Honestly, she was worried for herself, because without this presentation pairing she would’ve never even considered going within twenty miles of the damn field.
“Tessa? What are you doing here?” Lucas’s voice snapped her out of the lust filled daze that Tessa had been immersed in as her two main characters finally relieved the sexual tension between them, and she frowned.
What
was she doing here?
“Waiting for you.” Deadpanned, the response made Lucas furrow his eyebrows before running his hand through his wet hair in an action that made Tessa’s already hot body flare a little. Silently, though, she scolded herself, because she couldn’t develop feelings for someone so brutish. He was a person that, by law, would soon be her step brother, and therefore it was socially unacceptable to crush on him.
Or that was what Tessa tried to tell herself.
“Alright, I just have to grab my back pack.”
Sitting heavily on her bed, Tessa groaned as she rifled through her back pack for the folder that housed everything they’d dug up on bone density. This presentation wasn’t even close to being finished, and they had so much work to do it wasn’t even funny. With the deadline only a week away, she wasn’t sure she and Lucas would be able to pull it off.
“It’s too bad they don’t give us participation grades anymore, huh? Then we’d be sure to get an ‘A’.” Running her hand through her silky, straight hair, Tessa nodded absently and wondered what other people were doing for their presentation. She was the kind of girl that went above and beyond, even if it stressed her out, but surely this much work wasn’t the norm.
“Yeah. I think we should take a break.” Mumbling more to herself, Tessa rolled her shoulders and set the heavy folder on the end of her bed. Not only did she have this presentation, but all of the work in her other three courses as well. It was overwhelming at best. Lucas, though, didn’t dispute her suggestion as he lounged in her computer chair, his head against the top of the back rest to stare at the ceiling.
“… So do you want to have dinner at my place on Friday, Tessa?” The unexpected offer made Tessa’s head whip up, but Lucas was still staring at the ceiling. Her rational mind knew that he was probably asking for his father, and that she’d be involved in a ‘family’ dinner. The more girly part wondered if he was asking her, and if they’d be alone. Thinking about it made her scowl slightly because she didn’t know which option she wanted more.
“Sure.” Lucas didn’t say anything else, and after a while Tessa fell back on her bed to mimic his stare while emotions boiled inside her.
“Tessa! Hurry up and let’s go!” Sighing, Tessa picked at the sun dress her mother had bought her for the dinner they were going to, but she still stood up to leave her room. The baby blue fabric went well against her own dark caramel skin, and made her curves stand out. She wasn’t stick thin, but could stand to lose a few pounds, and the dress covered that up and made her look nice.
She almost felt pretty.
In the two, 24 hour cycles since Lucas had asked her to dinner, Tessa waited for him after football practice. She found herself agreeing with him more and getting less frustrated when he did something wrong. Honestly, it was starting to freak her out how comfortable she was with him. Maybe it was because their parents were engaged.
Tessa’s mother also wore a blue dress, although it was more navy than blue, and she looked happy and at ease as they walked down the street. While Tessa was glad for her mother, her own personal problems were starting to make it a dull thing to watch.
“Ron, thanks for having us over- this is so exciting.” It was like Tessa’s mother had shaved ten years off her life and turned into someone people wanted to be around. Normally, she was half way to exploding due to the stress of her jobs and everything else she’d endured, but now she was polite and nice. It wasn’t something Tessa had experienced often since her father’s death, and it disturbed her almost as much as it elated her.
She was led into the dining room of the nice house much like her own. Tessa’s eyes slid over to the stairs as Lucas came down in a black button down and dark wash jeans. When he caught her looking, he flashed a smile and she had to quell her mental freak out to smile back.
Smooth save, Tessa. Really.
“Hey Tessa.” Wiggling her fingers in a wave, Tessa couldn’t stop the blush that spread across her cheeks when Lucas pulled out her chair for her. Since when had he become such a gentleman?
Since he turned into a step sibling.
Unfortunately for Tessa, Lucas even seemed to notice the redness in her cheeks because he brushed his thumb across the back of her neck as he moved to sit down next to her.
Tessa answered questions directed at her during dinner, and smiled with a slight nod as conversation flowed, but she didn’t really get into it too deeply. The situation seemed so surreal that it was hard to get a grip- even the lasagna was perfectly cooked and very delicious.
Dinner passed by in a haze and by the time it was over Tessa was ready to leave and go to bed. She couldn’t wait to sleep in and not have to worry about the presentation that was only barely keeping on schedule.
Unfortunately, Tessa’s mother had other ideas.
“Tessa, have a drink, honey. This is an important night, after all.” After seeing what mild alcoholism had done to her mother, Tessa was less than intent on even having a wine cooler. She was a light weight when it came to the fermented beverage, and didn’t know exactly how much she could have before she became a buffoon.
Shoving a glass bottle of some fruity smelling drink into her hands, Tessa’s mother smiled invitingly until she raised the lip of the bottle to her own.
“Lucas is going to try for pro football, right son?” Sipping on her mildly alcoholic beverage, Tessa listened to the conversation with about as much interest as she had the entire night. She wanted to be a scientist, after all, and football meant little to her.
“Yeah. Coach says if I keep going the way I’m going I’ll be set for Draft.”
And there it is- I’m lost already.
“Tessa, you feelin’ alright?” Sitting on a very comfortable couch, Tessa would’ve nodded if her head didn’t feel so heavy. Maybe drinking that single bottle was a bad idea. Instead of offering a verbal response to Lucas’s question, she just smiled a little, staring into space.