Chapter 74 Well, That Was a First
Well, That Was a First
Ryder
Tessa stared in open amazement. "Wow, it really does look as good as new."
I didn't tell her, but the replacement door was actually better than new – a perfect match for the old one, but twice as strong, given its steel core and reinforced hinges.
The thing had cost a fortune, not that I'd ever say so.
The money was nothing, and I would've paid a million times that amount to keep Tessa safe.
The construction crew had just left, after installing the door in record time, leaving no trace of the damage I'd caused only last night.
Already, two hours had passed since we'd left Skip waving his middle finger. We'd spent the first part of that time walking to the house and the second part watching the carpenters fix the door.
Only one of those activities had been satisfying, and it wasn't the walk.
No. That scenic stroll had been filled with long bouts of silence – on my part more than hers. With every step, her odd request had echoed in my head.
She wanted us to fly under the radar.
This shouldn't have bothered me. But it did.
For the past few years, my life had been filled with women eager to appear at my side – too eager, some might say. At first, I'd gotten a kick out of it – all those selfies, social media posts, and carefully curated captions.
But lately?
I considered all of it a pain in the ass.
So why did the thing with Tessa bother me?
It should've been refreshing, right?
Except it wasn't.
Why was everything so different with her?
After the nearly silent walk, I had watched with growing interest as Tessa interacted with the construction guys, treating them like actual human beings and not serfs for hire.
She'd even offered them lemonade, for God's sake.
It told me a lot about who she was. For a minute there, I'd even smiled. She really was something special.
So why was I pissed?
I was still wondering when Tessa moved closer to say, "You can't imagine how relieved I am. I was so worried Maisie would notice."
Absently, I replied, "Notice what?"
"The door." She hesitated. "But now that you mention it, it was the same with the bubble bath. I still can't believe I dodged that bullet."
"So you never told her?"
Tessa shook her head. "I didn't need to." She smiled. "Thanks to you."
I should've been flattered. But something about this was hitting me wrong. "So I'm your accomplice, huh?"
Her smile faltered. "I wouldn't put it that way."
"What about the door?" I asked. "Are you gonna mention that?"
"Are you kidding?" She gave a shaky laugh. "She'd probably kick me out."
"Right," I scoffed. "Because one mistake, and you'd be out on the street."
Her eyebrows furrowed. "That's not what I said."
"Sure it is."
She paused, as if giving it serious thought. "Okay…fair point, I guess. But in my own defense, breaking down somebody's door isn't exactly normal. I mean, it's not like I broke a coffee cup."
"Except you didn't break anything," I reminded her. "I did."
"Yeah, but it was at least partly my fault."
I didn't agree. "How do you figure?"
"Well…for starters, if I weren't living here, the door would've been just fine."
Technically, her logic was sound. But as far as the sentiment, I wasn't buying it. "That's a load of bull." I held her gaze. "Not everything's your fault."
Her mouth tightened. "I never said it was."
"If you believe that, you're not listening." I reached for her hand. "Do you ever hear yourself?"
She yanked her hand away. "I hear myself just fine. You're the one who's not listening."
My hand felt empty without hers. "Is that so?"
"Definitely. Remember outside the coffee shop? You didn't even want to hear the rest of it."
"The rest of what?"
"The reason I don't want to flaunt our relationship."
I stared. "Who said anything about flaunting?"
"Fine." Her chin lifted. "Going public or whatever."
I barked a laugh. "What, you think I want to issue a press release?"
But Tessa wasn't laughing. "I knew you'd be mad."
"Yeah, but it didn't stop you."
"You're right. It didn't. And you wanna know why?"
"Why?"
"Because I thought I'd have the chance to explain. And just maybe I figured that once I did, you'd actually get it." Her voice trailed to a low whisper. "But I guess not."
I knew what the script called for. I was supposed to cajole her into telling me whatever she thought I was missing. But the truth was, I didn't want to hear it. What I wanted was the whole world to know she wasn't standing alone.
When I said nothing, Tessa turned and gave the newly installed door a long, defeated look. Softly, she said, "I guess I should pay you for half."
If I wanted to be a dick, I'd tell her she couldn't afford it. Forget the door itself. Getting a crew to the island on nearly no notice had cost more than the materials alone. Plus, I didn't want her money.
I wanted her.
With a shake of my head, I told her, "No deal."
"But why?"
"I broke it. I bought it. End of story."
She gave me a weary smile. "Thanks. I owe you one, okay?"
"Forget it," I said. "You don't owe me anything."
She hesitated. "Actually, I do. So just hear me out."
From the look on her face, I wasn't sure I wanted to. But I nodded, anyway, bracing myself for a list of reasons why keeping things private made sense.
She swallowed hard before saying, "What I asked earlier, I guess…well…I was being really unfair. And I'm sorry."
This wasn't what I expected, and I felt some of my tension ease. "Hey, don't be." I smiled. "I'm just glad you rethought it."
She didn't even try to smile back. "That's not what I meant."
It wasn't? I gave her a confused look. "So, what am I missing?"
She blew out a long, ragged breath. "What I'm trying to say is, I don't blame you."
"For what?"
"For being mad. I wouldn't like someone asking me to stay in the shadows. I shouldn't have asked you in the first place."
I studied her face. "What exactly are you getting at?"
Her gaze slid away, and then returned, steadier than before. "I just think that…well, it might be better if we took a little break."
What the hell? "Better for who?"
Something in her eyes shifted. "Both of us."
She was lying. I could see it in her eyes. The only thing I didn't know was what she truly meant. This so-called break…was this better for me?
Or for her?
When I said nothing, she added, "I just mean…it's not really fair to drag you along for the ride."
The word drag hit a nerve. "You're not dragging me anywhere."
If she heard, she gave no sign, because she was already saying, "It's not you. It's me. Totally."
My jaw almost hit the floor.
Well, that was a first.