Chapter 6
Levi
Time seemed to move differently when Tess was involved. When we were together, I’d blink and she’d be leaving me again. But when we were apart…
It dragged.
It’d only been a day since I’d seen her, not even a full twenty-four hours, and it felt like a year.
But maybe that was because of how tense yesterday was.
We met with a judge about a protection order for her and Luke.
I had the evidence printed out, my argument prepared, and all the confidence in the world.
And it still wasn’t enough.
Well, it was a little. Tess got her restraining order, but Luke didn’t. The judge ruled that there wasn’t any proof that Jeremy was a threat to Luke, which was such bullshit.
Emotional trauma left scars just like physical trauma.
I’d argued that fact. I’d argued it until I felt like I was talking in circles.
Until Judge Blackburn told me I was bordering on contempt.
After that final warning, I risked getting fined.
But I would’ve kept going if it hadn’t been for Tess and the way she carefully reached for my arm, signaling to stop.
It had been a silent plea, one I couldn’t ignore.
The only solace I had was that Jeremy couldn’t come anywhere near Tess without being thrown in jail. But it didn’t feel as satisfying as I thought it would, knowing he could still come for Luke.
I sighed, shutting my medicine cabinet over my bathroom sink, and stared at myself in the mirror.
I looked tired, probably because I was. I hadn’t been sleeping well all week, and yesterday’s hearing didn’t help. I felt restless, torn, but despite it all, I couldn’t stop thinking about Tess.
And I was about to see her again.
Colt and Brittany were having their official engagement party at the park today, and they told us to dress up.
I contemplated not going for about two seconds, knowing I’d see Tess and inevitably cross my self-imposed line again.
But Colt was my family, and I’d missed so much of his life growing up because of my parents, and I wasn’t about to miss another milestone in his life.
When I got to the park, I was confused. It wasn’t decorated for just any party, but a wedding party. A ceremony and reception. I laughed, running a hand over my jaw. It looked a lot like my cousin was getting married today, and hadn’t told anyone. I bet Anna lost it when she found out.
I stopped to talk to a few people once I made it to where everyone was congregated.
Louie, who owned the butcher shop, Gladys from the courthouse, and Shelby, Mrs. Peterson’s granddaughter.
That one was a little awkward, considering I never called after our date last month, which wasn’t like me.
But I was doing a lot of things that weren’t like me these days.
Everyone was baffled by the surprise wedding, but I was just happy to be included.
A wedding was special, and who you decided to be a part of such a significant moment in your life was important, so it meant a lot to me that Colt asked me to come, even if it looked like they had invited the whole town.
I was nearing the bar when something smacked into the back of my legs and wrapped around them. I smiled when I saw a tiny hand clutching a toy dinosaur. When I twisted around, I found a mop of red curls attached to a small boy. “Wevi!”
My heart melted when Luke smiled up at me, remembering how scared he was when we met three weeks ago. “Hey, buddy.” I squatted down to his level. “Lookin’ sharp.” He had on little khaki pants with suspenders and a white button-down. It was shockingly adorable.
He frowned. “What does that mean?”
I chuckled, straightening one of his suspenders. “It means you look handsome.”
“Oh.” He puffed up a little at that—proud. “Mommy said that, too.” Just the mention of her had me wanting to look around for her, but Luke kept talking. “I’m gonna carry the rings with Henry,” he said with a wide grin.
My eyes widened dramatically. “That’s a very special job. You can’t drop them in the grass.”
“I won’t, I promise. Mommy said to go swow.”
He turned, pointing towards the ceremony space, but his voice faded the second my eyes landed on Tess.
Her dress was lavender, stopped mid-calf, and nearly stopped my heart as well.
Her hair was down and softly curled, pinned back to reveal more of her breathtaking face.
She was looking around, eyes wide, but stopped short when they locked on us, the tension visibly leaving her body.
She smiled softly at me, waving, and my stomach flipped.
“Come on,” I said, grabbing Luke and hauling him into my arms as I stood. I should’ve asked first, but I had a one-track mind right now. He didn’t seem to mind it, though, his little fingers curling into the collar of my shirt as we strode across the field.
“Where are we going?”
“To tell your mom how pretty she looks.”
He giggled. “Okay.” Thank God, he didn’t ask questions, because I didn’t have answers.
She was even more devastating up close. Her eyes shimmered in the sunset’s glow, and her lips were the same pouty pink as they were at the bar last week. I forced myself to think of something else. Literally anything else besides her mouth and how much I wanted to feel it against my own.
“Found something of yours,” I managed to say.
Tess chuckled. “Looks like it.”
“You wook pretty, Mommy!” Luke said, beaming.
I frowned at him. “Hey, that’s my line.”
He just smiled more, his head falling onto my shoulder, arms wrapped around my neck. “Sorry,” he said, dragging the word out. He wasn’t sorry at all.
I set him down, and he ran off, likely going to find Henry, but I watched until I knew he was safe with an adult.
Tess was smiling when I looked at her again, and all the blood in my head rushed south, turning me stupid.
“He’s right,” I said, scratching the back of my head nervously. “Pretty, you look.”
She gave me an amused yet concerned look. “Thank you, Yoda?”
I ran my hand over my face, laughing it off. “Hey, at least you got a compliment and a Star Wars reference in one. I’m multifaceted.”
That got her laughing, which made me coming off as an idiot completely worth it.
“Everyone, please take your seats,” someone said from the altar.
People started making their way to the rows of wooden fold-out chairs while I stayed still, trying to delay leaving Tess’s side for as long as possible.
I didn’t want to crowd her or make her uncomfortable; she was already going through enough, but I couldn’t help wanting to be near her.
“Want to sit together?” she asked, her voice soft, timid.
“Sure,” I answered casually, trying not to sound too eager.
We stayed silent as we walked to the ceremony space. It was comfortable, just like it was yesterday in the car ride after the hearing, despite the heaviness of the day.
Tess gasped and stumbled a little, her ankle rolling on an uneven part of the ground. I gripped her outstretched hand to steady her before she fell. “These stupid shoes,” she murmured, looking at the strappy nude heels she had on.
“You okay?”
“Yeah.” She nodded, and we started walking again. “Not used to wearing heels.”
I chuckled. “I don’t know how women do it.” Tess’s weren’t that tall, maybe three or four inches at most, but definitely a walking hazard in a grassy area like this.
“It wasn’t my brightest idea, but Delilah told me they made me look—” She stopped abruptly. I thought maybe something was wrong with her shoe until I glanced down at what she was looking at that made her stop talking.
Our hands.
They were still together.
I couldn’t bring myself to pull away first, realizing how natural it felt to hold her hand like this. How…nice they looked together.
She pulled away like she’d been burned, and kept her eyes locked forward. I knew it was for the best, even though I had to shove my hand in my pocket so I didn’t reach for her again. But I didn’t miss the subtle flush in her cheeks or the way she kept flexing her fingers.
We found seats at the end of the aisle towards the middle, and the ceremony was beautiful, something out of a movie.
Watching Colt tear up when Brittany walked down the aisle, and hearing their voices shake as they said their vows, made my chest ache.
It made me wonder what my wedding would be like, and who would be standing there with me.
Not just the bride, but the groomsmen, too.
I’d been a loner most of my life and had a few friends from law school scattered around the country, but that was about it.
A part of me wondered if I’d ever have what Colt and Brittany did, or if I’d always be stuck in this never-ending place of longing for things I didn’t have.
But now I was alone, nursing a beer near the dance floor while the wedding party did pictures.
Henry and Luke were being menaces, making silly faces standing in front of Colt and Brittany while Anna and Weston stood beside them since they were matron of honor and best man.
Anna and Tess had already gotten onto them for it, but the boys were lost in their own world, having the time of their lives.
“Lucas Watson!” Tess scolded, kneeling in the grass in front of him. She took his hands in hers. “You need to smile nicely for the pictures.”
It was the most stern I’d seen her since we’d met, and she was still the least threatening thing I’d ever seen. I loved it. Loved how sweet she was.
“Tess doesn’t really know how to lay down the law,” Claire said beside me with a warm smile directed at her sister. I hadn’t even heard her come up to me.
I cleared my throat, a little embarrassed for getting caught watching.
“No, it doesn’t look like it.” Claire was probably the person I’d spent the least amount of time with over these last few weeks, but I remembered her from when we were kids.
She was bossy, headstrong, a mother hen type, so I knew this talk likely had a purpose.