11. Tessa
Chapter 11
Tessa
I can't stop smiling as I walk into Sugar he just better make sure he realizes what he has with you."
She disappears into the kitchen before I can respond, leaving me with thoughts I'm not ready to examine too closely.
My phone buzzes again. Another text from him.
Zane
Missing that ass already. Sure I can't convince you to bring it to lunch?
I smile despite myself, typing back.
Me
Thought you had meetings all day?
Zane
I do. But I'm the boss. I can move things around.
"Still texting lover boy?" Ivy calls from the kitchen.
"Still eavesdropping?" I joke back.
The morning rushes by in a blur of contractor meetings and supply orders. I'm reviewing paint samples for the last time when my phone rings. I glance down at the screen in surprise; it’s Asher.
"Hey," I answer. He usually calls Ivy.
"Hey, yourself." His voice is warm but hesitant. "Got a minute?"
"Of course. Everything okay?"
He pauses. "It's about Zane."
My stomach drops. "Oh?"
"He's… he's trying, Tessa. Really trying. But Zane…" He sighs. "Let's just say he isn’t known for his emotional availability."
"I'm not asking him to be emotionally available," I say, but we both know that's not entirely true. "I just want him to be real with me."
"I know. And he wants to be. Just… give him time?"
"Time for what? To build his walls back up?"
"To figure out how to be himself with you." Asher's voice softens. "He's never let anyone this close before. Not even in high school."
I think about this morning's kiss. About Saturday's walk. About all the little moments when his guard drops and I see the real him.
"I'm not going anywhere," I say finally.
"Good." I can hear his smile. "Because I think my brother might actually be falling in love with you."
The words hit me hard, making my chest tight. Because maybe I'm falling too. Maybe I've been falling since I was fifteen, watching him from behind my pom-poms.