Chapter 4
FOUR
ACE
“This was unexpected.”
That was certainly one way to put it.
When I’d made the decision last night to make sure Tessa didn’t wind up back in a bad situation with the guy who had the gall to cheat on her, I hadn’t expected what happened this morning would’ve been part of it.
As long as I lived, I didn’t think I’d ever get the sight of her in that nightie out of my head. It was an image that was burned into my brain forever. All that skin, her breasts, those legs…
Crawling into my bed last night, I replayed my encounter with Tessa on the balcony at Lou’s over and over.
And I continued to ask myself the same question.
Was it simply some unspoken rule about not getting involved with my best friend’s younger sister that kept me from ever considering pursuing her?
That question forced my mind to drift back over the years. Tessa had always been there. Whether she was at her place when I was there visiting with her brother, or she was at my place when she was there visiting with my sister, there wasn’t a time in my life when Tessa wasn’t around.
Fondness for the girl she was all those years ago had turned into a much deeper appreciation for the woman she was now.
And every time she was around, whether at family gatherings or during a night out like last night, I found I was always happy.
She’d always been a bright spot in my life, and I tried to determine if my heart had always beat faster when I was around her, or if it was just that nightie this morning.
Regardless, Tessa wasn’t exactly in a place for me to pursue her. She wasn’t even twenty-four hours into dealing with heartbreak. I needed to give her time and get her through this. Once she got to the other side, though…
“Which part of this is unexpected?” I asked.
“That’s a fair question.” She sighed, sadness leaking onto her features. “I was referring to you showing up at my place this morning and asking to bring me out here for breakfast, but I’d be lying if I said this whole situation hasn’t been an eye-opening surprise. And not a good one, either.”
I reached across the table, rested my hand on her forearm, and offered a reassuring squeeze. I’d brought her to First Tracks, a diner not far from Parks Ridge Ski Resort where we’d grown up snowboarding with our families.
“I think I need to make something clear, Tessa. Phoenix might be my best friend, and I know you’ve got Lark and the girls, but you should know that you’ve got me, too.
You made it clear last night that you didn’t intend to tell my sister about what happened right away, but I know the situation is weighing heavily on you. Someone needs to be here for you.”
Her shoulders fell, tension easing out of them as her expression warmed.
“I don’t plan on hiding this from Lark, or anyone else, for that matter.
I just didn’t want to ruin the celebration last night.
And I figured I’d simply take the time today to sort myself out.
My plan was to talk to Lark tomorrow at work when we take our lunch break. ”
“I suspected as much. But I didn’t think you should be home alone, trying to sort yourself out, and need to deal with that guy showing up at your front door.”
“I was so angry when I heard the doorbell ring.” She huffed. “I’d spent the time it took me to make it to the front door getting angrier and angrier.”
“I’m sorry.”
Tessa covered my hand on her arm with hers and rubbed it back and forth. “My anger evaporated the second I saw you there, Ace.”
I wanted to stay focused, to be whatever Tessa needed me to be for her, but it was difficult to concentrate with her gentle touch against my skin. “You thought I was him?”
She nodded. “I… Yes.”
“Did he try to contact you at all since last night?”
Shaking her head, she pulled her hand away, sat back in the booth, and answered, “No.”
I gave her forearm one last squeeze and removed it. “You’re sad about that?”
My tone remained gentle as I asked the question. Even if I could see this guy for the piece of trash he was, there was no doubting that Tessa had gotten in deep with him. It wouldn’t do any good to make her feel worse about it.
Her stare had been focused on her lap, but when she lifted her chin and her gaze met mine, I couldn’t miss the tears that had welled in her eyes. “As angry as I was and still am, I’d be lying if I said I wasn’t hurt. That I don’t feel such overwhelming sadness about it.”
Before I could respond, our waitress returned. “And here’s your breakfast. I’ve got the egg and cheese on a bagel sandwich.” She set Tessa’s plate in front of her before dropping two in front of me. “And here’s the mushroom omelet with bacon and toast, along with a Belgian waffle.”
“Thank you,” I said.
“Is there anything else I can grab for you?”
I shook my head. “I think we’re good for now.”
She smiled. “Enjoy.”
Once the waitress took off, I focused my attention back on Tessa. She’d gotten a handle on her emotions, and tears were no longer clouding her vision. I jerked my chin toward her plate and said, “Dig in.”
There was a moment of hesitation before she lifted one half of the egg sandwich in her hands and brought it to her beautiful lips.
I quickly dropped my gaze to my own plate, realizing it wouldn’t be wise to focus on her mouth like that, especially when I was aware there was something so heavy weighing on her.
For a few minutes, we didn’t speak. The two of us simply sat in comfortable silence, enjoying our breakfast. Though I wanted to talk to her, Tessa needed to eat. And I got the sneaking suspicion that if we got back on the previous topic, she’d be too upset to eat anything.
Surprisingly, it was Tessa who eventually broke the silence. “Do you remember when we used to come here as kids?”
I smiled at her and the hint of light I saw in her eyes. “I do. Breakfast before snowboarding for hours at Parks Ridge.”
“Those were the days.” She picked up the second half of her sandwich. “Life was so much simpler back then.”
“No work. No responsibilities.”
“No awful men.” I tipped my head to the side and arched a questioning brow. “Present company being one of the few rare exceptions.”
A chuckle escaped. “Appreciated. But I can understand the sentiment. And there’s no question life was all about fun and games when we were younger.”
“I hate that heartache is thrown into the mix now.”
“For what it’s worth, Tessa,” I began as I switched my empty omelet plate with the Belgian waffle one. “This heartbreak you’re going through is completely unnecessary. I’m not saying there’d never be a breakup in your life, but the way this happened is unacceptable.”
She nodded, that sadness returning. “I don’t understand it. I don’t understand how it all went so wrong.”
It seemed we were going to have this discussion now, whether she’d finished her food or not.
“Was there ever any indication before last night that he was being unfaithful?” I asked.
“None.” Her tone was as firm and resolute as that single word. “That’s what makes this so confusing. I mean, I realize I’m a bit inexperienced with long-term, serious relationships, but there was nothing beyond him working late over the last week.”
“You two often spent time together throughout the week?”
She jerked her chin down. “Regularly. Ryan was always so attentive and generous with his time. He made me feel special, like our relationship mattered as much to him as it did to me. It’s why I was able to fall for him like I did. He had me convinced that I was all that mattered to him. And then—”
Tessa froze, her fingers losing the grip on her sandwich. As it fell to the plate, her face twisted in horror. It was as though some awful truth had just slammed into her. “Tessa, honey, what is it?”
Her eyes met mine, the pain in them like nothing I’d ever seen before. “It was all a lie.”
“What? What’s going on?”
“I can’t believe I’m going to tell my brother’s best friend about this,” she murmured.
Unable to stop myself, I reached across the table and placed my hand on her arm again. “I already told you that I’m your friend, too.”
“Okay. If that’s true, do you promise not to share this with him?”
“Absolutely. If that’s what you want, you’ve got my promise.”
Tessa appeared to be reassured by my promise, but for a few seconds, she didn’t say a single word. Taking in her appearance, the way she was holding her body, and how her eyes were darting around, it was clear Tessa was trying to sort through something, to come to grips with whatever it was.
“I wasn’t lying last night,” she finally began.
“I meant what I said about Ryan. I thought he was the one, and everything was perfect between us. And last weekend, after us being together for eight months, I gave him something I can never get back. Something that clearly meant more to me than it did to him.”
Not even an experienced professional poker player could’ve remained unaffected by what Tessa had just shared. How I hadn’t faltered worse in remaining as neutral as possible to the news was a mystery to me. “Tessa, babe, I’m so sorry.”
“That’s what it was, wasn’t it? He did all of that—making me believe I was special and that he cared—just to get that from me. How could I have been so stupid?”
For all the effort she’d made to keep her emotions in check, Tessa was losing her grip on them. The more she sat with the realization and kept talking it out, the worse things were getting. Tears had finally escaped and were spilling down her cheeks.
I couldn’t take it any longer. Seeing her so upset, wanting to comfort her, the table was an obstacle that didn’t need to be between us.
I stood, rounded it, and slid in beside her.
Tessa instantly latched on, curling her body into mine and burying her face in my chest. I just held her tightly, wrapping her in my arms and whispering soothing words against her hair while she quietly sobbed.