26. All Wrong
26
ALL WRONG
KURTIS
M y bedroom door swings open without a knock. I’m floored when Tessa saunters in like she hasn’t ghosted us for days.
“Tessa!” I rush to cover up my crotch with a blanket. I’m not naked, but I’m only in my boxer briefs.
That’s odd. We’ve had sex. She’s seen all my bits. Why am I being modest now?
She eyes my bare chest. A sense of pride that she’s admiring my hard won muscles conflicts with a feeling I can’t quite place.
What is this discomfort? Am I feeling hurt? Why am I reacting to her abrupt return in a negative way?
Maybe I’m more upset about her disappearance than I want to admit. It felt personal since she bailed the day after I had sex with her. I’ve never tried that hard before to win someone over. Perhaps I did it all wrong. How would I know if I messed up?
Most of my experience with women was often nameless, chaotic, and meaningless. I never really cared all that much if they truly enjoyed what happened. At least, I would wait until they claimed they had come, but half the time, they were probably lying.
With Tessa, I want to give her a thousand orgasms before I worry about my pleasure. But for her to vanish afterwards makes me think she didn’t enjoy herself as much as she acted. Or perhaps the sex was fine, and she just doesn’t like me enough.
Our strange exchange where she insisted in a text that “ if there is a next time, she would have to pre-approve of the activities” made me question everything.
“What are you doing here?” I ask, scooting up to lean against my headboard and pulling the covers to hide my exposed chest.
“I live here, silly,” she says with a bit of irritation, noting my unusual modesty. “Why so shy now? You don’t want to fuck me anymore after you already tapped my ass?”
“Uh, no.” What the fuck? Does she really think that’s what the other night was about? “I thought you weren’t into me anymore. You’ve been gone since our date.”
“So sensitive,” she mocks.
I don’t like how she’s behaving. Tessa can be sassy, but it usually has a playful energy. This feels attacking, vindictive. Hateful.
“Did you need something?” My voice grows cold.
“I thought we could fool around.” She crawls up on the foot of my bed and continues toward me.
I glance at the wide-open door. Dante’s room is right across the hall, and I don’t want to piss him off if he walks out and sees us. Sure, he’s okay with us being together, but I don’t think seeing me messing around with Tessa after she ghosted us is a great look. He’ll be hurt that she didn’t contact him too.
Or did she? My skin itches as she moves closer. I should just let her do what she wants with me, but for some weird reason, I don’t feel comfortable with how this is unfolding.
“Uh.” I jump up and rush toward my only exit, tying the sheet around my waist. “I’m not in the mood right now.”
“Oh, did Evan already fuck the mood out of you?” Again her voice comes out harsher than I’ve ever heard. Angry.
“What’s up with you?” I stand in the open door, clutching my sheet like a security blanket. “You’re acting weird.”
“Oh, so now you’re slut shaming me because I need your cock?” Her eyes glow with frustration.
I snatch my sweatpants and t-shirt from the chair beside me and slip them on as Tessa reclines on my bed, trying to pose seductively.
Sure, she’s gorgeous, but I’m not attracted to her right now. I wonder if I have a problem with a woman coming on too strong.
I shake my head. No. That isn’t it. This is all so confusing.
“Are you freaking out because you didn’t enjoy fucking me the other night?” she demands. “Or are you playing some kind of game?”
I’m not playing a game, but I believe she might be. This is so out of character for her that I’m beginning to worry.
“I have to go.” I slip on my shoes and rush out of there, leaving the door wide open.
I run down the hallway, then use my new power to pop into Dante’s room, as I sense Tessa is going to visit him next. If she hasn’t already.
Dante startles when I appear next to his bed where he’s reading a book—a spicy romance by the cover.
Before he can blurt out something or yell at me, I place a finger over my lips to let him know to keep quiet.
His brow crinkles, but he clamps his mouth shut and gives me the look that tells me I better explain myself quickly.
I whisper, “Meet me at Tessa’s club.” The secret name for our sacred circle. I still have the tent out there to remind me of when everything must have fallen apart. It feels like the safest place to retreat while we figure out what’s happening with her.
He pops away. Then I zero in on Evan’s energy. I wonder if he has run into Tessa yet.
I find him in the garage, pacing in front of his Corvette. “You okay?” I ask as I appear next to him.
“Fuck!” he shouts, then quickly recovers from my surprise. “And no. I’m very much not okay.”
“Tessa?” I ask with a knowing inflection.
“Yeah, how did you know?”
“Let’s talk about it in the circle.”
We both appear just outside of the sacred place Tessa created. It blocks out gods and psychics, so it should keep Tessa from spying on us, unless she walks inside the boundary.
Dante waves for us to join him. He nervously runs his hand through his thick black hair. He barks at me when we cross over into the protective space. “What’s going on? Is she okay? Why here?”
I glance back and forth between Dante and Evan. I’m usually the dumb one in the mix. And I worry that I’m overreacting—being stupid and overly cautious. But if I’m right, then we need to be careful.
“There’s something wrong with the way Tessa is behaving,” I begin. “I’m not sure if it’s the pressure of being with us, or if it’s a situation at her job, but she doesn’t seem herself.”
“You saw her?” Dante’s eyes dart in the direction of the mansion, deep longing shining in his expression.
“I saw her too.” Evan takes a deep breath and places a hand on Dante’s shoulder. “Kurtis is correct. She’s different. Odd.”
“Odd?” Dante shrugs off Evan’s touch. He takes a step to leave. “Odd how?”
“She tried to seduce me, but it felt… wrong.” Evan rubs his arms like he’s trying to clean himself of some invisible grime.
“Yeah, same with me. I think… maybe…” I can’t finish what I have to say.
What if I’m wrong?
“Spit it out,” Dante snaps. “Or I’m grabbing Tessa and getting her the fuck away from the both of you. If this is the way you’re going to be as her boyfriends, then she doesn’t need it.”
“I think it’s Instant Karma,” I blurt out.
Dante goes completely stock-still. “ What is?”
“I don’t know. Like maybe Tessa has been brainwashed or… Or Instant is possessing her. Like how Instant wanted to do before Death killed her.”
“You think Instant is back and has enough power to take over Tessa’s body?” Evan questions, but his voice is soft, and he sounds like he’s considering it as a possibility.
“William mentioned the social media stuff,” I remind them. “And we all had strange text exchanges with Tessa. So yeah, it’s possible that Instant is back.”
Dante’s quiet for a long moment, then he scoffs. “But why come back here and mess with us? Why not just take Tessa’s body and run?”
“Give us some payback?” I offer. “It is her signature thing.”
“If we didn’t catch on, she could easily torment us, kill us, then go after Karma when she was powered up enough,” Evan guesses her intent.
“Fuck. Tessa was strong on her own. With Death, she is more so.” I shiver with the thought. “With Death’s powers at her fingertips, if a vicious god like Instant has the reins, then we’re screwed. She could kill us all without trying.”
“Wait.” Dante asks with hope creeping into his eyes, “Wouldn’t Death know that one of his people has been possessed?”
“I’m not sure if I want her to be possessed or not.” Evan rubs his chin thoughtfully. “If this is Tessa, then…”
“Then something’s really wrong.” I begin to pace. “She was borderline abusive just now.”
“I need to see this for myself.” Dante glowers at us. “I can’t trust what you’re saying.” Then he points a finger at both of our faces. “If you’ve hurt her in some way, and this is the result, I will end you.”
I raise my hands in surrender. “If I hurt her, then I welcome it. But I don’t think this is about us.”