40. Tessa
CHAPTER FORTY
Tessa
“You what?”
Thomas’s voice cracks like a whip, the sound ricocheting off the walls. His fists slam down on the table, sending papers I’ve been sorting into the air, the force of his anger making the whole room tremble.
My heart flutters, but not from fear. It’s from something else entirely. Emotion I haven’t felt in a long time. Resolve.
I don’t flinch.
I’ve spent years navigating his rage, sidestepping the worst of it, keeping my voice calm when his is anything but. But today? Today, I’m done.
“I’m not backing out,” I say, each word cutting through the thick tension in the air. “You want to control everything, but I’m not going to let you. We can’t keep doing the same thing. We can’t keep fighting ghosts. Our plan is a good one, and it works for both families. I think you can see that.”
His eyes narrow, stormy and furious, and I can feel the heat of his glare from where I stand. “You don’t understand—”
“I understand perfectly,” I cut him off, standing my ground. “We can’t keep playing this game. You’ve been getting your way for years, but it’s hurt us. Both of us. The McCoys and the Longs have benefited from this dispute for too long, but it’s time to move on.”
I stand up, pacing in front of him, feeling his eyes burn into my back. But I don’t stop. Not now. Not when I finally have the words to say everything that’s been building for so long.
“You want to blame the McCoys for everything that’s wrong,” I say, turning to face him, my hands clasped in front of me.
“But you’re forgetting something. It’s you who’s been holding us back.
You’ve let this feud define everything, even when it’s hurt us.
The land, the money… it’s not worth more than our future.
We need to make peace with the people who can help us move forward. People who want to help us.”
His nostrils flare, and his hands shake on the table. The tension in his jaw is enough to crack stone. “You think I’m going to let them dictate what happens to our land?”
“No,” I say, slicing through his anger. “I think you’re going to get what you need.
You’ll benefit from this deal financially.
You’ll get the money you’ve always wanted.
But it’s not just about money anymore. It’s about securing the future.
Not dragging us back into a past that’s already done enough damage. ”
His eyes flash with something primal, dangerous. He stands so suddenly that his chair scrapes against the floor with a screech, and I feel a wave of tension in my chest. But I don’t back away.
“You’re saying we should agree to their terms?” He spits the words like venom. “Let them come in here and take what’s ours?”
I stand my ground. “No, Thomas. I’m saying we’re going to take what we need, too. We’re going to get something from them that’s fair. They don’t get to bulldoze their way through here. They don’t get to rewrite the rules.”
The silence between us is thick and suffocating, but he mutters under his breath, the words slipping out in disbelief. “You’re seriously going to side with Nash McCoy on this?”
I don’t blink. “Yes. I am.”
His face contorts with rage, his eyes wild. “To the man you pretended to be engaged to?”
I swallow hard. “Yeah… that’s not so much pretend anymore.”
Understanding crashes over him, a wave that drowns everything else.
“You what?”
His anger is no longer just visible—it’s palpable, raw, and unhinged. I almost feel sorry for him. Almost.
But then the pity vanishes, replaced by a searing kind of disappointment.
“You’re dating him?” He spits the poisonous words. “I thought you had more sense than this, Tessa. You’re throwing everything away for him? For that McCoy piece of shit who’s done nothing but—”
“Don’t you dare. Don’t you ever talk about him like that again.”
But Thomas isn’t listening anymore. His fury is spiraling out of control. “You’re dating Nash McCoy? After everything he’s done, everything his family’s done, and you’re choosing him over your own family?”
I stand tall, my chest tight with every word he spits. “You’ve wrecked everything, Tessa!” he yells, pacing back and forth like an animal caught in a cage. “You’re ruining this family! You’re ruining everything we’ve worked for, all because you’ve gone and fallen for him! Him! Of all people!”
His face is red with rage, his breath coming in sharp, heavy bursts, veins popping out of his neck. And with each insult, each accusation, I can feel the pieces of him I thought I knew shattering.
“I knew I never should’ve let you get mixed up with him. I knew you couldn’t be trusted,” he spits, his words jagged. My chest aches, but I don’t look away. “You’re an idiot. You’ve completely lost your mind! This is a betrayal! You’re betraying us all for him!”
“You don’t get to talk to me like that,” I snap, finally losing the last of my patience. “You don’t get to say I’m the one ruining everything when you’ve spent years holding onto a grudge that’s done nothing but tear us apart.”
Thomas steps forward, getting in my face. “I’ve protected this family. I’ve kept everything in line. And you think you can just walk in here and ruin it all for a McCoy? You’re choosing him, Tessa, and in doing so, you’re choosing to tear apart everything we’ve ever had!”
He stands there, chest heaving with his fury, but I don’t flinch.
“You’re making a huge mistake,” he mutters under his breath. “This isn’t just about the land, Tessa. This is about everything. You can’t just ignore the past.”
I shake my head slowly, the words coming out firm. “I’m not ignoring it. But I am moving on from it. This isn’t about erasing the past. It’s about building something better. For all of us. Something that moves us forward, not backward.”
For a long, heavy moment, he doesn’t speak. I can see the gears turning in his mind, his eyes flickering as he processes everything I just said. Maybe he’s starting to understand. Maybe not. But it doesn’t matter.
He speaks again, quieter now. “I don’t know if I can trust them. I don’t know if I can trust you to do this.”
“I’m doing this because it’s the right thing to do,” I reply. “Not for you. Not for me. But for us. For this family. For this town.”
He stares at me for a long time, but I can’t tell what he’s thinking. It doesn’t matter. I’m not asking for his approval anymore.
“You think this is easy?” he mutters. “You think it’s all about money?”
“No. I think it’s about doing what’s right. You’ll benefit from this deal. More than you realize. But you need to let go of the past. You need to understand that this is what’s best for all of us.”
I turn to leave, but just as my hand grips the doorknob, I hear him mutter, low and dangerous, the word I’ve been expecting: “Money.”
I stop. My heart tightens, but I don’t turn around. Instead, I press down on the door handle and face him one last time.
“You’ll benefit from this,” I say. “And in the end, so will I.”
And then I walk out.
I close the door softly behind me. His words hang there, sharp and biting, but I won’t let them sink in. Not after everything I’ve said.
I take a deep breath, calming myself.
I don’t know what comes next. But I feel like I’m on the right path.
“Sweetheart?”
Grandma’s voice slices through the silence. I turn and find her standing in the hallway, her expression calm but her eyes sharp. She’s been listening. She knows what just happened.
I walk toward her, every step heavy, but something inside me feels lighter. When I’m close enough, she opens her arms, and I fall into them without hesitation.
She smells of bergamot and the warmth of home, her embrace solid and warm.
When she pulls back, she looks at me with a tenderness that makes my chest tighten. “You did well.”
I blink, fighting back the emotions that threaten to spill over. “I don’t know, Grandma. I don’t know if I did.”
“You did,” she says again, softly but firmly. “You’ve done what’s right. And sometimes, that’s the hardest thing to do.”
I exhale slowly, her words washing over me. I didn’t expect this. But I needed it. More than I thought.
I lift my eyes to meet hers. “He won’t listen. He’s so angry.”
“That’s his burden,” Grandma replies, her gaze fixed, unwavering. “Not yours.”
I nod, absorbing the truth in her words.
“He doesn’t get it,” I say. “But I can’t go back. I have to move forward.”
Grandma smiles, her hand resting on my shoulder. “And you will. Your mother would be proud.”
I swallow, the lump in my throat growing. “I just wish she were here to see this.”
“She is,” Grandma says softly. “In you. You’re stronger than you know.”
I nod, the storm inside me quieting. Because, for once, I know that what I’m doing is right. And I won’t look back.
“I’m ready,” I whisper, more to myself than to her.
Grandma squeezes my shoulder. “Good. Because this is just the beginning.”