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Tess: Help me.
I give up trying to make sense of what I’m reading and call her. While I’m listening to the phone ring another text comes through but Tess answers before I can check it.
“Hey,” she says, all breezy and calm. “I was hoping you’d call.” In the background, I can hear the three-ring circus that is Saturday night at Gilroy’s.
“Is he still there?” I say, giving Chase a thumbs-up when he holds up a couple of ice-cold beers.
“Of course,” she says, laughing while I listen to her scoop ice.
“Are you okay,” I ask, even though I know the answer to the question. To anyone else, she’d sound perfectly normal. Flirty, even, but I can hear how strung-out she is. She’s two breathes away from a full-fledged panic attack.
“Not really,” she laughs again. “Did you get the picture I sent you?” Almost immediately I hear the rumble of a deep voice.
Who are you talking to?
My mouth drops open. Declan. Talking directly to Tess. Why does all the good stuff happen when I’m not around?
“None of your fucking business,” Tess snaps back, her tone muffled by the hand I know she’s put over the phone.
I’m picking up your slack while you’re sexting dirty pictures to your fucking boyfriend. That makes it my business, Tesla.
Holy. Shitballs. He just called her Tesla. No one called her Tesla. Not even her dad. Not even Conner.
“Don’t hit him,” I screech, hoping like hell she’s still listening, even if she’s not talking to me anymore.
“Just go back to washing glasses and mopping up beer,” she snipes back. “Nobody asked you for your opinion.”
Why are you being so difficult?
“Why are you being such a nosy bitch?” The phone jostling in her hand. “Are you still there?” She’s talking to me, her voice silky smooth.
“You called him a bitch,” I squeak out, trying like hell not to laugh.
“I sure the fuck did, sweetheart,” she says, sounding smug. And better. More like Tess. “Will I see you tonight?”
She’s asking if I’m going to make it an early night or if I’m going to draw this sham of a date out just to screw with Patrick. “I’m not sure.”
“Check your phone before you say no.”
My stomach rolls over. I can imagine what kind of photo Tess managed to snap. Patrick, sucking tequila out of a college girl’s bellybutton. Licking salt off her tits. Using his tongue to dig a lime wedge out of her— “Okay,” I say, giving myself a mental slap in the face. “Do you want me to come home?”
“Yes,” she says, following it with a long, heavy sigh. “No.”
“I’ll be home in a few hours,” I tell her, looking at clock on my phone. “No committing murder until I’m there to help you move the body.”
In the background, I can hear the low rumble of Declan’s voice. Apparently, being called a nosy bitch only keeps him silent for so long.
“No promises,” she grumbles.
I laugh. “I love you.”
She sighs, her voice shaky for a just a moment. “I love you too.”
I hit end and stare at the screen for a few moments before I swipe at the screen, searching my unread texts.
Tess: Oh, and BTW—this is happening.
The text is accompanied by a picture like Tess promised and it’s a thousand times worse than Patrick licking salt off some bimbo’s tits. It’s of Patrick, smiling, looking sexy as fuck, leaning against the bar, talking to a girl. Not just a girl. His ex, Sara.