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“Because I just fucked her.”
She tenses up, lowering her head so darkness overtakes her features. “What did you just say?” she says and steps forward.
I tilt my head to the side and stare at her. “Christ, I’m just fucking with you. She’s at the restaurant down the road with her parents.”
Riley raises her head and stops. “Okay, and how do you know her?”
“Met her yesterday. Her dad went to college with mine, I guess. Does she know you’re here?”
“No, I’ve been trying to get hold of her,” she says and gestures at the woods surrounding us. “But since she’s out in the middle of fucking nowhere, she hasn’t been answering. Probably her shitsucker of a dad keeping her from talking.”
I sigh. “Yeah, he is that. Is he even going to let you see her?”
She scowls at me. “Aren’t you nosy as hell?” But then she smirks proudly. “Yeah, he will. He’s a dick, but he’s even more of a pussy, and he’s afraid of me.”
Headlights flash out in the darkness, and I step onto the grass. “That’s them,” I tell her.
Shortly, the car pulls into the driveway and comes to a halt. Lillian practically jumps out the door and into Riley’s arms.
“How did you get here?” she practically squeals.
“I drove,” her girlfriend answers drily.
“How did you find me? I haven’t had service all week.” She nuzzles into her girlfriend’s neck, and I watch as Riley’s tough-girl exterior begins to crack. Her hand moves up and down against Lillian’s back lovingly.
“It’s a small place, baby. It wasn’t too hard.” She pulls back a little to look at Lillian’s face. “Is your dad going to give me shit for coming?”
“No. Well, maybe. But you know he won’t make you leave.”
I force out a cough, feeling awkward standing there watching this reunion. “Okay, well, I’m going to go,” I say and begin to walk off.
“Bye,” Riley says. Lillian doesn’t say anything.
After a few minutes, I reach the gate to my father’s cabin and walk up the driveway. Tessa will be here any minute, and I want to be inside before the SUV pulls into the driveway. She’ll be crying, I’m sure, and I’ll have to come up with an apology to make her stop and listen to me.
I barely make it to the porch when Karen and Lillian’s mother step out of the car. “Where is everyone else?” I ask her, my eyes searching for Tess.
“Oh, well, your dad and Landon rode back with Max to watch some game on television.”
“Where’s Tessa?” Panic rises in my chest.
“She’s back at the restaurant.”
“What?” What the fuck. This isn’t how it’s supposed to go.
“She’s with him, isn’t she?” I ask the two women, even though I already know the answer. She’s with the blond asshole with the sheriff for a father.
“Yeah, she is,” Karen says, and if I wasn’t stuck out in the middle of nowhere with her, I’d cuss her out for the small smile she’s trying to hide.
Chapter forty-three
TESSA
So that’s basically the story of my life,” Robert ends with a grin. His smile is warm and honest—almost childlike, but in the most endearing way.
“That was . . . interesting.” I reach for the wine bottle on the table and lift it to fill my glass. Nothing comes out.
“Liar,” he teases, and I burst into wine-induced giggles. His life story was short and sweet. Not plain really, not exciting, just normal. He grew up with both parents: his mother the schoolteacher, his father the sheriff. After graduating from the small college two towns away, he decided to go to medical school. He’s only working here now because he’s on the wait list to get into the medical program at the University of Washington. Well, that and he makes pretty good money working at the most expensive restaurant around.
“You should have gone to WCU instead,” I tell him, and he shakes his head. He stands up from the table and puts his index finger in the air to pause our conversation. I sit back in the chair while I wait for him to return. I rest my head against the wooden chair and look up. The ceiling in this small section is painted with clouds, castles, and cherubs. The figure directly above me is sleeping, with pink staining her cheeks and blond curly hair topping her head. Her small white wings lay almost flat in slumber. Next to her, a boy—at least I assume it’s a boy—stares at her, watching her with his black wings spread behind him.
Hardin.
“No way,” Robert says suddenly, interrupting my thoughts. “Even if I wanted to, they don’t offer the program I need. Plus, the medical program is part of the main campus in Seattle. At WCU, your Seattle campus is much smaller.” When I lift my head up, I see he has a new bottle of wine in his hands.
“Have you been there? To the campus?” I ask him, eager to learn more about my new location. I’m even more eager to stop staring at creepy images of baby angels on the ceiling.
“Yeah, only once. It’s small but it’s nice.”
“I’m supposed to be there on Monday, and I have nowhere to live.” I laugh. I know my poor planning shouldn’t be funny, but right now it feels that way.
“This Monday? As in today is Thursday and Monday is right around the corner?”
“Yep.” I nod.
“What about the dorms?” he asks as he uncorks the bottle.
Living in the dorms never crossed my mind, not even once. I had assumed . . . well, hoped . . . that Hardin would be accompanying me, so they weren’t on my radar.