Page 28 of Cherished Lands

"Tessa is not here because we 'banged it out.' There is nothing to bang out."

"Keep telling yourself that, bro."

"Oh, for the love of Pete, would you please knock it off?" Dad said sharply. Chase mimed zipping his lips. "Tessa is a member of this business, and therefore, a member of this family. We take care of our own, do we not?"

Jasper, Chase, and I collectively mumbled our agreement. Tessa smiled incredulously at Dad, almost like this kind of parental affection was new to her.

Maybe it was.

"Good. Then that's settled," Dad said. "Now, let's have some breakfast. I'm hungry as shit."

"Jay, language!"

Chapter Ten

TESSA

The Everton homewas like an alternate universe.

Instead of three people seated in an opulent dining room at a table large enough for twelve, there were seven people gathered around the worn wooden table that I learned Elliot's grandfather had crafted decades ago, their elbows bumping as they passed steaming platters of food.

Instead of a silent meal, punctuated only by the clink of fine china and crystal, brunch bubbled over with life—full of warm chatter, belly laughs, playful bickering between siblings, inside jokes, and childhood stories that had everyone either groaning or grinning.

Instead of cutting remarks and icy stares, there was love and support flowing as freely as the coffee.

I never wanted to leave. For the first time ever, I felt content. Relaxed. Safe and warm and whole.

"Delicious, Mom. Thanks." Chase patted his stomach. "Now I need to go sleep off this hangover."

"Don't thank me," Emma said. "Thank Tessa. She did mostof the cooking."

"Well in that case, thank you, Ms. Belmonte." Chase bowed at the waist and shot me a wink before heading off to his basement bedroom.

"We need to get going too," Jasper said, rising from the table and tossing his crumpled-up napkin on his plate. Natalie followed suit then moved to start clearing their places.

"Don't worry about it," I said. "I'll clean up."

"Tessa, sweetheart, you don't have to do that," Emma said.

"I don't mind, really. Earning my keep, remember?"

"Thanks, Tessa," Jasper said. Natalie smiled and bent to give me a small hug.

Then it was just Jay, Emma, Elliot, and me. Elliot looked me in the eyes as he spoke. "Mom, Dad, why don't you guys go relax? I'll help Tessa clean up."

Emma's eyes darted between us, and she smiled significantly. "Come on, Jay. Let's go put on a Christmas movie."

Elliot held my eyes as his parents rose from their seats and made for the sitting room. His gaze felt like it was penetrating my soul.

"What's going on, Tessa?" His voice was low, to keep his parents from hearing.

"You heard your parents. I'm just... staying here for a bit."

"But why? Why here? You could've gone anywhere else."

I wasn't one to squirm in uncomfortable situations, but his steady eye contact was unnerving as fuck.

"I don't know, okay? Your dad picked me up. I told him I didn't know where I was headed, and he brought me here. And it just seems like the best place for me to be right now."