I widen my eyes but then quickly remember that the club is in the lower level of his building. “That would be amazing.”
He feeds me another spoonful of the mousse. “I want to give you what you need, Skye, just as you give me what I need.”
Control. He needs it, and though I have a limited understanding of why, I still don’t know the whole story.
Right now, though, I’m so relaxed, I don’t care. I just let the mousse slide down my throat and make me happy.
“Aren’t you going to eat any?” I ask.
“I ate an entire serving from your body.” He takes a spoonful. “But if you insist.”
“You’re some kind of wonderful,” I say.
He doesn’t respond, just feeds me another spoon of chocolate.
Have I made him uncomfortable? He’s never told me I’m wonderful. But he has told me he loves me. That’s better.
He is wonderful, though. No matter what Addison says, no matter what anyone says.
Braden Black is wonderful. And he’s mine.
May I be worthy of him.
Chapter Forty-Nine
I text Tessa the next morning.
I’m going to New York with Braden for a few days. She responds succinctly.
Have fun.
Do I respond? I want to tell her how much she means to me, how much I’m aching because things aren’t right between us. How I’ll do anything to end this “breakup.”
But those things don’t belong in a text. I should call.
Hmm. Those things don’t really belong in a phone call, either. I should go over to see her, but I can’t. Braden and I are headed to the airport in a few minutes.
I sigh. A phone call it is, then. Before I can place the call, though, someone calls me.
Betsy.
“Hi, Betsy,” I say into the phone.
“Hey, Skye. I’m sorry to bother you so early on a Sunday morning.”
“That’s okay. What’s up?”
“Tessa spent the night at my place last night,” she says. “She’s a mess.”
My heart sings. Does this mean she’s as upset about our break as I am? I hate the thought of her being in pain, but I want her back so badly. “Is she okay?”
“She’ll be fine. She drank too much, and then she…”
Worry tugs at me. “What? Then she what?”
“She got some ecstasy from a guy at the club.”
My blood runs cold. “What? Tessa doesn’t do drugs.”
“I know. I tried to stop her.”
“Obviously you didn’t try hard enough.” My words are cruel, I know, but I’m pissed as hell. I’d have been able to stop her.
“Skye, I did. I did everything except knock her unconscious. She was determined. The good news is, I don’t think she’ll ever do it again. She’s fried this morning.”
“I’m sorry,” I say. “I shouldn’t have said what I did. Does Tessa need to see a doctor?”
“I asked, and she said no. She’s alert and seems to be herself now. Just tired and achy and feels like shit.”
“She responded to my text,” I say, “so I guess you’re right. She’s lucid. I’m coming over.”
“No, Skye. She specifically doesn’t want to see you.”
“I don’t care.”
“Please don’t. It will just make things worse right now.”
“Why? Why did she do this? This is so off-brand for her. She likes to drink, no doubt, and overdoes it on occasion, but drugs? She’s always said no.”
“She’s pretty broken up about how things went down between the two of you. Plus Garrett told her yesterday that he doesn’t want to get serious with her.”
“Why should that upset her? Tessa’s never been serious with a guy in her life.”
“She was with Garrett. She thought she was falling in love.”
She did? How did I not know this about my best friend?
Have I been that out of touch?
My heart breaks a little. “Betsy, I’m so sorry.”
“It’s not your fault. You guys had a fight. It happens. She’s feeling left out of this new life of yours.”
“Then you’re wrong,” I say. “It is my fault.”
“Don’t do that to yourself. You didn’t intentionally leave her out.”
“No,” I say, “I didn’t, but that makes it almost worse, in a way. I didn’t think.”
“I didn’t call to make you feel bad. I just knew you’d want to know.”
I sigh. “Yeah. Thanks, Betsy.”
“You’re going through your own stuff right now. I get it.”
“I am, but that’s no excuse. As soon as we hang up, I’ll call Tess.”
“No, don’t. Then she’ll know I called you, and while she didn’t tell me not to, she doesn’t want to talk to anyone right now. She made that very clear.”
My throat hurts—that feeling when you want to cry but can’t. “Not even me?”
“‘Especially not Skye or Garrett’ were her exact words.”
I sigh again. “I’ve really blown it.”
“Like I said, you’re going through your own stuff. I didn’t call you to put a guilt trip on you. Honestly.”
“I know that. It’s just… Things have been so out of control. I’ve had several major life changes within the last month. I’m not trying to make excuses. I just…”