“Because you don’t trust me?”
She shakes her head. “I don’t trustme. Right now, I want to try. But tomorrow, I might be in a different mindset. I’m not ready for anything public. I want to know what you expect of me. I want to see if I can handle it, and I know it’s selfish.”
“Do you love me?”
“Lucas, right now, if I said yes, I would doubt it tomorrow. So, please, if you can’t handle the head trip I am right now, let me know. I don’t want to hurt you either.”
“Because you love me.”
“Lucas, please.”
“I love you. I still love you. I will always love you.”
“Can you handle me?”
“I can handle you just fine. But understand, I’m not as good as you at hiding shit. My feelings are very clear to people around me. Ava saw my reaction to you and that fucking Zach.”
“He’s a good guy.”
“Tessa, any man who spends time with you wants in your pants. Don’t play coy about this.”
“Lucas, there have been two men in my pants, and that’s all I will ever—” She stops.
I feel a smile forming on my face.
“Just please tell me you didn’t tell Ava.”
“She guessed. She told me to fight for you.”
Tessa’s eyes smile, and she closes them tightly.
“She won’t tell anyone,” I assure her.
“Did you tell her?”
“She only knows I love you.”
“Okay, because Harper is pregnant. I don’t want her to know yet.”
“So, are you telling me we’re gonna happen?”
“Will you be patient with me? Will you trust me? Will you be my—” She stops again.
“Secret lover?” I whisper conspiratorially.
She bites her bottom lip and nods.
“How long are you gonna make me be your little boy toy, baby?”
“How long will you allow it before you go all … Lucas on me?”
“Let me get this straight … you, the girl with trust issues, wanna see me, the reason for those issues, try to hide an affair with you?”
“I do. I so do. That’s wrong. Oh yeah, it’s really wrong, right?”
“You wanna be bad with me, baby?”
“Yeah.”