“Hold up.”
She looks up at me.
“Tessa, Harper and Maddox lost their baby. You remember that, right?”
Her eyes grow large, and she covers her mouth.
“It’s okay. I told you I was here. Just talk to me.”
“You can’t tell anyone.”
“I will do whatever I can, but if things are getting mixed up in your head—”
“No.” She laughs. “You can’t tell anyone about Harper being pregnant. She’s pregnant, Lucas.Again.”
“You sure?”
She smacks my hand. “Yes, I’m sure.”
“How are they dealing with it?”
“It’s a blessing. That’s why I have to keep it together. I mean, that’s not the only reason. There’s Matthew and CJ, too, but Harper needs me to be strong.”
“She also needs you to grieve and heal.”
“I’ll get there.”
“Not if you keep pretending, Tessa.”
“I’m not.”
“You are. I know because I did the same thing when Tommy died.”
Her eyes reveal hurt. “I don’t know how, after being best friends for—”
“Thirteen years.”
“I didn’t even realize back then the extent of pain you must have been in.”
“I didn’t, either. I do now. Don’t shut me out, got it?”
“Got it.”
“I get it wasn’t twenty plus years, but Jade healed and look at her now. I know it’s different, but don’t forget that, all right? If you have any reservations about talking to me, talk to her. You helped her through that. You helped me, too. Let us do the same.”
“I just want to wake up one day. Just open my eyes and just feel normal, just for a while.”
“You may not know it right now, but one day, you’ll do just that. You’ll feel human again, anyway. Never one hundred percent normal, but normal is really overrated.”
ELEVEN
BITCH
Igive Tessa a long-ass time before I text to check in on her.
She responds immediately
- I’m fine. Busy with wedding plans. Will you all be there? I haven’t heard back from Ashley yet.