Page 62 of Every Broken Piece
Chapter thirty-three
Tess
Iwill not panic.
I willnotpanic.
I will not panic!
Furiously I type my password into my work computer. The first three attempts said the email address wasn’t valid. I thought maybe I typed it wrong, so I tried again. And again. And again.
I power up my work phone, but it won’t turn on. It hasn’t been plugged in since before the attack so maybe it’s dead.
“Spitfire? You okay?” Gabe’s leaning against the doorframe, arms crossed.
“Just trying to log into my work computer but it seems I’m locked out.” I hear the tremor in my voice caused by frustration and this bone crushing weariness weighing me down. It’s not just the attack and the resulting injuries. It’s not just the concussion. It’s everything. It’s the inevitable reappearance of my mother who refuses to leave me alone. It’s the constantlooking over my shoulder, planning an escape, never able to lay down roots.
I’m angry and sad. I’m thinking of what it felt like to wake up on top of Gabe and our soft, exploration of kisses, and wanting more lazy afternoons with your person. I’m heartbroken because that kind of life is a hopeless dream and I’m angry because he made me think it was a possibility when it’s not.
Gabe pushes away from the doorframe to drop onto the single bed beside the desk, his brows scrunched in concern. “You’re not supposed to be on the computer.”
“Yeah, well, tell that to my bank account. I have bills to pay and not working is a luxury I can’t afford. My clients are counting on me and my apartment manager is counting on my rent payment.” Not to mention the hospital bills. I don’t even want to think how much those are going to be.
I stab at the keys one by one, going slow so I don’t mess up. My head is pounding, making it hard to concentrate. It doesn’t help that the letters on the keyboard are swimming. The panic I said I wouldn’t give in to is making tears build in my eyes.
“Tess.”
I ignore him. How can he possibly understand not being able to pay rent? He owns the freaking building he lives in. He has tenants who payhim.
I hit enter. A red box pops up telling me I’ve been locked out and need to call my administrator.
I lower my head into my hands, but my forehead hits my wrist brace, and I draw in a frustrated hiss. Okay. It’s okay. I’m okay. This is simply another obstacle I have to overcome. Another in a long line, but I’m an expert at landing on my feet. I can do this.
Gabe leans across me and with a soft snap, gently closes the laptop. Grabbing the edge of my chair, he swivels it around until I’m facing him.
“We need to talk.”
I blink the tears away. No one has time for tears. I have to catch up on a week’s worth of work. I have to pack. I have to figure out how much is left in my savings and if I can afford to rent a U-Haul or be forced to leave some of my stuff behind.
“Please don’t feel obligated to stay,” I say.
He huffs out a breath. “Tess, enough. I don’t feel obligated and I’m not going anywhere.”
“Why?” I yank my hands from his. Pain shoots through my wrist and I cradle it against my stomach. How I’m going to carry all those boxes down four flights of steps with a sprained wrist, I don’t know. I’ll figure it out. Just like I figure everything out. “You know nothing about me,” I whisper. “I’m not the same girl in person than I am in texts.”
“I know enough, and I don’t believe there are two different Tess James. We’re all different sides of the same coin.”
I lean forward with the urgency to warn him. Maybe if I give him a little bit about myself, he’ll see I’m not the person he thinks I am and he’ll leave. “You can’t be around me. You don’t know. You don’t understand.”
He mirrors my movement until our noses are inches apart, and we’re staring into each other’s eyes. “I know enough,” he repeats.
I jerk back because being so close to him makes me think of waking up on top of him and how warm and safe I felt and how much I liked kissing him. “You think you know enough, but you don’t.”
“Tell me, then. Tell me what you think I should know.”
I pull my hand from his. No way am I telling him anything more. He’ll want to try to save me when there’s no saving me. There’s only running and hiding and a man like Gabriel Stone can’t run and can’t hide.
“I don’t want you here. That should be enough.”
