Page 95 of Every Broken Piece
He’s baiting me, and it’s working. I want to punch him but I’m pretty sure punching my brother within the first two minutes of Tess being in my home would kill any progress I made with her.
I guide her down the short hall that leads to the heart of my home. I look at the apartment through her eyes. It isn’t what people would expect a bachelor billionaire to live in. The living, kitchen, and dining area are two stories, but the overstuffed couch is well lived in, the area rugs showing signs of wear. Pax’s coat is tossed over my recliner, his bulging laundry bag sitting atthe foot of the stairs. Family pictures line the mantlepiece. It’s lived in and it’s comfortable and that’s what I love about it.
At my urging Tess reluctantly moves forward. I feel like I’m pushing her. “Jack can be a bit much,” I lean down to speak quietly into her ear, to remind her that I’m here and to give her the opportunity to lean on me. I’m slightly alarmed at how stiff she is. “I’ll tell him to dial it back. Or you can tell him to knock it off.”
She focuses on the wall of windows that lead to a balcony overlooking the city and the mountains beyond.
I start rambling because I’m nervous, which is an odd sensation because I’m rarely nervous. It’s just that I want Tess to feel at home. “The main level is the kitchen and living room. My office is over there, to the right of the kitchen. There’s a gym through that door under the stairs. Upstairs are the bedrooms.”
Tess stops at the edge of the breakfast bar her gaze traveling up to the ceiling, snagging on the ostentatious chandelier that I’ve always hated but never found time to replace, then to the couch, the fireplace, her eyes flicking over the family pictures, and finally landing back on the wall of windows and the mountains beyond.
Her shoulders roll inward. The longer she looks, the more her silence stretches.
Jack shoots me a frown, his brows creased in worry.
Feet pound down the open staircase and Pax hops over the last three steps landing about three inches from Tess. She jerks back and raises her arm to shield her face.
My heart fucking drops. What the hell?
“Pax,” I bark, causing Tess to flinch and take a step away from me. “Be careful.”
“Sorry.” But he’s staring at Tess like he’s never seen a woman before. It’s not like he didn’t know she was coming. I gave him plenty of warning and the opportunity to tell me he wasn’tcomfortable with me bringing her home. Now he’s staring at her like he’s not sure what to do.
I reach for Tess’s hand and curl my fingers through hers. Her hand is limp. That’s not like her. We hold each other’s hand when the other reaches. I feel like I’ve just taken two very large steps back, losing all the ground I gained, and I’m confused as to why.
“This is Pax,” I say to her. “Pax, this is Tess.”
“It’s nice to meet you,” he says, more subdued than Jack was when I introduced them and now I’m worried I’ve upset my son. I’ve never brought a woman home for dinner, let alone to live with us. And while Pax doesn’t live here all the time, this is still his home.
Did I fuck this up? My relationship with Tessandmy relationship with Pax?
“I ordered dinner in,” Jack says, cutting through the thick tension. He turns his smile to Tess, a softer, more subdued smile than before. “I didn’t know what you’d like so I ordered a bit of everything. I’m sure my brother forgot to feed you on the plane.”
“I, um.” She slides her hand from mine to tuck her hair behind one ear. I want to grab her hand back but am afraid to make the wrong move in what I’m feeling is a precarious situation. “I slept most of the flight,” she says.
“So, you must be hungry.” Jack claps his hands then rubs them together. “Come on in and let’s eat. Pax you get the plates.”
Pax jerks out of whatever trance he’s in and moves to the kitchen to start pulling plates out of the cupboard.
“I can help,” Tess says, her voice just barely above a whisper.
“Nope.” Jack smiles at her again. “You’re the guest so we serve you.”
She shakes her head vehemently. I don’t miss the slight wince of pain from the motion. “I don’t want to be a burden.”
Shit. I hate that she thinks she’s imposing when I basically forced her here. “You’re not a burden, Spitfire. You’re my guest.”
She dips her head away from me and my heart cracks right down the middle. Why won’t she look at me?
“Take a seat.” Jack motions to the glass topped dining room table we hardly ever use. Mostly we sit in the living room and watch TV while we eat, but tonight we’ll be civilized.
Dinner is torturous. Tess eats with her eyes trained on her plate, only speaking when someone directly asks her a question. Mainly it’s Jack doing the talking. Pax watches her intently as he scarfs down two plates of General Tso’s chicken.
With my heart in my throat, I can barely speak. I feel like I’ve made a huge mistake bringing her here. Not because I don’t want her in my home, but because it’s very clear she doesn’t want to be in my home. I desperately want to get her alone and ask her what’s wrong, but Jack and I have to prep for this meeting tomorrow which means I’ll have to leave her soon and I’m terrified she’ll be gone when I’m finished.
When it’s clear that Pax has eaten enough and Jack’s inane chattering has faded, Tess stands and begins gathering dishes, using her injured wrist to prop the dirty dishes on.
I take the plates from her. “You don’t need to clean up. Pax can do that.”
