Page 33 of Phantom
“Okay?” Tess threw her keys and bike gloves down on the counter and then turned and leaned against it, crossing her arms as she did so. “What’d he say?”
My heart thudded as the conversation played on repeat in my head. “I think I just hadThe Talkwith your dad.”
Tess’ eyes bugged out. “What?”
“Yeah. All the parts and pieces. He likes me but isn’t afraid to kill me.” Lockjaw was relentlessly clawing at my boots, so I reached down and gave him a few scratches on the head. “He also taught me how to play rummy.”
Tess’ head fell to one side. “Ironic, isn’t it?”
“What do you mean?”
She shrugged. “All that talking, and it isn’t like there’s anything going on, anyway. You know, I think I might—”
Which part of my brain ordered my feet to move, I wasn’t sure of, but mere seconds passed before I’d stepped up to Tess, cradled her head in my hands, and set my lips on hers. She was rigid in my hold, but she didn’t pull away, and as I bled my lips over hers, delighting in the sweet taste of her Chapstick, she relaxed and grabbed my sides. Nothing in me wanted to pull away. All of the logic I’d mustered over the last week to keep myself at bay had left me in the lurch. Some things were worth risking everything for. I’d done it with Caid, so why couldn’t I do it with Tess, too?
Was I getting greedy?
Tess let out a huff of disappointment when I finally managed to peel myself away. She tried a few times to say something, but only additional puffs of air came out.
“I just need time,” I said.
“Okay,” Tess responded in an airy tone. “Take all the time you need.”
I risked my resistance to reach out and stroke the back of my hand along Tess’ cheek. She leaned into it, so I quickly retreated back to my room, closing the door behind me. The bed was warm and welcoming as I flopped face down onto it, and I couldn’t stop a smile from etching from cheek to cheek. Between offering to stay in Hoppa long enough to get to MiD, having the conversation I just had with Nick, kissing Tess, and asking for time, I’d somehow run smack dab into something that made me happy enough to discard my dedication to not getting attached. I faded from consciousness as the thoughts rolled across my head.
There has to be a way. I just have to find it.
Chapter Twelve
Tess
The couple of weeks that elapsed between Colin telling me that he needed more time and the week of the MiD event passed in the blink of an eye. On the one hand, it felt like things had taken a giant step forward between Colin and me. The mornings typically involved kissing of some kind, sweet touches, or lingering hugs. Any verbal interaction between the two of us could only be considered flirting, and when it came right down to it, we were behaving like a couple. After about a week, we were sitting on the couch watching a movie, and Colin grabbed my hand and held it firmly.
“What’s this about?” I asked.
Colin blinked a couple of times at me. “Does it have to be about anything?”
I shook my head. “No.”
Then he lifted my hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. “Good.”
Our daily trips to the desert brought lots of alone time, and we’d gotten into the habit of driving out first thing after lunch, and after taking a couple of hours to do a sweep of the land and clubhouse, we would sit in the loft and talk until the sun was setting or until Lockjaw was grumbling at us to go get food on the days we brought him along.
On the other hand, it felt like we were stuck. The kisses, handholding, and flirting were all well and good, but whenever it felt like things may push past amorous, Colin would pull back. The marks he often left behind when he had to forcefully claw himself off me indicated that he wanted me as much as I wanted him.
How much time did he need?
I’d never been one to talk out my feelings, being more of a boots-and-beer kind of girl, but I’d give anything to know what was going on inside Colin’s brain. Why was he holding back?
“Whoa.”
Colin’s voice pulled me from my thoughts. We were just getting off our bikes at the MiD location in the desert, but unlike the abandoned plot we’d found every day for the two weeks prior, the area was now drowning in vendors. A few bikes parked off to our side belonged to the Raging Vipers, based on the sigils on the side, and I recognized a few of the guys floating around and talking to some of the vendors.
“Wow,” I huffed. “They always show up a few days before the event. I guess I didn’t realize we were already so close.”
“Who are they? I thought that Nick said the vendors weren’t going to start showing up until the day before.”
“Our vendors,” I responded. “Even though it was the Steel Knights’ year to host the event, the Blazing Rebels’ hometown of Mascid and the Raging Vipers’ hometown of Collinstown always include a few booths directly from their towns in order to make their town’s residents feel more welcome. It’s best for them to get in first so that, when our vendors start piling in, there’s space for everyone.”
