Tessa Ever After Read Online Free PDF Page B

Cade. Adam and I were here, getting in the way. First thing she said was to shut off the water.” I shrug. “Makes sense you wouldn’t remember. I think you probably locked yourself in your room, playing Barbies or whatever the hell you used to do for hours in there.”
    Through my explanation, her face has softened slightly until a frown isn’t pulling at the corners of her mouth, and her shoulders relax.
    “Are you finally back to being Regular Tess instead of Tess the Grouch?”
    She laughs her first real laugh of the night and tosses the pillow at my head. “You’re such a jackass.”
    Smiling, I catch the pillow and set it in my lap. Tessa’s legs stretch out from being up against her chest, and she doesn’t stop until her toes press into my jean-clad thigh. She gives me a light shove. “Thanks. For coming right away.”
    I shrug, waving her off. “It’s no big deal.”
    “It is,” she insists, her eyes intent on mine. “When it all happened and I was trying to figure out what to do, you were the first person who popped into my head to call. I can always count on you, and that means a lot. Especially now. So thank you.”
    Despite the part of me that likes knowing I’m the one she called first, that I’m the one who’s always here to help, me being here all the time is part of the issue. Part of the problem I haveof not being able to get her out of my head. But as I look at her, a little lost, a little scared, a lot thankful, I realize there’s nothing I can do about it.
    Because even though I have a hundred warnings going off in my head, a thousand reasons to stay away, I can’t. I can’t help myself, and I’m not sure I want to. I’d be here in a heartbeat if she needed me. And that’s not going to change.

FOUR
    tessa
    “Mama! It’s time to call Uncle Cade!”
    “Okay, okay, just give me a second,” I say as I hurry to clear the plates from dinner—another meal my brother would be ashamed even got prepared in his kitchen. I try my hardest, but the fact is, some nights I don’t have the time—or energy—to do anything other than microwave something.
    “It’s ringing!” Haley yells from the living room.
    “Answer it, then.”
    She does and then her voice is animated as she chats with Cade, telling him all about story time at school and the project she brought home from Miss Melinda’s. They chat for about ten minutes—just long enough for me to get the counters wiped down and the dishes loaded into the dishwasher. I walk into the living room and find Haley leaning so close to the laptop, her face—well,her nose and mouth, anyway—takes up the entire portion of her side of the screen.
    “Move back, baby. Uncle Cade can see you better that way.”
    “I was giving him a kiss, though.”
    I huff out a laugh. “Okay. Why don’t you go ahead and say bye? It’s time to get your jammies on.”
    “Bye, Uncle Cade. Talk to ya later!”
    “Love you, short stuff.”
    “Love you, too!”
    “Remember, no messing around, or we won’t have time to read a book tonight,” I call after her fleeing form. A brief wave of her arm is the only response I get, and I plop on the couch, rolling my eyes. “Already with the sass.”
    “Gee, wonder where she gets that from.”
    I look up at the screen, Cade’s smiling face filling it. He looks good. Ever since Winter got back a couple months ago, he’s been better, happier. And he loves his job, which helps things. I’m so happy for him, that he got this amazing opportunity right out of school. But, God, I miss him.
    “Even though this is Skype, I can still hang up on you, you know,” I say.
    “So we’re in a bad mood tonight, then.”
    “I’m not . . .”
    “What’s up?”
    Shaking my head, I answer, “Nothing.”
    “Tessa, this isn’t like talking on the phone. I can actually see your face. You’ve never been able to lie to me. Now, what’s going on?”
    “It’s really nothing. I’m just . . . feeling a little