Either way, he wanted to get her out of here. “Come on.”
“What?” Her brows knitted as she looked up at him.
“I’m taking you home,” Jake said, taking a step towards his SUV.
Tessa tilted her head and tucked her hands in the crooks of her elbows, crossing her arms. Her posture and demeanor changed on a dime. Staring at him like he’d just offended her somehow, she said, “No. You’re not.”
He repeated her earlier question. “What?”
“You don’t have to worry about me. I called a cab. You should go back to your date,” Tessa said flatly, her tone clearly conveying her unhappiness at the thought of him with someone.
A few moments ago it had been killing him to see Tessa upset and on the verge of tears from his actions, even though they had been totally innocent. But right now he was having a hard time not smiling over the appearance, once again, of the green-eyed monster. He knew it was wrong to feel any joy or satisfaction about Tessa being upset at all. But as much as he couldn’t help it if it made him a pussy to not want Darla groping and fondling him, he couldn’t help it if it made him a dick to enjoy the fact that it had made Tessa jealous to see it.
Still, he didn’t want her to get the wrong idea. “I’m not with her.”
“Really,” Tessa said with sarcasm dripping from her voice. “Wow. You could’a fooled me. Do you think blondie knows that you’re not with her?”
“Tessa.” Jake felt like he was getting whiplash from his constantly changing emotional state over the last sixty seconds.
First, it had broken his heart to see her in pain. Then, he’d been a little too happy to see her jealous. Now, he was starting to get pissed off because he didn’t have to answer to Tessa or anyone about his actions.
He was just about to say so when the Fabulous Four appeared out of nowhere. Lauren, Karina, Amanda, and Sam all stepped up on the curb and happily greeted Tessa and Jake.
“What are you guys doing out here in the cold?” Amanda asked, being her usual bubbly self.
“Waiting for a cab,” Tessa answered.
“We were just leaving,” Jake said at the same time.
All four of the women stared silently at both of them. Then a slow smile spread on Karina’s face. “Alrighty. Well, you kids have fun.”
The four went into the bar, and Jake could hear their whispers and giggles. Seriously, it felt like they were all back in high school. In more ways than one.
He and Tessa stood staring at each other for a few moments before he finally said, “There’s only one cab driver in town, and believe me, you do not want to get into his car. Let me take you home.”
Tessa bit the inside of her lip, and he saw her weighing the pros and cons of his offer. She closed her eyes, and when she opened them, she was wearing an expression that he would have expected to see on someone walking a plank. She sighed as if resigning herself to her fate and said, “Fine. If you really don’t mind.”
“Not at all.” Jake placed his hand on her lower back as they made their way to his Yukon. His ever-fluctuating emotions were still in action because once again happiness flooded his system. He loved that he could always reason with her. Well, that and the feeling of her lower back under his palm.
He loved that too.
*
Tessa sat silently in the passenger’s seat, looking out the window as they passed through downtown Hope Falls. The city had placed twinkle lights in the trees, adding to the quaint small-town charm that was uniquely its own. The shop windows were all darkened, but there was a strip of lighting on the wooden sidewalks that gave everything an ethereal glow.
Of course, she could try and pretend that she was just taking in the view, enjoying the scenery, but that would be a flat-out lie. In her heart she knew she was just being a total brat, plain and simple. Which was frustrating because it was very out of character for her, and if she saw someone else behaving like she was, she’d think they needed to get over themselves. But for some inexplicable reason she just couldn’t stop the “I’m a brat” train now that it had left the station.
Logically, she knew Jake had interrupted his night to play chauffer and take her home. Whether or not he was really “with” the blond who had been hanging all over him was not the point. He didn’t owe her a ride home or a place to stay and he certainly didn’t owe her an explanation about his personal life. She’d forfeited that right a long time ago.
She just couldn’t help being upset. Seeing Jake with someone else made her want to scream. Or cry. Or hit something. Or someone. Preferably blond.
Which was ridiculous. Her behavior was ridiculous. She could practically hear Grandma Adie’s voice in her head saying, “Now that boy has done nothing but been good to you, Tessa Avery Hayes. You better knock that nonsense off and act right.”