“Okay, bye, Mom. Love you,” Jake said, practically dragging Tessa out of the house. He seemed to be on a mission to get them out the door.
His mom and dad stood on the porch and waved goodbye. After spending the entire afternoon-slash-evening with Jake’s family, Tessa’s heart was full. She’d forgotten just how “at home” she’d always felt at his house. And even all these years later, she still felt the same.
As Jake opened the door to his Yukon and she stepped up into the SUV, she tried to push down all of those pesky, wistful thoughts that were trying to pop up like a jack-in-the-box in her mind. Most of them were centering around the theme that days like this could have been a normal Sunday. That this could have been her life. Her family.
Shaking off those thoughts, Tessa waved at Mr. and Mrs. Maguire as they pulled away from the curb.
“I have to be at the station in an hour,” Jake said, his tone sounding so serious that it sent off a warning alarm in her head.
“Oh.” Tessa turned towards him to see if she could get a clue as to what he was feeling. He stared straight ahead at the darkened road illuminated by his high beams, his jaw held tight and his expression unreadable. She softly said, “I can get a ride from your condo if you don’t want to take me back to the house.”
He turned to her, his face scrunched in confusion. “No, I can take you. It’s fine.”
Her left shoulder shrugged as she brushed her hair back behind her ear. “Okay. You just seemed stressed, so I was trying to help.”
Jake shook his head slightly back and forth, exhaling loudly out of his nose like she’d missed the point. She was sure that she had, and she still had no clue what he was upset about.
“We need to talk.” Jake’s tone sent a chill down her spine. Her stomach felt like it was on the spin cycle and her palms dampened.
He looked upset. And he’d just said the four dreaded words that anyone in a relationship of any kind hated to hear. We. Need. To. Talk.
Those two things coupled together did not bode well for this being a happy convo. Her mind started racing as she tried to figure out what he could possibly be mad about. Was it the fact that they’d stayed at his parents’ house for so long? Jake had tried to make an escape each time one of his siblings and their significant others had left. But his mom kept holding them up until it was just the four of them and Laverne and Shirley.
Rosalie had had so many stories, photos, and even a video of her and Sean’s fortieth wedding anniversary party that she’d wanted to show Tessa. Tessa had happily listened, looked, and watched. Even when the camera had turned on Jake, who had a brunette up against the wall at the rec center after Nikki had given a very heartfelt toast to their parents. Sure, it had made her sick to her stomach to see Jake’s tongue shoved down some hoochie’s throat, but she’d smiled and laughed as if it hadn’t affected her in the slightest.
Or maybe it wasn’t that at all. Maybe Jake was upset that she’d agreed to go to Sunday dinners for as long as she was in Hope Falls. If that were the case, then she would just make up an excuse to tell Jake’s mom. Tessa totally understood if Jake didn’t want her there. It was his family. Not hers. And as much as she wished things were different, she was not a part of it.
Or maybe it was…
“Tessa.” Jake’s voice sliced through the white noise of worry and questions that were throwing a loud party in her head.
Turning to look at Jake, she realized that they were seated in the driveway at his house on Shady Creek Lane. Wow. That was fast.
He hadn’t killed the engine, but she reached out to grab the door handle anyways.
“Do you mind if we talk here?” he asked.
Oh boy.
Taking a deep breath, she settled back against the leather seat. She watched as Jake’s long fingers adjusted the heat that was blowing into the truck.
“Is that good? Are you comfortable?”
She nodded, unable to speak. Not only had a large knot formed in her throat, but she was scared that if she opened her mouth at all, her stomach would interpret the move as a “fire away” order and she’d throw up all over the console.
Yep. Mouth shut was definitely the safest route.
“We haven’t ever talked about what happened,” Jake stated. His voice sounded strong, but as he looked at her, she could see the look of uncertainty in the chocolate pools of his gorgeous eyes.
Jake didn’t specify what he was referring to. He didn’t have to. Tessa knew. Shaking her head, she agreed, “No, we haven’t.”
“How far along were you?”
Jake’s question caught in her chest, causing it to ache with pain. Forcing herself to speak, she quietly said, “Eight weeks.”