I move to help her and hold the jacket behind her as she maneuvers into it. The repairman takes notice of her, watching her as she hugs Tessa and then kisses me on the cheek. Something hot, with a shot of bitter, boils inside of me as he stares at her ass. Heâs not even trying to hide it. Not that I blame him for wanting to look, but come on, be a little respectful.
Before I smack some manners into the guy, Nora gives me a wave and says, âIâll text you when I know where weâre going!â
Iâd be lying if I said I wasnât interested, and just a tad worried that she wonât actually text me. I donât know how many options she has lying around. I donât know my competitorsâ statsâoh Lord, Iâm comparing dating to sports. Again. Iâve repeatedly come to the conclusion that theyâre not that much different, but Iâm better off looking at things from a different angle.
But why am I already jumping to the conclusion that Nora wants to date me? Because she kissed me, then invited me to go out with her?
Yes, thatâs exactly why. I canât tell if this a regression in my âadultingâ progress or not.
When Nora is gone, Tessa looks like a little chipmunk that has just found a stash of nuts hidden under some leaves. âWhat was that about?â she asks nosily.
Iâm so used to her intrusiveness it doesnât bother me. I run my hand over my chin, tugging slightly at the hair growing there. I lift my hands up in defense.
âI have no freaking clue, she just kissed me. I didnât even know she knew my nameââ
âShe what!â Tessa shrieks.
This little sip of gossip is enough to keep Tessa Young going for days. Iâll definitely hear about it later. My mom may hear about it, too.
The repairman cocks his head to the side like heâs listening to a daytime drama. He could at least be subtle about it. Then again, if I fixed appliances all day, I would want some comic relief or some kind of entertainment. Like adding a little splash of color to a black-and-white painting.
âI didnât know either! Well, I know she knew your name,â Tessa says, being as literal as ever.
âI donât know. Iâm just as confused as you.â
Something is off in the way Tessa is looking at me, like sheâs trying to hide her disappointment. Iâm not sure what to make of this. My guess is because she misses Hardin, but Iâm probably wrong. I havenât got a clue what to think about any of this.
Instead of indulging in gossip that may or may not be worth it, I tighten the drawstring on my sweats and head toward the door.
âWe arenât done here, Landon Gibson!â Tessa shouts after me.
And somehow it all makes me feel a little like a criminal on the run.