Red Phoenix's Passion is for Lovers Collection (Boxed Set) (10 page)

T
esse met Jerrod for breakfast and apologized for leaving so abruptly the day before. “I wasn’t feeling myself last night.”

“Look, Tesse, if you’re not ready, I’m willing to wait. You know that.”

She sighed, fidgeting in her seat nervously. “I know I’m a mess but I think I’m ready. We just need to take it slow and I’ll do my best not to freak-out on you.” Tesse gave him a quick peck on the cheek to prove she meant it.

Jerrod held up his orange juice for a toast. She followed his lead, clicking her plastic cup against his. “Here’s to the beginning of a beautiful courtship,” he said with a wink.

After breakfast, they went their separate ways, agreeing to meet at the library that afternoon. “Have a great day, gorgeous.” Jerrod pinched her butt as she passed. She jumped with a start and then laughed. Tesse enjoyed his flirtation, but she had to swallow down the guilt that immediately followed.

Her drama class was devoted to the upcoming musical. For some reason, Tesse had an especially difficult rehearsal. Her voice cracked several times, causing her director to lose it.

Mr. Reagan raged from the auditorium seats. “Tesse, what’s wrong with you? You sound like a prepubescent boy!”

“Sorry, I didn’t sleep well last night.”

“Well, it shows. Take some sleeping pills if you must, but come here rested or don’t come at all.”

Tesse cringed. Mr. Reagan was known for being unreasonable just before an opening. She didn’t take it personally, but still it wasn’t any fun disappointing the man. She heard the creak of the auditorium door and saw the silhouette of someone leaving. Tesse couldn’t blame the person. Her singing was so off she would have left, too.

Tesse dragged herself through the rest of the day, grateful when three o’clock finally rolled around. She longed to veg at the library. Even though she had a research paper due, it was on a topic she was familiar with and wouldn’t require much effort on her part.

She placed her backpack next to an empty table and collapsed into a chair. She sat there for several minutes with her eyes closed. When she opened them, Tesse couldn’t help noticing that the back of the guy sitting in front of her looked an awful lot like Luke. She growled under her breath. Why was she seeing Luke everywhere she went? It was irritating and only made the pain worse. She nestled her head in her arms, shutting her eyes tight to keep back the tears.

A few minutes later, she heard a hearty, “Hey, Beautiful! Fancy meeting you here.”

Tesse lifted her head and put a finger to her lips. “Do you think you could have said that any louder? We are in a library, you know.”

Jerrod sat down next her and scooted his chair close. “Sorry, can’t help myself when I’m around you. So how was your day?”

She grunted, “Don’t ask.” He put his arm around her shoulders in concern. Even though she hated to admit her failure, she told to Jerrod, “I really sucked at rehearsals today. It was humiliating.”

“I’m sure it wasn’t
that
bad.”

“It was, trust me.”

“If you want, we could practice your lines again.”

“Um… no.” She laughed softly. “Practicing with you is more distracting than helpful.”

“At least let me take you out for a proper meal. You need sustenance after such a difficult day and I know how you are when you get stressed. It’s all Ding Dongs and Ho Ho’s.”

She snorted in self-defense. “Well, I do find my comfort in chocolate.”

“So, dinner with me tonight?”

He was trying to make it sound casual, but this was going to be their first official
date
. Did Jerrod realize he was only adding more drama into her already chaotic life? Still, a tasty meal away from the campus would be nice and Jerrod looked so handsome sitting beside her. He was delightful eye candy with his long dark hair, baby blue eyes and manly cleft chin. “Dinner would be nice,” she finally answered. It was sweet the way his eyes lit up when she agreed to go.

“Excellent! When do you want to head out?”

“I still have to get my research done, but it shouldn’t take long.”

“Can I meet you back here in say, an hour? I’ve got a quick lab I need to complete in Chemistry.”

“Make it an hour and a half. I need to make copies of some of the materials.”

“You got it!” Jerrod brushed his lips against hers before getting up. “See you soon, Honey Pie.”

“Honey Pie?”

“Just testing out different pet names for you,” he said with a grin.

After Jerrod left, Tesse pulled a folder and pencil out of her backpack. She’d have to get cracking if she was going to finish by the time Jerrod returned. Tesse noticed the man in front of her get up to leave. He turned slightly when he pushed his chair in and Tesse swore the side of his face looked scarred.

Could it be?

“Hey, Luke,” she called out. The man hesitated. It had to be him! “Luke, is that you?”

The man turned around slowly. He gave her a lopsided grin, the burn scars preventing a full smile. Time stood still, just before Tesse felt the blood pound in her ears. She couldn’t breathe.

“Hi, Tesse.”

Her body was numb and unresponsive. Tears formed, blocking her vision. Tesse blinked them away, only to have more take their place.

Luke walked towards her hesitantly. “I’m not here to mess things up for you, Tesse. I just had to know you were okay.”

She gasped in disbelief. “You were planning to leave without a word?”

“I didn’t want to be a distraction for you.”

Tesse ignored his lame excuse. “You never wrote me, Luke. You never even called!”

“I’ve been out of the country, Tesse. My mother and I moved to Africa to escape my psychotic father.”

“But you never contacted me… and you promised.” The tears fell, though she desperately tried to stop them. Tesse wiped her eyes several times, willing herself to stop.

Luke was standing over her now. He looked so different. His boyish face had thinned out, his cheeks and chin more prominent then she remembered. He was tan and his sandy hair was shades lighter, probably bleached by the sun. The scars on his face had lightened slightly with the passage of time. Luke looked like a grown man, not the boy she had fallen in love with. But his eyes were the same. Still a deep ocean blue and magnetic… Her whole body hummed like an electrical current having him near her again.

“I came back as soon as I could, Tesse. My father died in a car accident less than a week ago. After years of torment, we are finally free of the bastard.”

Her brain was struggling to come to grips with the fact Luke was standing in front of her. This wasn’t a dream, even though it seemed impossible.

“Do you mind if I sit?” She shook her head, so Luke sat in the chair previously occupied by Jerrod. “I’ve been in Africa doing missionary work with my mother while we waited for the authorities to catch the asshole. It is a fortunate twist of fate that my father died trying to hunt us down.”

“But why no contact?” she finally whimpered, a tear escaping despite her best efforts.

He wiped it away tenderly, his touch sending shivers through her. “The authorities had reason to believe my father knew about you and was keeping tabs on both you and your mother. I couldn’t chance it, Tesse. I would never forgive myself if something happened to you.”

It seemed a reasonable answer, but Tesse was too angry and hurt to forgive him yet. “I waited all that time, Luke. It’s been torture not knowing what happened to you both.”

“I’m sorry, Tesse.” His eyes reflected her pain, but he shook it off and abruptly changed the subject. “It looks like you are doing well these days. I heard you at rehearsal. You sound amazing. I never knew you had such an angelic voice.”

Tesse blushed, knowing that what he had heard was a terrible version of her singing. “I decided to follow my own dreams instead of my mother’s. She wanted me to become a lawyer, but when I was a kid I dreamed of being a singer. The summer after high school, I attended drama camps and took intensive singing lessons. My singing coach told me I have a natural talent, so I came here to see if I could turn it into a career.”

“You’re being true to your heart and talent. I’m proud of you, Tesse.”

Her heart fluttered at his praise. Of all the people in the world, Luke’s opinion meant the most to her. “What about you? What have you been doing in Africa?”

Luke’s eyes lit up, as did the tone of his voice when he answered. “It’s been amazing. My mother is a registered nurse, so I basically became her apprentice. We’ve been visiting remote villages all over Africa providing limited medical services.” He gazed deeply into her eyes, making it difficult for her to breathe. “Every day I try to honor my little brother’s memory by making a difference to these children. It’s been rewarding, but I have missed you.”

Tesse was afraid she was going to break down in the library, so she silently gathered her things and told him to follow her. She snuck Luke into her dorm room where they could have privacy. Luckily, her roommate was still in class.

She sat on her small bed and stared up at him. “It’s been so long and so much has happened since you left. I feel like I hardly know you, Luke.”

He flinched, but his voice remained even. “I can understand that and I am not here to change your life. You seem happy and that makes me glad.”

His deep voice filled her ears like a favorite song. Every fiber of her being wanted to touch him, to feel him, to be one with him again. However, the pain and uncertainty of the last three years acted as a giant barrier between them. She didn’t how to overcome it. “I can’t tell you how relieved I am, knowing that you and your mom are safe.” Then she added reproachfully, “I have worried about you every day since you left.”

“I’m sorry, Tesse.”

“I understand why you couldn’t contact me, but it…” She looked away, forcing the last few words out of her mouth. “It still really hurts.”

Luke was next to her in an instant, wrapping her in his tight embrace. “I never meant to cause you pain.”

Tesse let out a sob as she laid her head on his shoulder, painfully aware of his familiar smell and the comforting warmth of his body. All the emotions she had kept bottled inside for years strained to be released, but she resisted, afraid that if she let them out, they would be a torrent that would overwhelm her. She pulled away from Luke and scooted to the other side of the bed.

Too much time had passed—she was pursuing a different dream now. Tesse was a drama major and he was a medical missionary. Their lives were polar opposites.

“Do you want me to leave?” he asked quietly.

“No.” They sat there for several minutes in awkward silence. She didn’t know what to say, but she couldn’t bear for him to leave her.

“It’s really good to see you again,” he finally stated.

“It’s great to see that you are alive and well. I hardly believe it.” She reached out her hand and touched him, convincing herself that it wasn’t a dream. He glanced down at her small hand on his shoulder and then looked into her eyes. The love she saw radiating from them made her heart skip a beat.

“So, who is your boyfriend?” Luke ventured with guarded interest.

The heat traveled to her face. “Oh, that’s Jerrod.”

“Can I ask how long you two have been going out?”

“No.” The question angered her. It wasn’t any of his business! Luke had left
her
behind. “But you should know that we’ve been friends for two years. Jerrod’s been a rock I can count on.” Tesse instantly regretted the personal dig as soon as it escaped her mouth. It wasn’t fair to Luke and she knew it.

He rubbed his hands on his jeans. His face was expressionless, but Tesse could tell she’d hurt him. “I’m glad to hear it. I’m glad he’s been there for you.”

Her roommate came bursting through the door, startling them both. “Whoa! Who’s this?” Susan asked in surprise. When she got a good look at Luke’s scars, she quickly averted her eyes.

Tesse popped off the bed to introduce him. “This is my friend, Luke.”

“
The
Luke?”

Luke held out his left hand, the uninjured one, to shake Susan’s. “It’s a pleasure to meet you. And your name is?”

Susan tried to shake it with her right hand, then got confused and laughed nervously. She mumbled, “It’s Susan Freedman. Ah… I have a lot of homework to do. Excuse me.” She retreated to her desk and put her headphones on.

Tesse was embarrassed for Luke, but realized people probably acted weird like that without meaning to. “Don’t worry, she’s really nice. I think we just freaked her by being here. I don’t usually bring boys to our room.”

Luke nodded his head. “Well, I probably better go.” He looked at her longingly. “You look good, Tesse. It’s been great catching up.”

He turned to leave, but Tesse cried out, “Am I going to see you again?”

Luke’s lopsided smile made her tremble inside. “Only if you want to.”

“I couldn’t bear if I didn’t. Do you want to get together for lunch tomorrow?”

“Okay. When and where?”

“Noon at the student cafeteria. I’ll bring Jerrod so you can meet him.”

“Sure… Yeah, that would be great. Meet you in the cafeteria then.” Luke left before she could give him a hug goodbye.