“When she’s up, will you tell her that Rena, the one who tried to kill her, is dead? After all she’s been through, I think she might like to know.”
“I will. Be safe, baby.”
After my shower, I took some extra time making myself presentable by blow drying my hair and putting on a tiny bit of makeup. I wouldn’t be leaving the house the rest of the night, but that didn’t mean I had to look frumpy. We would be up a while so no point in wearing pajamas. I threw on a tank top and short shorts, then left the safety of my room to face the boys.
I’d be nicer to Hayden. Being bitchy only stirred things up. He couldn’t help how he felt and I couldn’t force him to love me. I wouldn’t go out of my way to be friendly though.
“Hey.” I smiled at both of them. Hayden flinched and looked away. I sighed inwardly and focused on Chait. Thank goodness for him or I’d feel so alone. “What are you guys doing?”
“Working on Hayden’s mind reading skills. I’m showing him the difference between an image completely made up and something the person may have seen through someone else.”
“Oh, good. Yeah, I did that with Frank and Lila.”
“Tessa,” Hayden said, “if we go to school every other day and switch like that, it’s going to look weird by the end of the week. I was thinking it might be a good idea for you to go to school tomorrow. I’ll stay and train with Chait. At night, I can take care of Bree while you train.”
Why would he do such a thing, taking care of a little girl? He wasn’t my boyfriend anymore. “I—”
“I don’t mind. Bree’s a sweet girl. We have fun when we hang out. You and I are still a team, right? Neither of us can do it alone.”
“He’s right,” Chait said. “We might come up with a better plan up the road, but for now, it’s a start.”
“If I’m using Hayden, I may as well use the babysitter. Same difference. That makes me as bad as my mom.”
“No,” Hayden said. “Because you’ll still be close by and available if she needs anything.”
* * * *
I squeezed in with Bree and snuggled up to her little body. The boys slept in my room, one on the bed and the other on the floor. I’d heard my parents come home in the middle of the night, laughing. Together. Strange. They hadn’t looked in on their children before disappearing into their room right across from Bree’s. They never did.
It would be tricky dealing with the boys and ensuring they didn’t get caught in the morning. Dad would wake up soon and be long gone when we got up. Knowing he’d signed the papers so easily, and hadn’t even bothered to have a conversation with me first, left me without any inspiration to get up and say hello. I cuddled closer to Bree and dozed off.
* * * *
“Hey.” Hayden nudged my shoulder.
I forced my eyes open, but the glaring sun burned through Bree’s window.
Hayden loomed over me, bare-chested and looking like a lifeguard with his sun-kissed hair and the halo of bright light behind him. “Time to get up.”
I turned away to keep myself from reaching out to touch his magnificent six-pack. “Put on a shirt.”
He scurried off and I scoped the place out. My house was deserted and I didn’t sense my parents in their bedroom either.
Once the guys were dressed, they stayed. It would be easy to pretend they’d just arrived, if my mom returned. While Hayden started on Bree’s lunch, Chait scrambled eggs.
On my way to check on Bree, I paused to watch the boys in action. “Two gorgeous guys slaving in the kitchen. Doesn’t get any better than this.”
“You have low standards.” Chait grinned over his shoulder and dropped bread into the toaster. “If I had two hot girls in my kitchen, I’d want them naked.”
I stood immobile, seeing Chait and Hayden in my mind’s eye. Naked, cooking for me.
Hayden glanced my way and chuckled as I dashed away.
With the boys handling the food, I spent my time with Bree. A rare treat. And when we all piled in the SUV to drop off Bree, I didn’t feel rushed for a change.
“We have a test today.” Hayden stopped at the curb of Bree’s school. “I can’t afford to miss it. The makeup credits Frank arranged with the teacher won’t help me much if I get a zero.”
“Okay. Come for that class,” I said. “Then go.”
I walked Bree to the front of the building and saw her safely inside. On my way back to the car, my cell went off. I waited until I was in the car then flipped my phone open. It was my grandmother. She’s awake. And it was David, not Rena.
I dropped the phone and twisted in my seat to see Chait in the back. “David’s a spy for Boris. He’s the one who tried to kill Zoe.”
Chapter Thirty-six
Hayden
I showed up to fourth period, just for the test. My plan had been to leave immediately afterward, since Chait would be waiting for me in the school lot. Instead, I walked with Tessa to the cafeteria. “I’ll sit with the guys.”
“Whatever. It’s not like you’re required to sit with me, Hayden. You never were.” She picked up her pace and sailed through the entryway to the lunchroom.
“Fine,” I mumbled, but she’d already left. After getting my food, I took my usual spot with Brad, Skyler and the guys.
“What’s up with you and Tessa?” Skyler asked. “I’m not feelin’ the love.”
“There was no love to begin with,” Brad said. “Right, Hayden?”
Chait expected me outside. That’s where I should’ve been. But I couldn’t make myself leave Tessa. I picked up my hamburger though I didn’t feel like eating. “She’s still tutoring me but, yeah, that’s it.”
“You sure about that?” Skyler asked. “You don’t care at all? Because, you know, I thought I might ask her out if you’re sure you’re finished.”
“He doesn’t care,” Brad answered for me. “His leftovers are always a free-for-all. This one’s no different, right?”
“Nah, go for it,” I said. Tessa wouldn’t go out with him in a million years.
“Who’s that guy talking to Tessa?” Skyler asked.
“Looks like you’re too late, dude.” Brad chuckled and elbowed Skyler.
Chapter Thirty-seven
Tessa
“Chait, what are you doing here?”
“Came to get Hayden. He was supposed to meet me outside.” He grinned at Nadia and Corinne. “But since I’m here, mind if I steal her away a moment?”
“Not at all.” Nadia didn’t take her eyes off him.
“She’s all yours,” Corinne said as if mesmerized.
I rose from the bench and rolled my eyes. We took a spot near the garbage cans, the only place no one wanted to hang out. “So what’s up?”
“Boris called.”
“What? Why?”
“And I can guess how he got the number. David. Those two must be like this.” He twisted his two fingers together. “I trusted him.”
“I kinda did too.” In frustration, I let the air whoosh from my lungs. “I think David and Rena teamed up. She took credit for killing Zoe, so he’d look like a saint.”
Chait growled and ran his hand through his hair.
“So what did Boris want?” My palms dampened as I anticipated seeing Boris again, now that I knew so much more.
“To meet with us. Tonight. I figure Hayden’s house is the best place. We’ll make sure the cameras are on and the security guys are on alert.”
“Did he say what he wanted to talk about?”
“Would it matter? We can’t trust anything out of his mouth,” Chait replied. “We’ll have to prepare for the worst.”
“The worst would be that he’s going to kill us. How does one go about preparing for that?” I rubbed my temple to relieve the tension already working its way in.