Mia
“You know, before this whole thing started between the two of you, you technically were mine for the summer,” Tessa says as she helps me pack up my stuff in the bedroom I’ve occupied for the past two months. “I mean, I don’t see the harm in you finishing out your time here with me and then moving in with Ben after the summer’s over.”
“Because he’d be so quick to agree to that arrangement,” I state with a soft chuckle. I knew there was no way in hell he’d go along with me prolonging my move. It’s all he’s talked about for the past five days. I’m actually surprised he’s given me this long. “And you act like I won’t be right around the corner. You do realize I’m here permanently, right?”
She smiles over her shoulder as she grabs the clothes that are hanging in the closet. “That’s not the point. I love that you two are together but he’s a horrible sharer. He always has been.”
I take the clothes from her and pull them off the hangers. “Have you talked to him?”
“Who?” I give her a knowing look and she rolls her eyes. “Why would I talk to him? There’s nothing to talk about. It’s over.”
Her words are final, but I know Tessa. She’s hurting. She’ll never admit it, but she misses him. “Isn’t tonight going to be weird? Seeing him at the concert?”
She shrugs once before taking the hangers back to the closet. “There’s going to be like five thousand people there. I can avoid him in a crowd that size. Plus, I plan on getting shitfaced which is sure to help with the situation.” She closes the closet door before dropping her forehead, hitting the wood with a soft thud.
“Tessa…”
“I don’t want to talk about it.” She lifts her head and turns toward me, her eyes giving away exactly what she’s feeling. “Okay?”
I nod. “Okay.”
We finish packing up my room in silence. I know when she’s ready to talk about it, she’ll open up. And she knows that I’m here whenever that time comes.
My aunt is taking care of selling my mom’s house for me, allowing me to stay in Alabama during the process. Ben and I will be making a trip to get the rest of my things soon, but to be perfectly honest, I have everything I’ll ever need. I never imagined moving back to Ruxton, but now I can’t imagine not living here. This was always my home. Wherever he was.
After loading my stuff into my Jeep so that I can take it straight to Ben’s after the concert, Tessa and I head over to the field. Ben somehow managed to snag tickets to see Luke Bryan. Lawn seats, which allows us to park in the field overlooking the stage and sit in our vehicles while we enjoy the music. I spot Ben’s truck after weaving in and out of the crowd and park next to it, watching as he jumps out of the bed and walks over to my door.
“Hey, baby. You all packed up?” He opens my door for me and I hop out, waving to Reed who Tessa is making her way toward.
I take his hand and let him lead me to the back of his truck. “Yup.
Everything’s in the Jeep. Your sister’s not too happy about it.”
He stifles a laugh as he drops the tailgate down. “Like that would stop me from moving you in with me. Here. Up you go.”
I climb up into the back of his truck, spotting the pillows and the blankets spread out for us. I turn to him with a wistful smile. “Am I getting lucky during this concert?”
He wraps his arms around my waist and kisses my bare shoulder.
“I’m always prepared, angel. My girl seems to be a bit insatiable lately.”
“You’re like a dirty little boy scout,” I add, hearing Tessa’s laugh get louder behind me. I turn in Ben’s arms and spot her walking over toward us with Reed.
“Hey. I’m really glad you guys worked your shit out. You sucked as friends,” Reed says through a teasing smile.
I flip him off over Ben’s shoulder and he throws his head back with a laugh. Just as Tessa opens her mouth to speak, another truck pulls up alongside Ben’s and catches her attention. “Oh perfect. He couldn’t have gotten lost on the way here?”
Ben’s chest shakes with laughter against my back as his hands splay across my abdomen. “We’ve been here a thousand times. I doubt he’d get lost.”
Tessa’s body goes rigid suddenly and I turn my head to see why. Luke isn’t the only one emerging from his truck. A tall, leggy blonde is at his side as he joins the group, stopping just a few feet short of Tessa and Reed. He shifts his gaze from Tessa to Ben and myself. “Guys, this is Brandie. Brandie this is… everyone.” She waves her delicate hand, the one that isn’t currently roaming freely over his chest. Luke wraps his arm around her waist. “We’re going to head closer to the stage. We’ll catch up with you guys later.”
As he walks away with little Miss Handsy, Tessa slams the tailgate of the truck up and startles the three of us. “Well, she seems lovely. He’s really scraping the bottom of the barrel now, isn’t he?”
Reed shrugs once. “I don’t know. She’s pretty hot.”
She glares at him and he steps back a bit. “Yeah, she’s really got that street corner look down. And could her name be any more whorish?”
“You’d think that if her name was Mary,” Ben says. “Stop being jealous, Tessa. You broke up with him.”
She waves him off and grabs Reed’s hand. “Whatever. Let’s go get several hundred beers. You guys want any?” she directs toward us, her face still tense with bitterness.
“I’m good,” I say, looking back at Ben who is situating the pillows and spreading the blanket out.
“Me too,” he adds.
Tessa and Reed disappear into the crowd. I turn around just in time to see Ben reach through his back window and pull out a picture frame. He smiles at me and sits down on the blanket with his back against a pillow. He reaches for me with his free hand. “Come here, angel.”
“Whatcha got there?”
He pats the spot between his legs and I sit with my back against his chest, drooping my arms over his legs. He places the frame in my lap.
“Don’t cry,” he whispers against my ear.
I tilt the frame up and look at the drawing. Three figures, undoubtedly drawn by Nolan, depicting our family. My family. He even labeled me as Pwincess Mia Mommy. And the tears come instantly. I can’t help it. “Your artistic skills are horrendous.” I reach up and wipe underneath my eyes as he laughs against me. “God, he is the sweetest, isn’t he? Can we hang it up at your house?”
“Our house,” he corrects me. He presses his mouth to my hair again.
“Don’t cry, baby.”
I open my mouth to tell him I can’t not cry at seeing our first family drawing but he wipes every word from my vocabulary when he places a small box in my lap. You know, the kind of box that every girl recognizes. I gasp softly, holding the frame tightly against my chest while my eyes stay glued to the box.
His steady hands open it. “Do you know how much I love you?”