Hunting Tess Kathryn Summers (books to read in a lifetime txt) 📖

at the fringe on the front to avoid answering. Her mouth squishes to the side and I wonder why she’s so hesitant. She’s normally gushing at this point about their hair, smile, and any other feature to catch her flighty attention.

An unintelligible noise escapes her mouth and I have to lean closer, waiting for her to repeat herself. “Ben,” she pouts.

“Ben what?”

“Ben. Ben! The only Ben we know! Tess, what am I going to do? I’m in love with my best friend!”

Her declaration leaves me stunned. “You’re in love with Ben?” I try to see their interactions in a new light, at least the few I’ve witnessed over the last three years. I didn’t notice a thing, not a glance, not a longing sigh. “Does he know?”

Her face burns bright red as her eyes fill with tears. Her chin drops to her chest and I have my answer. “Oh,” I sigh quietly, my mind going blank on what I can say. “What happened?”

“I told him how I felt and he just stood there. Staring at me. He didn’t say a word! I’ve never been so mortified!” After gently prompting her she finishes the account, her fingers expertly untangling the thread creating the pink tassels and I wonder if the pillow will survive the conversation. “So I left. Ran, more like it.”

“He didn’t respond?”

“Nothing.”

“Did you look ahead first?” Eliza’s gift of glimpsing the future comes in handy during a fight. It likewise helped solve other issues while we were at Hillbrook and seems like it would have come in handy in this scenario.

She shakes her head. “I didn’t want to lose my nerve. And what if he didn’t reciprocate my feelings? I could never look at him the same way and he would have no clue why our friendship changed.”

“If you aren’t positive of his answer, then how do you know he doesn’t feel the same?”

She hiccups as if this possibility never occurred to her. “Then why wouldn’t he say something? I shouldn’t have told him. We’ve all been friends for so long. I don’t want to lose that. But I also don’t know if I can watch him date another girl again. I was unaccountably rude to the last one and her only sin was that she liked him. What kind of person does that make me?”

“It makes you human,” I reply gently after her tirade. Eliza and Ben. I can see it. Hopefully he can too.

“Do I have to go back? You think Parker would let me move in?”

“Ha! I believe that as much as I would welcome you, we’re twenty minutes away from civilization. You would hightail it out of here from boredom.”

She takes a moment to think. “Say for instance he does feel the same. What if we date but end up breaking it off?”

“Shouldn’t you let him have a say in the relationship?” I ask softly.

My pillow has nearly come unraveled, but I can see her mulling over the question. No wonder she dropped everything in the blink of an eye to oblige Parker’s request. Her downturned phone lights up against the bedspread but all she gives it is a cursory glance.

“I don’t think my parents are thrilled I took off so quickly after the semester ended.”

“Didn’t your semester end a couple of weeks ago?”

“I may or may not have offered to stay on to help my complex manager clean apartments.”

“You hate cleaning,” I remind her.

She rolls her eyes. “Well, it was decent pay. And hate is such a strong word.”

“May I remind you of all your jello cups I have picked up over the years? You could drown in a room full of them—”

“Point taken,” she chuckles, giving the tassels a break. “Ben volunteered to help one of his professors sort inventory, and it took a couple of days.”

“Ah, now it makes sense.”

Sensing her mood spiraling back to one of moping I quickly intervene with the promise of locating the jiggly goodness of jello somewhere in the house.

CHAPTER 14

HER

“Why is that girl glaring daggers at you?” Eliza questions, not so discreetly looking over her shoulder. It was my hope that after graduation I would never have to see Cece again, yet she and her small posse are still finding little ways to annoy me.

“Artistic differences.” The whispers and giggles are in full force making it slightly difficult to ignore them while paying for my muffin and hot chocolate. I don’t even need to enhance my hearing to catch every word they say.

“Do they have any idea who you are?” she cries in outrage. “If they only knew—”

“Eliza,” I say, shooting her a look to keep her voice down. It’s faking your death 101 to not draw more attention than necessary.

“Oh, right,” she pouts.

“Hey Samantha,” a boy from our dancing class interjects. Leaving the safety of Cece’s clique, Rupert blocks our path toward the pick-up area. “I was wondering if you wanted to go out this weekend? I’m sure it would be fun.”

“No thanks,” I say the same time Eliza chimes, “She’s taken”.

“Come on, I’m dying to get the same treatment as Nathan. There’s only the promise of one thing I know of that would make a person religious.”

“What are you talking about?”

“The cross. Since going out with you I’ve never seen him without that silver pendant. You must have given him quite a night to remember for him to commit so heartedly. If I promise to go to church would you show me the same good time?”

I tense at what he’s suggesting, but not out of fear or shock. No, I’m like a coil ready for the tinniest pressure to release me into pouncing. The clique is in my line of sight and two of the girls belt out a laugh at Rupert’s brazen insinuation, but Cece’s face drains of color. Part of me wishes Dmitri had eaten her.

“Walk away.”

“You’re sure you—”

“Miss?” The barista calls, handing Eliza our orders. One forceful look is enough for Rupert to know he’s done laughing at my