Collin P.O.V
I had one hand on the steering wheel, while the other was resting on top of the middle compartment.
I was thinking about everything and nothing at the same time. I was more worried about mine and Tessa’s relationship than I was worried about my career path. Not telling Tessa about the truth behind my early return home, might have been the worst mistake of my life.
I’m starting to realize that we need to just get to know each other, the only thing I know about Tessa is that her life wasn’t as it seemed. Her perfect mom and dad turned out to be the worst part of her life. She’s a volleyball player, a high school student, a mother, and amazingly sweet and kind.
But she barely knows anything about me. I’m a closed book, she knows the things I presented to her, but little does she know, I’m a package of dynamite ready to explode when something goes wrong.
My phone started ringing and saw the caller ID. Tessa and Iris still soundly asleep.
“Hey Nick, I’m sorry it’s bad timing when we call but it’s urgent, there’s been a slight change of plans since I’ve been back.”
“Is everything all right?”
“Yes, everything is fine, no one is hurt, we decided to go to Colorado springs about a half hour ago, and I need a favor.”
“We have nothing planned the next few days, whats up?”
“If you guys can do it, afford it, could you come to Colorado springs and watch Iris while I take Tessa out, I just need to tell her the things she doesn’t know about me. I want to fix us, she’s the best thing I’ve ever had.”
The freeway was not the best to talk and drive at two in the morning, but this was urgent, I need to tell her the truth before she completely slips away.
“We’ll leave here about 6:00 that will give you guys a long while to get your stuff settled, and it will allow you to tell her the honest truth, things she needs to know.”
“I’ve got to go, but thank you Nick. I owe you huge.”
“Your tab is racking up.” He said before I hung up the phone.
I moved the rear view mirror to look at Tessa, she was sleeping, her head resting on the carseat, her arm swinging over to the other side, just like she would sleep when we slept on the same bed, before I left for Virginia.
____
I had Iris in my arms, Tessa was carrying the one duffel bag of clothes, mine upstairs in the room. I had been in Colorado springs since yesterday evening. Giving me plenty of time to think about my return home, the conversation I had in virginia with Tessa didn’t go so well at the end, and it’s why we’re in a bad place now.
A few weeks ago
“I have fifteen minutes to talk, Tessa.”
“That sounds to good to be true.” She was angrily putting her stuff back in her duffel bag; continuing on with the anger.
“They can wait fifteen minutes!”
“You didn’t come here to make them wait fifteen minutes, an hour, weeks! If you just leave me and Iris you won’t have to go to that stupid family court thing!”
“I’m not leaving you. I’m not leaving our newborn daughter! Can’t you see I’m trying my best here, Tessa.”
“Oh bull! You had two months, TWO! Before you had to be here, and you just decide because she’s born that you can go off to virginia and everything will be f*cking perfect!”
I grabbed her upper arm, and turned her to face me, my eyes cold and her angry face turned terrified. “You don’t know what I think Tessa, and if you dare to raise your voice at me and tell me things I didn’t think, so help me God I will not hesitate to leave.” I didn’t think any of those things, I didn’t know where these words were coming from, I was just so angry that she thinks I think those things, I am trying my best, I’m here because I need a career that will actually provide great income to provide for my family.
Tessa sat down on the bed, breathing heavy, I let go of her arm, and realized I need to apologize, this was not the man I sought out to be and I won’t let her leave being terrified of me. “I’m sorry Tessa, I don’t know what I was saying--”
“I just don’t want to talk about the outcomes, Collin. I’m scared, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear? My parents won’t feed her, they--” she breathed out and then put her hands in the air, “I have to go. I’ll call you when I’m settled at home, maybe Iris will be awake.” she grabbed her bags and walked out the door, slamming it behind her and running out.
What was she going to say. She stopped when she was about to tell me something, and it’s important she speaks to me. But I’m not an open book either, and maybe I need to take time off, get to know her better. What am I thinking, I probably can’t even get away before Tuesday morning.
Present time
“Don’t you need to check in, Collin?”
“I did yesterday.”
“Again, I would yell at you but I’m way to tired and sc--” she stopped, and got into the elevator, I pushed the 2 button as the doors closed.
It was silent, but Tessa cleared the air “You’re not sleeping in the same bed with me.”
“There’s only one bed.” I said, still holding Iris.
“Is there a couch?”
“Yes but--”
“Good you can sleep on there then.” The elevator doors opened and Tessa walked out, but stopped when she realized she didn’t know where she was going.
“I guess you need me after all.”
“Shut up.”
I zipped my lip with the pretend zipper, and gave her the key, not saying a word. I walked to room 203, “Breaking the rule here, but I need you to grab my wallet, the key card is in there.”
“No. I’ll touch your butt.”
“Tessa, you’ve touched my butt a bunch of times when it was bear naked, there is nothing wrong with grabbing my wallet so you and Iris can sleep.”
“Fine.” she huffed, she grabbed the wallet swiftly and pulled out the key card and swiped it over the lock, allowing us to get in. She opened the door and walked in the room, noticing the clean room with a bassinet already set up. It’s a cheaper model than what we have at home but it’s perfect for traveling, so the label said.
I walked to the bassinet and placed a wide awake, but very quite Iris in it. I turned around and saw Tessa getting undressed right in front of my eyes. She wasn’t facing me, but I’m not sure if it was intentional or not.
“So you don’t want me to sleep in the same bed with but you don’t mind if I watch you undress.”
“It’s not like I’m going to accidently cuddle you because I’m taking my clothes off.”
“So that’s why I’m in the doghouse. Because you don’t think you can stay mad at me forever, so you do things that will prevent you from forgiving me. Unless it’s because you don’t want to accidentally tell me something like you almost did in Virginia.”
“Look it was a moment of weakness, it’s nothing you haven’t heard before. I was always in trouble, so my mom punished me when I was a kid and that’s all that needs to be known, I just want to go to bed, you can either join me or sleep on a couch that looks 2 feet long.” she smiled, changing into her see through lace silky nightgown.
I took my shirt off, then my suit pants off, leaving them on the ground, crawling into bed after Tessa. Who looked very nervous. She was biting her lips, her feet were pointed, her legs together. I layed down on the bed and faced away from her, when I felt her hands touch above my hip, and her other hand on my middle upper back.
“Wrong choice.” she pushed me, causing me to fall off the bed with a loud thud, and a groan. I huffed and stood up. Taking the mini blanket that was on the bed onto the five foot couch. Mind you, I’m 6 feet 3 inches tall sleeping on something a woman or man who’s 5 Feet tall could easily sleep on. While from my knees down are hanging off.
I really need to make up with this woman so I don’t have back problems the next Sixty years I’m expected to live.
______________
9:30 in the morning.
Tessa’s still in the shower. I’m not sure if she’s trying to annoy me, or she really just needed to take a longer shower, but I was supposed to take a shower a half hour ago so we could be ready to leave when Nick and Sydney, but now, Tessa’s pushing my buttons.
Iris is dressed in this romper thing... I think that’s what Tessa called it, but there wasn’t enough clothing covering her so I put on a pair of black pants over it, and she immediately looked like a baby again.
Tessa walked out of the bathroom, steam pouring out into the air, and Tessa dressed in a robe, and drying her hair with the towel. When I walked into the bathroom Tessa had shouted “I would wait awhile, it started getting cold.”
“Gee, I wonder why.” I said shutting the door and getting undressed, hopping into the shower, and starting it.
I was out in two minutes, my hair only needed a quick wash, and my body just needed a simple body wash and I was done. The water never getting cold for me. I put underwear on, then my usual nice clothing.
I spend my money on Tessa, Iris, and nice clothes. I don’t own any denim clothing or regular shirts. I just don’t find it to fit my style. I used to in my high school and early college life but it changed after a major life moment. Which I’m thankful, I’ve become 10 times hotter than when I was as a child.
I walked out of the bathroom, and saw Tessa she was wearing a salmon colored polka dotted shirt with black denim jeans, and some type of boots with square heels. Her hair dry and straight.
God she looks beautiful, even when she’s playing hard to get.
“How was the couch last night?” she said picking up the mess in the room, putting Iris back in the bassinet, the black pants off Iris. Showing to much skin again.
But she can be a complete piece of work.
“It was, short and brief. Just like this conversation.” I said ending it, hearing a knock at the door.
“Finally, they were supposed to be here hours ago.”
“I guess someone’s waiting to get on with our dates.”
“Dates?” She said back.
I opened it, letting Sydney and Nicolas in. They both walked over to Iris who was in her bassinet, and Nick popped his head up and said “Where’s her clothes, Tessa.”
“That’s it, that’s her clothing.”
“No, no it’s not. This is a bathing suit. I will not allow my niece to wear this out in public.”
“Oh stop it Nick, this is clothing, and this isn’t your daughter, Tessa can dress her in whatever she wants. She looks adorable, sister.”
“Okay we’ll be off now, erm, you know what to do, if you need to know anything everything is on the list I wrote out or sent you. So we’ll be on our merry way.” Tessa said pushing me out the door.
Now I’m really convinced, she’s messing with me. I mean why would she want to leave so quickly?
______________
We were seated down at the private room in the back in case she would throw food at me for all the lying I’ve done. Or all of the kissing that needed to be shared because she loves me for telling me the truth. It could go either way.
“So what is it you wanted to talk about.” she said.
“I feel like we could get some things off of our chest. I want to tell you the truth about a lot of things, and I want you to tell me things that could heal our relationship. First of all, I haven’t been honest about a lot of things, and I just want to tell you things that I think you NEED to know.”
“Okay how about we go back and forth? But I haven’t lied about anything, so it will just be telling you things that I’ve been hiding.”
“Sounds fair.”
“You go first.”
“I didn’t convince the headmistress about anything. She withdrew my application until I could make a full commitment to the Academy which means I can’t go back until the fall, but the money I put into the program goes to my application in the fall.”
“Wow. Heavy blow first, I’ll go next. My mother didn’t let me go to public school until seventh grade, and she would make me walk around in my room without pants so she could spank me without struggling to get my pants free from my hands.”
“Why haven’t you told the cops about this.”
“I was always doing something wrong so I figured it was okay, there’s nothing wrong with spanking, Collin.”
“Next, on my list. When I feel like something is going wrong, I feel like I have to run, I took it on you and I would never, and I mean never, take it out on you, it was just information I thought we were never going to hear. I’m sorry.”
We had gone back and forth for a few hours just releasing all of the tention, and I finally feel like I know Tessa, and I feel like she knows me, and she kept saying sorry for how she’s been acting but she had to shut herself down so she wouldn’t be scared again, she didn’t like the way I acted, and I don’t blame her, but I’m just thankful I can move from the baby couch to the king sized bed.