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“Ready to go?”
She nods and laces her fingers with mine. Delaney walks on the other side of her while Knox waits in the car. Hopefully the press doesn’t check the plates, being as that one is registered to me too.
When we get to where we’re supposed to part ways, Tessa starts to tear up. A confused expression covers my face, and I notice Delaney is avoiding my gaze.
“Hey,” I say to Tess, bending down with my hands on her cheeks. “I know it sucks, but I promise, I’ll meet you back at the penthouse. You’ll only be a couple minutes ahead of me.”
She takes a deep breath, but my words only bring more tears. Something isn’t adding up. I pull away and glance between her and her sister.
“What’s going on?”
Delaney sighs, and the two of them share a look. It’s like they’ve got some weird kind of twin telepathy or some shit, because they practically have a silent conversation with just their eyes.
I’m starting to get irritated. “One of you better tell me what the hell is going on.”
Tessa pinches her lips together and grabs the front of my shirt. She arches up on her toes to kiss me but I hold her back by her shoulders. Oh my God.
“You’re not coming back to the penthouse,” I say as all the pieces fall together.
She wipes the tears with the sleeve of her sweatshirt and shakes her head. “Blaire had a point two weeks ago, and she still has one now. I’m no good for you.”
“Fuck Blaire and her fucking opinion,” I snap. “No. I don’t care. We’re doing this my way.”
I grab her hand and pull her in the opposite direction, toward the front door that she’s meant to avoid at all costs. My car is waiting out front where the valet parked it, and I can see the plethora of people with microphones and cameras, waiting for a statement from me.
“Asher, what are you doing?” She tries to stop me, but I don’t budge.
“I’m done letting that shrew control my life, and I’m sure as shit done being without you. I won’t do it again.”
As we walk through the front door, I release her and move my hand to her lower back. Cameras flash all around us, but my focus stays on Tessa. I lead her over to the car and open the passenger side to help her in. Once she’s safely inside, I walk over to the crowd of reporters.
Asher, who is that?
Is she the mystery woman you’ve been spending time with?
What’s her name?
I stand tall and clear my throat, pulling the notecards Blaire wrote for me from my pocket and tossing them straight in the trash can. The cameras are intimidating, and there are at least twenty of them.
“I know many of you have been worried, since I spent the past two days at this incredible medical facility,” I start. “I’m sorry for the scare, but I can promise you, I’m in good health. There was a medical emergency with someone very close to me Saturday night.”
“Is everything okay?” one of the reporters asks.
I nod. “Yes, thank you. The doctors here are outstanding, and I will be making a very generous donation to the hospital as soon as I get the chance.”
Another holds out their microphone. “I’m sorry, Mr. Hawthorne, but I wouldn’t be a reporter if I didn’t ask. Who is that in your car? Some are saying that’s Tessa Callahan, and she’s a student of yours.”
With a glance back at Tessa, I smile. “It is Tessa. She’s my student…” I swallow down the lump in my throat. “…my girlfriend, and the woman I’m in love with.”
The camera flashing intensifies, and the crowd of reporters go into an uproar. I hold up one hand.
“That’s all the questions I will be answering today. I ask for privacy during this time. Thank you.”
Turning around, I walk away and get into the driver’s seat of my car, ignoring Tessa’s jaw-dropped expression. I’m barely pulling out of the parking lot when my phone rings. I press the button to answer it on the steering wheel.
“Hi, Blaire.”
“What the fuck do you think you’re doing?” she screams into the phone. “Do you have any idea what you just did? You just flushed your career down the toilet! There’s no possible way I’m going to be able to fix this.”
