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His head drops before turning to look at me. “Tessa, you haven’t been hungry all week. You need to eat something.”
I roll my eyes. “I just don’t feel well, okay? I have no fucking appetite, and if I eat, I’m only going to throw it up.”
He thinks for a second before nodding. “Okay, I was trying to avoid this, but I guess I can’t. It’s necessary.”
“What are you talking about?”
“I think I have something that will make you feel better.”
My eyebrows furrow, and Easton pulls a small baggie from his pocket, holding it up and showing me the pills inside. He shakes it back and forth, and I sit up. I’ll try anything to numb this pain.
25
ASHER
The more time that passes, the more worried I get about Tessa. Something is off with her
and I can’t seem to put my finger on it. The look on her face when I tried to talk to her has haunted me for the past few nights. She looked so hurt. So devastated. To know that I’m partially responsible for putting that look on her face makes me want to die a thousand deaths.
After Blaire left my house last Monday night, I drank a glass of whiskey and let my own mind torment me for hours. As much as I didn’t want to admit it, she has a point. Tessa, as incredible as she is, is only eighteen. The chances of her knowing what she wants for the rest of her life right now are slim to none. So, what? I’m going to throw everything away for something that might not last more than a few months?
I was going to ask her—find out where her mind is on everything and decide what to do together—but whatever Blaire said must have done a number on her because she could barely stand to look at me. I decided then that I’d leave her alone, as difficult as that might be. However, that doesn’t mean it hasn’t killed me to see her get dropped off in the morning by her ex.
When she took her things and left the penthouse, I assumed she was going to stay at Lennon’s. After all, that was her plan if I hadn’t offered, or rather insisted, that she stay with me. It wasn’t until I saw Easton dropping her off Wednesday and Thursday morning that I realized she must be shacking up with him. At first, I thought the worst—that she had run back to him the first chance she got—but it looks like they’re just friends. Even so, I don’t trust him.
After a weekend filled with sleepless nights and shutting out the world, I went back to work on Monday hoping to see her doing better. She’s strong and I’ve never seen her let anything keep her down. Unfortunately, what I saw ended up being much worse, and it has only gone downhill from there.
The past few days, the bags under her eyes have grown. She comes to school but seems entirely strung out. On what, I don’t know, but it has to be something. It’s as if the world around her doesn’t exist, and if she’s even talking at all, she’s lashing out. Skye made a comment yesterday, one that Tessa would normally roll her eyes out, and instead, she threw a pen at the back of her head. No fucks given.
I look down at the paper in front of me. The object of the assignment was to write a short essay about what your plans are for after graduation and why they appeal to you. Everyone did as they were instructed except for Tessa. Her answer is something that has me more worried than ever. I read it over for the tenth time since she handed it in.
Who actually gives a fuck? None of it matters anyway.
At the sound of the bell, everyone gets up. Tessa stands and nearly falls over, being caught by Oakley who luckily is built like a fucking brick house. I glance down at the paper and sigh.
“Bradwell, a word?”
Lennon nods and comes my way while Tess makes a face that shows her disapproval. She rolls her eyes and leaves the room with Kellan and the others.
“Is she okay?” I ask her best friend.
She sighs. “I’m not so sure. She’s been really closed off, even to me.”
Picking up the assignment, I hand it to her. “This was her answer to the short essay question today.”
She reads it over quickly. “Wow.”
“Yeah.”
“I don’t know.” She runs her fingers through her hair. “I mean, I’m worried about her too, but there’s a code. If I break it, she’ll never trust me again.”
I groan in frustration. “There has to be something we can do.”
Lennon looks at the door and then back at my desk, grabbing the sharpie and a pad of post-its off of it. She writes something down quickly and places it down just in time for Tessa to reappear at the door.
“Len, are you coming?” she slurs.
A part of me wonders if she’s drunk, but she absolutely refuses to make eye contact with me. Lennon nods, and with one last glance at me, she walks out and leaves with Tessa. My worry only builds knowing that her own best friend shares my concerns. I grab the post-its and read the words.
