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“And I wanted you from the very first time I banged on your apartment door to ask you to turn down your TV,” Jamie added with a mischievous grin.
I chuckled, because I remembered that night. The second I turned down my television my new asshole neighbor started pounding on his drums and hadn’t stopped since.
“The only thing that has changed, Tessa, is that you now see everything that we’ve always seen,” Cade smiled.
“You’re not different, lassie,” Jamie squeezed my hand enclosed in his. “You’re just ready now.”
I turned from Cade’s gentle thumb to raise a curious eyebrow at Jamie. “"Ready? Ready for what?”
He shrugged, “Ready to be you. Wonderful, marvelous you.”
I pondered his words as Cade placed a hand on Jamie’s shoulder. “That was really sweet.”
Jamie brushed his hand away and I caught him blushing as he grumbled, “Shut the fuck up, hippie.”
Cade laughed and leaned over to kiss my neck and shoulder and arm while I pondered their words. They thought I was ready to be me. And it’s what Ellis had implied as well. That I’d always been amazing on some level and didn’t need him anymore.
On the one hand, maybe he was right.
But on the other hand, he was definitely wrong.
“I have to go,” I said suddenly, pulling away from Cade and Jamie, who had each nestled against me on either side.
Their heads clanged against the side of the van, but I barely heard their protests as I grabbed my panties and wiggled them on. I pulled on a shirt that I wasn’t even sure was mine. It didn’t matter. After giving both Cade and Jamie and quick, smacking kiss, I flung open the back doors of the van and hopped out as I tugged my shorts back on.
“I love you guys,” I called and then I was off.
It wasn’t that far. I’d run. Well, run-slash-walk. Or maybe more accurately walk-slash-run. Fine. I’d basically walk.
But as I reached for my shoes, Jamie snatched them back with a booming laugh.
“Whoa, whoa, there.” He pulled the shoes back as I lunged for them.
“But there’s somewhere I need to be,” I said dumbly.
“We know,” Cade said, crawling into the driver’s seat. The engine of the old VW van sputtered to life as I stood there. “We’ll drive you.”
Jamie’s big arms wrapped around my waist and he hoisted me back into the van, closing the doors behind me as the tires screeched on the tarmac.
“You don’t know where I’m going,” I said, leaning over the driver’s seat to see the beach highway fly by over Cade’s tanned shoulder.
Next to me Jamie shook his head and laughed again. “Of course we do, Tina.” He winked at me as Cade accelerated even more. “And I love you, too, by the way.”
I sucked in my breath as I took him in, my Irish rogue with the beautiful green eyes.
“I love you, too, Tessa,” Cade said.
I burst into tears, happier than I’ve ever been.
I just hoped after I did what I needed to do, that I’d be even happier.
Chapter 17
Tessa
A caveman, Elvis, and a woman in a futuristic maid outfit all walked by me complaining about the LA traffic, so I knew I was getting close.
At the security gate to the studio, Cade had tried politely explaining to the guard that we were on a romantic mission. He’d talked about love and fate and world unity through the power of kindness between total strangers. When that failed entirely, Jamie handed over a $100 to the guard who’d shrugged and deliberately turned his back on the pedestrian entrance. I kissed each of my men—and yes, they were mine—on the cheek before sprinting through the gate.
