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Nope. Very much awake.
But how did she find out where I live? What does she want?
She knocks again and I hear Tess say, “Cate, I know you’re home. Please let me in so we can talk.”
I panic and mull over the idea of pretending to sound like Eve, but Tess won’t fall for that.
I reluctantly open the door. “Tess? What are you doing here? How do you even know where I live?”
Tess motions toward the couch. “May I come in or would you prefer all your neighbors listen to our conversation in the hall?”
I swing the bat over my shoulder, startling her, and wave my arm for her to come inside, closing the door behind her.
“Damn, Cate,” she keeps a watchful eye on me as we walk to the living room. “Were you going to use that bat on me?” She plops her coat on the sofa next to her and I take one of the armchairs.
“I might have if you tried to attack me.” I lean the bat against my chair. “You mind telling me how you found me?”
“Theo is very particular about keeping addresses just in case he needs to mail someone something.” She shrugs, “So when he ran to his bedroom, I looked your name up in his little address book and there you were.” Tess brushes hair out of her face. “It was simple really. Plus, your last name is on the mail slots downstairs.”
“He has an address book?” I think back to when we first met, and he made fun of me for keeping a day planner.
“Do you not?” Tess tilts her head, eyes bulging.
“I do not.” I shake my head. “Everyone I really know lives with me.”
“Right.” She bobs her head and quickly moves on. “Mama always insisted we keep an address book, mostly to send cards for birthdays, weddings, holidays, blah, blah, blah.”
“Why are you here?” I cut her rambling short.
“I wouldn’t like anything to eat or drink, thank you for asking.”
I roll my eyes, knowing she is stalling but I decide to play her game. “Would you like something to drink, Tess? We’ve got water, soda, and beer.”
“How thoughtful of you, Cate. I would love a water.” She smiles. “Your apartment is lovely. Very… colorful.”
I hand her the water bottle I snatch out of the fridge and sit back down.
“Tess,” I hear the irritation in my own voice and soften my tone. “Are you going to tell me what you want? Cause if you still need a minute to get your jokes out, let me know. I’ll go back to my show.”
Tess’s friendly front comes crashing down and she eyes me like she is ready to cry. That takes me by surprise. If I were to guess why she was here my answer would be she was here to either beat me up or scream at me until I was the one to cry.
“Why did you leave?”
“I think you already know why, Tess.”
“Liam told me he talked to you and shortly after that you disappeared.” She crosses one leg over the other and clasps her hands around her knee. “What I don’t understand is why?”
“Liam said you overheard Theo and I talking at your parents’ house the day we met about him and I making a deal.” My eyes refuse to meet hers because I don’t feel like crying in front of her. “If you knew Theo and I were fake dating, it was only a matter of time before you told the rest of the family. I just thought it was better for me to leave before that happened.”
“Why would I expose you?” Tess cocks her head to the side, looking oddly offended.
I shrug. “Why wouldn’t you, is the better question.”
“I’ll admit, I did overhear you and Theo at my parents’ house.” She nods and takes a sip of her water, as if she is preparing to confess her sins to her priest. “I looked at it as a game. What lengths would you two be willing to go to for everyone to believe you and Theo were a couple. So, I called the hotel and cancelled your reservation, forcing you to sleep in the same room. I came up with the questions for the Wedding Games. I will admit,” her eyes dance in delight, “you fainting was quite the diversion for Theo not to answer the first kiss question. I’m assuming your first kiss was when we egged you on after the volleyball game?”
I nod and she continues.
“I was never going to tell anyone about you two, especially not my parents. But Iwasgoing to hold it over Theo’s head down the road.”
