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TESSA: Huh.
MELISSA: What’s that mean?
TESSA: Nothing.
MELISSA: Stop it.We’ve known each other too long.Just spill it.Whatever it is.You can speak honestly with me, even if you think it’s not something I want to hear.
TESSA: Okay, fine.It means that maybe Wesley isn’t as nice as you think he is.Maybe he has a dark side.Not a bad dark side—I’d still trust him with my life—but it’s not all sweetness and light under the hood with him, Mel.He’s carrying around a bunch of repressed stuff and it comes out in…certain situations.
MELISSA: Are you saying my sweet brother is a filthy beast in bed?Is that what I’m reading in between your lines?
TESSA: The filthiest.The dirty talk was insane.He’s a bad, bad man.And I can’t stop thinking about him.That’s the real reason I’m on a sex cleanse.I need to get my mental house in order so that I don’t fall for the next dirty-talking man I meet.Because odds are he won’t be a nice dirty-talking man like Wesley.He’ll be a bad guy.They’re almost always bad guys.
MELISSA: Wow.That’s a lot to digest.I don’t like to think about my brothers in bed.
TESSA: Valid.If I had a brother, I wouldn’t, either.
MELISSA: But if the sex part was THAT good, maybe you should consider approaching Wesley for a proper date?Now that he’s a free man and you’re a free woman.I mean, what’s the worst that could happen?
TESSA: He lets me down easy by telling me it was a mistake, and it wasn’t that great for him?Or he tells me it was a blast for him, too, but I’m too old to give him the things he wants from a relationship?That one’s always fun.Did you know that you basically expire as a woman by age 38.Or whatever age you are when you decide it isn’t wise or possible for you to have children?I mean, obviously not to EVERY man on earth, but to a good number of them.That’s another reason I’m on a sex cleanse.I don’t want to have the “well, you can’t have kids, so I don’t want to date you or care about you, but we could fuck around until I find someone better” talk with a man again.That talk is killing my sparkle.Big time.
MELISSA: I’m so sorry.I had no idea it’s been that hard.Why didn’t you tell me?
TESSA: I didn’t want to bring you down, and I shouldn’t have said anything now.I’m sorry.You’re in the middle of something awful.This isn’t about me.It’s about you.It’s just that you asked about Wesley, and it set the panic gremlins in my brain to spinning.But now, I’m back on task.I’m off to pump my gossipy friends for Radcliffe dirt.We’ll get something on him, I just know it.Hugs and hang in there!
MELISSA: Okay, but we WILL talk about this later.I want to help!Love you.
TESSA: Love you, too <3.
Chapter 27
Melissa
Iend the chat just as Wesley and Aaron emerge from the door leading back into the bullpen area.Wesley looks serious, but relatively relaxed, and Aaron is grinning.
I stand, my heart lifting.“Hey!You’re smiling!A smile is good, right?Did you get everything sorted out?”
“The police believe me,” Aaron says.“They realize this is all just a misunderstanding.”
I glance to Wesley for confirmation from a less optimistic party.“Yeah?So, we’re all good?”
“Aaron’s in the clear as far as any legal ramifications of this are concerned,” Wes says, pushing on before I can get too excited.“But that doesn’t mean we’re out of the woods.Ben and Radcliffe could always decide to file some kind of motion for modified custody based on what they see as a threat to Chase’s safety posed by your new living situation.”
“But why?”I demand.“Aaron’s done nothing wrong.The police are convinced of that.So am I, and I’m his mother.I was there when the perfectly innocent nudity happened.Doesn’t that count for anything?”
“It does,” Wes says.“And taking this to court, if that’s what they decide to do, might very well backfire on them.”He lowers his voice as he adds, “We’re still a fairly traditional community.The chances that you’ll get a judge who likes hockey stars and traditional families where the mother is the primary caretaker over a same-sex couple are decent.”
My nose wrinkles and a yucky taste rises in my throat.“I don’t want to win that way.I don’t want towinat all.I just want to keep moving forward as a parenting team, the way we were before.”
“Well, that should be easier soon,” Aaron says, his smile still in place.“My coach wants me back in Minneapolis ASAP.The team doctors liked the look of the scans I sent over the other day.My trainer wants to start me on a sauna and ice bath regimen before I ease into physical therapy next week.So, I’ll be out of your hair.”
“Oh.”I try to keep my expression pleasant, to hide the fact that my insides are currently an elevator in free fall, full of screaming people.“That’s great.Congratulations.”
“Thanks.And I’ll make a big show of arriving back in the city,” he adds.“Be sure all the news and gossip sites cover it so the Wisconsin fans know coming after me in Bad Dog would be a waste of time.You and Chase should be safe to go back to your house and everything can go back to normal.”
I nod and smile, but the inner elevator car is picking up speed and I have to get out of here before I start screaming along with the people trapped inside.“Okay, well, I guess I’ll just head back to the rental, grab my things, and—”
“I already had Nora get everything for you,” Aaron says.“Barrett met her at your house to drop off the suitcases.And Nutty.Nora set up his enclosure in the corner of the living room and he’s already been fed.So, the only person you’ll have to worry about feeding is you.I’m going to stay with Gram at her place tonight and will head out tomorrow.”
