Page 78 of Cross My Heart
Lillian flicks her eyes upward, impatient. “All I’m saying is that it wouldn’t hurt to meet the girl for a date. A proper one,” she adds with a warning look. “Somewhere nice, and respectable. She’s not one of your students.”
She says the word “student” like she’s saying “whore.”
My tension grows. “I’m not going to date anyone else, mother. Proper or otherwise. Things could be getting serious with Tessa. Who knows, there may be a ring on her finger soon enough,” I add, more to wind her up than because I’m serious.
But then I remember making breakfast for Tessa after our night at the club. How simple, and easy it was to sit with her in the sunlight, trading coffee cups and sections of the morning newspaper.
Like we belonged.
Lillian must see something in my expression, because her eyes widen. “You can’t possibly be serious.”
“I thought that’s what you wanted,” I reply, taunting. “For me to settle down and start facing my responsibilities. Well, getting married would be plenty settled, don’t you think?”
I watch her take a deep breath, collecting herself. “Well, we’ll just have to see, won’t we? Perhaps we should all have dinner together, soon,” she suggests, calling my bluff. “You, me, your father, and Tessa. Get to know her properly.”
No fucking way. I can just imagine how that would go: an evening of chilled soup and even chillier smiles.
“Perhaps,” I reply vaguely. “I’ll have to see about her schedule.”
“And we’d love to see more of you,” she adds, fixing me with a look. “Are you sure you can’t stay in London any longer? It’s all hands on deck at the company, getting ready to announce these trial results. Your father has been run off his feet, he could use your help. I’ve barely seen him in weeks.”
“I have classes,” I give a shrug. Although, I wonder if dad’s absence has anything to do with the French woman he was whispering with at the Lancaster party. Not that I’m about to mention their tête-à-tête to my mother.
Luckily, she spots someone across the restaurant and waves. “I’ll be right back,” she says, getting up to cross the room.
I finish my drink, still tense and wound way too tight. I don’t know what it is about this particular lunch that’s got me on edge; I’ve sat through conversations like this a hundred times. I never let my parents get under my skin, but hearing Lillian talk so dismissively about Tessa…
I don’t like it. And I certainly don’t like the way she assumes I’ll be moving on soon, to some other woman, some other fling.
Maybe I have done in the past, but this is different.
Tessa is different.
I haven’t even begun to scratch the surface of that mysterious, surprising woman.
I pull out my phone, checking to see if she’s responded to any of the messages I’ve sent over the past few days.
Nothing.
My thumb itches over my keyboard, but I restrain myself from sending another; even though I want to hear from her again. I don’t want to seem desperate.
Christ, how the mighty have fallen.
I’m about to tuck my phone away when it buzzes with a new message. Not from Tessa, but my cousin, Imogen.
‘I just heard what happened. Hope Tessa is okay.’
I stare at the message, my whole body going cold.
What the fuck?
I call her back immediately. “What happened?” I demand, the moment Imogen picks up. “Where’s Tessa? Why wouldn’t she be OK?"
Imogen pauses. “You haven’t heard?” she asks, with surprise in her voice.
“I wouldn’t be calling you if I had.” I reply through gritted teeth. “Imogen, tell me. Now.”
“I don’t know all the details,” she says quickly. “But I heard she was attacked. A mugging, I think, outside the college.”