Page 68 of Tessa

“Tessa, baby, please talk to me.” The voice, coming from behind Baze, belonged to Beau.

Rolling onto her side, Tessa turned toward it and peeked out a hole she’d created in the blanket mess.

“I don’t wanna talk,” Tessa grumped with a stubborn pout. “Go talk to Dax.”

“Oh believe me, I plan to. Later, when we can all do it together. But in order for that to happen, I really need you to get out of bed and come with me.”

Curious, she poked the top of her head out from the blanket to peek at him. He looked a bit wrecked. His skin was red like he’d been out in the sun all day, his usually perfect hair was mussed and sticking to his head with a thin layer of sweat, and his eyes looked puffy and sad. Almost like he’d been crying, but that was silly because Beau was an Alpha Daddy and Alpha Daddies don’t cry.

“Why did it take you all day to come see me?” she asked, not willing to let that go. She’d felt heartbroken and rejected all day. If that was the case, he needed to leave her alone to wallow and eventually heal, and if it wasn’t, then why the heck had it taken him all day to come?

Beau’s Adam’s apple bobbed and constricted as he swallowed before answering. “I had to take care of some stuff first. If you come with me, you’ll see what I mean.”

“I’m mad at you.” Tessa pushed the covers far enough down that he’d be able to see her whole face.

“I know you are, sweetie. And I’m so sorry. If you are still mad at me when we’ve finished talking, I’ll bring you right up here and I’ll leave you alone. But please give me a chance to explain.”

She was hurt and angry and she really didn’t want to hear what he had to say because the way she figured it, it couldn’t be anything good. But at the same time, she was immensely curious. And Daddy Baze was next to Beau, watching her hopefully, as if he really wanted her to go, but maybe he was just done with her also. Maybe nobody wanted her. A tear welled at the corner of her eye and Beau reached over, wiping it before it could fall.

“Please,” he said again.

She looked over his head at Baze, who nodded. When she still didn’t get up, Jilly came and sat at the foot of her bed, rubbing her legs through the blankets. “You really scared me today. I hated seeing you so upset, and I really don’t know what happened. But I still believe what I’ve always believed. Beau and Dax are stand-up guys. You don’t owe them anything of course, but I do think you should give them the benefit of the doubt and at least hear them out.”

It was Jilly who finally coaxed her out of bed, and Jilly who held her hand when she slowly stood, swaying on her feet.

Baze handed her a bottle of water. “Drink this. You’re probably dehydrated, and have you even eaten today?”

“I had a bowl of cereal this morning,” Tessa answered without looking at him. There wasn’t really a rule about it, but Daddies, as a rule, felt strongly about skipping meals.

“Well, that’s better than nothing, I suppose,” Baze said with a sigh.

She looked at Beau who just shrugged. “I promise she will have something to eat before bedtime.”

Tessa was less worried about what she would eat before bedtime and much more worried about where she’d be at bedtime.

Would she be back here in her room at the penthouse, or back in Beau and Dax’s room with them? The truth was, she didn’t even know where she wanted to be at bedtime.

But, she guessed by then she’d know what she didn’t know now and be able to figure it out.

When Beau offered his hand, she took it. Cheers erupted in the hallway and she looked up to find Jade, Luna and Ellie gathered outside her door, cheering her on.

She wasn’t quite sure how she even felt about that, but she offered a smile and a wave as they walked by on their way to the elevator.

Chapter 19

Dax

When the doorknob jangled, Dax practically bounced off the bed. Beau had been gone literally all day and Dax was going out of his mind with boredom. Cartoons and room service had been fun at first, but eventually the novelty of that had worn off.

He missed his Daddy and he was dying to find out where he’d been all day and what happened with Baze and when they were going to talk with Tessa.

When she walked in ahead of Beau, his face fell even as his heart pounded in his chest.

“You said you wouldn’t go get her without me!” he accused, shaking a finger in Beau’s direction. “You lied! And why are you wearing that hoodie? Where did you get it?” Dax narrowed his eyes suspiciously, more upset about the mysterious clothing addition. Beau was not a hoodie type of guy, and it was the middle of summer. Not hoodie weather.

“Careful, babyboy,” Beau growled in warning, ignoring the question just like Dax knew he would. “And no, actually, I said I wouldn’t talk to her without you. And I haven’t. So you can chill your grill and watch your tone before I watch it for you.”

Dax rolled his eyes at the nonsensical expression before pouncing on Tessa.