Two Thousand Miles from Me

2. Broken Dishes

Tessa's head hurt, in fact, a lot of her hurt. After waiting another two hours to be released from the emergency room, her pain medication was wearing off, and no pharmacy was open yet to fill the prescription. It was just starting to get light outside, and reality was sinking in the closer they got to the house. Jase was behind the wheel of his truck and he looked about as tired as she felt.

She had been working hard to not make eye contact with him since putting her evening dress back on before leaving the hospital. One sleeve was completely torn off, and there were blood stains all over it. He had taken one look at her and turned white, Tessa had turned red instead. All of this was humiliating, Graham's behavior had been manageable for so long, it had been weeks since the last time they had fought and now everyone would know. All that dirty laundry would be hung out to dry.

On top of everything, the last person she had expected to see was Jase Cooper. Jase Cooper. The man she'd burned, the engagement she'd broken, an entire life she had left behind — she had never thought she'd see him again. Yet here he was, sitting at her bedside, holding her hand when she cried and offering to drive her all the way home to Maine. She didn't even want to think about his reasons why, she didn't have enough room in her head for all of that too.

Tessa leaned her cheek against the car window, they were still a good fifteen minutes from the house she'd shared with Graham for the last six months, there were probably paparazzi camped on the lawn, waiting for one of them to come home. What a nightmare this had become.

"Do you know if he's made bail?" asked Jase before clearing his throat uncomfortably.

"I hadn't even thought about it, but my guess is if he hasn't already, he will soon," she answered, still not looking at him. Jase didn't say anything for a few minutes.

"Are you pressing charges?" he asked, it seemed he was avoiding eye contact as well. Tessa toyed with the ripped sleeve of the evening gown, it had been bronze colored before all of the blood.

"I planned on it, I guess," she answered with a shrug, another throat clearing from Jase's side of the car was the only response for a few minutes.

"If it's the lawyer you're worried about, we can find you one of those Tessa," he said in what was probably supposed to be an attempt at reassurance. She felt herself smile just a little at how ridiculous all of this was — her ex fiancé was trying to help her press charges against her current fiancé.

"I'll get a lawyer Jase, I'll find the money somehow, maybe ask my mom for help." He didn't answer for another few minutes and Tessa was starting to wonder if he was counting to 100 before he spoke to her.

"You and I both know your mom can't help with that, I'll give you the number of a good friend of mine— he's a good lawyer too," he said it slowly like he was coaxing her into something instead of making a casual offer.

"Is it Mike? Because I know Mike, Jase. He's my very good lawyer friend too. At least he was," she finished weakly.

"Still is, Tess," he answered quickly this time, "Give him a call. I know he'd love to hear from you, and he'd be happy to help." Tessa nodded, not even sure he could see it- somehow they'd completed an entire car ride without looking at one another.

As they pulled into the subdivision, Tessa started to get a sinking feeling in her stomach at what awaited them. Vans and news crews lined her street, some sitting on the sidewalk, others speaking with her neighbors, and a few had already started filming in her driveway.

"That's quite a crowd," Jase whistled under his breath.

"He's running for Senate," she said as an explanation.