A Friend of Another Friend

Chapter Forty-Five

"I got it a couple of weeks ago when I was in L.A." I replied to her.

After the tattoo finished healing, I took a good look at it in the mirror and I loved it. No regrets. I honestly felt like a new person when I got this tattoo. I was contemplating getting another one.

"It looks cool." Tess complimented me.

I nodded. "Thanks." I said throwing on my shirt, shoes, and I grabbed my bag before I headed down the stairs with Tess. Once we got to the bottom I didn't even notice some of the guys that were here. Wes, Chase, and Jayden. We all waved and said hi, but knew if we stopped to say anymore we'd be late for work. We headed towards the door and that's when Chase stopped us...or really just Tess before we really left.

"You're not staying?" Chase asked her.

She shook her head. "Work." She said pointing to both me and her.

Chase nodded. "I'll see you around, I guess." He said.

"Yeah." Tess agreed before she pulled my hand and we left the Zeta house. It wasn't until we were halfway to work that I began to say something to Tess.

"So...are you talking to Chase again?" I asked her.

She seemed to be shaken out of her thoughts when I spoke. "Hm? Oh Yeah...I finally talked to him, we're on some sort of common ground now." She responded.

I nodded. Glad the awkwardness and tension that resided with Tess and Chase was gone.

"That's great...so are you considering getting back together with him?" I asked her curiously. She gave me a look and then shifted her eyes. Before she spoke I could see the internal struggle going on in her head as she shook it fiercely and then settled with a sigh and a shrug.

Tess stopped in her step. I followed in pursuit.

"Mist...let's be honest, this is not like the movies...it's not like the books. I'm not obligated in what way ever to get back with Chase. You ever felt..I don't know...happy that something like this happen because it sort of gave you an excuse to get rid of someone." She looked at me seriously and then shook her head again.

"I probably sound like an asshole." She said beginning to walk again.

I still remained standing. "You don't sound like an asshole...as a matter of fact I agree." I watched as she stopped and turned looking at me with an arched eyebrow, like 'how in the world could I understand?'.

"You do?" She asked me.

I nodded. "I mean you know...Jayden and I." I said to her.

Tess crossed her arms over her chest. "I knew something was up with you guys...but I'm not here to judge, it's my fault anyway." She said turning around and continuing to walk towards the coffee shop now coming into view. I began walking as well.

"How is it your fault?" I asked her.

She shrugged again. "Aren't I always bringing the creeps, introducing them and stuff?" She confessed to me.

I scrunched my face at her. The only time she brought home creeps was that one time when we were freshman and a little bit naive, but we all learned from that mistake. I didn't really consider the guys mistakes that Tessly's brought home, we had our differences here and there, but that didn't make them mistakes. Each of them had their redeeming qualities that separated them from the bunch of people we met in the past.

"Tess...you didn't bring creeps, did they not end up being our boyfriends at one point?" I asked her. By then we were at the coffee shop. Tess held the door open for me allowing me to pass and we made out way to the back of the shop and threw on our work attire.