I'm Here to Fix You - Broken Souls Series #2

Time to change my testament

"You people talk to me as if I were some poor little thing that needs protection, a fragile flower you hide under a dome. And that doesn't help me. Not one bit. Instead that night did. It's totally absurd, I agree, but yeah, having sex with my ex proved to be way more effective than any other talk I've had with you guys." I explained. "So yeah, maybe I want to be with Jake because maybe, if history repeats itself, there's a good chance I'll finally know what that history was. What's wrong with that?"

She wiggled her eyebrows. "Are you saying you mean to date him just until you get your memories back?" She cracked the tiniest smirk, something I've barely seen on her these days. Her whole attitude this week was weird, and I get the feeling that this isn't really the Tess I knew before the 'accident'. "It would be awfully cruel." She grinned evilly. "I like it."

"Tess ..." I reprimanded.

"What? It's not like he doesn't deserve it."

I rolled my eyes, sighing. "He's not perfect, I know that." I admitted, eyes on the floor. "And he's done ... well, he's done a lot, a lot of terrible things." I bit my bottom lip, thinking of the letter. "Things that, in any other circumstance, would have me running for the hills.

"Case in point."

"But ..." I added, before she could restart with her monologue about how Jake is the worst choice ever for me. "He's a good man."

"Oh, please ..." Tess scoffed, standing up. "You just said it yourself, he's done terrible things."

"Yes, but-"

"But what? Just because he's hot, he can be forgiven?"

"Tess, come on, be honest, you only hate him because of ..." I trailed off, not wanting to say it.

"Because he nearly killed you?" She spat. "Oh, yeah, such a lousy excuse for me to hate a man, right? I mean, what did he do so wrong? It's not like he put you in a coma that lasted 2 years and deprived you of all your memories, right?" She rambled, her voice raising as she got more and more upset. "His recklessness, his selfishness, are what nearly took you away. So yes, maybe I hate Jake Watson with all I've got. Such a terrible person I am, right?"

I didn't answer. She needed to say that out loud, I know. With all that's been happening, we haven't really talked things through.

"I regret it so badly," Tess went on, tears pooling in her eyes, "I regret the way I pushed you into his arms so much, Sissy. If only I could go back ..."

"None of the things that happened are your fault, Tess."

"But I contributed to everything!" She screeched. "I pushed you into his arms. I basically bullied you into giving him a chance. I called you when he went AWOL. I asked you to go see him, help him."

"Because you cared about him, he was your friend."

"Exactly." She burst out crying. "I ... I prioritized him."

"Tess ..."

"I put that jackass first, forgetting who my best friend was. I got caught up with my own love drama and I forgot you." She dropped to her knees before me, and I winced on her behalf. Tess gripped my hands, staring at me in full blown tears. "I know I've been hateful these weeks, but I'm just trying to protect you, Sissy. You don't ... you don't know how was it ..." her lips quivered as she tried to hold back tears.

"I'm sorry, okay?" Tess sobbed. "I'm sorry if I've been giving you such a hard time. I'm sorry I lied to you, I'm sorry for everything ... but it was always only for your protection."

"I know that." It still irks me to no end, but I understand where she was coming from.

"Jake was my friend, but all he did ... I cannot forgive him for what he put you through." She wiped her tears with her sleeve. "That's why I've been trying to-"