Chapter 23 - Try Me
DAVID MILES
It hurt Dave to see her so lost. He had wanted to punch something when she had cried in his arms like a wounded animal.
He chanced a glance at her in the passenger seat as he drove her to the hospital. She hadn't said a word since. Her arm had stopped bleeding but he needed to look at it.
Calvin had wanted to follow her but she had told him to go home. When Logan too had assured him, he, albeit reluctantly went home.
Dave parked in his regular parking spot.
"C'mon."
He got down and was about to walk over her side but she had already stepped out.
She looked so lost, so confused that he wound his arm around her waist. She didn't protest, didn't shrug it off didn't lean in his touch either. Just let her guide in.
"Are you alright?" He asked her and she didn't answer.
He walked in only to meet Karina at the entrance in her casuals ready to call it a night.
"Ms Cole." She said in shock.
Karina took Tessa's hand in hers and Tessa croaked a small,"Please."
"What do you want?"
"Some time alone."
When Karina looked over at Dave he shook his head. Tess needed someone to watch over. Her defenses had broken down and she was trying to mend them as much as she could. Dave couldn't let her do that.
She needed to get things off her chest. Most of all she needed to get back to the Tess she was.
"Tess."
Tessa looked at him blankly.
"I'm not leaving you." Now or Ever
She must've heard the unsaid words because her head snapped to the side.
"You have to. Or else I will."
"Neither of you are going anywhere. Tess, your sleeves." Karina turned her back on them as Tess began to fold her sleeves.
"What did you make these with?"
"Glass."
"Glass?"
"Yeah. I was drunk and all the whiskey was over so I grabbed Lexi's bourbon and it slipped and crashed. So I ended up with some vodka."
"What, your house is a bar or something?"
"Lexi used to drink alot."
"Oh."
"That was the only way she could sleep before Logan."
Dave didn't say anything to that. Because he knew even Logan did the same thing himself. Before Lexi came in his life.
Karina quietly bandaged the wounds.
"I'll let you two talk."
She said her farewells. And to Dave's surprise Karina hugged Tess and she left.
Dave needed to find a way to broach the subject. While thinking about it, he guided her out of the room and towards his car.
"I'll leave now."
"Yeah. I'll just drop you ."
Tess looked at him suspiciously. Dave knew she wouldn't fight him. It was late and hailing a cab wouldn't be the right choice, since the road was practically silent.
"Fine."
She slid in the passenger seat and Dave in the driver's. He zoomed through the roads and parked in his basement garage.
"This is not my house."
"I know." Dave snapped at her surly mood.
He got down and opened the door for her.
"I'm not going anywhere." She said and crossed her arms against her chest.
Dave waited for a minute and then leaned in removed the seat belt around her. Grabbing her by the waist, he dragged her out, "watch your head." She shrieked as he tossed her over his shoulder.
"I'm not some sack of potatoes. Unhand me, you bastard."
"Shh, Tess. You'll wake the whole building."
"I'll wake the whole neighbourhood if you don't let me go."
Dave didn't. When that sank in, Tess didn't say anything as he rode the elevator to his condo.
He let her down in his living room and reflexively ducked down as she swung her fist at him.
"Tess. God woman, calm the fuck down."
Grabbing her uninjured arm he turned her and caged in his arm, her back to his front.
She struggled and he put his mouth to her ear.
"You're going to calm down or else I'll cuff you to my bed."
She stiffened."You wouldn't dare."
"Try me." He challenged.
Tess relaxed and nodded. "Fine."
Reluctantly Dave let her go.
"I don't even wanna comprehend as to why you keep cuffs in your bedroom. " She muttered and dropped down on the sofa.
Just to get a rise out of her he said," Brought them with you in mind."
The Tess before would've blushed. This Tess, she raised an eyebrow at him and scoffed, "I wonder when you were gonna try them on me. Maybe after you left me."
That was all he needed.
He quickly made two cups of coffee. As much as this conversation needed to be had with alcohol, he couldn't let anymore of it in Tessa's system. Taking a seat on the far corner of the sofa so she wouldn't feel trapped, he started.
"My father died when I was 21. He had five marriages and none of them successful. Each woman younger than before. I loved my old man but he showed me that nothing lasts long. Neither his marriages nor he himself lasted any longer.
Taking a deep breath, he looked into his coffee mug as memories surfaced.
"It was bad Tess. Really. At first I was tortured. Made me want to leave my house. "
"Torture how?"
"When I was small, I guess I was 15, Martha forced me to run away. She'd make me do all the work, keep me holed up in my bedroom, I cooked my own food because she never did for me. I did everything a servant was supposed to do. Dad walked in on me cleaning the floor and asked where the maid was. I told him everything, he kicked Martha out."
A smile flitted across his lips, "Despite of the fact that my father loved every other woman who came in his life, my old man loved me the most. When Martha came, she made me believe that dad hated me. So I never told him anything."
Dave was so immersed in the story telling that he didn't see when Tess had stood up.
"I can't do this, Dave. I've worked alot to get over you and I still couldn't. Please don't make me listen to this."
Dave placed his glass on the table and scooted over to her. Taking her hand in both of his, he tugged her down before she took a step towards the door.
She fell beside him and he leaned in, maintaining eye contact. So close that their breath mingled.
"You're going to listen to every single thing I have to say. Then I'm going to listen to what you got. After that we are going upstairs to sleep. No sex just sleep. And yes, I'm going to sleep right beside you. After all you were my favorite teddy bear. " He placed a chaste kiss on her lips and then leaned back.
"Tomorrow we'll talk about us. Today, we're getting this off our chest."
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- Nami