Tangled by Em Wolf

Author:Em Wolf [Wolf, Em]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2013-12-14T00:00:00+00:00

The rest of break elapsed somewhat uneventfully. Tess managed to avoid Maia for the rest of the weekend. It helped that her mother, in all likelihood, went to great lengths to do the same. By Sunday afternoon, she was more than ready to leave.

“Where’s the fire?” Cameron asked as she speedily tossed her things into the trunk and slid into the passenger’s seat.

“Let’s just go.”

He left it alone. “About the other night, I’m sorry.”

“For what?”

He scowled. “For Adonis. “

“It fine, Cam. Really.”

“No, it’s not.” The muscle in his jaw twitched. “I’ve been making excuses for his behavior long enough. He’d try to get away with murder if he knew I’d cover for him.”

“At least he has someone in his corner,” she said without thinking.

His eyebrow arced into his hairline. “When did you become his champion?”

She shrugged, albeit uncomfortably. “Is that a crime now?”

“No, but last I checked, you’d both rather eat glass than say one nice word about one another.”

“He was in a bad way. Who am I to judge? Especially after everything that went down with his family.”

Cameron’s knuckles tightened on the steering wheel. “He told you that?”

A twinge of nervousness needled through her. “He was pretty wrecked.”

“You haven’t told anyone, have you?”

“Told anyone?” Irritation chomped at the bit. “What’d you think I’m going to do? Out him on Facebook?”

“After everything he put you through, I wouldn’t blame you.”

She stared at him in open-mouthed surprise. And hurt. “Well, you’re wrong.”

He grimaced. “Tess, I didn’t mean anything by it. Forget I asked.”

“Forgotten,” she said, although the subject was anything but.

Neither spoke for the duration of the drive.

The less than joyous return to school set a precedent for the next few days. Tess tried to get back into the swing of things, but it was like trying to squeeze into clothes she’d outgrown.

Lectures and labs she’d handpicked at the beginning of the semester lost their luster. It wasn’t the best of times to fade out, but she couldn’t help it.

She wanted to do something else. Something more.

“Hello? Tess?”

She started. “Sorry, Diane. What?”

“Excuse me if I’m boring you,” her supervisor grumped.

“You’re not. I just have a lot of things on my mind.” Tess stretched back in the booth. “Why is it so dead in here?”

“Post-Thanksgiving lag,” her supervisor said, her drooping jowls especially ruddy under the restaurant’s unforgiving florescent light.

“Don’t stress. They’ll run out of leftovers soon.”

“It’s your loss, not mine. I’m salaried. You done with the silverware?”

Tess pointed to the pyramid of rolled cutlery to her left.

“Go home.”

“You sure? I still have an hour left on the clock.”

“Fine. You can help Harry do inventory.”

Tess bolted out of the vinyl booth. “I’m gone.” After claiming her coat and purse from the employee lounge, Tess clocked out.

The night was unnaturally dark, its murk deepened by the absence of the moon. Precipitation, fluctuating between drizzle and a dense mist, hazed the sleepy town.

What a perfectly glorious night to walk home alone.

Tess briefly debated calling Cameron for a ride and subsequently dismissed the idea. By the time he arrived, she’d be halfway up the hill.

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