The Beginning

Nicky

He was back. Now that I'd seen him, it was official, but how long had he hidden under that uniform? How many days had I looked beyond him? I thought that someone worked with him, but he was right in front of me the whole time. I was ten steps behind him like always. This time, I had the resources to catch up. I needed to see if I had the know how to surpass him.

I turned into the garage and let the door sink shut behind me. The house would be quiet again, now that I'd squirrelled the girls into a safe place. At least I didn't have to think about it anymore.

I shook my head at myself. Of course I'd think about it. The seesaw in which Tess and my relationship balanced on. Some time apart would be a good thing. It might remind me why I'd stayed single. Or I would only miss her more. It felt like eons since I met some like Tess Bowen. If I let her go, I'd truly end up alone for the rest of my life.

I finally entered through the kitchen door and set my things down on the counters as I went. Once my hands were empty, my blazer fell carelessly to the floor. I flipped each button on my collared shirt and pulled it from the waist of my black pleated trousers.

The ornate, yet cumbersome, light switch inside the bedroom wall was easy to find. I shifted the switch.

Tess lay on the bed, stretched out. Her laptop rested precariously on her hip. One idle hand secured the side, the other slung over her head. She twitched, then stirred. Nearly dropping her laptop had startled her awake. Tess sat up abruptly and checked her surroundings. Fatigued eyes fell on me. She mustered a sleepy grin.

"What are you doing here?" The bluntness of my question took her off guard.

"I told Veronica to take the girls." She replied softly.

"I told Veronica to take all three of you." I caught my belt with one hand and freed it from my waist.

Tess pulled her legs over the edge of the bed. "I'm not leaving you." Her words plucked at tender heart strings that had been ravaged by aggravated unskilled touch.

"You should've gone." I gave her my back to dig through dresser drawers. With Hannibal's return, I was certain I'd being doing some morally questionable things, of which she wouldn't approve.

Warm hands coasted around my ribcage. Her chubby arms wrapped around me; graceful fingers cradled my chest. Tess's soft cheek rested on my spine. "I'm sorry, Nicky." She whispered. "I should've told you about everything sooner. I thought--"

We already talked about that. "I asked Roni to take you." I grumbled. A surge of rebellion hit me, and I wanted to peel her off. Reaching for her wrist, I caught myself holding on instead.

"She said you were going to stay." Tess whispered.

I dropped everything in my hand into an open drawer and turned to face her. I expected her to jump back or pull away. Tess, one of the few outside my family, didn't fear me. She tucked further in, her cheek covering my mother's name. I was taken by her warmth.

"I want you to stay because I want to know you, but I want you to go because I don't think it'll work that long."

Afraid to hold her while she dumped me, I placed a controlling hand on the back of her neck. "Why doesn't it work?" I wondered.

Tess followed the commanding pressure, her eyes sought mine. Her pillow lips pinched. She tried to hide it with a grim smirk. They folded into her mouth and a nervous grin emerged. "Let's start with how we met."

"What's wrong with that?"