The Reluctant Romantics

Chapter Eight: The Butterfly

A/N: Hello everyone! I'm still on the road and busy with other projects but I couldn't skip today's update. I think you're going to enjoy this one. We only have one chapter left before this is done but hey, that just means new stuff to look forward to, right? 

Hope you enjoy!

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Tessa

I remained slumped against the wall long after Jake wished my father goodnight and left.

I seemed to have lost feeling of my legs in the last hour or so, since I accidentally overheard their conversation. I'd been strolling along the garden and thought to check on Dad if he wanted tea before bed. I was about to walk in through the external door that connected Dad's study to the garden when I heard their hushed conversation. Jake wouldn't have known that I'd been staying with Dad in the past week. I came on the excuse of helping prep the house for his upcoming birthday party but more than that, I just felt safer here from the maddening urge to pick up the phone and call Jake over. Since our last emotional conversation where I'd bared my heart and soul, I've been in constant torment with myself. A part of me remained extremely paranoid while another wanted to toss caution out on its ass and take what I wanted. Sure, I might get hurt. But I might not be. Besides, I've been hurt before and even if it's not perfect, I managed to put myself back together. I could take those risks.

So the debate had been left as to whether Jake's promise was worth anything. It's one thing to survive potential heartbreak. It was something else entirely to put everything at stake for an empty promise.

There's nothing empty about it when the man goes straight to your father for his blessing.

I didn't actually need my father's blessing but it meant a lot to me. There's no man I respect and admire more, and my older brother's a pretty decent guy. And I had no doubt that Jake felt the same way about Dad. Coming here tonight to talk to him, to admit that he'd once hurt me already and still insist on having a second chance—this wouldn't have been easy for him. He risked losing pretty much the closest thing he had to a real family by coming forward.

Because the man's not kidding, Tessa, and it's probably time you realize that.

But how was it possible that Jake Hastings could love me?

Because there's so much to love, Tessa, even if you're the last person to see it.

I blinked back the tears from my eyes and took a deep breath.

I wanted to go to him as soon as he stepped out of the study but I couldn't. I didn't know what to say. I didn't know where to start. Coming forward to my father meant that this wasn't a secret anymore. That I couldn't hide forever without questions or consequences. I had to decide whether I could trust Jake and trusting him meant trusting that yes, he could love me.

"Sweetie, are you going to come in or not?"

I jumped at my father's voice and quickly rolled my eyes. Of course, he knew I'd been listening. Nothing got past him.

I pushed the door open and walked inside, a perfectly innocent smile on my face. "Hey, Dad. I was just wondering if you wanted some tea before going to bed."

My father just raised a brow at me. "Tessa Marie Maxfield, you're old enough to know it's not nice to listen in on other people's conversations."

My shoulders hunched. "I didn't plan on it. Besides, shouldn't it be my business considering it's about me?"

Dad just shook his head. "Now you're interested in making it your business when it seemed you wanted nothing to do with it?"

"Dad! Stop playing me like you did, Jake," I protested, plopping down the same armchair Jake had occupied earlier. I tried not to be obvious about it but I swear I could still smell him on it. "How did you even find out about any of this?"