What A Secret Looks Like | ✓

28: grayson

"Tessa was practically in tears when you told her she couldn't leave. This all is just ridiculous. I mean why are you forcing her to go in there when she looks physically ill."

Aaron huffs clearly annoyed that I'm calling him out on it, "She's a big girl. It's her job, and she knows that she doesn't have a choice in the matter. It's too late now to call for another model and she's already ready to go."

I pinch the bridge of my nose unable to get the look on Tessa's face out of my mind when she said she couldn't be there. That wasn't a normal 'I don't want to be here,' it looked like it was taking everything in her to stay seated in that chair.

"I know you're not used to how this world works, but Tessa will be fine. Let's go back out there before we cause a bigger scene by standing back here arguing."

I don't know how this world works, but I know enough that it's not right.

When Aaron and I walk back into the room, the photographer is grabbing her chin and slowly pulling her jacket away as tears drip down her face. "Excuse me, but what do you think you're doing?" Aaron's demands before I can say anything myself causing the man to jump back from her. Tessa pulls the jacket back up around her, standing on unsteady feet.

I don't understand what's going on? She looks like she's genuinely going to be sick. I step closer to her as the photographer continues to back away from Aaron. I rest my hand on her arm to help her balance, but she jerks herself away. The look in her glittering eyes right now resembles one of a scared animal as she struggles to zip up her jacket because her hands are shaking so much.

"Tessa it's okay; what happened?" I ask trying to keep my voice as calm as possible, but she just looks afraid. Why would she be afraid? I don't understand but I know that something is seriously wrong because I've never seen her like this. Her chin is bright red from the spot where the man had grabbed her and she lets out a sob. It boils my blood as I whirl to face him. "What the fuck did you do to her," I demand, shoving him backwards into a wall ignoring Aaron's protests to let him handle it.

The man smiles, "I didn't do anything she didn't ask for. You've got quite the whor-" I don't let him finish the sentence because my fist has already caught left side of his face.

Aaron pulls me back from him; probably a good thing because I would have continued to swing at him until the grin on his face is gone. "Go find her. I'll deal with him."

Go find her? What? Aaron lets go of me and I turn to find Tessa, but the only people left in the room is us and the crew that just returned. Her heels are strewn and abandoned at the exit with her nowhere to be seen. Fuck.

Tessa was fine one second and then it was like a flip had switched inside of her.

Tess was fine. There was something specific that happened today, I just don't know what.

I jog down the steps leading to the front door of the studio looking both ways on the sidewalk but I don't see her. "Fuck," I mutter, running my hands through my hair before going back upstairs to grab her phone and keys for her.

What is she thinking?

I check the hotel she's supposed to stay at but never does before I check the apartment. Nothing. Peyton hasn't seen her and Hayes is the last person I can think to call, and I don't bother with small talk when he answers, "Do you know where Tessa is?"

"Just give me one second," He replies as I sit waiting in my car, feeling like I'm losing my mind. "She's here, but Gray it's not pretty-" Hayes tries to warn me, but I hang up before he finishes his sentence.

She's there because of Sephine. They have this sort of understanding that doesn't make sense to Hayes or me, but they've been closer than ever since the attack.