TessaAfter we were done with shopping, we headed to a fancy restaurant near the mall to grab a bite. The food was mouthwatering, and we savored each bite.As we ate, Leah shared stories about Liam's past, mentioning his brother. Liam's expression remained stoic, his face a mask of indifference. He didn't interrupt or react, letting Leah continue her speeches.Once we finished our meal, Liam settled the bills and we stepped outside the restaurant.As we drove home, Liam played music, filling the car with a lively vibe. But I sat lost in thought, my mind racing with nothing but worries.What did Liam want from me? What did he mean by his statement earlier? How would he use my secret against me? Hope he's not going to ask for what I don't have. I'd not let him reveal the secret, not when it could harm Mom's relationship and health."Bruh you are going to drop me at home, I have something to pick then you will take us back to the junction, we are going to the library" Leah uttered "Yo
TessaI stormed out of the house with tears streaming down my cheeks, despite hearing Mom's desperate calls. Her voice faded into the distance as I walked away, my feet carrying me further from the painful confrontation.My eyes brimmed with tears, obscuring my vision. I didn't care to look up, I wasn't a baby anymore, am I? I don't know why she thought she could just cage me inside. My tears grow louder with each step I took, I don't want to care if there's someone looking at me right now. My only focus was releasing the anguish within. I walked aimlessly, tears flowing unchecked.Suddenly, my head bumped into someone's chest I didn't bother to look up, rather my tears grew louder. The person tried to touch my shoulder but I resisted. "Leave me alone," I muttered, expecting them to push me away. But instead, they hesitate and sigh out loud. "Are you...." "Just let me cry," I interrupted, pleading, There was a pause before they nodded, or perhaps I just sensed their understandi
Tessa I grabbed a taxi and dropped Leah's home's address, my heart was racing steadily with the decision I was about to make but I shrugged my shoulder. I don't have to care. I whine down the mirror, the city lights blurred together outside the window, my mind focused on the party ahead.Soon the taxi man packed in front of Leah's home and I paid before heading inside praying inwardly I wouldn't meet Liam at home. I knocked on the door waiting for a reply but the door opened revealing Leah with a large smile on her lips. "Hey, girl! I'm glad you made it." She exclaimed "Yeah, I'm here" I stepped inside the house. "So, what changed your mind about coming to the party?" She asked behind me but I shrugged my shoulder. "Don't worry about it. Let's focus on getting ready for the party," i said happily trying to divert her attention. "Yeah let's do that" she exclaimed. Happy my trick works We walked to her room and closed the door behind us. "I got this for you," Leah said, her ey
TessaA sign of relief evicted my mouth as Liam glared at me one more time before leaving.What would have happened if Leah hadn't come here? The fear of staying over, and napping at Leah's house was engraved me. How am I going to cope? I knew Liam would find every way to torment me. What do I have to do?I checked the wristwatch, considering it was getting late, but time had gone and Mum wouldn't have it easy on me. I stared at the mirror hoping to glance at myself but all I'm seeing is Leah's drunk face. She was resting on the wall, her cheeks damn red.I inhaled, thinking of how much she would've drunk. Even though I'm also halfway drunk, but not partially like Leah. I walked to her and dragged her out of the bathroom; she wanted to stay back by pulling my hand from hers, but she didn't have her way as my hand held her more tightly.I walked her to sit down on the couch, my eyes staring around if I'd caught a glimpse of Liam or Alex, but the two were nowhere to be found.I brought
TessaThe next morning I woke with a pang of headache and guilty hitting over me. I sat down on the bed my eyes poking around.What have I done to myself? Last night, Liam had sex with me more than three times, once inside the car and when we got home he still had his way.I wonder why Leah could sleep so hard, with the way I struggled inside the car yesterday - she was still sleeping. Even when we got home, Liam was the one who took her inside her room.I can never sleep like that unless if they poison me with a sleeping pill.My hair was messy on the bed, my body felt dirty with what happened yesterday. I had given Liam a free chance of winning over my body.I wanted to push him away, but I couldn't even resist him; he was so sweet that I craved for more after we were done.Should I blame it on alcohol? Maybe if I was in my right sense, I wouldn't have done something like that?I wanted to push out the lingered feeling that made my body weak on the bed, but I couldn't.The memory wa
TessaAfter taking a cold bath and lying down on the bed, my eyes fixed on the ceiling, torn between the desire to go home and pick up some clothes and the urge to stay here. This was the best time to go home since neither Leah nor Liam was around to question me about my whereabouts. I knew Mom would have gone to work, and Mr. Carter would have gone to school. I inhaled deeply before standing up, my eyes scanning the room.I didn't know which clothes to wear, but if Leah were around, I would have asked her for cloth. Luckily, I had bought a dress the other day. I made my way to Leah's room, which looked like a disaster zone. It seemed she had thrown every cloth on the floor while searching for what to wear earlier. I grabbed the dress I had bought yesterday, which was also on the floor, and put it on before leaving the room. I simply adjusted my hair to the back, not bothering with any elaborate styling.I walked out of the house, slamming the door shut, only to realize I didn't kno
CarterI descended the stairs, adjusting my shirt and taking a deep breath to compose myself. Tessa's mother, stood in the kitchen, unpacking groceries."Hey," I said, forcing a smile. "How was your day?"She turned, eyeing me with concern. "You're sweating. Are you okay?" she asked worriedly. How did I forget she'd catch on to something. I have to come up with a better way to play it cool. I chuckled, trying to play it off. "Just did some exercises inside. Getting a little rusty, I guess." I lied. She nodded, accepting the explanation. "Well, I'm glad you're taking care of yourself. I was thinking of making something special for dinner tonight, since it's just us."My gut twisted with guilt. I had just been with Tessa, and now Mila was being kind and considerate, unaware of my betrayal."That sounds wonderful, Thank you," I said, trying to sound sincere. She smiled, her eyes sparkling. "I want to make sure you feel at home here. You've been so good to us, especially Tessa."I fel
TessaMy ears pressed against the wall, absorbing every conversation between Mum and Mr. Carter. Not a single word escaped my attention. Each of their conversations stirred a mix of emotions within me, but his last statement aroused nothing but fear.My eyes widened in surprise, and my body began shaking uncontrollably. I wondered if Mum had any idea what was happening. It was hard for her to even think about it, and the thought sent a chill down my spine.I peered through the door, my eyes fixed on Mr. Carter, whose reaction mirrored mine. However, he tried to play it cool, masking his surprise with a sly smile as he held Mum's shoulder and gently massaged it."Did you think I'm going to do that?" he asked, his voice sounding casual, almost nonchalant. But I knew better. He had already done it, hadn't he? I rolled my eyes at Mum's smile, which only seemed to annoy me further."Can you?" Mum pressed on, her tone laced with curiosity as if she had received information from someone. Tha
Tessa Epilogue. Two years had passed. I could hardly believe it, but here I was, standing in my cozy living room, arranging the last of the decorations for Jasper's 5th birthday party. The house smelled of freshly baked cookies, the faint scent of balloons, and the light hum of excitement in the air.I was nervously running through the checklist in my head as I put the finishing touches on the birthday setup. Balloons? Check. Cake? Check. Presents? Check. Family and friends? A little of both. I glanced at the clock, realizing the guests would be arriving soon. Everything was in order. Well, as much as it could be. Jasper had been babbling all morning, excited for his big day, even though he had no full idea what was truly happening. To him, it was just another day of love and laughter.My mind wandered for a moment, drifting back to the years that had passed. Life had changed so much, and yet, some things remained constant. Jasper's little laugh, his giggles as he played with his to
Tessa The past week has been a blur. After everything that happened, life has felt like one long, surreal dream, a strange mixture of relief, reconciliation, and nervous anticipation. I still can't quite believe it's real.Jasmine had come to me almost the day after I reconnected with Carter. I hadn't been sure how I'd react, but the moment she started to apologize, I could feel my defenses starting to crack. She poured her heart out, tears in her eyes, confessing all the things I'd never known she felt. She admitted her insecurities, her jealousy, her regrets. And for the first time, I saw the human underneath all that bitterness. It was hard, but I forgave her. I didn't want to carry that anger anymore.Then there was my mom. She hadn't just given Carter her blessing, she insisted I finish my education, too. I'd always wondered if she'd think I was weak for leaving, for not holding myself together. But her love and support had been unwavering. She understood me in ways I didn't ev
CarterI glanced out the car window at the small, quiet town as we pulled in. It was the kind of place I'd never imagine myself setting foot in, a town so small it was almost hidden on the map, tucked away like an afterthought. But here I was, waiting for Mila, parked outside a diner that looked like it hadn't changed since the seventies. It didn't make any sense why we were here, and frankly, I was too tired to argue."You're still not going to tell me why we're here, are you?" I said as Mila climbed out of the driver's seat.She shot me a look over her shoulder, her lips pursed in disapproval. "You don't get to complain," she said bluntly. "Not after everything."I felt a pang of guilt, one I'd been feeling more often than I liked lately. I knew she was still angry with me, but I was trying to make up for my mistakes. "I'm sorry," I murmured, not for the first time. "I just... I thought maybe this was about Tessa. I thought you'd heard something."Her expression softened just a litt
TessaMy mum didn't waste a second. Her expression hardened, and before I could open my mouth, she stepped forward and, with a sharp crack, slapped me across the face. My cheek stung, but the shock was worse than the pain. I could barely comprehend what was happening before, in the next breath, her arms wrapped around me, pulling me into a fierce embrace. She held me so tightly, and it felt like she was holding onto all the lost years, all the words we'd never said.I felt the weight of it all pressing down on me, and I couldn't stop the tears that came. They poured down my face as I buried myself in her shoulder. Her breath hitched as she sobbed against me. It was strange, to feel her strength and her sorrow all at once. "I'm sorry," I managed to whisper, my voice barely audible. I didn't even know where to start. There was so much between us, so much hurt and misunderstanding.She pulled back just enough to look at me, her face streaked with tears. "Why didn't you come to me, Tes
TessaThe warm, familiar scent of coffee and freshly baked pastries filled the air as I poured a hot cup for the man at the counter, a regular who'd become a comforting presence in my little world. "Here you go, Mr. Davis. Extra sugar, just the way you like it.""Thank you, Tessa." He gave me a smile, his eyes crinkling in that friendly way that made me forget, if only for a moment, about the mountain of worries I kept carefully tucked behind my smile. "Can't find coffee like this anywhere else, you know."I chuckled softly, appreciating his words. "Glad to hear it. Keeps me in business, anyway."He laughed, but as he turned and left, the cheerful facade slipped just a bit. In the quiet that followed, I let out a sigh. Keeping this place running had been harder than I'd ever imagined.When I first arrived in this town, I was barely holding on. Lost, alone, and with no idea how I was going to make it on my own, I'd been saved by the kindness of a woman I'd met by chance. She'd offered
Carter POV It had been 3 years. An entire 3 years, and still, nothing.I set the phone down, and exhaled, forcing the frustration from my chest, but it was no use. It never seemed to leave me. Jasmine's concerned eyes met mine, asking me for answers I didn't have."Was that...?" she started, her voice quiet, uncertain. She didn't need to finish the question. I knew what she wanted to hear, even if I'd stopped letting myself hope for that answer."No," I replied, managing a small, empty smile. "Nothing yet. Still no word on Tessa. They're following up on the last few leads, but..." I trailed off, feeling the weight of the words I couldn't say.The police had already declared her a runaway. As if it were that simple as if it explained why she'd vanished without a trace. They had ruled it a voluntary disappearance, a choice she had every right to make as an adult. I'd used every bit of influence I had to keep it out of the press, to keep her name clean, to make sure her image remained
Carter The weight of what I'm seeing settles like lead in my chest. The grainy video plays on the screen in front of me, though every word feels like a scream. Tessa, slipping through my office door, alone. I look up at the board members. Their faces are impassive, judging, waiting for me to explain. But the truth is simple, and I refuse to give them the satisfaction of seeing me squirm."What you're implying," I say, my voice rougher than I intended, "is absurd. Nothing inappropriate happened between Tessa and me. She came to talk to me about her grades, and her future. I was offering her advice, mentorship."They exchange skeptical glances as if the word "mentorship" was just another excuse, another way to cover my tracks. The bitter reality of it sinks in, I've already been tried and convicted in their minds."Mr. Carter," the chairman finally says, voice laced with condescension, "regardless of your intentions, it's clear that certain boundaries were crossed. Even the appearanc
TessaThe sharp, sterile light stings my eyes as I blink myself awake. Everything feels hazy, muffled, as if my senses are wrapped in cotton. My head throbs, and when I try to sit up, a wave of dizziness forces me to sink back onto the stiff hospital bed."You're awake. Good." A voice cuts through the haze, gentle but firm.I turn my head to find a nurse standing at my bedside, clipboard in hand and an expression that's equal parts concern and disapproval. I try to speak, but my throat is so dry that only a croak comes out. She hands me a cup of water, and I sip it gratefully, letting the cool liquid soothe my throat."Where...?" I manage to mumble, but she's already anticipating the question."You're in the hospital," she says, matter-of-factly. "Some good Samaritans brought you in. You were unconscious on the sidewalk."The memory floods back, a blur of exhaustion, of pushing myself until I couldn't anymore, the ache in my chest from everything that's happened recently, everything t
Carter I've barely had a moment to breathe since Tessa laid everything out for me, I think of everything I might have done for her but was unable to lay hands on a particular reason. It all felt like a nightmare. I walk through the corridor leading to my office my mind raising with the thought of Tessa, what I can do to change her perspective? No matter how hard I tried to reason it nothing seemed to come up, if only I knew what I did in offending her maybe I would apologize but nothing, the last I remember, we were on good terms and everything was going perfectly well. I raised my head only to find that the Students were smirking as I passed them, something that usually wouldn't bother me, but today it feels different. Something's off. A couple of the professors cast me looks that are anything but neutral. Disapproval, disdain. I don't know what they are looking at that made them press their gaze on me but I know it's nothing worthy of my time. I brushed them off thinking I had