by Bria Berg
All the brothers agreed, and together, they chanted, calling upon the elements to influence Tyler’s mind. Tyler thrashed around, begging them to stop, saying that he needed her, and he’ll always remember her. When the chanting finally ended, Tyler stilled. He blinked up at the brothers, not even glancing at Tessa who was still standing in Milo’s arms. He looked to be in complete bafflement.
“What’s going on guys? What are we doing in here?” he asked glancing at the door.
“You were locked in here and we came to help,” Sam said.
“Oh, yeah,” Tyler nodded although he was still clearly confused. “Well, thanks for the help, but I better get back to my date.”
“Good idea,” Sam mumbled and Tyler left them alone.
Tessa gaped at the brothers. “I didn’t know you could do that. That’s…” she struggled to find the right words.
“Magic,” Ethan supplied. “Let’s get out of here.”
Chapter 30
When they got home, Tessa had already fallen asleep on the drive since Tyler’s influence had exhausted her so much. Ethan carried her inside since Milo had driven his truck separately. After she was safe and sound in bed, the brothers met around the kitchen table discussing everything that happened at the dance. They were all angry with themselves that Tyler had snuck by their radar somehow, but Milo was particularly hard on himself.
While he thought Tessa was getting changed in the dressing room, he kept getting the sensation that she was in danger. He ignored it at first, thinking that she had to be safe, and he even walked around the corner to the hall where the dressing room was. The door was closed and all seemed well, so he simply waited thinking that he was just overacting. The music was loud and there were people everywhere which also made it hard for him to concentrate. Suddenly he felt another Gifted near, but he couldn’t pinpoint where. He called to his brothers, and they each felt it too. Another wave of fear passed over him and he ran for Tessa’s dressing room. The door was locked, and he didn’t hesitate ripping it open. He was so relieved to see her alive, and that boy crumpled up next to her. He felt like a failure, he should have been there for her, and he wasn’t.
“So you think it’s just a coincidence Tyler was after her then?” Ethan asked Sam, getting Milo’s attention.
“I don’t know what else it could be, but that is a pretty big coincidence, especially right now,” Sam replied rubbing his face tiredly.
“He was drawn to her,” Milo spoke up. “Just like we all are. He just didn’t know why.”
“If that’s the case, should we be worried that more Gifted will start showing up here?” Ethan asked. “If he is gifted that means that one of his parents is too.”
“I don’t think so,” Sam said thoughtfully. “He’s gone to school with her for a while now. I think it was just building up over time until finally he couldn’t take it anymore. Think about it, we live near her and never felt her until we came into contact with her.”
“That’s true,” Ethan said with relief. “But I still think we need to keep an extra close eye on her.”
“Agreed,” Sam said instantly.
Milo looked back and forth between his brothers. “It’s not your responsibility to protect her, and I failed tonight. You guys should get away while you still can.”
Sam and Ethan glanced quickly at each other in exasperation before Sam said, “Tess has grown on us too Milo, we care about her; but this isn’t just about her anymore, don’t you get that?”
Milo huffed not looking at either of his brothers.
“This is about all of us,” Ethan added. “You’re our brother, and even when you’re all mopey like this, we still love you. If she dies, you die, and we aren’t about to let that happen. We are all new to this, and we are going to make mistakes, but we will learn. So why don’t you get your head out of your butt and stop feeling guilty and sorry for yourself.”
Milo glared at him, even though he knew he was right. Pushing his brothers away would get him nowhere; only make him and Tessa more vulnerable. Together they were stronger, and he knew only together they would be able to beat Dracul. He stood up to go to bed, but not before he knocked Ethan’s shoulder and said, “I love you guys too.”
After Milo had brushed his teeth, he looked over at the door that connected to Tessa’s bedroom. Taking a deep breath, he silently went in and knelt down beside the bed where she was sleeping. She looked so peaceful and delicate as he watched her slow breathing for a minute. She stirred slightly, and her hand came to rest on the edge of the bed. He took it gently, pressing his cheek against her palm.
“I’m sorry I wasn’t there to protect you today,” he whispered, hoping her unconscious mind would hear and she would know.
“You’re always with me Milo,” she breathed out, although she wasn’t awake.
Milo smiled at her, before slowly leaning over and kissing her forehead. He allowed himself to inhale her scent before he finally pulled away and went to bed.
Over the next few days, Tessa’s and the brothers’ new routine started again. They continued to follow her around school, and she was more than thrilled that Tyler didn’t seem to see her at all. She even thought about asking the brothers to wipe her out of some of the other kids’ memories, but that would probably draw too much attention. They hadn’t heard anything from her dad, but that was likely a good thing. Ethan checked Neutron’s site every day for any clues, but nothing new was posted. Tessa was beginning to feel more and more at home at the Ricks’ house as time went on and thinking of leaving the place saddened her immensely. There were no new sightings of Dracul or any of his Elite minions, and Tessa hoped that maybe he simply moved along.
When the month was up that Milo and Sam said they would be posing as school board members, they were unsure of what to do. Since Ethan was helping out with the athletic department, he didn’t have to leave, but still he couldn’t follow Tessa into class like Milo and Sam had been able to. They thought that maybe they should pose as substitute teachers or something so they could stay, but Tessa laughed at that suggestion.
“What did you guys do before I came along?” she teased. “Did the three of you just sit around eating takeout all day long? How do you afford that? You’ve got to have other hobbies besides eating and watching James Bond, or maybe a job.”
Milo chucked a pillow at her which she caught as she giggled.
“Our parents left us a big inheritance,” Sam explained. “But I’ll have you know that we all did have jobs before you took over our lives. We simply took an unspecified hiatus.”
“What did you do?” Tessa asked curiously. She was somewhat surprised that they had jobs since they never talked about it.
“We happen to own a very large plant nursey which is also online, so we ship across the nation, and we also own a private spring that we bottle water from,” Sam said smugly.
Tessa thought about that for a second. “You guys totally use your gifts to make money!” she exclaimed throwing the pillow back at Milo.
Ethan gasped dramatically. “Why would you think such a thing?”
“Plants and water? Where do those plants come from, and how about that spring? You guys just happened to stumble upon it? And you call yourselves the good guys.” She was laughing as she spoke, but it was somewhat of a relief that they were not as completely perfect as they seemed.
“I told you right from the beginning that we are mostly good guys,” Ethan defended and Tessa burst out in giggles.
It felt good for her to laugh, and she was laughing more and more every day. Being around the Ricks brothers was changing her, completely for the better, and she couldn’t imagine a life without them in it. She was also becoming more comfortable around them. She got used to not caring so much what she looked like in the morning, or even if a pimple suddenly popped up, she didn’t feel the need to instantly cover it up. She was home with them, and there was nowhere else she’d rather be.
Chapter 31
School was actua
lly starting to get better for Tessa. When Nicole came back from getting her nose job, she was surprisingly a much more agreeable person than she ever had been before. She had her moments of sheer rudeness, but Tessa couldn’t blame her for that; she spent an entire lifetime acting one way and for her to change as much as she already had in such a short period of time was pretty amazing. Other people began to talk to Nicole as well, boys specifically. The doctors had done a fantastic job on her nose.
Two more months passed by without incident. It was April, and spring was in full bloom, especially around their house. Ethan and Sam started their dating life up again, and Tessa loved teasing them about it, taking every opportunity to do so. Milo never went on another date since the dance with Miss Kelly. He said it was because there was no one he was interested in, but Tessa felt guilty as if it was her fault. He spent so much time making sure she was safe and worrying about her. Her own heart never stopped yearning for him, but over the past months their relationship had grown so much, even if it was to her dismay like a brother and sister bond but she didn’t want to change anything in fear it would only ruin what they did have.
Tessa sat out on the porch swing writing an English essay for school as the sun was beginning to set. Milo came and sat next to her, and she rested her head on his shoulder comfortably as he rested his arm across her leg.
“Do you want me to go pick up some dinner for us? Sam and Ethan won’t be back until later tonight,” Milo offered after a few minutes of pleasing silence.
Not looking up from her work, she replied, “Actually that is a good idea. I have to finish this essay tonight, so I don’t have time to cook.”
“Sounds good, any requests?” Milo asked.
“Mmm, surprise me,” she smiled up at him.
“Will do,” he said standing but not before quickly kissing her forehead.
He’d never done that before, at least not with her awake and rather than make the moment even more awkward, he turned away and left. Tessa held her breath until several seconds after he disappeared. Even if it was only a kiss on her head, it was making her dizzy thinking about it.
Milo came back forty-five minutes later with a bag from Benny’s. The place was packed and even the takeout took longer than he expected it would. Tessa smiled already knowing what he likely got for her when she saw the bag. She followed him inside to the kitchen table and beamed when he pulled out her absolute favorite Cobb salad in the whole world.
“You got one too?” she asked when he pulled out a second salad box.
“I thought I’d give it a try since you’re always saying how good it is. I got it just the way you like it. Ranch and honey mustard dressing, and no blue cheese.”
“Perfect! Thanks Milo!”
They ate their food, and Tessa felt like a proud mama when Milo admitted how good the salad was, especially since he never ordered salads. They talked easily, and nothing was at all weird between the two of them, a fact both were very much happy about. When they finished dinner, Tessa suggested they make chocolate chips cookies for dessert. She had already finished her essay while Milo was gone, despite her lack of concentration.
“You can’t just eat all the cookie dough!” Tessa chided smacking Milo’s hand out of the bowl as she was placing small mounds of the stuff on the cookie sheet.
“It’s so good,” he said licking one finger while smudging her face with flour using another.
Tessa laughed and took a small bite, sighing in agreement before she put the tray in the oven. Milo went and sat at the counter fiddling with his phone while Tessa went to work filling another cookie sheet. While the cookies baked, she caught Milo staring at her. “What?” she asked suddenly feeling very self-conscious.
“You still have some flour on your face,” Milo replied reaching out and gently wiping her cheek.
His hand lingered and they gazed at each other, neither daring to move. After several moments, Milo couldn’t fight it anymore, and he slowly began moving closer. The timer on the oven beeped, and they both jumped back startled. Milo shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts while Tessa hurried to the oven and took the hot tray of cookies out. She set the tray down and swallowed before she turned to face Milo. Her whole heart and body was screaming for him, and yet she felt frozen, unable to say or do anything.
“They smell good,” he said awkwardly taking a hot cookie. It burned him and after a bit of juggling, it fell onto the counter.
“Yeah,” she agreed and then flinched when her phone began vibrating. It was her sister.
“Hey Hailey, what’s up?” Tessa answered her phone, both annoyed and relieved from the interruption.
Milo busied himself cleaning up the mess to have something to do.
“He is there right now?” Tessa asked. She listened more and then said, “Ok, I’ll be there soon. Seeya.” She turned to Milo, who was actively avoiding eye contact. “Um Hailey said my dad is at the house right now, and wants to take us out for dessert.”
“Really?” Milo asked finally looking at her. “Is that normal?”
Tessa shrugged. “He’s done it before, but not often.”
Milo shook his head. “It’s just weird, he hasn’t contacted you for months, and then suddenly he shows up at your mom’s house?”
“He’s never won any parenting awards,” Tessa said softly. “Maybe he’s got some information on what’s going on with Dracul, and he doesn’t want to gain any suspicion. That’s why Hailey is coming along too.”
It didn’t feel right to Milo, but it’s not like he could forbid Tessa from going somewhere with her family, no matter how much he wanted to at the moment. “Do you want me to come?” he found himself asking.
Right now, Tessa didn’t know what to think concerning Milo. Maybe an hour or two break from her protector would do them both some good. “Actually, I think it’s just a daddy and daughters type of thing.”
Milo nodded, taking the hint. Tessa hadn’t gone anywhere in public without him or one of his brothers with her. It might be a little much, but she was still alive, and that was all that mattered to him. He knew that Jim cared about his daughter, and surely he would give a clue that something was up if he was really going after her. He was being too protective, smothering even, so he decided to just let her go, well mostly. “I’ll drop you off over there, and then you can get a ride back here with your dad. Just make sure he is always with you, ok?”
“Yes sir,” Tessa saluted before hurrying to get her stuff.
The drive was spent in silence as Milo drove Tessa to her mother’s house. They didn’t refer to it as Tessa’s home anymore; her home was with the Ricks brothers. He pulled up in the driveway and put the car in park. A feeling of foreboding kept coming over him, but he knew he was just being overprotective. “Hey Tess?” he stopped her when she opened the door.
She turned to face him with a nervous smile. “Yeah?”
“Be careful, and call if you need anything.”
“Thanks, I will,” she said getting out of the car.
Milo pulled away, and the further away from her he got, the more worried he became. Sam and Ethan were on dates, and he knew they might be slightly annoyed if he called them without a solid reason, but he didn’t care as he dialed Sam’s number first. Sam answered, and he quickly joined Ethan in on the call. He explained to them what was going on, and he could hear their hesitation on the other line.
“Are you sure you’re not just overreacting?” Sam asked. “She is with her sister and dad; Jim would have warned us if Dracul was making a move.”
“I told you guys, it’s just a feeling, but one I can’t shake,” Milo responded feeling a little embarrassed about the whole thing.
“I haven’t checked Neutron’s site for a couple days,” Ethan said. “I’ll check it and let you know if there is anything on there that can cause alarm. Would that make you feel better?”
“Yes,” Milo groaned hoping he really was just overreacting.
He hung up with his brot
hers and pulled off to the side of the road so he wouldn’t get any further away from Tessa than needed. His fingers drummed against the steering wheel impatiently as he waited to hear back from Ethan. His mind drifted to earlier in the kitchen. He was so close to kissing Tessa, and he wasn’t sure if it was just his hopefulness, but she wasn’t going to pull away.
A loud buzz from his phone sitting on the dashboard jolted him. It was Ethan. “There wasn’t anything that I could see as any clues. The only new post since I last checked is about the weather and frozen ice melting or something meaningless like that.”
Milo let out a sigh of relief. “Thanks Ethan.”
Chapter 32
It was strange seeing her dad standing in her mother’s house. He hadn’t stepped foot in the place since he left so many years ago. Hailey was busy on her phone when Tessa came in, barely even glancing up at her arrival. Jim smiled and took her in an awkward side hug before stepping away.
“How have you been?” he asked looking her over.
“Fine. You?” she replied.
He swallowed, there was something off about his demeanor. “Does your mother usually stay out late?”
Tessa laughed once. “Do you really have to ask?”
“Right, well we should get going. Let’s go Hailey.”
The three walked out to the driveway where Jim’s car awaited. Not much conversation was offered up on the drive to the ice cream shop. Tessa kept glancing back at Hailey playing on her phone in the back seat. It was the first time she had seen her sister and father together since she learned he wasn’t really Hailey’s biological dad. The thought made her heart ache especially since Hailey had no idea.
It was difficult to speak to her dad about anything meaningful with Hailey right there as they ate their ice cream. Jim kept shooting Tessa looks of concern as if he too wanted to talk about what couldn’t be said in front of Hailey. When they were finished with their dessert, Hailey went to the ladies room and finally Tessa could speak freely.
