Cherished by You

by Steph Nuss

  “Maybe we can help you move in this weekend?” Elly suggested.

  “No,” Carter rebuked, shaking his head at her. “You will not be helping with anything. You can just sit back and relax with our baby.”

  “I’m pregnant, Carter; I’m not debilitated!”

  “I know,” he said, sliding his hand over her bump. “I just don’t want anything to happen to either one of you. You can just order us around while we move Tessa in. How does that sound?”

  “Perfect!”

  “Great,” Justin muttered, unenthusiastically. “Just what we want—a woman ordering us around.”

  “Don’t act like you don’t like it, Jameson,” Carter teased, wrapping his arm around Elly’s shoulders and pulling her closer. He placed a kiss on her temple and then stood from his seat. “We should be getting back to work.”

  Elly pulled him back down for a longer kiss and then swatted him on the butt. “Okay, I’ll see you later. Love you.”

  “Love you,” he said, smiling down at her.

  Justin cleaned up the table, discarded their trash, and then came over to my desk and leaned up against it. “So, are we moving you in this weekend then?”

  I sighed. “Yeah, I think the sooner, the better. You know teenagers. They want their independence. The sooner I’m out, the quicker Josh can move in.”

  “I understand,” he laughed.

  Gazing into his beautiful, bright blue eyes, I smiled. “Thanks again for offering me your spare room. I probably would’ve ended up in a box in the Bronx again.”

  “You deserve much more than that,” he replied. Then he pushed away from my desk and walked toward the door with Carter. “See you later, roomie!”

  Laughing, I waved at them as they exited Elly’s clinic. “Bye, guys!”

  Once they were gone, Elly rushed over to my desk and perched on the edge, wearing a huge grin and laughing. “This is probably the best thing that could’ve ever happened to you!”

  “No, it’s not,” I muttered, rolling my eyes. “How am I supposed to live with him, Elly? I’ve been in love with him for years, and he doesn’t even know it! He completely ignores any of my advances or flirting.”

  “Justin’s introverted,” she explained. “I think once you move in with him, you’ll see a totally different side of each other, and I mean that in a good way. He’s really quiet when we’re all together, but one-on-one, I think he’ll open up to you. He may act like he’s oblivious, but no guy can live with a woman he’s not related to and not think about having sex with her.”

  “Oh my God, I never even thought about all the crap he’s going to learn about me. Like my period schedule. Am I supposed to keep my tampons in his bathroom or hide them in my bedroom? See, nothing in his place will be mine! Everything is his because it’s his place that he bought! Do you understand what I’m saying?”

  “Yes,” she sighed, rolling her eyes. “And I think you’re freaking out over nothing! Justin is an adult. He knows you have a period. Leave your tampons wherever you want. It’s not like he’s going to have the nerve to tell you to put them somewhere else.”

  When I just stared at her, she continued. “I about choked on my food when he said you could move in. This is progress for him, Tessa! He’s never had a roommate before, so he wouldn’t have offered if he didn’t want you there.”

  “You know, I’m really starting to hate this positive, no worries side of you,” I mumbled, shaking my head.

  “Hakuna matata!” she cheered with a little shake of her hips, causing us both to break out in laughter.

  Chapter Two

  I spent the rest of the week packing all of my clothes and personal belongings. Since Justin’s spare room was fully furnished, I was leaving behind my bedroom set for Josh. So, I really didn’t have much to move. Trey was keeping all of the living room furniture and kitchenware that we’d acquired over the years, and with all of my knickknacks already tucked away in a suitcase, the apartment was starting to look like a bachelor pad.

  I prayed that the boys would take care of the place.

  Stepping out of my room, I found Trey in the kitchen cooking my favorite: chicken quesadillas. Earlier, we had gone grocery shopping together one last time because I couldn’t leave without knowing the shelves and fridge were fully stocked. He’d offered to cook dinner because it was my last night in the apartment.

  “So you all packed and ready?” he asked, leaning against the counter.

  “Yes, you’re ready to get rid of me, aren’t you?” I teased, taking a sip of my strawberry margarita.

  “That’s not it, and you know it,” he laughed.

  “Promise me you guys won’t trash this place. That you’ll keep it in good condition and won’t throw a bunch of parties or do college stuff.”

  “College stuff,” he smirked. “I promise, Tess. There’s no way I won’t take care of the home you built for us.”

  I took a seat at the dining table and relaxed. “Thank you.”

  “So,” he started, turning his back to me as he focused on flipping a quesadilla, “this guy you’re moving in with is a friend?”

  “Yes, just a friend,” I said, smiling. “He teaches at NYU.”

  He glanced over his shoulder at me. “What’s he teach?”

  “Psychology.”

  “Really? I’m taking General Psych this semester.” He grabbed two plates, slid a quesadilla onto each, and carried them over to the table. “What’d you say his last name was again?”

  “Jameson,” I said, rolling my eyes. “Justin Jameson.”

  Laughing, he sat across from me and took the pitcher of margarita mix and filled his glass. “You’re friends with Dr. Jameson? How did I not know this?”

  “Probably because you don’t pay attention.”

  “Whatever,” he replied. “And you’re going to live with him?”

  “Yes,” I said with a frown. “What’s your deal? Why the twenty questions?”

  “I just think it’s funny how I’ve never heard you talk about this friend, Justin, and now you’re moving in with him.” He took a bite out of his food and smirked. “You know, you don’t have to hide your boyfriends anymore, right? I’m not a kid.”

  Tossing a chip at him, I hit him in the face and laughed. “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s seriously just a friend!”

  “Your face just turned the color of these margaritas!” he exclaimed, pointing at me. “You like him!”

  “Shut up!” I stated sharply. “You’re ruining my last night in this place!”

  “Oh, whatever, I bet you can’t wait to move in with Dr. Jameson,” he teased.

  Shaking my head, I sneered. “Don’t call him that.”

  “What else am I supposed to call my teacher? What do you call him? Dr. Hot Pants?”

  I stopped mid-bite and dropped my fork. “He’s your teacher? Seriously?”

  “Yeah, every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday,” he answered.

  I downed the rest of my drink and poured another as Trey watched me from across the table, holding back whatever joke was sitting on the tip of his tongue.

  “You’re not helping me move tomorrow,” I said.

  His brows furrowed as he leaned back in his chair. “The hell I’m not. I don’t care that he’s my teacher. It’s not like I’m going to ask you to sleep with him to boost my grade or anything like that.”

  “Treylor!”

  “What? Psychology isn’t my best subject, sue me!” he exclaimed, and then shoveled a forkful of food into his mouth.

  “I would never do that.”

  “And I would never ask you to,” he said, rolling his eyes. “I was joking. I mean, I’m not a fan of Psych, but it’s a required class I have to take.”

  I nodded, and then we both went back to eating in silence. The TV was on in the background, but all I could focus on was the fact that Justin was Trey’s teacher. As if it wasn’t enough that I had feelings for him, the world had to go and make him my brother’s professor.


  “You know, the only reason I want to come tomorrow is so I can see your new place, meet your roommate, and make sure you’re going to be safe. I’ve never actually talked to the guy before, but I swear I won’t say anything about you having the hots for him.”

  My chair scraped across the floor as I stood from my seat and smiled over at him. “Fine. You can come. But I do not have the hots for him.”

  “I know,” he droned dramatically. “You’ve told me three times. Shut up about him already!”

  Laughing, I grabbed my plate and walked it over to the sink. “You’re such a dick sometimes. I’m so glad I’m moving out!”

  “Oh, I’m sure you are!” he laughed, wiggling his eyebrows suggestively. His laughter escalated as I walked out of the room, shaking my head. “You walked right into that one, Tess!”

  ***

  It was my last night in my bedroom, and I couldn’t sleep. I tossed and turned for most of the night. Hot one minute, cold the next. The sheets were a tangled mess around me as I stared up at the ceiling, tired but too nervous to sleep. All I could think about was Justin.

  He’d never given me the impression he didn’t want me, but he didn’t flirt or come on to me the way other guys did either, which I loved and hated simultaneously. I loved that he wasn’t like the guys I’d fallen for before. Those guys were selfish assholes who treated me like crap most of the time, and I’d let them. Justin was a good guy: someone you’d want to spend every minute of every day with because he cherished you undeniably. But I hated how he kept everything to himself. While he quietly observed the rest of the world, he rarely let anyone into his. Just once, I wanted him to let me in, but I feared if I ever told him how I felt, I’d still be denied access to his wonderful mind.

  I wasn’t sure I could handle such a rejection, which was why I’d spent most of the night telling myself I needed to try to move on. Surely there were other guys in the city just as good as Justin Jameson. I just needed to put myself out there and try to find one. I would never find my happily ever after if I kept pining after Justin.

  Grabbing my laptop from the nightstand, I sat up, propping it open. I brought up a search box and typed “online dating sites.” This gave me a list of various websites claiming they were the number one site for finding true love. I rolled my eyes as I strolled through the findings. After a while, I shut my laptop in frustration and leaned back against my headboard, blinking back tears.

  Online dating, Tessa? Really? This is what it’s come to?

  Yes.

  Ever since Justin Jameson entered our group of friends, I’d stopped looking for a guy. I fell for him almost immediately, with his boyish smile and adorable dimples. His laid-back personality exuded a cool, relaxed presence. He was the total package, in my opinion: sweet and humble, nice and respectable. So, I ignored other guys’ advances in hopes that I could eventually grab his attention.

  Years later, I still didn’t have his attention, and I knew he would never cross the line of friendship/roommate with me now.

  Opening my laptop, I clicked on a link and closed my eyes.

  You can do this. Online dating is the new thing now; everyone’s doing it.

  I opened my eyes, took a deep, reassuring breath, and began creating my profile and taking the personality test.

  Time to get back in the dating game!

  Chapter Three

  “I can’t believe you agreed to live with a woman,” Cash said, sitting down on the couch in my living room with a beer in his hand.

  It was Saturday afternoon, and most of the gang was over at my place, waiting for Tessa and her brother to arrive so we could help move all of her stuff in. Maverick and Harper were at home with their baby girl, Seghen, and Paige had a work function with a client.

  I really couldn’t believe it either. I’d never had a roommate before who wasn’t some sort of family member, but I knew I didn’t want Tessa living in some dilapidated hole in Grand Concourse again. Just hearing her talk about growing up there pissed me off.

  “Living with a woman isn’t so bad,” Carter stated proudly, with his arm slung over Elly’s shoulder. “They make the place smell good. They’re nice to look at.”

  “They cook,” Fletcher added, rubbing Bayler’s thigh. They weren’t living together yet, but they stayed together enough that he enjoyed the benefits of Bayler’s excellent cooking skills.

  “Not all of them cook,” Carter retorted, nodding his head toward his wife.

  “Hey!” Elly exclaimed, smacking him in the stomach. “I’m cooking your baby right now.”

  The room filled with laughter as I paced over to the window and looked down at the sidewalk. I was nervous because I wasn’t sure whether or not Tessa would like living with me. I’d had the place cleaned twice this week in anticipation of her arrival.

  “But Tessa loves cooking,” Elly continued, smiling up at me. “You can finally stop eating out every night.”

  I scoffed, glancing over my shoulder at her. “I don’t eat out every night.”

  Bayler laughed. “All you have in your fridge are takeout boxes and condiments.”

  “And beer!” Carter said, clinking his bottle with Fletcher’s.

  “Ladies,” Fletcher stated, shaking his head at the women. “Jameson has the necessities. Lay off him.”

  “Tessa is going to freak when she sees the fridge,” Elly said, laughing along with Bayler.

  I turned to face the gang as anxiety tumbled in my stomach. “What do you mean? Why would she freak out?”

  “Because Tessa enjoys cooking,” Bayler explained.

  “Yeah,” Elly said, nodding. “She’s used to having a stocked kitchen, especially since she’s cooked for her and her brother most of her life.”

  Now I felt bad about not going grocery shopping. The truth was, I did order takeout often, only because it was easier than attempting to cook a meal. I’d grown up with either a maid cooking for me or my grandma, but no matter how many times Janice Jameson tried to teach me how to cook, the meal never turned out the way she made it.

  “You guys can go grocery shopping later,” Cash said, running through the television channels. “That way she can pick out whatever the hell she wants.”

  “Maybe she’ll even teach you how to cook,” Elly teased, nudging my arm.

  “Yeah,” Bayler continued, pointing her beer bottle at me. “Every guy should know how to cook. Women love a home-cooked meal they don’t have to make themselves.”

  “I’m not trying to find a woman,” I stated, furrowing my brows.

  The gang laughed at my candid response, despite the fact that it was true. I’d practically given up on finding a good woman during my college years. The girls I seemed to attract back then only wanted my help passing a class. The only date I’d been on since was a few years ago when my grandma set me up with her neighbor, Elly. The chemistry wasn’t there, so we became friends instead, which was perfectly fine with me. She was still in love with Carter, and I’d been a loner most of my life. When Carter moved back to New York, he and Elly started dating, and I gained another friend. Our group of friends continued to grow after that with the addition of Carter’s sisters, Harper and Bayler, falling for two of our own, Maverick and Fletcher.

  “I call bullshit, Justin,” Bayler exclaimed, rolling her eyes. She leaned into Fletcher’s side and rested her feet up on the coffee table.

  The laughter quickly died down at her blunt retort.

  “Excuse me?” I asked, deflecting my surprise.

  “All men are predisposed to think with their penises,” she explained, entertaining everyone with her words. “I don’t care how much of a genius you are; you’re still a man, which means that brain of yours down south is focused on sex just like every other man’s.”

  Laughter grew louder around me as I stared her down, the smile spreading wide across my face. We got a kick out of giving each other a hard time, and I enjoyed dishing it out just as much as everyone else. Leaning down next to her ear, I said,
“No, Bayler, what I meant was, I don’t have to try to find a woman.”

  She nearly spit out her beer as she smacked me on the arm and laughed. “See! Just like every other guy! I knew you had a dick in there somewhere, Jameson.”

  “Is this the part where I tell you I know how to use it, too?” I asked sarcastically, laughing along with her.

  A knock on the door sounded before she could reply, so I walked over to answer it. Opening the door, I found Tessa and a younger guy standing behind her, with three suitcases resting at their sides and a duffle bag slung across his body. She wore an old pair of ripped jeans and a hoodie. Her long brown hair was knotted on top of her head, but it was her light blue-gray eyes smiling back at me that caught my attention the most.

  “Hey,” I said, grabbing one of the rollers. “Come on in.”

  “Thanks,” she said, crossing the threshold into my apartment.

  “Holy shit, this place is nice!” the kid exclaimed, marching in behind her with the rest of her things. For some reason, the guy looked familiar, but I couldn’t place where I’d seen him before.

  Tessa laughed lightly and rolled her eyes at the guy. “Guys, this is my brother, Trey. Trey, this is everyone.”

  “Hey, everyone,” he said with a wave.

  Each of us introduced ourselves. Then Elly and Bayler got up and grabbed Tessa’s suitcases as Tessa took the bag from her brother’s shoulder.

  “Is that all you brought, Tessa?” Fletcher asked, eyeing the luggage skeptically. “Is there more back at your place that we need to go get?”

  “No, this is it. I didn’t have much,” she said with a shrug.

  “Oh,” he said.

  Bayler leaned over his shoulder and rustled his hair. “Don’t get any ideas, Haney. You don’t even want to know how much shit I have, so don’t think about asking me to move in with you.”

  “Fine,” he said, grabbing the back of her neck. He pulled her down to his mouth for a kiss and then let her go. “Let us know if you girls need any help with anything.”

  “I’m sure we won’t,” she retorted.

  “Elly, remember what we talked about,” Carter called from the couch, pointing his beer at her. “No heavy lifting.”