I ran out the exit door and looked toward my truck, but she was nowhere to be seen. I looked to my right and then my left, and that was where I spotted her, leaning up against the wall in the shadows, her back facing me. I could see her shoulders shake as she cried.
I approached her slowly and placed my hands on her shoulders, but she pulled away. "Don't, Maddox, please. Just leave me alone." She sniffled.
"Tess, please talk to me."
"Maddox, there is nothing to talk about. He cheated on me with her...with..."
"Lucy," I said, her name rolling off my tongue before I could stop myself.
Tess turned and looked up at me with tear-filled eyes. "You knew?" she exclaimed glaring at me, hurt filling her eyes. "How long has it been going on, Maddox?"
"It's not like that, Tess."
"How long, Maddox? How long have you known that he was screwing around on me?"
"I caught him eight months ago. I did what I could. I tried to talk to him, tried to talk sense into him, but he apparently didn't listen. He did what he wanted. In all honesty, I thought he’d stopped."
Tess paced back and forth, her body rigid. "Why the hell didn't you tell me?" she asked, pushing her hand into my chest. "If you knew, why didn't you say anything to me and save me all this…this embarrassment…this hurt?" Her tear-stained face broke my heart as she confronted me with the only question I didn’t want to answer.
"I don't know, Tess. I put my trust in him when he begged me not to tell you, promising that he would stop. I know that isn't a good enough answer."
Just then the door to the mall opened and out stepped Derrick and Lucy, laughing, walking hand-in-hand across the parking lot as a lingerie bag hung from her hand. I watched as Tess turned back to me.
"He begged you not to. That is the most pathetic answer I have ever heard."
My heart sank. It wasn't my actual reason, but it was the one that was best fitting for now. Truth was I hadn’t wanted to be the one to break her heart, and one day I would tell her the truth. I just couldn't bring myself to do it right now.
I went to place my hands on her shoulders, to comfort her, but instead she swung at me. I grabbed her arm, blocking the hit, as she fell into me. I wrapped my arms around her as she continued to try and fight, but the harder I held her, the quicker she exhausted herself, her body finally relaxing as she broke down into tears. She buried her head in my chest and cried. I stood there, my arms wrapped securely around her, and held her right there in the parking lot as tears poured from her eyes, followed by the sound of guttural sobs. I held her until her crying slowed, and finally, she just stood there resting against me.
"I'm sorry," she mumbled to me.
"No, I'm sorry. Sorry that I never told you. I know you’re in pain and trust me when I tell you I know pain, Tess. I didn't want to be the one to do that to you. I didn’t want to be the one that broke your heart,” I admitted. I couldn’t hold back the truth any longer. “I am so sorry that he did this to you."
"He didn't do this to me, Maddox. I did. And don't be sorry. This situation wasn't yours to tell. I'm sorry I got mad at you. This entire situation has just gutted me. I am sorry I took it out on you."
"It's okay, Tess. You can take it out on me. I have strong shoulders," I whispered, pulling her against me and holding her tight. “You can take it out on me all you want, especially if it makes it easier for you.”
"Could you take me home?"
I nodded and pressed a kiss to her forehead. I kept my arm wrapped around her shoulders and slipped the bags from her hand, then led her over to my truck. I opened the door for her, and she climbed into the passenger's seat and pulled the seatbelt across herself. Then she rested her head against the headrest and waited while I placed the bags in the backseat and walked around to the driver’s side. We drove back to her place in silence, quiet music playing in the background.
By the time we pulled into her driveway she sat quietly with her eyes closed. I put the truck in park. “We’re here.”
She opened her eyes and looked up at the house for a moment, not saying anything, and then turned and looked at me and softly smiled. "You are a really great guy, Maddox. Thank you so much for being here."
"Of course. You going to be okay tonight?"
She nodded. "I think so. I'm going to go in, make a cup of tea, maybe watch a little TV, and then try and get some sleep."
"Okay, well, I am only a call away if you need me. I mean it, day or night."
"Thanks, but I will be fine." She climbed out of the truck. and opened the back door, grabbing her bags. "I'll see you in a week?"
"I'll be here," I answered.
“Good night,” she said, smiling at me behind her tears. She shut the door and sauntered up to the front door. I waited until she was safely inside, and then I backed out of the driveway and made my way home.
Tess
One Week Later
* * *
I shuffled through the dark house, carrying my mug of coffee and a plate of buttered toast into the living room. I was still in my pyjamas, and I sat down and turned on the TV. It was a little after midnight. Maddox would be here in two hours to pick me up to head to the airport.
I’d finished packing my bags last night, and I pulled my carry-on closer to me to quickly check the front pocket for all our travel documents. They sat there along with my passport and the money I had picked up at the bank earlier through the week. I had spent the entire week packing and repacking and had gone through my bag a dozen times to make sure I hadn’t forgotten anything.
I took a bite of my toast, followed by a mouthful of coffee, when lights shone into the front window. I frowned, took another bite of my toast, and got up to glance out the window. It surprised me to see Maddox climbing out of his truck. "What the hell?" I mumbled to myself, closing the curtain and walking over to the front door, pulling it open as he walked up the walkway. "What are you doing here so early?"
"Couldn't sleep. Thought I'd come by and see if you were up yet."
"And if I wasn't?"
His eyes washed over me as he stepped inside the house, and a sexy smile appeared on his lips. "Well, I guess you would be getting up." He chuckled. "Little overdressed for the plane, aren't you?"
I looked down at myself, my stretched-out T-shirt and dog ladened flannel pajama pants staring back up at me. "I just got up," I said, suddenly embarrassed by my sleep attire.
"I see. I thought we would get an early start. The weather’s supposed to turn bad, and we have at least an hour's drive on good roads."
I stepped to the side so Maddox could come in and shut the door behind him. While he slipped off his coat and shoes, I couldn't help but take in the scent of his cologne. He smelled good enough to eat, but I shook my head to chase away that thought.
"Well, I guess I will run up and get dressed. Help yourself to coffee. I made extra, so we had enough for the road."
"Sounds good."
I watched as his large, muscular frame walked away from me and disappeared into the kitchen, where I heard him pull a mug from the cupboard. I smiled to myself. Maddox always thought ahead. I hadn’t even thought about checking the weather.