DrawnTogether (5 page)

Graig stared at the photo on his desk. Getting caught up in
a woman wasn’t his style—or so he thought. Loose and free. No strings. Except
Tessa made him feel more for her than a best friend or a sometimes lover. She
filled the holes in his soul. Her smile warmed his days and her kiss sizzled
his nights. She understood him and didn’t try to change him.

He touched the photo of her grinning beside him in the park.
When he met her, he knew he’d never forget her. Was it love? Maybe not yet, but
damn close. No word from Lila in a while. Thank God. Hopefully she finally got
the hint and found someone new.

Footsteps thumped on the tile floor. When he looked up from
the picture, Dennis stood in the doorway. “Mr. Case.”

“Dennis. You look tired. Not getting enough sleep?” Graig
chuckled to himself. “I want to thank you. You pushed me and Tessa to get
together and it’s been the best decision. Things couldn’t be better.” Hell, his
life couldn’t be better. “I’m in love.” He hadn’t meant to let that little gem
slip, but whatever. Life was good and yeah, he loved her.

“Uh-huh.” Dennis closed the door then sat on the chair in
front of Graig’s desk. “Some paperwork happened across my desk today. Strange
paperwork.”

“It’s a school. Strange things happen all the time that
don’t concern me.” Graig folded his arms. “So?”

“I’ll use the direct approach. Have you bothered to tell
Tessa about your transfer?” Dennis tossed a handful of pages onto Graig’s desk.

“What transfer?” Graig switched the papers around and
scanned the words. His personal information splashed across the cover sheet.
According to the paperwork, he’d written to the neighboring school district
inquiring on a job at McKinley Middle School. “This isn’t mine.”

“Your grant application for the baseball team’s new batting
cage went to the board and has been approved. They are considering offering you
a two-year contract. They like you and what you’re doing with the history
curriculum and the baseball team. You’re an asset to us here. But the board
didn’t see your transfer request as an asset. They were pretty upset. You say
it’s not yours and I want to believe you. But I didn’t even know you wanted to
go until the McKinley board asked for a reference.”

Graig shoved the pages back to the vice principal. “Dennis,
I didn’t fill the application out. I thought about it and never finished the
document. I left it on my hard drive, yeah. But nothing else. I don’t want to
go. I’d like to spend my career here.”

“Well, then explain that to Tessa. Cora was busy at the
front desk and she had Tessa nab the fax when it came through. She saw the
paperwork first and hasn’t talked to anyone since. I couldn’t find her for the
arts meeting.”

Tessa saw it first? Shit. Graig jumped up from his seat and
bounded past Dennis. She’d intercepted the transfer paperwork. Fuck. Fuck.
Fuck. Shadows hung heavy in the window to her classroom. When he twisted the
doorknob, nothing happened. Locked. Tessa didn’t miss meetings. Damn it, the
situation was so fucked-up. Bad.

“Look,” Dennis said from behind him, “pull your paperwork
from McKinley if that’s what you want. Between your kids’ test scores and the
lesson plans, you’re proving your worth to us here. I’ll vouch for you before
our board, but as far as Tessa goes, you’ve screwed yourself royally.”

Screwed himself didn’t begin to describe what he’d done.
“She’s hurting. I promised her she’d never be second best. Promised her we
weren’t a quickie.” He bounded back to his classroom and yanked his suit coat
from his chair. “I need to go.” He shoved papers into his shoulder bag. “Get
the lights.”

Graig didn’t wait for Dennis’ reply. He sprinted to his car.
Her Jeep didn’t wait in its normal spot. Dammit. He slapped his steering wheel.
First he needed to look at his computer. Then he’d find her. He knew damn well
he hadn’t sent the transfer paperwork.

“Let me explain, Tess,” he murmured to himself. “Just give
me time to explain.”

Tessa sat on the couch, hugging her legs. The events of the
afternoon imprinted themselves on her brain. Fifty-eight copies. She’d gone
into the workroom to make copies of her midterm exams. Another three weeks
until the start of the baseball conditioning season. Her man in tight T-shirts
and sloppy shorts, sweating and practicing his pitching skills. She’d
suppressed a shiver. He’d been good to her the night before, taking care of her
needs and making her scream his name three times. She chuckled. “One, done and
let them come” had been the theme for her other sexual escapades. Not with
Graig. She smothered her laugh behind her hand. Cora, the main secretary, had
asked her to grab the incoming fax.

She’d waited for the pages to print then scooped them into a
neat pile. The words on the cover sheet had caught her eye.
Referral.
Transfer. Graig.

Her heart nearly stopped and she couldn’t breathe. Referral
for what? Last thing she knew, he said he’d pulled his paperwork. He asked for
exclusivity and claimed she was the one. Being at a different school district
didn’t mean they’d break up, but…if he was leaving, then he’d broken his
promise and lied to her. She refused to suffer liars and deception lightly. She
gave Dennis the paperwork, but hadn’t lingered to get the story from him. She’d
sucked up her pride and forced herself through the rest of the day. She and
Graig decided not to see other people, but no one said a word about anything
long-term. If he changed his mind about wanting to go, then she’d have to deal.

Mr. Black climbed onto the couch cushion beside her and
sniffed the air. He flicked his tail then settled in a ball between her feet.
His purrs vibrated the couch. She scratched him behind the ears, oddly
comforted by his otherwise silent presence.

“I’m not going to get upset,” she reminded herself. “I’m not
cowering to him, but he’d better have a good reason for keeping this a secret.”

A knock echoed in the foyer. Tessa wiped her tears and
sucked in a long breath to compose herself. She peeked through the privacy
hole. The breath rushed from her chest, but she opened the door. Trust Graig’s
ex to find her. What did the blonde want?

“Lila.” Tessa kept the doorknob in hand. “Aren’t you on the
wrong side of the apartment building?”

“I like to visit all parts of the building.” She grinned and
adjusted her wallet-sized purse dangling from her arm. “You’re probably
wondering why I’m here.”

“Not really.”

“Cute.” She pressed her crimson lips together then patted
her hair in place. “Have you talked to Graig?

“Yes,” she lied. “A few moments ago. He’s coming over for
our date. We’re going to the basketball game. Valley’s headed to the playoffs.”
Not a total fib. They’d discussed attending the game, but never finalized the
plans.

“Basketball game?” Lila crooked one dark brow and snorted.
“I doubt it. He hates basketball.” She propped her manicured hand on her hip.
“He hasn’t told you. If he had, you’d be a puddle on the floor.”

“Assumption is a dangerous thing.” Tessa gripped the knob
tighter to hide her shaking.

“Very true.” She fiddled with the bracelets jangling on her
thin wrist. “If he hasn’t said anything, then I’ll share my big news. I figure
you should know since this will affect you too.”

Tessa kept her mouth shut. Lila would be gone as soon as she
bragged about her so-called big news.

“I’m pregnant.” Lila slapped her hands together. “Three
months along. Graig and I can’t be happier. He’s switching schools so he can be
closer to the house we’re buying.”

Tessa gulped and swept her gaze over Lila’s stick-thin body.
She did the math in her head. The last time she saw Lila and Graig together had
been more than three months before. Two of those months he’d been seeing her.
The three-month mark wasn’t quite enough to show the pregnancy. Some women
didn’t show until closer to the fifth month. Shit. No wonder he wanted the
transfer.

“I’m heading to Graig’s so we can shop for baby furniture.
Have to fill that house.” She flipped her hair over her shoulder. “I figured
you’d want to know.”

“Thanks.” Tessa kept her emotions in check. Plenty of children
were born to couples not living together. Graig wouldn’t mistreat a child. She
pressed her trembling hands to her thighs. He never said a word about buying a
house.

“He didn’t tell you we were trying to get pregnant or any of
our other plans, did he? I’m sure he would have mentioned it if he had any
plans for you in his future. He’s been so happy to try over and over and
thrilled to find a place for the three of us.”

Another thing he’d neglected to tell her. “The topic never
came up.”

“Oh.” Lila whipped her phone from her pocket then swiped her
thumb across the screen. “Good. He’s home.” She narrowed her eyes and stepped
in close to Tessa. “You might have him now, but I always get what I want. You
won’t stand in my way.” She blew an air kiss then sashayed down the hallway.
“Well, I’ll see you around, Auntie Tessa.”

Tessa closed the door then slumped to the floor. Mr. Black
strolled up to where she sat and bumped his head on her hand. Too many thoughts
bombarded her. He wanted to get back with Lila? Wanted to buy a house with her?
Not possible. He claimed Lila meant nothing to him. Her words chilled Tessa to
the bone.
I always get what I want.
No doubt. Graig wasn’t the lying
type. He told her everything, sometimes more than she wanted to know. He’d have
mentioned the transfer and wanting to end their relationship. Something didn’t
feel right about the whole situation, but she wasn’t sure what it was that
bothered her.

“I want to believe him, I do.” Tears slipped down her
cheeks. “I want to trust that this is all a ridiculously huge joke or a
misunderstanding.” She hugged the cat to her chest. Her emotions flowed free
for quite a while. The hurt from her past mixed with the frustration for her
current situation. The few times she’d trusted men, they let her down. She let
go of the cat and wiped her face with the back of her hand. Why the hell was
she letting a man make or break her? If he wanted to go, then fine. If he and
Lila were going to share their lives together, then wonderful.

She had her own life to live.

Dazed didn’t begin to describe Graig’s emotions. Blindsided,
dumbstruck—those words worked, but still not close enough. He rested his head
on his left hand and stared at the computer screen. For the last two hours,
Lila talked nonstop about the baby and how things were working out the way she
wanted.

He reeled. What about what he wanted? When he slept with
her, he always used protection. Always. Sure, accidents happened and condoms
broke, but damn. So much for her claims of being on the Pill.

“Tessa knows. She’s thrilled for us.” Lila plopped on his
lap and threw her arms around his neck, blocking his view of the computer.

Graig frowned. Thrilled? He knew Tessa well enough to
guarantee baby talk wouldn’t thrill her. Hell, he wasn’t happy about the news
either.

“You are going to dump her, right? The baby needs both his
parents.” She stared at him when she spoke. “I need you. I refuse to raise our
child alone.”

A baby could have both parents without said parents being
together. He knew firsthand. His father walked out before Graig hit age six.
Graig and his mother managed just fine. He tapped his foot and sorted through
the information. Lila’s words made perfect sense, but her math didn’t. He
needed to look at the transfer paperwork one more time.

“Lila, I need some alone time. You’ve given me a lot to
think about and I’m overwhelmed. I wasn’t planning to be a father quite so fast
and we’re not even together. You dumped me for Jacob or whatever his name was
and I’m…in over my head.” He placed his finger over her lips to silence her
reply. “Give me a couple days to sort out how I feel about this.”

She smiled and kissed his fingers. “You got it, sexy. You’ve
always been my baby. I never should’ve let you go and I’m glad I don’t have to
now.” Lila stood and strolled across the living room. “Take the time you need.
I’ll be waiting for you.”

His stomach churned. He needed to see Tessa—after he did a
search on his computer. The email from the McKinley board came in reply to an
email he’d sent. He remembered sending an initial email back in August
inquiring about the seventh grade American history teaching position. But
Valley offered him a year contract first and he’d abandoned the search. He’d
filled out the transfer paperwork and left it in a folder on his hard drive.
Graig waited for Lila to leave then typed the name of the transfer paperwork
into the search box. Three files returned in the results. The first two matched
the dates he’d fiddled with the files last. The third didn’t. He rubbed his
chin. A saved file from the end of October? He clicked on the internet and
logged in to his email. According to the log-in information, he’d last logged
in three hours before. He knew better. He’d been halfway through writing down a
lesson on Lincoln’s assassination in his lesson planner. Odd.

Graig sat back in his chair and folded his arms. If he
hadn’t played with the file for the transfer since August, but managed to save
a version in October, then maybe the file showed up somewhere else. He unfolded
his arms then searched his sent mail and trash for anything labeled McKinley.
Seven emails he’d never seen popped up. Four were from the initial request for
the paperwork. He clicked on the first email dated in October.

“Dear Sirs, I’d like to reopen my request for an application
and transfer to your district,” he read aloud. “Reopen? I never opened it in
the first place.” He skimmed the rest of the email, as well as the reply from
the superintendent’s secretary. The next email chilled him to the bone. The
October file had been attached to the request for an interview. Teachers didn’t
request interviews. The board and superintendent did. He read through the
forms. The information didn’t make sense. It looked legit, but he knew better.
The signature wasn’t his. The loopy lettering looked nothing like his tight
scrawl. Someone was fucking with his life and career. Somehow emails were
coming to his account, being read and deleted before he’d even seen them. Too
bad the person wasn’t smart enough to dump the trash files.

Graig unplugged his laptop then grabbed his keys before he
sprinted across the building to Tessa’s apartment. He knocked on her door.
“Tessa?”

His heart pounded. The longer she took to answer, the lower
his spirits sank. “Tess?”

The door opened and Tessa waved her hand. “Hi, Graig. Come
in.” Warmer than he expected, but still colder than ice. “How are you?”

“We need to talk.” He fought to catch his breath. “Please?”

“Fine.” She perched on the couch and folded her hands on her
knees. The clingy fabric of her workout pants clung to her frame, giving him
hints of the body he craved. Hers. “Go for it.”

Not the vote of confidence he needed, but he’d manage. He
took a deep breath and let it out while he worked through what he wanted to
say. “The transfer is bogus. I never agreed to it. The signature on the forms
isn’t mine.”

“Okay.” No warmth in her eyes. No smile on her lips. “Case
closed.”

Not really. “Lila said she talked to you. Everything she’s
said is a lie. I’m not buying a house and I’m pretty sure she’s not pregnant.”
Graig paced the length of her living room. “The timing is off. We slept
together for the last time at the end of August…more than five months ago. I
can’t figure out how she’s just now pregnant and claiming she’s only three months
along.”

“Maybe she fudged the due date?” Tessa tipped her head and
shrugged. She offered him a sympathetic half-smile.

“Like the imaginary house she made up?” He plopped onto the
opposite end of her couch and opened his laptop. “I could understand if we were
trying to have a kid. We weren’t. Hell, we couldn’t be in the same room for
more than ten minutes without arguing. She’s always got an agenda and no one
will get in her way. I’ve got the feeling she cooked this up for some reason
only God understands. Look.” Fucking hell. Lila never liked Tessa to begin
with. When they last talked, Lila’s words echoed in his head.
You’ve always
been my baby. I never should’ve let you go and I’m glad I don’t have to now.
His heart sank. The moment he got involved with Lila, he’d invited crazy into
his life. Graig clicked on the transfer paperwork file. “Look, this isn’t
mine.” He turned the laptop toward her. “I’m happy at Valley. I revoked the
transfer back in September because I want to stay in our hallway—with you.”

“You don’t have to explain it to me.” Tessa patted his hand
then withdrew from him.

“Yes, I do. You’re my girl. I love you.”

Her eyes widened then the iciness returned. “You don’t mean
that. You’ve got other things to worry about besides me. Get your life sorted
out. I’m here if you need me.”

“Tessa, you don’t get it. I know how it is to be the son of
a single mom. That was my life. It wasn’t the easiest thing to do, but we
managed. I don’t love Lila, but if we created a child, I’ll be the father I
never had.” He inched across the couch. “But I don’t love her.” He slipped her
hand into his. “I love you. I can’t see my life without you.”

Tessa pulled away from him. “I need to think.”

Fuck. He’d just said those words to Lila.

“A lot of things are happening and I’m not sure what to
think.” She rubbed her arms. “I need a scorecard to keep up. You’re involved
with me, but you’re kind of involved with her. You’re willing to help her raise
the kid, but you still want me around. I’m not sure I fit into this scenario.
I’d be in the way.”

Double fuck. “Don’t shut me out, babe.”

“I’m not shutting you out. Lila says you’ve helped to create
a life. I’m giving you the freedom to do what you need to do for the kid. I’m
letting you go.” She wrapped her arms around him, holding him tight. “Make me
proud and be the dad your kid needs.” She let go then escaped into the solitude
of her bedroom. The door snicked shut, leaving him alone.

Graig thrust his fingers into his hair. The woman he loved
let him go, while the woman he might have fathered a kid with held on to him
for dear life. His sense of humor battled with his gut feelings. Once he walked
away from Tessa, he’d never find another woman like her. If he gave in to Lila,
odds were she’d be lying.

Time. The whole situation boiled down to needing time to
sort it out.

What a wad of shit.