New Love (16 page)

Tessa walked off stage and Ben grabbed her and kissed her.

“Are we good?”

“Oh way better than good Ben,” Tessa smiled
and her eyes were dancing. “I’m so happy to have you in my life. Let’s help pack up and then I want to go home,” she grinned and looked him over.

“You sure?”

“Positive.”

Jade and Tommy came up, Tommy shook Ben’s hand. “You’re awesome man.”

“Thanks, I think she made
me look good,” he smiled at Tessa.

“Tessa come to the
bathroom with me? Be right back Tommy,” she said and kissed him.

“You okay?
” Jade asked when they were in the bathroom.

“Actually, I’m. I’
m great,” she smiled. “He and I would have never worked out Jade, I just hope he remembers some of the good times and lets himself open up to someone someday. I’ll always love him in a way. I want him to be as happy as I know I’m going to be.”

“You’re s
erious aren’t you?”

“I am.”

Jade’s voice cracked, “I’m so happy for you, I just hope that he and Tommy get along.”

“Are you kidding me? They’
re going to get along great. They are a lot alike, well I think so anyway. They both enjoy being happy and can actually show people they care,” Tessa smiled sadly.

“I love you
, Tessa.”

“
I love you, Jade. Now let’s go get our guys.”

They walked out, and Tommy and Ben were laughing and planning something.

“What are you two doing?” Tessa smiled

“We’
re going to find a way to take you girls away for a couple days, over Spring Break. Does that sound okay to you pretty girl?” Tommy smiled.

Tessa smiled at Ben, “That sounds great.”

Jade and Tessa hugged again, and they said goodbye.

“Hey
can we all go out for breakfast in the morning? Tess expects me to slave over the stove in the morning and I kind of think I’m going to be a bit tired,” he said laughing and she smacked him in the arm.

“Sounds like a plan, ten sound good?” Tommy asked.

“I don’t know, how long you plan to keep me up tonight” Ben asked laughing as he smiled at Tessa.

“Ten is good,” Tessa said softly.

Tommy and Jade laughed, “Perfect, sounds like we all plan to, tonight,” Tommy smiled.

Tessa and Ben finished helping load the van, both smiling each time their eyes met. They said goodnight and held hands as they walked to the parking lot.  Ben opened the
door for her, and she got in. Grabbing the back of her head, he kissed her, his tongue explored her mouth slowly and even slower he pulled back.

“Tes
s, damn it’s going to be a long ride.”

She was breathing hard and closed her eyes.

“Let’s go, please.”

Ben got in and buckled his seat belt and pulled out onto the four lane city street. He turned on the radio and sat
back. She turned in her seat and watched him.

He glanced over at her, “Tess please don’t look at me like that right now.”

“Please don’t tell me what to do Ben,” she said in a soft breathless voice.

“I never would
, Tess.”

“Do you promise me you’ll never
tell me what to do?”

“Unless you ask for my opinion, gui
dance, or advice, I’ll try me damndest.”

“Good
… remember that,” Tessa lifted the console and unbuckled her seat belt.

She started to undo his pants.

“Tess not now,” Ben strained voice gave out to a groan as her hand slipped beneath his pants.

“Don’t tell me
what to do,” she took him in her hand and slowly moved it up and down.

“Oh shit
Tess, please not yet.”

“Hey look there’s
Big Ben.” Tessa bent down and kissed his tip.

“Uh Tess
, stop now,” he moaned.

“You promised,” she
continued stroking him slowly curiously and then wrapped her lips around him.

“Hey girl, we’
re getting pulled over by the Police, you may want to rethink that,” Ben hissed.

She opened her eyes and saw flashing lights.

“No way,” she sat up.

Ben did up his pants laughing a low throaty laugh
. Tessa sat with her head down.

Ben rolled down t
he window, and the officer walked up.

“License and registration please.”

Ben took out his license and grabbed the registration.

“Here you go sir.”

“Do you know why I pulled you over?”

“
Sir, no disrespect at all but I’m incredibly uncomfortable right now,” Ben laughed.

“Be
n,” Tessa whispered and gave Ben a nasty look.

“Miss, do y
ou know why?”

“No sir.”

“Did you have your seat belt on when I pulled you over?”

Ben chuckled.

“Ben, please,” she whispered. “No sir, I didn’t.”

“C
ould you tell me why?”

Ben couldn’t hold it in any longer, he started laughing. The officer smiled and looked down.

“Sir, I told her not to.”

“Yo
u did?” he looked stunned.

“Ho
ly shit, really??” Tessa sat back and put her head in her hands.

“Yes I did, we’
re an hour away from home. Look at her she is fucking hot; I don’t want to just sit there. I’ve been waiting for this since we were kids.”

“My God Ben please,” Tessa begged hoping he would stop.

“Miss, do you have ID?”

“Yes,” she
handed it to him.

“
Tessa Ross, I know your father,” Tessa covered her mouth and the officer laughed, “Joking, okay you’re both eighteen, have you two been drinking or doing drugs?”

“No sir,” Tessa said,
Oh
God, she thought, please don’t make me pee in a cup
.

“Alright then.
Miss, you need to buckle up and stay that way,” he pointed at Tessa.

“Yes Sir.”

“And you son-- drive safely home and have a great night,” the officer gave him a fist bump.

He pulled around them and left. Ben started laughing.

“Did that actually just happen?” Tessa gasped.

Ben laughed harder “I think it did…rethinking that rule, now I have to say I will sometimes tell you what to do.”

She finally laughed and covered her face again. “So how was I doing?”

Ben pulled her hands away from her face and lifted her chin making her look at
him, “Amazing.”

“I want
to do it again now.”

“I want you to
o Tess,” he said. “But I think we should heed his warning.”

They
held hands as they drove to the next stop light and stopped. They saw lights up ahead. There was an accident. It was a bus and a midsize SUV. They were too far back to clearly see it. Four Ambulances left the scene. As they got closer Tessa threw her seat belt off.

“
Ben! Stop!” she tried to jump out, he grabbed her.

“Hold on Tess.”

Ben pulled over and Tessa started screaming Jade’s name. Ben put the four ways on and unbuckled as he held her back. Ben slid across the seat and wrapped his arm around her waist.

“Tess
,” he whispered as he got out and she screamed.

The officer that had just pulled them over walked towards them.

“You two need to stay back,” he cautioned.

Tessa crumbled when she noticed Jade’s purse on the ground. She was screaming her name as she sat on the ground and rocked back and forth cradling herself. Ben squatted behind her and held her.

“Officer, we think that’s Tessa’s cousin. She was with three guys. Could you please tell us if Jade Ross was in that vehicle?”

“Give me a minute,” it was the longest minute of Tessa’s life. “Yes, she’
s on her way to the hospital now, all four of them are.”

“Is she okay” Tessa cried.

Ben watched his eyes.

“She’s going to be okay.”

“Sir what about the other three?” Ben asked watching him carefully as he held Tessa tightly against him.

His eyes closed briefly, and he looked at Ben.
“Two of them are in rough shape son.”

“Okay what hospital?” Ben asked.

“University Hospital,” he answered. “Tessa, it’s not good. You’re going to need to keep it together or you need to stay out of there.”

She looked up at him and shook her head as tears poured down her face. She looked back at the scene and saw a man doing a sobriety test.

“What happened?” she asked quietly.

He knelt down, “Witnesses say that the bus ran a
red light and hit the vehicle. Right now we’re pretty sure it’s no fault of the driver of the car your cousin was in.”

“Is t
he bus driver drunk?”

“We aren’t sure yet,” he said. “Do you need a ride to the hospital?”

“No, I’ll get her there, thank you, for everything. Are you ready to go Tess?”

“Yes.”

Ben opened the door, and she got in. He reached across and buckled her seat belt. He jumped in and put the hospital in his GPS. They were less than five minutes away.

“Mom,” Tessa said. “Are you working at University tonight?…Okay is Jad
e there Mom?...Is she okay? ...I’m on my way…I’m with Ben…Ben, my Mom wants to talk to you.”

“Hello,” he said. “Oh…Yes…I will…I believe she has their phone numbers…Ok, thank you.
Of course.” Ben hung up, and his face was blank. He sped up a bit and pulled into the emergency lot. She bolted out the door and he ran and grabbed her.

“We need to talk for a minute
, Tess.”

“I
want to go in now.”

“You need to be prepared Tess,” he took her hand and led her to a bench by the entry.

He sat her down and knelt in front of her. Ben looked in her eyes.

“Jade and Ryan
suffered minor injuries, they’re going to be hurting, but they’ll be ok.” He took a deep breath. “Lucas has a large cut on the side of his head and possibly a few broken ribs, he’s in x-ray now. You with me Tessa?”

“Yes, what about Tom
my?” she shook her head back and fourth and he held he hand tighter.

“Tessa, Tommy didn’t make it
.”

She suddenly stopped breathing, like an elephant was sitting on her chest.
“No, Ben that’s wrong.”

“Tess it was instant, he didn’t suffer,” Ben
stroked her hair. “Jade doesn’t know yet, none of them do,” Ben’s eyes widened and he blinked holding back tears. “You’re going to have to be very strong right now and if you can’t we need to sit out here until you’re able. None of their parents are here yet. Do you understand?”

She shook her head yes.

“I need to hear it, Tess.”

“I’ll be fine.”

“If you feel yourself falling apart you need to walk away ok? If you’re not comfortable with me being here I’ll wait somewhere else for you Tess, okay?” Ben kissed her hand.

“I don’t want you to go
anywhere Ben ever,” she wiped her face.

Ben wanted to believe that, but he knew that again this was not their time. H
e took her hand and walked in. She stopped and held her stomach. He pulled her into the women’s bathroom and held her hair as she threw up several times. He grabbed paper towels and wet them and washed her face and grabbed some gum out of his pocket and handed it to her. He grabbed her purse and ruffled through it until he found a hair tie. He pulled her hair back and put it in a ponytail. He kissed her.

“You okay now?”

“Yes, thank you Ben,” she hugged him.

They walked by a vending machine, and he plopped in quarters and got her a ginger ale. Ben opened it and handed it to her. She drank a few sips, and he took it back.

Her Mom met them at the desk, she hugged her tightly and grabbed her face and looked in her eyes.

She looked at Ben, “How is she?”

“She knows, and she’s doing better now. If you’re going to be with her, I’ll wait here until she needs me.”

“Thank you Benjamin,” Maggie
hugged him, “Thank you so much.”

He looked at Tessa, “I’
m right out here.”

She hugged him tightly, "Ok, thank you Ben.”

Maggie took her hand, and they walked in through the automatic doors. They wheeled Lucas by on a stretcher and Tessa saw his head wrapped in a bloody bandage. Tessa gasped, her mother squeezed her hand. He opened his eyes.