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Chapter 12

Tess walked back into her apartment and found Roger making coffee in the kitchen. On the table he had set up two plates and a basket of chocolate croissants. She inhaled deeply and said, "I've died and gone to heaven." Walking up behind him, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "What did I do to deserve all of this? You're even making coffee, that's a miracle in and of its self."

Roger lacked the patience to ever wait for coffee to brew usually opting for instant instead. It was always black and tarry. She could never figure out how he could keep it down. He laughed as he turned around to face her and returned her embrace.

"Nothing. I wanted to do something special for my girl."

She began to kiss him but was interrupted by the sound of her stomach growling. He laughed again, making her smile. She hadn't seen him laugh so much since before she had moved out of his apartment. "You hungry?"

She nodded her head, her bangs falling out of place and onto her face.

"Let's eat then." He bent down and kissed her cheek, then took her hand and walked her to the table. Once she sat down, Tess took a croissant and bit into it with delight. "Mmm. So good!"

"I love to watch you eat. You get so into it."

Tess nodded and mumbled through a mouthful "It's like I didn't get proper meals in the last two years of my life." She had meant it to be a joke but her heart sank as soon as she saw Roger's face fall.

"I'm sorry."

She swallowed her croissant and placed her hand over where his lay on the table. "It was a joke. Please, don't feel badly. That all happened a while ago. I'm okay now. Thanks to you and Mark."

He looked at her his eyes watery, the twinkle that had been there minutes before now gone. "I wish you hadn't had to have gone through that."

This time she was the one to shrug. "What's done is done. I'd like to think I'm a better person because of it." She climbed up and kneeled on the table. Leaning into him she placed a light kiss on his mouth. "I wouldn't have met you either."

"I saw some of the video Mark took of you." She sat back on her knees and regarded him, knowing instinctively there was something he needed to say. "Your face- he beat you up pretty badly…" He felt his voice getting shaky as he struggled with his emotions.

"Hey, it's okay. I'm here now, I'm healthy and safe."

"It's a miracle you're not sick, Tess. You know that?" Emotion won out and he was overcome with the need to show her how he felt, how grateful he was to have her in his life. He stood up and leaned in to kiss her. She responded with fervor wrapping her legs around his waist as he lifted her off the table. He continued kissing her as he walked her through the curtains of her bedroom and lay her down on the bed. He hovered above her, her legs still wrapped around him. "Is this okay?"

She nodded vigorously. "Yes, absolutely."

What followed was something Tess had never experienced before. This was not something she was new at, but she'd never felt the kind of connection she had with Roger in that moment. The emotions they had shared were almost tangible. Now they lay next to each other, their eyes looking toward the ceiling, both catching their breaths trying to calm their bodies and basking in the afterglow.
"I don't think I'll be able to walk for a week."

He laughed and turned on his side to kiss her. "That was amazing."

Tess cuddled up into his side. He placed his arm around her. "That was-I've never felt so much." She couldn't explain it.

He smiled.

"What?"

"I'm happy. You make me happy, Tess. I haven't felt this way in a long time."

"I love you," she whispered.

He kissed her forehead. She didn't mind that he hadn't told her he felt the same. She was content with his admission of happiness. "I need a cigarette. Do you want one?"

She shook her head. "They're in the top drawer of that table." She pointed to the nightstand next to his side of the bed.

Reaching over to the table he saw a key lying on top. "What's this?" he asked. It was labeled 'basement'. Tess could only stare. How could she have been stupid enough to leave it there?

"Tess? You okay?"

She nodded. "It's the key to my storage space in the basement."

"What's wrong with that?"

She was nervous. The color had drained from her face. "I have something to tell you." This was the worst timing in the world. She didn't want to think about how he would react.

"What is it?" He was suddenly serious.

"There are things down there. They're not mine but they were here when I moved in."

He knew what was coming. He didn't want to hear it. "Tess-"

"I didn't know Roger! I swear I didn't know and Mark didn't tell me."

"Mimi's things are downstairs." He finished for her.

She nodded. Then abruptly said, "Don't be mad at Mark- he didn't say anything out of respect for you. Because you hadn't told me about her yet." She was so desperate for him to understand that she tripped over her words.

"But I told you about her…after. Why didn't you tell me then?"

She shook her head again, tears streaming down her face. "Because-"

He held his hand out to stop her. "I think I'd better go."

"Please, let me explain."

"We already had this out, Tess. Remember? We promised not to keep things from each other." He stood up and walked to where his clothes lay on the floor, beginning to dress while making a concentrated effort to ignore her sobs. She watched as he grabbed the key, gave her a disappointed look and left the apartment.

She decided she didn't want to leave. She wouldn't make a scene by chasing after him. Instead, she stayed in bed and fell asleep, an attempt at escapism. When she awoke, she thought about going to Mark but decided not to. What would be the point? He'd told her to tell him and she hadn't, not when she should have. He'd been right all along and she didn't want to hear an 'I told you so'. No, he wouldn't say it out loud, that wasn't like him, but she'd be able to see it in his eyes. She just wanted to sleep. Sleep all of her problems away.