Chapter 3 03

That was one reason why he had dated Tessa Cole. Tessa was Lexi's sister and had gone through some rough problems because of his cousin.

But the woman never gave up on herself. Sure, she was broken from the inside, but her will was strong, and that's what he loved about her. Unfortunately, she didn't love him, and though Dan loved certain qualities about her, he didn't love her either.

Dan didn't believe in love, not the way it was romanticized in movies or books. It was a twisted, complicated thing, best left untouched, or so he thought. But Tessa had a kind of fire that made him reconsider, even if he knew it would only burn him in the end.

Still, he couldn't help the frustration that lingered in the back of his mind when he thought about her. Maybe that was why he'd gotten close to Kari. Kari was different. She was more than just a distraction; she was someone he could count on.

"She doesn't want me and I'm not approaching her," Dan texted Kari, hitting send before leaning back in his chair, feeling the weight of those words.

Kari's response was immediate.

"Why not?"

Dan snorted, the laugh bitter in his chest. "Because you have never received the brunt of her punch."

Kari's laugh came through loud and clear. "Look at you, scared of a woman."

Dan rubbed the spot on his abdomen where Tessa had once landed a perfect punch-hard enough to knock the wind out of him. He winced as the memory of it came flooding back.

"Honey, you women are not normal. You came from some other galaxy and had instilled your love in our hearts," Dan texted back, the words more playful than he actually felt.

Kari's response was full of laughter, something Dan was starting to get used to. "Okay. I need to go. Zach's home. Just call me up if you need to talk. I'm right here."

"Thanks, sweetheart."

Dan set his phone down and rubbed his temples. He didn't get it. Kari never asked anything from him. She didn't demand anything. She just offered her friendship, no strings attached. He hated it, hated how easy it was to talk to her, and hated even more that he needed it.

He thought about his family. His parents? They expected him to be the perfect son, to meet with them every month. But his brothers? They didn't care whether he was around or not. It didn't matter to them.

He hated how much it mattered to him. He hated that he still wanted their approval, especially when they were so indifferent to him.

Shaking his head, he sat up and grabbed his phone. He had been meaning to call someone, maybe even Kari again. But before he could hit dial, the doorbell rang. Once. Twice. Thrice. It echoed through the apartment, persistent and insistent.

"Hold your horses," Dan muttered, but the doorbell kept ringing, louder, more demanding, like it had a life of its own.

He groaned, irritated, and jerked the door open to see the one person he had least expected.

Tessa.

His heart stopped for a moment as he stared at her, her eyes blazing with something he couldn't quite place. Before he could even think, she stepped forward, and in an instant, he saw it.

The warning signs.

She was already pulling her fist back.

Dan instinctively ducked, his body moving on its own. The air whooshed just above his head, the punch a split second away from connecting. His heart pounded as he realized just how close he had come to feeling her wrath again.

"You son of a bitch," she spat, voice low and dangerous.

Dan stumbled back as her foot connected with his stomach, the kick coming from behind as he had ducked, knocking the wind out of him. His body hit the ground, but he barely had time to register the pain before she was on him.

She moved like a freight train, fast and unrelenting.

Dan rolled just as her fist flew at him again, barely missing the side of his face. Damn, she was good. Too good. He wasn't sure if he'd ever get used to how fast she moved.

Her foot came up again, and he barely jumped back in time. He wasn't exactly out of practice, but she made him feel it. He grabbed her outstretched hand, pulling her in toward him, trapping her arms between them as he wrapped his arms around her waist.

"Easy now," he muttered under his breath as he held her tight, feeling the heat of her body against his.

Her chest heaved against his, her breath quick and furious as she wiggled in his grip. Dan groaned as she squirmed, her body pressing into him, but he wasn't going to let go. Not this time.

"You wiggle like that anymore, you won't like what happens next," he warned her, his voice low and teasing despite the situation.

"Bastard, let me go," she snapped, her voice filled with so much anger it almost made him laugh. But he didn't.

They both knew she could get out of his grip in a heartbeat if she really wanted to, but for some reason, neither of them made a move to escape the strange dance they were caught in.

Tessa's eyes widened as she realized he wasn't letting her go. "What happened?" she asked, her voice changing, no longer as hostile but more confused. "What happened? We're married. And I know you have something to do with it."

Dan smiled then, the memory of their wedding day flashing through his mind. It felt like it had happened just yesterday, but time had a way of making even the most vivid moments blur into something distant and almost unreal.

"Of course, I had something to do with it," he said, the smile tugging at his lips. "I was the groom." He chuckled at her reaction, her disbelief almost making it feel like he was the one who was out of place here.

"Don't play with me, Dan," she growled, trying to push against him. "You know exactly what I mean."

He didn't respond right away, just holding her a little tighter, not out of malice, but because he liked the closeness. The tension. The rawness of it all. "It's been a hell of a week, hasn't it?" he finally said, letting the words hang between them.

Tessa narrowed her eyes at him. "You're enjoying this, aren't you?"

Dan raised an eyebrow, an impish smile forming on his face. "You know me too well."

For a second, everything went quiet, and he let his grip loosen just enough for her to push away if she wanted. She didn't, though. Instead, she stayed in his arms, her breathing slowing.

"Why are you really here, Tessa?" Dan asked, his voice suddenly serious. The playful banter was gone, replaced by a question that lingered in the air.

She didn't answer right away, but after a moment, she let out a frustrated sigh. "I came to figure out what the hell is going on with us," she admitted, her voice softer now, the anger fading into something else.

Dan didn't know what to say to that, so he just held her, letting the silence speak for him.

This wasn't over, not by a long shot. But for now, he could at least enjoy the quiet. The calm before whatever storm was about to hit.