It took some coaxing but I finally got Tessa to leave our apartment by herself and meet me at Crimson Lights. Eventually, she agreed because it would be after her job interview. Walking into the patio, I saw the musician hunched over her laptop. "Hi." Jumping, Tessa looked in my direction, fear in her eyes. "Oh, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

"No. It's…I've been jumping sky high anytime anyone come near. I, uh, keep thinking it's Sharon."

"You're safe, okay?" Kissing raven hair, I slid out of my coat and scarf. Taking a seat, I tried not to let my anger for the women show in front of Tessa.

"I don't think I'll ever feel safe again." Closing her laptop, Tessa tried to smile. "Especially, not here. Was there nowhere else we could meet?"

"You'll be fine. You're with me. And I've got your back." Meeting Tessa's gaze, I became serious. "Always." Noticing the laptop, I tried changing the subject. "What are you working on?"

"Just sending out resumes and filling out job applications."

"They're still hiring for holiday staff at the CGAC. What happened to that?"

"You know, I memorized that menu like the back of my hand. I knew it backwards, forwards, plus my interview could not have gone better. The manager loved me and said I had great energy and that I'd be the perfect fit."

"Okay, so what happened?"

"I didn't hear back." Deflating, Tessa sighed. "I guess, uh, it just didn't work out." Fidgeting, the younger woman looked down a moment. "Don't worry. I will find another job. I always land on my feet."

"There's something you're not telling me. And don't pretend there's not. I know that look by now."

"It's nothing…"

"It's not. I can't help you if you don't tell me what it is. We need to be honest with each other."

Biting her lip, Tessa finally gave in. "I ran into Sharon at the club. And she hates me. She will always hate me. And I have to figure out a way of living with that while living with her daughter."

"Wait, what did she do?"

"No. It's, it's over. It's fine. But we're not." Reaching for my arm, Tessa squeezed.

"When did you see her?" Tessa's trying her hardest to calm me down. She knows how angry I am.

"After my interview…"

"She is out of control. Tessa, I know exactly why you didn't get that job. Sharon sabotaged your interview." Leaning back, I folded my arms. Anger was boiling inside of me. I can't believe she did this!

Tessa's brow creased as her head tilted. "What? I know that look. Mariah?" A nervous smile ghosted the musician's face.

"I know a job that pays well and that Sharon can't mess with." This will take some work but I know Tessa will come around to the idea.

Intrigue was clear on the woman's face. "Where?"

With a soft smile, I spoke. "GC Buzz. It's my show. I'll hire whoever the fuck I want."

"Mariah, I love your enthusiasm but-"

"It's not a charity thing. I need desperate help scheduling and some other behind the scenes stuff. You wouldn't be in front of a camera. I know how much you hate that." Letting the new information sink in, I watched as Tessa mulled over my offer. "I want to help you but I can't do that unless I know everything. What exactly did Sharon say to you at the club?"

The musician studied me a few minutes before giving in. She knew I wasn't going to drop this. "After I was done with my interview, I saw her by the bar. I walked up and wanted to talk to her about you. She accused me of stalking her. I said no, that I was applying for a job. Sharon made it rather clear that you were going to break up with me that night. Asked why I was still here. I said because I love you. She then accused me of having no dignity and said I was a special kind of smart. Not smart enough to leave but smart enough to stay because you're only with me out of guilt."

That same anger started again. "I'm not with you out of guilt. I want you to know that."

"I know." Tessa smiled, placing her hand on mine. "It's good to hear that though." Toying with her ring, she continued. "I leveled with Sharon. I said that whether she liked it or not, we loved each other. That she wasn't hurting me by not accepting that but she was hurting you. That she was ruining the relationship you both worked so hard to get."

"I'm torn between wanting to stay here and dare her to say a word when she sees us or just going home."

"My vote is going home. We can curl up under the green blanket and watch something." Smiling that damn have grin, Tessa knew I couldn't resist an invitation like that. "You know you wanna. We've got lots to catch up on."

Shaking my head, I laughed. "Okay. Let's go home. I'll draw up your GC Buzz contract tonight. You can start next week." Standing, I slid into my coat.

"So, I'm going to be sleeping with my boss. Isn't that really bad and against policy?"

Pulling Tessa to her feet, I wrapped my arms around her neck. "It's very much against policy but…you seem like the type who likes breaking rules. Besides," tangling my fingers in raven locks, I continued. "As long as there's no sex on sight, we'll be fine." Having her this close, I can't not kiss her. Throwing caution to the wind, I kissed my girlfriend quickly.

Entering the apartment, each of us tossed our jackets over a chair. "I'll make cocoa while you find something to watch. Popcorn?"

"Can you make the cocoa with red wine? Like that recipe we found."

"Sure. It'll take an hour though. If you want the crock pot version with actual chocolate pieces melted. But, it's up to you."

"Hmmm. There has to be a quicker way to make it." Pulling out her phone, Tessa turned to Google for help.

"Or we could just skip the cocoa and just do red wine and popcorn?" Pulling down two glasses, I searched for a corkscrew.

"We drink a lot of wine." Turning, Tessa shrugged. "Can we just cuddle and watch a movie? No food or anything."

"Of course." Exiting the kitchen, I rounded the couch. Tessa held up the blanket for me. Snuggling against the taller woman, she wrapped me in her arms. "This is perfect."

"Even for someone who was about to break up with me?" Sarcasm dripped in Tessa's voice.

She's got that smirk too. It's not fair that she's this sexy! "Someone's feeling a little better." I paused. "Smart-Ass."

"You love it." Kissing my hair, Tessa became serious. "Mariah, I know that look from earlier and I know how stubborn you are. You have to promise me one thing."

"What?" Shifting, I met the musician's tender gaze.

"You cannot push your mother away because of me. You have to promise me that you will eventually answer the phone for her. Ignoring her calls for a little while will be okay but not forever."

"But she shouldn't have done that to you."

"I know and I agree with you. But, she's your mother. Both of you love each other no matter what happens. You might have to be the bigger person and accept the idea that she'll never like me again. I don't want you to split your life in two but I know you're going to no matter what I say."

"Because I love you."

"And I love you too. So much. But, Mariah, I grew up without parents. It was basically just me and Crystal. You found your mother after all those years and have a relationship with her. I don't want you to ruin that because of me."

I stared in disbelief. Sharon kidnapped her, tied her up, tormented her, and then set her in the middle of nowhere to freeze and yet she's still trying to reason with me on her behalf. "You're truly incredible. You know that?"

"Why?" She laughed.

"After everything Sharon has done to you in the past few weeks, you're still thinking about her feelings."

"I'm not that much of a saint. I'm thinking about yours. I know how much she means to you. I don't want to be the reason your relationship gets ruined. You don't have to shut her out to prove you're in my corner."

"You won't be the reason. She will."

Xxx

The next morning, Tessa tried her hardest to calm me down before I went to Sharon's. Taking the raven-haired beauty's shoulders, I spoke. "I'm just going to talk. No yelling, I promise."

Not truly believing me, Tessa smirked. "I know you, Mariah. If she bad mouths me, you're going to go off. Just don't say anything you're going to regret later, okay?"

"I'll keep in mind what you said last night. You're right. I am lucky to have a relationship with Sharon. She's my mother."

"Good." Fixing my scarf, Tessa pulled me in for a kiss. "Be nice."

"I think you secretly love when I wear scarves. Just so you can pull me in."

"Mmmaybe. But I also think you're projecting a little." With a final kiss, Tessa turned me towards the door. Giving me a light shove. "Go be nice." She paused. "Or try to."

"Try is all I can do."

"And I'll be right here waiting to kiss you on the cheek when you get home. I love you."

"Love you too."

As I drove towards the ranch, I went over everything I knew. Everyone in this situation has made mistakes. Victoria for putting up with the abuse, Nikki for killing JT, all of them for not telling the police, Tessa for blackmailing them, and them for kidnapping Tessa. Everyone has done wrong here. Not that I fault Victoria for not getting out. Abuse isn't black and white. Same thing goes for Nikki protecting her daughter from said abuser. This whole thing is just one huge nightmare.

Entering the cottage, I saw Sharon sitting at her desk. "We need to talk."

Turning, Sharon looked up. "About what? What's wrong?"

"Tessa. She is an emotional wreck because of the hell you three inflicted on her."

"I'm sure she'll survive. Vermin normally do." She scoffed, closing the laptop.

"Don't. Don't talk about her like that!" Remember what Tessa said and what you promised. No yelling. Taking a steadying breath, I tried regaining my composure. "Does it even matter to you what kind of trauma you caused?"

"I wish there were another way of getting the answers we needed, I really do."

"So, instead of sitting her down, like an actual human being, asking her questions, you were okay with Nikki and Victoria threatening physical harm or worse?"

"No." Sharon's voice trailed off as she stood.

"Then what?"

"We had to make sure she wasn't the one who moved JT's body, burnt down the stables, and planted the evidence."

"You can do that without kidnapping someone." Rage started to bubble inside me thinking about Tessa lying there, nearly frozen to death.

"She's a liar, Mariah. She blackmailed us. She lied about the money and she lied about the video tape. She's not this innocent victim she has you thinking she is."

"Like you've never lied before? To the people you love. You've been lying to me for months." Gradually, my voice got louder. "You took part in a murder and a cover up. Remember that."

"To keep you safe!"

"You know, you're the reason Tessa and I are still together. So really, I should be thanking you."

"This, I've got to hear."

"She was on her way to the coffeehouse and I was going to break up with her. But she didn't show up there. Instead, she called me, sobbing on the phone from the middle of nowhere."

"And you dropped everything and ran to the aid of the poor, defenseless scam artist?"

"She was terrified!" I need to leave. I really need to go now before I say something I'll regret. "And don't think I don't know what you did at the club. I know you caused Tessa to not get that job."

"I was protecting a business from a thief. She'll be-"

"No. I don't want to hear any more of your excuses." Storming towards the door, I stopped and looked Sharon dead in the eyes. "But one thing you didn't count on is: there's one job in this town that you can't screw her out of." With that, I left slamming the door behind me.

I was fuming the entire way home. Rage seemed to be the only thing I had felt the past few days when it came to my mother. And myself. How could I have been so stupid? It doesn't matter now. Tessa is still in my life and we love each other. If Sharon can't see that and at least be civil then that's her fault.

Pushing open the door, I walked in. Tossing my coat across the couch, I ripped off my scarf. "Mariah, what's wrong? What happ-" Lunging forward, I planted a hard kiss on Tessa's lips. Reciprocating, she pulled me against her. A throaty moan vibrated her chest as I ran my tongue along her bottom lip. "Mmm. Nope." Stepping back, Tessa tried to form a coherent sentence. "What happened?"

"She's the reason you didn't get the job. She didn't even try to deny it. I'm so sorry."

"I've hurt her and her daughter quite a bit so…"

"It's not even about me." My brow creased thinking back on the latest events. "She reminds me of Victor with the "protect family" card to justify horrible things."

"So, why did you come home and nearly shove me against the wall?" Meeting Tessa's gaze, a breathy moan escaped me at the thought. "Oooh, I shouldn't have said that."

"No. No, you shouldn't have." Needing to cool off, I started for the kitchen. Only to be shoved lightly against the closet door, arms pinned above my head. "Tessa…"

"What do you need?" Tender green eyes were hungry as they looked me over slowly.

"You."

Dipping her head, Tessa kissed my neck. Moving to my ear, she nipped the tender flesh. "What do you want?" Her voice was low.

Whimpering shamelessly, I let my head bob to the side giving her access. "You to touch me… To feel something other than rage."

"I can help with that."

I moaned as Tessa pressed her thigh firmly between mine. "Shit…" Releasing my hands, she worked on the buttons of my shirt. Hungrily, I found Tessa's lips as I tangled my hands in silky locks. Grinding hard against the woman's thigh, I gave her dominance of my tongue. "Tessa…" I breathed, needing more.

Knowing exactly what to do, Tessa kissed down my neck, down my chest, and across my stomach. Kneeling before me, she unbuttoned my pants and pulled them along with my drenched underwear down. Peering upwards, she silently asked for me to step out of the jeans. Lifting one leg over her shoulder, Tessa kissed my inner thigh. The anticipation was killing me. I groaned when a burst of air hit the heated area where I wanted her most. Tangling my fingers in Tessa's hair again, I moaned finally feeling her tongue.

"Oh, God…" Thrusting her tongue inside, I whined. Taking hold of my hip, Tessa kept me upright. "Tessaaaa…" I whimpered when the musician enveloped my sensitive pearl with her lips. I wasn't expecting to be filled with two digits. "FUCK!"

Finding a rhythm, I worked my hips with Tessa's motions. I can't hold on much longer. Tightening my grip in dark locks, I pushed harder. Beginning to tremble, Tessa thrusted once more causing me to skyrocket and something to crack. A second later, I found myself against coats and bags. "Are you okay?!" Trying desperately not to laugh, Tessa's eyes started to tear up from laughter.

"I'm…fine…" Looking around, it slowly dawned on me what happened. "We…broke the door…"

"Mmhmm." Tessa nodded slowly. "Here take my hand." Pulling me to my feet, the musician looked for any sign of injury. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine." Kicking off my jeans, I grabbed the green blanket to wrap around my waist. "Um…better than our closet anyway."

"Think the closet angels will forgive us?"

Snorting a laugh, I felt my entire neck and face start to burn. "Oh, God…"

"He can't help us now." Tessa deadpanned.

"Oh, Lord…" I couldn't help but laugh until my sides hurt. "Now I'm in pain. Oh, geez." Wiping my eyes, I made my way towards the dresser. "I need sleep before I deal with the door. Maybe Lola can fix it? Or Arturo."

"What do we tell them?"

My head shot up, blood draining from my face. "Nothing! We lie! We lie so much!" Stripping the rest of my clothes away, I pulled a large t-shirt over my head and on some lounging pants. "I can't believe we broke the door."

"You gotta admit, it's kinda sexy." Wrapping her arms around me from behind, Tessa let her chin rest on my shoulder. "You're super cute when you're embarrassed."

"You're going to tell Lola, aren't you?" I smiled seeing us in the mirror.

"You're going to tell Kyle eventually. He's your best friend and Lola's mine."

"This is true." Turning, I wrapped my arms around Tessa. "Let's get to bed. We have a long day tomorrow."

"Maybe we should break the bed next? So, we can get a new one."

"TESSA!"