The Bad Boy's Forever (TBBG Series #3) NOW PUBLISHED

Chapter Twelve: I'd Sooner Decline The Dessert Menu Than Fight With Cole

Chapter Twelve: I'd Sooner Decline The Dessert Menu Than Fight With Cole

"If you'd told me what had in-house entertainment, I wouldn't have written up that four figure check for entertainment."

"Dad, in case you haven't noticed, now's not the time to be funny."

I'm currently holding an ice pack to my face, wincing at the slightest movement that talking requires. In front of me, Beth continues to pace back and forth, switching between throwing me apologetic looks and glowering at Travis.

"I still think we should get you to the hospital."

"I'm fine," I tell Cole who's hovering by my side and has been for the past couple of hours as I dealt with the aftermath of getting in the middle of a fight between Beth and Travis's ex-girlfriend, Jenny. As a refresher, Jenny is the same girl who broke up with Travis the day he got kicked out of college. She also then thought it'd be a great idea to hook up with his best friend at the time. The fact that everyone thought that they were the high school sweethearts who'd end up getting married was also at the time a huge blow to my brother's ego. Not only had Farrow Hill's golden boy managed to disgrace his family, he'd also lost the his prom queen girlfriend. You get the picture right? Jenny stomped all over my brother's heart with her Louboutins and it's been years since any of us have seen her. From the gossip heard around town, it appears that she married someone much older than her twenty-five years for money, but given her sunny disposition today I'm guessing it did not work out.

"Your cheek's starting to bruise."

"It feels like it's bruising. Who knew someone just below a hundred pounds could pack that much of punch."

Cole gently removes the icepack from my face and then he's the one wincing. "At least let me call Cass..."

"No way! I'm not giving her another reason to diagnose me as some kind of a home wrecking shrew and call boyfriend security services on you."

"There's no such thing as a..."

"Shush, don't make me argue with you. It hurts too much to talk."

That it did.

"Tessa, I'm so sorry." Beth apologises for the thousandth time since the unfortunate incident took place. Technically she has no reason to apologise. It's not like she asked me to jump in between the catfight that ensued after we rescued a drowning Jenny from the pool. No one told me I had to step between the two right when Jenny threw a punch.

And wow does she pack some power for someone who looks like a gust of wind would blow her away. Consequently I have a huge welt on the right side of my face which makes it look like I'm the poster child of domestic abuse. Poor Cole, I guess I won't be going anywhere with him soon.

"It's okay, I think."

"I shouldn't have let her bait me, ugh I wish she didn't get to me that easily."

"Yes, dear, I wish that were the case too."

Most of the guests left after the little incident in the backyard, also known as Beth nearly putting Jenny on life support. The rest of us are gathered in the living room while the scorned ex-girlfriend in question ran for her life a long time ago.

Not before giving my face something to fondly remember her by.

In the meantime, Mom isn't making it too subtle that she thoroughly disapproves of how Beth chose to deal with Jenny. In yet another refresher, here's another titbit from memory lane. My mother loved Jenny like her own daughter, maybe a little more. Back in the day, Jenny had been exactly what Mom wished I'd been more like. Captain of the cheerleading squad, obviously model thin and gorgeous and knew her way around Nordstrom like it was her local Walmart. They'd bonded over their love for the latest weapon disguised as high heels and baby animals who'd been turned into handbags. So when Jenny broke Travis's heart, she also broke my mom's because I think for her it'd been like losing a daughter.