Chapter 35

Tessa’s POV

“You look sick again,” Ruby pointed out to once everyone was getting ready to leave the assembly.

“I think I just need to get some air,” I said, standing to my feet. “I’ll call you later.”

“From the hotel?” She asked, raising her brows. I could tell from her tone that she was questioning if I was really staying in a hotel.

“Yes,” I said in return. “From the hotel.”

I turned and left quickly, leaving her staring after me.

Joseph waited for me in his Bentley just as he told me he would via a text. I looked around to make sure nobody was watching me before I made my way over to his car and disappeared into the passenger seat.

However, once I got inside, I noticed he wasn’t in the driver’s seat. He was in the very shaded backseat.

“I’ve had enough sun exposure for one day. I’ll need you to drive.”

“You want me to drive your car?” I asked. The last car I drove was Brian’s and that felt like a lifetime ago.

“You have your license, don’t you?”

“Yes, of course,” I said in return, rolling my eyes as I slid over to the driver’s seat.

“Then, I trust you can drive us home.”

Without another word, I put the car in the drive and began driving away from the school. The drive to Joseph’s home was quiet. His speech still weighed in my mind. He informed everyone that he was no longer going to have students at his home, and yet here I was. Driving Joseph back to his home.

It basically made him a complete liar and he would certainly get fired if he were to be found out.

“Do you like pizza?” Joseph asked as soon as we were safe in his Villa.

I raised my brows at him.

“I love pizza,” I said to him. “Why?”

“I was thinking about ordering it for dinner. With everything going on today, I don’t think either of us is really in the mood or position to be preparing any meals.”

I didn’t even realize I was hungry until he brought up food. I also didn’t think Joseph was the kind of person who enjoyed pizza. Mainly because pizza was such a casual food and Joseph was anything but casual.

But the idea of stuffing my face with pizza overjoyed me and nodded eagerly.

“I would like pizza very much.”

…

The pizza was scorching hot when it arrived. The pizza place must have been close by.

I curled up on the couch with a couple of slices of pizza on a paper plate and Joseph did the same. Joseph looked very comfortable and casual as he sat beside me.

“How did you meet your wife?” I found myself asking, much to my surprise. “There’s not much of anything on her. Only that she and your children died of that plague. It said that Christopher died too, but obviously, that wasn’t true.”

“In a way, he did die,” Joseph said, almost mournfully. “My wife and I both worked at the school as teachers. She was an English teacher and we bonded over our love for literature and writing.”

“She wrote too?”

“Yes,” he answered. “She was an amazing writer honestly. She inspired me to keep working toward my dreams. She’s the reason Christopher Moore was as big as he was. She never let me give up. Even when we had children, she was still my biggest supporter.”

“She sounds incredible,” I breathed, a little saddened that he was so deeply in love before.

I wasn’t sure why that made me sad like that. I tried to convince myself that it was because she was no longer around, so he never properly moved on from her.

“She was,” he said. “But she was also in the past. She’s Christopher Moore’s wife and those were Christopher Moore’s children. Now I’m Joseph Evergreen and I’m childless and unmarried.”

“And still a writer,” I said in wonder. It wasn’t a question, but he nodded anyway.

“And still a writer,” he agreed. After another pause and a few more bites of our pizza, he asked, “What about you? What made you want to be a writer?”

“My father,” I said without hesitation.

“How so?”

“I grew up on a farm with my father only. My mother had passed away before I was old enough to remember anything. But he told me how much she loved his made-up stories, and it was one of the things she loved about him. So, every year on her birthday, my father would take me to her grave site, and he would read one of his fictional stories.”

He was quiet as I spoke.

“Sometimes he would even have me help him construct a new story to read to her grave. They were usually about farm animals,” I said, getting lost in these memories.

“So, you used to write farm fiction?” Joseph asked and for a moment, I swear I heard humor in his tone. Like he wanted to laugh, but he remained respectful.

“Yes,” I chuckled. “What do you expect? My father was a farmer. But I just remembered how much I wanted to be like him and write carefree stories that can touch hearts. Just like his stories touched the heart of my mother.”

“How did you go from farm fiction to fantasy writing?”

I was quiet as I took a bite of pizza, peering up at him I finally said, “Christopher Moore.”

“He inspired you.” It wasn’t a question.

“My father actually bought me on of his books for Christmas one year. I read it and I thought it was the most spectacular thing I had ever read. I wanted to write things just like that.”

“I see,” Joseph said, almost thoughtfully. “Well, I’m glad he could make a difference in someone’s life,” Joseph said in return, taking a bite of his pizza.

“He’s made a difference in a ton of lives,” I said, narrowing my eyes at him. “You’ve made a difference in a ton of lives,” I clarified.

“Someday so will you. Then, you can take your own stories and read them to your mother’s grave as well. I’m sure she would like that.”

My face felt warm from his words, and I couldn’t help the small smile that tugged at my lips.

“Lisa mentioned that you don’t have a lot of human friends,” I said, changing the subject before I started getting too emotional. “Why is that?” ‘

“Lisa has a loose mouth,” Joseph said in return with an eye roll.

“Sorry if I said too much,” I said, lowering my gaze. “I don’t think she meant any harm in it. She was just surprised you brought me to the headquarters.”

“They die,” he said, shaking his head slowly. “Humans have a very short life and it’s fragile. They die easily and when I’m immortal and don’t die as easily, it gets morbid. I used to have a lot of friends, but they are no longer around. “

“I’m so sorry,” I breathed. “I shouldn’t have asked.”

“I don’t mind talking about it,” he said with a shrug. “When you get to live a long life with no hope of dying, making new friends just seems pointless.”

“I see,” I said, staring at my hands. “Do you think of me as your friend?”

“I think of you as my student,” he answered. We were both silent for a long while as we continued to eat our pizza. “May I ask you another question,” he asked as he set his plate aside.

I placed my plate on the coffee table in front of me and I glanced at him

“Sure,” I said, looking up at him. He was tall even when he was sitting.

“What did you see in that Brian guy? I haven’t been able to wrap my head around it. You’re an intelligent and creative woman, and he’s a snobby buffoon. You two are nothing alike and he’s a complete dick. I can’t imagine he was much different when you were together.”

I was shocked by his question. This was very personal, but then again, I did ask about his wife.

“I’ve known him for a long time,” I explained. “He was sweet at one point and made it seem like all the things I did to change myself were my ideas. When we were alone, he was tender and kind. It was when we were around his friends that he would act foolish.”

“I see,” Joseph said but there was still uncertainty on his face. “You deserve better than guys like that is all I’m saying. Don’t settle for less.”

“Wise words of Joseph Evergreen,” I chuckled.

He met my eyes, causing me to forget entirely how to breathe.

“Maybe you should listen to these wise words.”

I didn’t know what else to say and I wasn’t sure I could find my voice anyways. I couldn’t tell what was happening, but I found myself hooked to him, and unable to look away. Just like when we passed one another on the sidewalk the day we met.

He was breathtaking.

He reached his hand out and tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear. He was only inches from me now. I could feel the warmth of his breath on my features and smell the peppermint he just consumed after he ate the pizza.

His lips were nearly touching mine and I closed my eyes, bracing myself for the sweet impact. A kiss that had once set my entire soul on fire.

“You should get some sleep,” he whispered, pulling away from me. “I’ll see you in the morning.”