CHAPTER 22

TESSIE'S POV

I lay flat on my back in the school cafeteria, my arms tucked under my head and eyes exploring the air above me. The combination of student murmurs and the clatter of plates all around was not enough to drown the loud thoughts in my head.

I was trying so hard to get past the night of the party at my house but it seemed to be the only constant thought in my head. The day after was just a bonus to it all— a huge one at it. Leaving the house, I had intended to spend the day at Ava's but a trip around town and then another had landed me somewhere else entirely. With Evan Mayers.

I still didn't know what the connection was with him. How he ended up being a Mayers and Lexi a Bradford was also beyond me. Why did they have different surnames if they were siblings? Step siblings like me and Jace? No. Now that I was thinking about it, they did have some resemblance.

"Yo, sit up!" Ava kicked me on my side with her knee forcing me up. "What in the world is going on wi