Tessa’s POV
Chapter 31
I stood inside the bathroom, my back pressed against the wall, my phone clutched tightly to my ear. My mother’s voice rang on the other end.
“I’m warning you, Tessa,” her voice snapped, cold and controlled. “Don’t you dare cause any trouble in that school. You’ve done enough damage already.”
I swallowed, the lump in my throat heavy and familiar. My fingers curled tighter around the phone, but I didn’t say anything. I couldn’t. Not yet.
“And keep your legs closed while you’re at it,” she added, like she was reading off a checklist. “You are not going to drag my name into the mud again. I won’t let you ruin your life, or mine, because you can’t control yourself.”
The words hit harder than I thought they would. I thought I’d grown used to them, used to her way o
