My Boyfriend Took My Best Friend Home for Thanksgiving Chapter 01

My Boyfriend Took My Best Friend Home for Thanksgiving Chapter 01

With Thanksgiving coming up, my best friend, Tessa Morgan, hitched a ride back home with my boyfriend, Mason Carter, and me.

At a highway travel stop along the way, the attendant recognized the two of them immediately.

“Heading home together again?”

Mason glanced at Tessa in the front passenger seat and nodded with a smile.

The attendant glanced at Mason’s new SUV, then smiled at Tessa.

“This one should be a much smoother ride. No more carsickness, I hope?”

Tessa smiled shyly. “Sorry about last time. I know I was a hassle.”

Mason nodded. “Yeah. The bigger SUV’s been a lot smoother.”

So that was why Mason had suddenly switched to a bigger SUV.

I had thought he wanted the extra room for family road trips after we got married.

As we were about to leave, the attendant handed them a Thanksgiving rewards voucher.

“You two just hit two thousand dollars in lifetime purchases with us. Here’s your Thanksgiving reward.”

The attendant smiled. “Here’s to many more miles together.”

Printed on the voucher was the date of their first recorded purchase: Thanksgiving, four years ago.

That was when my dad had suffered a stroke and was in critical condition.

I hadn’t been able to get a ticket home that late, so I called Mason and asked him to pick me up. He arrived two hours late, and I missed my chance to see my father one last time.

Now I knew why.

He had been driving Tessa home instead.

Tessa had always gotten carsick easily, so as her best friend, I had never minded letting her sit up front.

But looking at the two of them together now, I suddenly did.

…

“Do you two do this a lot?” I asked, keeping my tone casual.

Mason hesitated. “Not really. Tessa and I are from the same town, and she hates traveling alone during the holiday rush. If I’m heading that way anyway, I give her a ride. If I’m heading that way anyway, I give her a ride. You’re the one who’s always telling me to look out for her.”

Tessa immediately turned around to face me.

“Hannah, you’re not mad, are you? Mason only helps because he feels sorry for me. Even last Sunday, I had to beg him forever before he’d drive me home.”

Last Sunday had been our seventh anniversary.

He had stood me up.

So that was what he had meant when he said it was “on the way.”

As we turned onto Tessa’s street, several older neighbors quickly gathered around the car to greet Mason.

With everyone fussing over them, Mason and Tessa looked for all the world like a young couple coming home for the holidays.

“That’s a handsome boyfriend you’ve got, Tessa.”

“You two already have that married-couple look.”

“How much kissing have you two been doing to start looking that much alike?”

Mason simply smiled and didn’t correct them.

When we reached Tessa’s place, Mason carefully pulled up beneath a covered entrance so she wouldn’t have to step out into the rain.

“Your umbrella. Don’t forget it.”

Without even looking, he reached into the door pocket and pulled out a pink umbrella.

Mason hated clutter in his car, yet he kept that umbrella there.

Back in July, I had tried leaving a bottle of sunscreen in his car. He had tossed it out without a second thought.

Tessa took the pink umbrella and smiled at him.

“Mason, after you and Hannah get married, will you still drive me home like this?”

Mason gave her shoulder a familiar squeeze.

“Of course. Whenever you need me.”

We had barely started moving again when Tessa came running after us under the umbrella.

Mason slammed on the brakes, and my head struck the window hard.

He jumped out into the rain without even bothering with an umbrella and hurried over to steady her.

“What’s wrong?”

“M-Mason, my parents and a whole houseful of relatives are inside waiting to grill me about when I’m getting married. I’m freaking out.”

“I’ll go in with you.”

Mason turned back to me. “Give me ten minutes. I’ll be right back.”

Tessa was always cold, so the heater had been blasting. Sitting alone in the stuffy car, I felt increasingly uncomfortable.

Ten minutes passed.

Mason didn’t come back, and there was no message from him.

I called once, twice, three times. Someone finally answered on the fifth try.

It was Tessa.

“Hannah, I’m sorry. My parents won’t let Mason leave. Why don’t you get a hotel nearby for now? Once things settle down here, I’ll let Mason go.”

My boyfriend needed her permission before he could leave.