Every morning for the past four days, Tessa stepped into the shower with the same thought pounding in her head. And every time she had climbed out of the tub having convinced herself of another reason to stay just one more day. Today had to be different. Tessa let out a little sigh as she turned the knob and waited for the water to heat up. Over the last few days, Tessa had regained most of her strength. The marks on her face had almost completely faded, and her body no longer felt like one giant bruise. Of course, there were still some lingering issues. Her side still ached from time to time, and her shoulder stung when she lifted it too quickly. She had to be careful brushing her hair or her scalp would sting like the devil, but that wasn’t exactly a good enough reason for not sneaking out the back when no one was looking. If she were being honest, Tessa had to admit that she no longer had a decent excuse for sticking around.
