Bryce had been worried sick the whole time Tessa was gone so when he got a text that she was back and coming over after 10 PM on a worknight he was simultaneously eager to see her and mad that she was so casual about it. He forced himself not to angrily call and demand an explanation since he would be seeing her soon enough. She could explain herself in person.
But when she showed up looking like the world had crumbled beneath her feet and threw herself at him sobbing all of his anger melted away in an instant. Finding out she had lost her whole family in one go was a shock but so was meeting her cousin.
She had never mentioned having any relatives in California. It struck him that Ken O'Brien must be her emergency contact at work since he only lived two hours away by car and could come up if something truly bad happened.
