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Chapter 5

“Damn it,” Danica hissed, trying to balance the grocery bags in her hands and get to the buzzing phone in her purse. On a normal day she wouldn’t be so concerned with whoever was calling, but she was waiting to hear back from one of the school’s that she’d applied to.

After Amad’s death, she’d taken some time to get herself together, dipping into her retirement fund to help keep herself afloat. But now, Danica felt that she was finally poised enough to dip a toe back into the working world and get back to doing what she loved to do.

“Fuck!” She cursed, watching as one of the bags slipped faster than she could catch it. Wincing, she waited for the sound of shattering glass, and the feeling of spaghetti sauce splashing against her ankle as the jar broke, but it never came.

Her eyes opened, and Danica felt it was near impossible to contain her smile upon seeing Tucker standing in front of her with the bag in his hand.

“Do I need to put a beeper on you?” He questioned with a smile, relieving her of the other bags bunched in her hands without permission. “It seems like every time we run into each other, you need my help.”

“Ha, ha, ha,” she replied sarcastically, shaking her hair out of her face. “I don’t think the beeper is necessary, since the universe has clearly appointed you as my guardian angel.”

“You say it like it’s such a bad thing.” Tucker smiled, melting her heart in the process. Guilt quickly consumed her, and she shook the warm feeling off and changed the subject.

“I could have handled those on my own, you know?” She questioned, gesturing towards the bags gripped firmly in his large hands.

“Yeah, I could tell from the way the spaghetti sauce was about to bite the dust.” Tucker’s dimpled smile appeared again. “Where’s your car?”

“Second row,” she revealed, gesturing towards her red Camry. “And you know you don’t have to…”

“You decline my help one more time and I’m gonna be offended.” One of his eyebrows rose into the air as he came to a stop.

“Sorry,” Danica halted as well, licking her lips. “I don’t mean anything by it, I promise. I’m just used to managing everything on my own with no help.”

“I refuse to believe that a woman as beautiful and seemingly put together as you, didn’t have a man in her life to cover the simple shit.”

Swallowing roughly, she reached up to push a strand of hair behind her right ear. “I did, once.”

“Bad break-up?”

Sucking in a deep breath, Danica exhaled slowly before responding. “He passed away, actually.”

That stopped Tucker in his tracks again. Sorrow filled his eyes as he glanced down at her, and Danica immediately bristled. He’d barely gotten his mouth open to speak before she interrupted.

“Don’t.” She held up a hand. “Please spare me the pity, because I don’t need it. I get enough of it on a day to day basis, and I don’t want it from you.”

She attempted to storm off, but Tucker quickly caught her by the elbow, preventing her from walking any further while spinning her around to face him.

“One, it’s disrespectful as hell to walk away from someone in the middle of a conversation.” He stated, closing the gap between them. Danica involuntarily shrunk at the power of his presence. She wasn’t afraid of him in the least bit, but there was something about him that made her bow down to help without much effort on his part. “Two, I don’t pity you. If anything, in a way I understand you, and if you ever need a listening ear, then I don’t mind. That’s what I was going to say to you.”

Letting go of her, Tucker continued to her car while Danica stood rooted in her spot, conflicted by the feelings coursing through her. The way Tucker checked her was sexy as hell. Yet, acknowledging that fact filled her with shame, because the only man that should have had the power to make her feel that way was Amad.

Dropping her head, she shuffled to her car, unlocking it on her way there. Tucker opened the backdoor and loaded her bags inside before closing it roughly.

He went to walk away without another word, but Danica reached out to grab his hand. A jolt of electricity shot through her as if she were struck by lightning, and she quickly let go. Tucker’s eyes widened, leading her to believe he’d felt the same thing she did when they touched.

“Listen,” she brushed the feeling off, clearing her throat. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to snap at you that way. I’m dealing with things the best I can, and there’s no manual on how to navigate it. For months, everyone’s been treating me like I’m so fragile, and while I am for the most part, I have my days where I get tired of feeling like a victim. I just want to have a normal moment that isn’t dictated by the tragic life event that I already can’t separate myself from.”

The entire time she ranted, Tucker watched her with a blank expression, which made her feel stupid for opening her mouth in the first place.

“You know what?” Danica huffed, becoming more embarrassed by the second. “Forget I said anything, okay? I just-I’m sorry.”

With that, she reached for the handle to open her driver’s door, but Tucker placed a hand over it, preventing her from leaving.

“I get it.” He uttered, placing his free hand on her lower back in a soothing manner. “And I’m sorry for your loss.”

“Thank you,” she murmured sheepishly.