AllFreeNovel
Share Us
I help Tucker out of the chair and into my car as he grumbles. I laugh at his childish rumbling. He’s going to be a big ole baby about this injury, I can already tell.
Once I’m in the car and driving away from the hospital, I head toward Tucker’s house. I think he’d be more comfortable at his home instead of at mine. I pull into his driveway and see someone sitting on his front porch.
“Oh, fuck.” I look over at Tucker to figure out what’s going on, but his face is a blank mask… like he’s shut off every emotion, and when he looks over at me, there’s something in his eyes I don’t like. It’s not quite vulnerability, but it’s a sadness I recognize from when we were little.
I shake my head, words seeming to have left me. I’m worried about the look in his eyes, and I don’t understand what’s happening.
“Who is that?” I ask, hoping he’ll explain what’s going on.
“I’m so sorry, Nat,” he says dejectedly, getting out of the car as if he hasn’t just been in the hospital with an injury. How he was able to mask his pain, I will never understand.
I get out of the car, following close behind him. The man on the porch stands up, and I get a good look at him. His clothes are grungy, and his stringy hair comes down to his ears. The streaks of grey indicate he’s older, but his haggard appearance makes it worse. I look in his eyes and all I can see is a dark and empty void. It suddenly hits me that he’s Tucker’s dad, even though they look nothing alike.
I haven’t seen him since we were kids. He’s changed a lot over the years. I can hardly reconcile the man I knew to the man in front of me. He looks like he’s lived a very hard life.
“Don’t do this now,” Tucker says through his teeth. His voice is so hard and full of anger.
“Afraid your little girly is going to realize where a piece of shit like you comes from?” I suck in a breath at the nastiness of his words.
Tucker’s hands curl into fists, and I watch his shoulders tense like he’s ready to throw a punch.
“Get off my porch. I don’t have anything to say to you,” Tucker grates out.
“Listen here, fucker. You owe me rent money, and you’re going to give it to me right now.”
“I don’t owe you shit.” Tucker grabs my hand and starts toward the door, keeping himself positioned between me and his father.
“You want this bitch to know what kind of weak ass man she has in her bed?” he taunts, and Tucker whirls around so fast I barely have time to catch the movement.
He gets up in his dad’s face. “Leave her out of this or I swear to god, you won’t see another penny from me for the rest of your miserable life.”
“Get me the rent money by tomorrow or I’ll show her exactly where you come from, and we both know she’ll never want to be around your sorry ass again.”
“Leave,” Tucker growls. His dad looks at me, grinning an evil smile that sends goosebumps all over my body.
“Looks like I may not have to do too much for her to leave you, boy. Your pansy ass would never be able to keep a piece of fine ass like her,” he says, walking backward down the driveway. I just stand there watching in utter shock.
Tucker turns around, grabs my arms, and pulls me into the house. His whole body is vibrating with anger. I’m pretty sure if I said anything right now, he would snap into a million pieces.
Instead of following Tucker into the kitchen, I go and sit on his couch in the living room. When I first came over, I laughed at how much this place looked like a bachelor pad. Black leather furniture, a cheap coffee table, and a huge flat screen are all that make up the room. The rest of the house is also pretty similar, but I can’t blame him. There’s no reason for him to put a lot into his house when he’s not here very often.
Tucker comes back into the living room and sits down in the recliner next to the couch. As much as I want to go to him, I know he needs his space. I also know I need to keep my mouth shut and let him talk at his own pace, which is incredibly difficult for me because I have a million questions.
“I’m surprised you’re not asking a bunch of questions right now,” Tucker says into the silence, and I start laughing. His head whips up at me like he can’t believe I’d be able to laugh right now.
Smiling at him, I say, “I was just thinking I had a million questions but needed to keep my mouth shut for the first time ever.”
My words cause a small smile to pull at his lips, and I can’t help but to go to him. I push him back into the chair and curl up onto his lap. Wrapping my arms around his neck, I run my nose up his throat.
“You smell like smoke and delicious man.” I kiss his neck then lean back to look into his eyes.
He’s looking at me like he’s waiting for the other shoe to drop, like he’s preparing for me to leave, and I just can’t handle it anymore.
“Tucker, I need to tell you something. It’s really important, and holy shit, you’re injured!” I jump off his lap in horror that I was clinging to him like a koala when he’s probably in so much pain.
He busts out laughing, and the sound is a balm to my frayed nerves.
“We’re a mess,” he says and looks at me with so much love in his eyes I can’t help but to smile and lean down to kiss him.
