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His voice makes his chest vibrate under my cheek, and I rub my nose against the few black hairs that dot his skin. “Indiana Joneswas my dad’s favorite movie. He could watch it five times in a row without getting tired of it, much to my mother’s dismay.”
Tucker’s arms tighten around me as if he guesses that emotion is washing over me at the memory of my parents. He places a kiss on the top of my head. I feel good pressed against him, in a bubble that separates me from the world and all the shit that inhabits it. It’s just Tucker and me.
A question pops into my head, and my mouth opens without me thinking. “Have you ever been in love?”
His thumb comes to rest on my back. “No. And you?”
I take a few seconds to answer. I don’t know how to explain things but I have to answer him in turn. “I have…” I whisper softly against his skin.
His thumb starts moving over my body again, silently helping me to relax. “It was with this Rafael guy?”
I close my eyes for a moment. “Yeah.”
“Why did you guys break up?” Tucker braces himself beneath me, attentive to my every word.
“We were in a car accident, a month after my parents died. I was rescued, but he didn’t make it.”
“Babe,” Tucker whispers, pressing me a little closer to him.
We don’t talk anymore. He leaves me in my thoughts, but I feel his breath on the top of my head reminding me that I am not alone.
I have been alone for a long time. But I am not alone anymore.
***
The next day at noon, I drop into a chair in the cafeteria, devouring the tray of fries I managed to grab. It’s amazing how fast the trays go in front of hungry little students.
As I add salt—there is never enough—a hand enters my field of vision and tries to steal a fry. I smack the unknown hand.
TJ drops onto the chair in front of me, hastily withdrawing his fingers.
“Ouch,” he squeaks, looking hurt. “Violation of my person! Help me, please!”
I stare at Tucker’s cousin as I swallow my mouthful. “If you put your hand back in my field of vision, it’ll be a homicide.”
He laughs and rolls his eyes. “I’ll have you know that you and I are in the same gang,” he teases me, crossing his arms. “Come on, give me a little smile and tell me how much you missed me.”
I really try not to smile, but in front of his happy face, I fail miserably. His scoundrel look gets a little stronger.
Noticing he’s almost drooling over my fries, I roll my eyes and hand him one. “Here, choke on it.”
A second later, he has swallowed it. “Have I ever told you that you are the best friend in the world?”
Taking it back wouldn’t do any good, again. TJ is too jovial a person for me to argue with him at this hour. However, there are big dark circles under his eyes, and he really doesn’t look his best. I hope it has nothing to do with his mother.
I open my mouth to ask him, but Sanchez appears near us, a tray of French fries in the hands.
“How did you get them?” exclaims TJ. “The lady who was serving told me that there was nothing left.”
“I played with my charms,” blows Sanchez, winking at us. He sits down close to TJ and gives him his tray. “Since I find you cute, you can take some, my dear.”
TJ nudges him but takes some. There’s only one seat left, next to me. I’m pretty sure another member is going to be added, but I don’t mind the idea. Watching Sanchez and TJ bicker, I almost feel like I belong in this group that was unknown to me a short time ago.
“Did your night go well?” I ask Sanchez, remembering the girls he was with last night.
He nods, a cheeky look on his face. “Muy bien,” he replies in Spanish, his pierced eyebrow shining in the light of the room.
TJ receives a text on his cell phone, which makes him frown. Sanchez must also notice his expression because he asks, “What about your dad? And your mom?”
