A Love Like This (Book 1) (34 page)

“
Oh honey,
”
 
she says wrapping her arm around my waist. Shauna walks over and pulls the rocks out of my hair.
 
Samantha looks me up and
 
down with a smug smile.
 
Her eyes settle on my wedding rings
 
and the
 
smile turns into a gr
imace.
 
She looks at Tucker and
back to me.
 

“
Who exactly are you?
”
 
I ask.
 
The caterers are setting up for dinner.
 
They continue to work while we talk but I can tell they
’
re listening.

“
I was just about to ask you the same question,
”
 
Samantha says.

“
You know exactly who I am,
”
 
I say with a smile.
 
Joan pulls me towards one of the rooms.
 
Tucker starts to follow but Shauna stops him.
 

“
We
’
ll take care of her,
”
 
She says following Joan and I.

Joan opens the door to an expansive bedroom.
 
The room looks like it was decorated for a man.
 
The custom made bed is a few feet longer than a standard Cal King and the furniture is all dark wood.
 
There
’
s also a bookshelf with sports memorabilia in glass cases.
 
Joan rushes into the bathroom for a first aid kit. I limp over to a cluster of pictures on the wall.
 
There
’
s a picture of Mike, Tucker and Samantha in front of a bond fire.
 
It looks like it was taken when they were in high school.
 
They all look so young and happy.
 
There
’
s another picture of Mike and Tucker playing peewee basketball and a few pictures of Tucker with people I don
’
t recognize.
 
 
“
I
’
m sorry about all of this,
”
 
Shauna says from behind me.
 
 
“
I shouldn
’
t have brought her here.
”

“
It
’
s not your fault,
”
 
I say turning to face her.
 
She looks exactly like Tucker but her features are softer and her long blond hair looks as if it was recently colored.
 

“
So Tucker really let us have
 
it
 
when you ran out.
”

“
He
’
s very protective.
 
That
’
s
 
one of the things
 
I love about him,
”
 
I say feeling my face get hot.
 
Joan comes over with a first aid kit.
 

“
How did you two meet?
”

“
I ran into him in the quad on my first day of school.
”

“
And you had no idea who he was when you met him,
”
 
Shauna asks accusatorily.

“
Shauna
 
don
’
t
 
be rude,
”
 
Joan says smacking her arm.

“
No, why does everyone keep asking me that?
 
Is there some rich guy list that I don
’
t know about?
”
 
I say meeting Shauna
’
s gaze.
 

“
Sit down Leila let me patch up that knee.
”
 
 
I hobble over to the bed and Joan cleans and bandages my skinned knee.
 
Shauna glowers at me with her arms folded.

“
That
’
s a very pretty dress.
”

“
Thank you,
”
 
I say brushing away pebbles and dirt.

“
Isabella Toledo right,
”
 
she asks with a raised eyebrow.

“
It is a replica of an Isabella Toledo that I purchased with my own money.
 
Money that I earned at a job,
”
 
I say standing to my feet.

“
Thank you for inviting me over for dinner Joan.
 
It
’
s getting late I should go.
”

“
Leila please
 
stay. Shauna
 
apologize
 
for being rude.
”

“
She
’
s just looking out for her brother
’
s best interest,
”
 
I say.
 
 
Shauna
’
s plump face blushes.
 
 
I turn and walk out of the room with
 
Joan and Shauna following closely
 
behind me.
 
The caterers and Mr. Bradley have left
 
the kitchen.
 
Tucker and Samantha are alone.
 
He
’
s leaning against the counter.
 
His back is turned and he doesn
’
t hear us walk into the room.
 
Samantha is just inches away from him with
 
her hand on his stomach.
 
She sees me and
 
says
 
something
 
I
 
can
’
t decipher
 
before reaching
 
up to kiss him.
 
He pushes her away but she still looks over at me with a smug expression.
 

“
What the hell have I gotten myself into,
”
 
I say walking towards them.
 
Tucker jumps away from Samantha.
 
 
“
I
’
m leaving.
 
I didn
’
t sign up for any of this,
”
 
I say picking up
 
my purse.

“
I
’
ll drive you,
”
 
Tucker says moving towards me.

“
I
’
ll take a cab.
 
It seems like you have unfinished business here,
”
 
I bite the inside of my lip.
 
I will not give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry.

“
Baby, she kissed me and I stopped her.
 
There
’
s nothing going on.
”
 
 
Tucker reaches for my hand.
 
I pull away and walk towards the door.
 
I don
’
t know the names of any cab companies.
 
Most of the money I had when I moved here is gone and
 
a
 
cab from Marin to Berkeley would cost a fortune.
 
But I
’
m determined to get home even if I have to scale the side of the mountain to get there.

“
Let her go Tucker,
”
 
Samantha says reaching for his arm.
 
 
“
But you
’
ll have to get my rings
 
back from her.
 
Did you have them
 
stretched?
 
I can
’
t believe they fit
 
her chubby finger.
”
 
 
Now logically I know I
’
m not fat.
 
The dress I
’
m wearing is a size two and if it wasn
’
t for my boobs holding it
up it would slide right off, s
till being called chubby stings badly.

“
You gave me someone else
’
s rings?
”
 
I say spinning around to face Tucker.

“
I never
 
officially gave them
 
to her.
 
I was going to but---
“

Samantha interrupts,
 
“
He was going to but I said no when he proposed,
”
 
I didn
’
t realize what I had until it was too late.
 
I look down at the rings and my
 
heart breaks.
 
I take them
 
off and walk over to the place where she
’
s standing.
 
 
Joan, Shauna and Tucker all watch in silence.

I drop the rings on the floor in front of her.
 
“
They
’
re all yours,
”
 
I say.
 
I lean close to her and in a voice just above a whisper say,
 
“
That unfamiliar taste on your lips after you kissed him is my pussy.
”
 
She touches her lips and frowns.
 
I know that
’
s a vulgar thing to say but I can
’
t let her win completely.

“
Leila please
 
don
’
t
 
go,
”
 
Joan says.

“
I
’
m sorry about all of this Joan.
”

“
You have nothing to be sorry about.
 
I can
’
t believe how my children have treated you.
”

I lower my head and walk towards the door.
 
Tucker turns to follow me.
 
 
“
No
 
don
’
t,
”
 
I say without looking at him.

Tucker reaches for my arm.
 
“
Baby I messed up.
 
Let
’
s just go home and talk about this,
”
 
He says.

“
Will you please just let me go?
 
I
’
ve never been so humiliated and I
’
m having a hard time breathing right now.
”
 
 
Joan walks over and wraps her arm around my waist.
 
I rest my head on her shoulder and I can
’
t hold back the tears any longer.
 
 
I feel her body tense.
 

“
You, you and you,
”
 
she says pointing to Tucker, Shauna and Samantha,
 
“
Get the hell out.
”
 
 
Mr. Bradley shows up holding a glass of scotch, cognac or whatever strong brown liquid old rich white men drink.