Ink (41 page)

I nodded. “Things are fine. It just wasn’t the right thing for me.”

Dad leaned back in his chair, looking a bit comforted to hear me say so. “Well, how about this? How about I get to know this Tucker character a little better? That way we can get a sense of Tucker before things go anyplace else.”

I knew there was no getting around this. So I nodded.

“
Good. How about you call him and let him know we are having dinner at the house tonight. And let him know he is more than welcome to come along.” Dad returned to the stove, stirring the pot. I sniffed the air.

“
Chicken Alfredo. Nona’s recipe, minus the booze.” Dad cracked a half grin.

I hurried off to my room to inform Tucker that our plans had fallen through and that now he would have to tolerate a night with my father. He took it rather well, asking if there was anything he needed to bring. Such manners, I tell ya.

Finally showered and clean, I pushed a headband down on my head securing my bangs back. I applied some cherry lip gloss, dusted a light pink blush on my cheeks and spritzed on some
Love Spell
.

Crawford’s thunderous howl echoed the hallway letting me know that Tucker was, without a doubt, in my home. I stood in front of my bedroom mirror, studying my reflection. I smoothed my lavender shirt, adjusting the sleeves. Pleased with my ensemble of jean capris and the lavender button up Karsen traded me. I headed out to greet him.

Tucker rose from his seat in the kitchen followed by Lynette, his mother. I held back my surprised expression, trying my hardest to keep a straight face.

“
Hey,” I said, but it came out a little too high pitched. Dad repeatedly wiped his hands on his dish towel looking just as flustered as I felt.

Lynette smiled anxiously, her eyes full of apprehension. The only one who looked calm and at ease was Tucker.

“
My mom said she was staying in, and since we weren’t going out to dinner, I thought maybe you guys wouldn’t mind if she tagged along,” Tucker explained.

“
Not a problem at all,” I said with a smile, eyeing my dad to agree with me.

“
Yeah, there is plenty. I wish I would have known you were coming, I might have put on something a little nicer than shorts and a tank top,” Dad joked, looking down at his plaid shorts and stained shirt.

“
I assure you it’s just fine. Don’t go through any trouble for me,” Lynette told him. She had a huge smile on her face as she stared at my dad wielding a dripping spoon. Her rose colored lips tight and permanently smiling at him. Every word that escaped her lips sent her hand to her golden hair, which she constantly pushed behind her ears. She and Dad straight away started up conversation.

“
Looks like they are hitting it off,” Tucker pointed out, coming to stand by me.

“
It’s sort of nice. Dad has nobody here but us,” I said, watching Dad stir and talk while Lynette added seasonings to the food and shuffled dishes around. They worked like a well oiled machine together. Almost natural.

“
I figure we hang around for dinner and then we can take off and get some ice cream or something,” Tucker offered. His eyes wandered over me, making my heart skip a beat at the thought of his eyes anywhere but connected to mine.

“
Maybe, if you’re lucky,” I teased.

“
Lucky is right. I couldn’t imagine I would be after all I put you through,” Tucker said, shoving a hand in his pocket. He stared at the floor, growing uncomfortable.

“
I thought we said we weren’t going to discuss this anymore?”

“
I know we weren’t, but I was a creep. Let me say sorry one more time,” Tucker said, holding his hands out for an embrace.

I eyed him apprehensively, and as soon as his smile appeared on his face, that was enough to pull me in for the hug. I squeezed him tightly.

“
Apology accepted. And it really means a lot to me.”

“
I promise I will never act like such an ass again.” He crossed his heart, his big smile enough to soften my heart like chocolate in a car on a summer day.

I released a big grin, surprisingly feeling really at ease now that I felt Tucker was being really genuine with me. He didn’t have to go through the trouble of apologizing all over again, but he did. And I could see it in his eyes, the way they didn’t turn away away from me when he told me all this. What he was saying was heartfelt, I could sense it.

Dinner went smooth and fast and soon I was walking the boardwalk with Tucker while Dad and Lynette were back at my house drinking wine and watching an old show that Lynette said was her favorite.

“
Thanks for hanging out with me,” Tucker said, letting out a light chuckle.

“
You’re welcome. Thanks for hanging out with me. I think I needed it more than you,” I said, regretting the last part.

Tucker slowed his pace. “They’ll come around. It’s a lot harder for them to do so when they don’t see you at school.”

“
Maybe I don’t even care. Maybe this is good enough for me,” I said with a shrug.

“
Everybody needs friends,” Tucker said. I nodded. I had Karsen, maybe not all the time, but she was someone.

“
It’s not about quantity, it’s about quality.” I laughed at my lame joke.

Tucker pushed my hair off my shoulder as the wind sailed around us. His eyes full of interest as he stared down at me. I moved a little closer, looking up with a smile.

“
Am I quality?” He laughed.

I nodded, a sense of urgency pulsing through me. My heart sped up in my chest.

“
Let’s get that ice cream,” Tucker said, pulling me in for a quick squeeze before we got in line. The crisp clean whiff of his cologne filled my nose.

“
I don’t know if I can watch this all over again,” Tucker teased as we located a picnic table free of people to sit at. Tucker straddled the bench so that one of his feet was on the inside while the other was on the outside. He patted the space in front of him.

“
I don’t think ice cream ever gets old,” I told him, licking at my vanilla cone.

Tucker plunged a straw into his milkshake. “Not when you’re

eating it like that.”

I grinned, turning away from him. He brought his arm to mine, showing me he would cool it.

“
So tell me something about you,” he said.

I bit at my lip, considering what to share with him. “Like what?” I said, licking my lips to free them of any ice cream.

“
Anything you want to share with me. I would love to know just about anything.”

I laughed, finding that humorous. As I looked away, my eyes fell on Kidd and Oz. I promptly lost my free spirit at the sight of them. My stomach twisted and my skin crawled. This was not what I wanted to have happen anytime soon.

“
What’s the matter?” Tucker asked, following my gaze. His body grew rigid. “Oh, I see.”

“
It’s nothing. I just, I don’t know.” I was out of words. Kidd and Oz got in line.

“
Hey, don’t worry about it. Let’s just take a walk,” Tucker offered, standing up. I followed in a hurry to get out of view. Tucker tossed his cup in the trash, keeping his eye on the two of them.

Kidd right away noticed me. He gave me an unspoken nod, his face proving to me he was a bit saddened to see me hanging around Tucker again. Oz shifted his gaze away, not bothering to waste another look on me.

A rush of sadness ran over me. I missed the times we all had fun together. If only it was that simple and we could all be friends again.

Tucker threw an arm around my shoulders as we hit the boardwalk. “Everything will be just fine. Don’t even worry about it,” he said, trying to make me feel better.

There was no way of knowing if that were true though.

“
Well, I guess this is goodnight. I had a great time,” Tucker said at my gate. He eyed the house for a moment before settling back on me. I smiled up at him.

“
Yeah, it was nice. Thanks for the ice cream.”

Tucker rested a hand on either side of the fence, pinning me between his arms. He lifted my chin, planting a soft peck on my lips. I closed my eyes, enjoying the union, my head telling me not to be so fast to feel anything for this guy. But my hormones telling me that what was happening felt good.

I accepted the kiss, caressing his neck with my fingers, pulling even closer to him and allowing his hands to wrap around me securely. His tongue ran across my bottom lip before taking on a more forceful approach. I kept up with his mouth, my heart thudding against his chest. Our bodies so close I could feel the warmth of his skin.

“
Thanks for the night,” I said, breaking away, staring into his warm gaze. Tucker pressed his chin against the top of my head, breathing in my perfume.

“
Anytime. I’ll call you sometime soon,” he said softly. He gave a quick wave, strolling back down the boardwalk.

“
What about your mom?” I called after him. Tucker turned around with a smirk. He pulled his phone from his pocket.

“
She texted me an hour ago and told me not to wait up.” Tucker grinned.

I waved goodbye, going up my stairs. It appeared that I wasn’t the only one who got lucky tonight.

For about five minutes I was lying face down listening to laughter down the hall from my bedroom. Either Dad was really funny, or something else was going on down the hallway.

I found my headphones in my desk drawer, pulling them on to mask the noise. I browsed my playlist, settling on some
Lifehouse
.

I was drained. I rolled to my side, resting my
Ipod
on my pillow.

Tucker and I had shared a kiss. But like it or not, it wasn’t the same feeling I had whenever Slade and my lips met each other’s. Tucker’s was different. Almost familiar and friendly. Not exciting and electrifying as with Slade.

“
I miss you,” I whispered into my pillow, touching my wrist where the memory of that tiny black heart once rested against my skin.

I closed my eyes, listening to the song’s lyric and tried to shove Slade far from my mind. I couldn’t keep thinking about him. Things were over. Things had to be over.

I curled up in a tight ball tapping my feet along to the music. I was just starting to nod off, when something with a whole lot of mass weighed down the lower end of my bed.

My heart seized up. I clenched my hands into tight fists, terrified to make any kind of movement. I cracked one eye, the soft moonlight hardly allowing me to see anything. I prayed it wasn’t Ezra again. She really needed to leave me alone already.

Finally channeling some guts, I snapped on my light and let out a scream, jumping out of my bed at the sight of Slade. My
Ipod
dropped to the ground, ripping my headphones down my neck.

“
Hope!” Dad yelled, beating on the door only seconds after my startled scream. Crawford howled along.

I held my chest. “Dad, I’m all right. I just fell out of my bed.”

Silence. Then laughter. “Are you okay? Do I need to install a bed rail?”

I shook my head. “No, I’m fine,” I assured him.
“Goodnight.”
I jerked my headphones off, setting them on my desk. Slade sat perfectly still on my bed. His hands on either side of him, holding tight to my comforter.

“
You really shouldn’t be here,” I told him, staying across the room, as far away as I could in the small confines of my bedroom.

“
I’m only here because Kidd told me you were out with Tucker.” His expression was cold.

I crossed my arms. “Yeah. And why is that any of your concern?”

Slade sighed. “It’s not. But you know as well as I that he is bad news.”

“
Funny, Tucker said the same about you once.”

“
I mean it,” Slade said, overlooking my snappy disposition.

I couldn’t believe he had entered my room after all that had taken place. To have the nerve to come anywhere near me did not sit well with me.

“
You have to leave. You’re crazy ex girlfriend is not one to mess with. And I really don’t want to deal with her anymore. The next time, she probably will kill me.” I grabbed hold of my curtains, directing him to go outside. “Get out.”

“
I wouldn’t let her near you,” Slade said, standing up.

“
That’s not what I’m concerned with. I’m worried about once you’re gone. Now leave. I do not want anything to do with you, Slade,” I said, raising my voice.

“
I was only doing that to find a way to be with you,” Slade said, all of a sudden coming nearer. I stepped away, my heart thudding in my chest from the fear of Ezra.

“
You can’t kill someone to be with me.”

“
If it made her leave me alone, I would have,” he admitted, stepping closer. He took my wrist, lightly grazing his thumb over my skin.

“
That’s not right. And it doesn’t matter because you scare me. I was so scared,” I said, looking into his eyes, his own softening at my words.

He swept his hand across my cheek. “I would never hurt you, Hope. Truthfully, the only thing I want to do is keep you out of harm's way.”