Page 48 of Never Say Never

He shrugs. “I’m not giving you any kind of look.”

“You are too. It’s that thing you do when you push your lips together, raise your eyebrows and do that thing with your eyes.”

He busts out laughing. “I think you have it worse for Daisy than you’re willing to admit. Look at me, Tuck—did you ever think you’d see me married with kids? And happy as hell about it? You could be next, buddy.”

“The fuck? Good for you, man, but that’s not for me. I care about Daisy, sure, but you’re way off track.”

“You literally can’t stop smiling when you’re talking about her.”

“That’s because she’s my best friend.” I raise my voice at him.

“And you have a serious crush on her.”

“For the love of everything, you need to listen to my husband,” a voice shouts from behind Jake. “You’re crazy about the girl, Tucker, it’s so obvious.”

Everly is standing in their front door, a hand on her belly.

“You good, baby?”

“I have a craving for a McDonalds’s sundae. Will you, pretty-please, go get me one?”

“You know I will. I’ll go right now.”

Jake starts to walk to his truck, grinning at Everly, who blows him a kiss before going back inside. Without turning around, Jake shouts at me from his driveway.

“Good luck, my man. Don’t fuck it up.”

I snort. Knowing me, that’s exactly what I’ll do.

SEVENTEEN

I’M JUST EXPECTING TO USE HIS DICK

Daisy

When I get back to the condo after work, Briar is already cooking dinner, and just the aroma of whatever it is she has on the stove has me salivating. I need a shower, a nap, and then possibly an entire pot of coffee, but that will all have to take a back seat to dinner because I am starved.

“Hey, girl.” Briar calls to me over her shoulder as I join her in the kitchen.

“Hey. Whatever you’re cooking smells so good.”

“Thai chicken and rice.”

“Amazing. What can I do?”

“Just grab us some plates. Let’s eat on the couch. You have some talking to do.”

I sigh, putting my bag and car keys on a kitchen chair. “Yeah, I guess I’ve left you hanging.”

“That’s putting it mildly.”

A few minutes later, we’ve taken our plates to the living room, where I take the armchair and Briar flops down on the couch.

“Okay, Daisy. Get to talking. I wanna know if he was worth it.”

“He was.”

Briar’s eyes go wide, and her eyebrows shoot to the sky. “Oh my god, you slept with him. Tell me everything.”