Page 5 of Never Say Never

“What are you talking about?”

“Tuck or Holden.”

I groan.

“Tucker’s tats, baby blues and biceps or Holden’s curls, mysterious gaze and killer jawline,” she says wistfully, with one foot pressed into my dashboard. “How’s a girl supposed to choose?”

“They’re both egotistical and cocky.”

“Cocky is hot.”

“They’ve both slept with half of Reed Point. Still hot?”

I look over in time to see Briar smirk. “Well, they’re obviously good at—”

My hand flies up like a stop sign between us. “Spare me your disgusting fantasies.”

“Fine, I’ll stop,” she laughs. “You obviously have athingwhen it comes to talking about Tucker.”

I don’t have athing.

Okay… maybe just a small one.

Tucker and I have fallen into a pattern of provoking each other, which usually ends in us not talking for days. But that wasn’t always the case.

When we were little, we did everything together. Swimming lessons, preschool, endless hours spent on his couch watching movies. Our family photo albums are full of pictures of ustogether: our first day of kindergarten, the day we graduated elementary school, the two of us celebrating our birthdays together. Most of my childhood was spent with Tucker and his older sister Addy. We were thick as thieves… until we weren’t.

I remember the day I first noticed him in a different way. It was so cliché. We were 15 years old. We were spending the afternoon swimming in the pool at his place, as we often did in the summer. Tucker pushed himself up to sit on the edge, feet still in the water. I was lying on a floatie trying to get a tan. I was half-expecting him to kick a spray of water in my face, but when I turned my head to glance in his direction he was just sitting there quietly, looking at me. Something about his expression made my pulse speed up and my chest tighten. It was the first time I thought of Tuck as anything other than a friend.

After that day, there was a shift between us. We’d still hang out, have lunch together at school, sneak out and meet in his backyard at night, lying on a pool lounger and talking for hours. But the air between us felt different. Charged.

No one has ever made me feel unsteady on my feet like Tucker. No one has made me feel this deep connection, this intense attraction. I’ve always felt a pull toward him, and for a while I thought he felt it too. I thought maybe he wanted more.

I blink away the memories when I pull up to the two-bedroom apartment Briar and I share just four blocks from the beach.

“We should go to Cucina Caliente for dinner tonight,” Briar says as we head up the walk to our building. “I am craving tacos. Also, the place will be packed tonight. Maybe we can find you a hot dentist since the nerdy doctor didn’t pan out.”

“I’ll pass,” I tell her, heading up the stairs to the second floor. “I’m going to do some research for my trip and then I have to head over to Aunt Daisy’s.”

Briar shakes her head. “It’s Saturday night. You’re not leaving for months; you have lots of time to plan. It would do you some good to get out.”

Not a chance. Tucker and his buddies are always out drinking on Saturday nights. Reed Point is a small town, and I don’t have the energy for another run-in with him today. I also have zero desire to have a front row seat as a bunch of girls throw themselves at him.

“Have fun without me. I’m still a hard pass.”

“Big mistake, Daisy. It might help relieve some of that sexual tension you’ve got brewing inside of you,” Briar says with a wink as I unlock the door to our apartment.

A snort escapes me. “Yeah, right.”

“Okay, fine. Well, at least lock your door and get that toy out that you hide in the top drawer of your nightstand. Trust me, you’ll feel better.”

I roll my eyes. “You think an orgasm is the answer for everything. If that were the case, there would be world peace.”

“Ooh, you may be onto something. If I ever run for president, that will be my platform. Orgasms for peace!” Briar says, flashing a peace sign at me.

I shoot her a smile to appease her. “I think it needs a little work, but you’ve got my vote.”

I escape to my bedroom before Briar tries to physically drag me out of the apartment with her. I strip out of my sports bra and shorts and jump in the shower, determined to scrub all thoughts of Tucker from my mind. After I’m dressed, I settle onto my bed with my laptop. I’ve been planning my next adventure for a while now, eager to cross Italy off the long list of places I want to visit. Last year, I travelled to South Africa and two years before that I spent a few weeks backpacking in Costa Rica. I love finding hidden places, meeting new people,exploring different cultures. I want to see as much of the world as I can.

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