Page 79 of Never Say Never

I hear him rustling against his pillow. “I told him if it was meant to be, it would have been. Cliché, I guess, but I think it’s true. She obviously wasn’t the right girl for him if he was able to walk away. Then we drank beers. A lot of beers. And then he felt better.”

“Of course you did,” I laugh. “I don’t have to imagine what that looked like. I’ve seen it with my own two eyes more times than I can count.”

It’s quiet on the line for a full 10 seconds, and I wonder if he’s fallen asleep.

“Tucker?”

“Yeah, I’m here.” He pauses. “You know that I’m not like that anymore, yeah?”

“I know, but… it’s okay if you are. I’m not asking you not to go out and have fun.”

“I know. I just wanted you to know.”

There’s another pause

“Have you talked to your dad?”

“Nope, not at all.” I try to decipher his tone, to figure out how he feels about it, but I come up blank. My good mood evaporates wishing I was there with him.

Unfortunately, that has been a theme of this trip. One minute I’m enjoying the rich history of Italy, the next I’m missing Tucker so badly it hurts. But I’m doing my best to try to change that. I’ve looked forward to this trip for so long, and now I’m here. I don’t want to let what’s going on at home change that. I feel so grateful to be on this trip, but I also know what Tucker is dealing with back home. He says he doesn’t care about what his dad thinks, but I know it has to hurt. If Uncle Mark can’t support us, I hope he can at least be civil. For everyone’s sake. As expected, Tucker and I being together has caused tension between our families. My mom told me she hasn’t spoken to my Uncle Mark much, and besides a short visit a couple of daysbefore I left, I haven’t talked to Aunt Daisy. Things feel awkward and tense. Would it always be like this? I really hope not. But for now, this is what we have to deal with—except I’m hundreds of miles away, which leaves Tucker to deal with it on his own. He’s told me over and over that he’s fine, that he can handle it, but I can’t help but feel bad.

“It’s okay, Dais. You don’t need to worry about it.”

“I know, but I still hate it.”

“Let’s talk about something else. Like that picture you sent me yesterday of you in your bikini.”

“My bikinibottoms, you mean.”

“So fucking hot.”

“I’ll send you another when I get back to my hotel.”

Tucker’s groan is so loud I’m sure it woke up Holden. “Tell me what you’re doing today,” he says.

“You should go to sleep.”

“I want to keep listening to your voice. It’s my favorite part of my day.”

“Mine too.”

I smile. I love seeing this side of Tucker—where he is vulnerable and tells me exactly what he is thinking so I don’t have to guess. My Tuck, who is sweet and thoughtful and opens his heart for me. It’s such a turn on.

“Will you send me a picture before you fall asleep?”

He mumbles something into the phone. He’s either asleep or seconds away from it. “Good night, Tuck.”

“No… I heard you,” he yawns. “I’ll send you a pic…”

His voice trails off and I bite my bottom lip to keep from laughing. He is obviously very tired and maybe a little drunk, and the effect is ridiculously cute. “I’m going to hang up now, Tuck,” I say quietly. “I love you.”

“Love you,” he murmurs, then adds, “Daisy? Go enjoy your day, okay?”

The line goes silent before I end the call. Smiling, I stuff my phone in my pocket. Then I do exactly what he said and go enjoy my day.

The Trevi Fountain is mayhem,and there’s a huge crowd of people blocking my view. Thankfully, I am tiny and determined, so I politely push my way through the rows of people until I get to the edge of the travertine, finding a spot to sit down. I arrived back in Rome last night on a train from Sorrento, and the first thing on my list of sights to see was the most famous fountain in the world. I made sure to remember to bring three pennies to make a wish.

Legend has it that if you throw three coins in the fountain, the first guarantees a visit back to Rome, the second a love affair, and the third means a wedding.

---