Page 66 of Never Say Never

My cheeks flame. “Morning.”

“I was worried you left me.”

I smile. “I’m here.”

“We broke another one of your rules.”

“I’m pretty certain we’ve broke them all.”

Including the last one, I think to myself, but I don’t dare tell him that. It’s way too soon to admit that I’m in love with him.

“Just in case I didn’t make it clear last night… I’m done with the rules, Dais,” he answers, kissing the side of my temple as he walks past me toward the shower. “But I should warn you that I’ve never done this before. Being in a relationship, I mean; it’s new for me. But I want you. I want us. I’ll do what it takes to make this work.”

“I want that too.” I go up on my toes and press a kiss to his mouth then I check my pulse and make sure it’s still beating. My God. Am I okay? How is this man mine? I can’t be okay. I’m distracted by how gorgeous he looks in the morning. He gives me his most charming grin as he slides his briefs off onto the floor. “Have a shower with me, yeah?”

Tucker reaches for my hand, and I slip my fingers into his as the towel wrapped around me falls to the floor. His eyes roam my body before he kisses me softly on the mouth. He turns on the shower and then pulls me under the spray with him, his big arms wrapping around my waist as his lips brush the shell of my ear.

“I’m going to fuck you the way you deserve and then we’re going to get dressed and after that I’m going to feed youbreakfast. And when Holden asks what’s going on, I’m going to tell him that you’re mine because I refuse to keep you and I a secret anymore. Good?”

He pops a chaste kiss on my lips before I give him my answer. And of course, my answer is…

“Good.”

The next fewweeks fly by in a blur. Tucker and I are both busy with work. The clinic has been crazy—I’m still trying to get Hazel up to speed, and Tucker has been busy traveling out of state to visit potential recruits and their families in preparation of next season. When he is in town, he’s been prepping for training camp. Whatever free time we manage to find, we spend it together, and most nights I fall asleep with Tucker’s arms nestled around me.

We haven’t told our parents yet that we’re together—neither of us have felt ready for that discussion. It’s meant we’ve skipped Sunday dinners for the past few weeks, so I haven’t had to see Tucker’s dad. Finding out what he did to keep us apart all those years ago felt like a sledgehammer to my heart and sometimes I wonder if I will ever be ready to see the man I once thought of as a second dad.

Tucker and I won’t be able to avoid them for much longer, though. Our birthdays are coming up, and our parents are insisting on throwing us a party this Sunday, so it potentially could be a very awkward evening.

We have, however, shared the news with our friends. For the most part, it was met with a chorus ofwhat took you so longandit’s about timeand I admit that has made me hopeful that my parents might feel the same way.

Despite the nervousness we both feel about having to confront his dad, things between Tucker and I have been incredible. We have been making up for lost time, getting to know each other again, and even though I know Tucker almost as well as I know myself, it has still been fun learning all the little details of his life that I’ve missed out on. Things like what he likes to eat for breakfast, and what side of the bed he sleeps on, whether he snores (I was happy to find out that he doesn’t) and what shows he binges on Netflix (currently, sports biographies, but I’m determined to get him into true crime).

There is one thing we seem to steer clear of: The fact that I leave for Italy in just a few weeks. It’s sort of the elephant in the room with us. It’s like we can both hear the clock ticking, but neither of us wants to bring it up and risk bursting this little bubble we’re in. After what we’ve been through over the past 10 years, I feel confident that we will be able to get through three months apart. But I’m going to miss him so much.

Today, though, I’m spending the day shopping with my mom before I meet up with Tucker and a few of his friends later for dinner to celebrate our birthdays. When we walk into Nordstrom, I feel my phone vibrate in my back pocket.

Tucker: What time are you finished shopping with your mom?

Me: Why? Is everything okay?

Tucker: I miss you. I haven’t seen you in ten and a half hours. I shouldn’t have to be without you for this long.

A smile stretches across my face, and I have to remind myself to play it cool.

Me: Will you survive?

Tucker: I’m not sure.

Me: I’ll be home around four, pick me up at six?

Tucker: If I can wait that long *sad face emoji*

I shove my phone in my pocket, noticing that my mom is staring at me with a curious expression.

“Why are you looking at me like that?” I ask.

“Just wondering who it is who has you smiling like that.”

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