Page 38 of Survival

“A little. Just overwhelmed. I had a long talk with Nic tonight, and it got me thinking.”

“Good or bad?” His hand found mine under the covers, his thumb caressing soothing circles into my palm. My insides melted at his touch, loving how intimate it felt. I knew he wanted more, but he never pushed. I just wished I could push myself. I missed him and that part of us.

“Not sure. He meant it to be good, but it really just made me think about how messed up I am. How I don’t know how to fix it.”

“You’re not the only one.” His fingers moved to mine, gently trailing up and down their lengths. His index finger eventually ran along the base of my ring finger, and I knew he was thinking about the band I refused to wear.

I sighed, knowing what was coming, or what he was thinking, at least. “Getting engaged won’t fix anything, Tucker.”

“I never said it would. Those are your words, not mine. I bought that ringbeforethe accident happened.”

“When there was a baby. Now, it would just be using it as a bandaid.”

Tucker growled and rolled me over onto my back, his strong body hovering over me as he locked those whiskey eyes with mine, so much ferocity and love burning through his gaze.

“Stop assuming you know what I want and how I feel. I proposed because I love you and want to spend every last second of my life with you and for no other reason than that. You being pregnant might have sped things up, but I still know what I feel and what I want. You’re not ready. You’re scared. I get that, but the second you get it through your thick skull how much I want you, my proposal’s still there. It’s just waiting for you to say yes.”

I blinked up at him, so much emotion swirling through me. Joy mixing with terror and uncertainty. I knew he meant it, but I was so messed up. There was so much to still work through.

I reached up to run my hand along the side of his face, cupping his strong jaw, and brushed my thumb along his bottom lip. “I hear you. I promise.”

His eyes closed, and he ducked his head to touch his brow to mine. “You’re it for me, princess. I swear it.”

My eyes filled with tears as I wrapped my arms around his neck, pulling him down, and he enveloped me, rolling to the side again to hold me to him.

“Did something happen?” I whispered against his chest, picking up on tension I hadn’t noticed before. Or that he hadn’t let me see.

“Zane was at the party. We fought,” he admitted, and I stiffened, everything in me going tense. “I tried, Izzy. I swear I tried to ignore him, but he knows exactly how to push my fucking buttons. Nic pulled me off before it could go too far, but then Annie went off on him for not stopping it sooner. It got ugly, and I’m pretty sure Jet’s pissed. Probably at both of us. It’s a whole fuck fest.”

I didn’t have to look up to know he ran a hand over his face and back through his hair. I just laid there, the seconds ticking away as I tried to figure out how I felt. I was so over the fighting. The damage it had already caused.It’s like he never fucking learns.

“Izzy?”

“How’s your hand?”

He sighed.

“You bruised it, didn’t you?” Right before this big game with the recruiter coming up.

“It’ll be fine. I’ll tape it up before the game.”

“Which you shouldn’t have to do.”

“I know. But if you’d heard what he said—”

“I’d have told you to ignore it,” I snapped, the tension in our room suddenly pulsing, straining through the quiet between us. “Let’s just go to sleep, Tucker.” My voice was dry, void of the emotion I was holding back, and I rolled to face the outside of the bed, so much within me screaming.

Chapter 11

ISABEL

With everything weird and tense within our group, the next few days dragged by. Jet was frustrated with Annie about going off on Nic. They’d managed to make up this morning, neither of them wanting to still be mad for their anniversary tonight, except Annie was still so pissed at Nic that she wouldn’t even set foot in the Thanos’ house. And while it had been killing me to do it, I’d made Tucker go home the past two nights, sleeping in my room I shared with Annie instead. I was just too disgusted with him for fighting again. Annie had loved it, though, keeping me up both nights to chat and dish about everything going on and all the drama at school. I’d happily let her, knowing the losing battle with sleep I’d face, anyway.

I was dragging today because of it, nearly falling asleep in about half of my classes. Lisa was living it up, at least three new rumors starting about Tucker and I now that we were fighting. I didn’t even care. She was still delusional, and I had other shit to worry about in my life than her pathetic self.

I took a deep breath, inhaling the fresh, outside air from where I was perched on the backyard patio set. Dinner was in the oven, and my Kindle was balanced on my lap as I listened to Archer and Colton play tag with Chelsea and Victoria. My vision blurred, and I blinked. I seriously needed to make up with Tucker. My nights were murder.

Itwasnice spending more time with Annie, though.

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