Page 27 of The Long Game

"Archrivals, Tuck! Why are you not grasping this? If anyone ever asks about you, I’ll have to say, Tucker who? You’re as good as dead to me." I smirk. "I also can’t be in two places at once. How can I be at your game and Luca’s? Hmm, maybe if you played for the same team…"

"Okay, I get it." He raises his hands. "But, still, just one game?"

"Your stadium is nine hours away. That’s an overnighter. Unless my parents go, I have nowhere to stay."

"You could stay with me," he shrugs, swirling his beer bottle.

"In your tiny dorm? Where would I sleep."

He glances up and holds me captive with his eyes. Goosebumps trickle down my arms.

Oh.

Sleeping in the same bed with Tucker. Soothing his muscular body after a brutal game. Why does the thought of that make my nipples pebble?

He looks down at his beer and takes a long pull of the golden liquid.

"I’m sorry that I haven’t been around as much the last few months," he says.

"You mean the last eighteen months?"

"It hasn’t been that long, you’re exaggerating." He shakes his head.

"No, it started way before college admissions. Seems like ever since the dock accident you’ve pulled away. My mom had to beg you to come to the lake house last summer. What I don’t understand is why?" He doesn’t offer anything. He just stares at the blank space above the TV. "You stopped staying here as much and you’ve made excuses for the last couple of family vacations. You saved my life that day. I wouldn’t be here if it weren’t fo-"

"Stop," he interrupts, shaking his head like he’s trying to shake the memory. He stands up from the couch.

"…And now you’re avoiding us…or maybe just me?" I stand up to face him. "What did I do?"

"You didn’t do anything." He swallows hard.

"Talk to me Tucker."

"I should go. This was a bad idea." He turns from me and heads for the door.

"Don’t go like this — talk to me. Please, Tucker, let’s fix this," I plead as I walk briskly behind him. His long stride makes me take two steps for every one he does in order to keep up.

He has his hand on the doorknob and I place both of my hands around his large bicep to convince him to stop. His muscles flex slightly beneath my fingertips.

"There’s nothing to fix, Lex. Nothing’s broken." He looks at me with defeat in his eyes. "Promise me something."

I nod, even though I have no idea what I’m agreeing to.

"This summer, when you’re at the lake house — don’t use the fucking stairs, okay? I lost my mom already; I can’t lose you, too."

He stares down at the doorknob, but he hasn’t turned it yet. Maybe I can still convince him not to go.

I slide my hands around his waist to get him to face me. I didn’t realize that he made a connection between my accident and his mother’s death. I never considered that it would trigger him. All this time and he has never mentioned that he was scared he was going to lose me like he lost her. My heart breaks for him.

He wets his lips and drops them to my hairline and kisses where the scar from hitting my head on the dock is still slightly visible anytime my hair is pulled back in a ponytail.

He remembers exactly where it is, and my heart squeezes. A slow exhale leaves my body as my eyes close, attempting to lose myself in the sensation of his warm lips on my skin.

He pulls back slightly and my eyes open, ready to battle him to stay again. His eyes drop to my lips. Before I can ask him to stay for the second time, he presses his lips to mine.

The first kiss is soft and sweet, but he’s holding back. Before he can pull away, I kiss him again – harder. My hands wrap around the back of his neck and I keep him glued to me.

He lets out a growl that registers at the apex between my thighs. He wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me tight to his body. My mouth opens into the next kiss and he takes the opportunity to slip his tongue into mine. An electric current jolts through my belly.

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