Page 29 of Zero Pucks

“Just be careful, okay. And if he finds some way to contact you, don’t tell him where you are. I don’t trust him. He’s scaring me right now.”

This was unlike her, but it was hard to imagine Bryce was truly dangerous. He was all pomp and ego. I didn’t trust him not to get violent, but he was far too delicate to do anything that would get him in real trouble. The man was not built for jail. Not even the drunk tank for a night.

“I’ll be fine.”

“Amedeo!”

“Okay! Relax. I wasn’t going to tell him where I am, and I won’t answer calls from strange numbers.”

“Better.” She breathed out a small sigh of relief. “Text me when you meet your husband, and let me know how it goes.”

I hated her a little for calling Tucker that, but it was fair, I supposed. It was the most real thing in my life, anyway. I hung up after, then went back into the rental and debated about taking another shower just to eat up some of the time between now and when I was supposed to see Tucker’s face again.

Instead, I spied my keys, then grabbed them and decided on a scenic drive. At the very least, it would let me think, and maybe it was time I got used to the quiet loneliness again. After all, once this was over, that was going to be my reality, and it was time I finally accepted it.

* * *

Being that I had no idea where I was or how far I should drive before turning back again, I was nearly late to the café. Judging how long something took wasn’t exactly my strong suit, and I was in a half panic by the time I pulled up to the little shopping center and parked.

The clock read 10:29, the glowing numbers glaring at me like I was a piece of shit who did nothing but create messes everywhere I went.

“Shut up. I’m here on time,” I told it, then smacked myself because I was talking to aclock. Taking a breath, I turned the car off and got out, hating that I had zero time to give myself a pep talk.

Maybe that was for the best. My pep talks usually turned into me panicking and running, so at least I wouldn’t do that to Tucker today. But I had to enter the café with shaking knees and my face all hot and prickly with panic, which felt terrible.

I glanced around the room, not quite sure if I was going to recognize him or not, but there he was. My gaze caught on his scar first—it bisected his right eye like some kind of anime character, which I remembered finding charming when I’d first met him.

After that, I drank in his shaggy hair, which I knew was soft, and his full lips, which I was pretty sure kissed like a dream. He had his hands on the table—rough-knuckled, long-fingered, and easy to hold when I was feeling anxious.

God, why was I waxing poetic about him? It wasn’t like I liked him…was it?

No. That was ridiculous.Snap out of it, Amedeo.

Squaring my shoulders, I bypassed the coffee counter, since I was wired enough on panic as it was, and crossed the room. As I approached the table, he startled when my shadow crossed him, and then he did that thing again where he turned and tilted his head to look at me.

Was his right eye normally so…off center? Jesus, that was a rude thing to think! I knew there was something wrong with it. He’d told me in Vegas, but I couldn’t remember anything except that he wasn’t allowed to drive.

“Hi. I’m Amedeo. S-s-sorry I’m late.” Did I seriously need to stammer right now? It had been so much worse over the last few weeks.

Tucker frowned and gestured to the seat in front of him. “I don’t recognize you.”

Rubbing the back of my neck, I tried for a laugh, though it kind of sounded like a dying goose. “Yeah, we were both pretty drunk. I probably wouldn’t recognize you, except I saw you the morning before I?—”

“Escaped?” he offered.

I turned bright red. My cheeks were burning, and I cleared my throat. It was weird to be close to him like this again without being, well, naked. Or mostly naked. I did wish I could remember what we’d done though.

We got undressed because…

“You were hot.”

His brows flew up. “I was hot? Drunk goggles, then, huh?”

Had I said all that out loud? Oh,hell. “Oh my God, n-no. No. No.” I forced myself to take a breath. “Um, I do that sometimes—blurt things out that cross my mind.”

“Ooookay?” Oh, he looked totally done with me. Crap.

“I meant to say,” I began slowly, “we were naked in bed because you got hot.”

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