Page 9 of Dare to Fall
For years, I convinced myself I was only attracted to theideaof us together.
Every time I wondered how different my life would be if I’d just let him out of the friendzone before prom night—before he enlisted in the Army—I always arrive at the same conclusion: it was just a fantasy that sounded good in theory but would never have worked out in reality. That I didn’t reallylikehim like that, I just liked the idea of him as more than my platonic best friend.
But now?
I’m really fucking attracted to Tucker Black.
The thought plays on repeat our first hour on the river, taunting me. My nipples are tingling and puckered beneath the layers of fabric, and it has nothing to do with the cool, autumn weather. It has everything to do with how fucking turned on I’ve been since he pulled me against his hard, muscular body on the shore.
I want Tucker.
I want to throw caution to the wind and ride him like he’s a class six rapid—extremely dangerous and thrilling.
If there’s any chance of a friendship truce however, I don’t want to fuck it up by giving into my suddenly lustful temptations. And there’s no guarantee he’d welcome my advances, anyway. He seems more than a little irritated about us being stuck together.
“How long have you been in Cinnamon Creek?” I ask over my shoulder, desperate to break an hour-long silence.
“Just for the season.”
“I didn’t know you got out of the Army,” I say, trying to swallow the hurt. One minute, he promised to be my prom date since the quarterback, Colby Johnson, ditched me for his on-again-off-again girlfriend. The next, Tucker ditched me too. He left for basic training despite having never talked about enlisting in the military. It’s never made sense to me.
“About a year ago, when Reid did.”
“You two are still friends then?”
“Of course.”
“I’m glad for that.” I always liked Reid, but more in that brotherly sort of way. If I’m being honest, I’m shocked that he and Erin never ended up together. He’s way more her type thanChadever was.
“You’re still close with Erin and Stormi?” he asks of my cousins.
“Yeah, we are.” They’re the only family I’ve ever truly felt close to. I leave out the part about moving to Omaha after a bad breakup, when Erin offered me a room until I got back on my feet. No need to list my failures right off the bat. Guilt twists my stomach, because I still haven’t told her I’m moving out. I didn’t want her to worry whether or not I’d make it back for the wedding.
“What happened?” Tucker asks. “Erin was supposed to get married but isn’t?”
“Erin’s piece-of-shit ex-fiancé porked her stepsister.”
“Fuck. That’s terrible.”
“I wanted to fly out to Vegas, but apparently I was the only one with murder on the brain. So, we’re here instead.”
“You always were loyal to a fault,” Tucker says, his chuckle both familiar and mildly mocking. Or maybe I’m imagining the familiar part, confusing it for the rushing river. The heat pooling lower in my belly doesn’t care if it’s real or imaged.
But the heat igniting my chest over the mocking part of his laugh is pure frustration.
“Not loyal enough, apparently,” I mumble.
“What?”
“You left me,” I snap, turning in my seat as much as I can to face him. “You joined the fucking Army without telling me—I had to hear about it from Erin—and then you left without even saying goodbye.”
“Gabby, look?—”
“I came to see you the day you were leaving, but you were already driving away. You never called or wrote me?—”
“Gabriella!”
“Don’tGabriellame! Youleftme without?—”
