Total pages in book: 47
Estimated words: 45274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 45274 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 226(@200wpm)___ 181(@250wpm)___ 151(@300wpm)
Sam lifts the bags from the table and sighs, unable to look at me. “I didn’t want you to see this. It’s humiliating.”
I cup her shoulder with my hand. “The way he lives is his fault, not yours. You’re not responsible for him. He’s the parent.”
“More like a child,” she groans, leading me into the kitchen.
I help Sam put the groceries away, and then she leans against the counter, her hands covering her face. She didn’t want me to come with her, and maybe I should have listened to her, but I’m glad I came today. I’m proud of the woman she’s become despite all the obstacles in her way.
As I step in front of her, I peel her hands away, slipping my fingers between hers. “You’re not him, Sam. Don’t be ashamed.” I bend down to match her height, brushing my lips against hers. “Thank you for letting me in. I know how hard this is for you.”
“Tucker,” she breathes. “I need to tell you something.”
“No, you don’t.” I silence her by sweeping my tongue into her mouth, making her forget whatever she was about to say.
She presses her chest to mine and curls her fingers around my biceps. We get lost at the moment, instantly forgetting that we’re standing in her father’s kitchen, in his shithole house. I feel her fear shaking through her and want to take away her pain with each kiss. I never thought I could care about anyone as much as Sam. And it scares me. This time, she’s the one who could break me.
We could hurt each other.
Our kiss ends with Jim screaming for someone named Savannah. “Savannah, is that you?” he yells from the living room.
Sam stills in my arms, closing her eyes as she lets out the breath of air she was holding. “He does this every time. He gets so drunk he thinks my mom is still alive.” A tear slides down her cheek, and as it does, I wipe it away with my thumb.
“I’m here, Sam.” I kiss the spot on her cheek where the tear once was, making my way down to her jaw, planting soft kisses everywhere. “I’m here for you. I’m not going anywhere.”
“You’re too good to be true,” Sam whispers, her eyes open and wet with tears. “Sometimes, I think I’ll blink, and you’ll disappear. It freaks me out that I need you, Tucker.”
“I need you, too, Sam, and not for the selfish reasons you might think.”
She smiles, wiping away her tears with the back of her hand. “I was so afraid to bring you here, but now I’m happy I did. Thank you, Tucker.”
I plant a quick kiss on her lips. “Thanks for taking a chance on me.”
She smiles against my lips. “The best decision I’ve ever made.”
Just like that, I know that I’m in love with Sam. She took me by surprise. But I’m glad she did because I couldn’t imagine spending another second of my life without her.
Chapter 23
Sam
My nipples are like daggers from the chill in the rink. No matter how hard I try, I can’t get warm by rubbing my hands together.
“Is this your first time here?” Bex, Preston Parker’s girlfriend, asks me.
“Yes,” I say, my teeth chattering.
Bex laughs. “I can tell.” She lifts the scarf on the bench between us and offers it to me. “Here, this should help.”
She’s pretty, blonde, built like an athlete, and close to six feet tall. Bex is relaxed and far too comfortable wearing only a Strick U hockey sweatshirt and jeans. On her other side, her friend, Taylor, looks like she’s never spent a winter in the city. With two layers of clothing beneath her coat and a scarf wrapped around her mouth, she sits with her gloved hands in her pockets, rocking back and forth from the cold.
Bex follows my line of sight. “Taylor is from California. She’s still not used to the cold.”
“She must stay indoors all winter long, then.”
“I try,” Taylor mutters through the fabric covering her mouth. “But Bex makes me endure every single game.”
“Please.” Bex chuckles. “You’re here to watch Drake play, not to keep me company.”
“Maybe a bit of both,” Taylor admits, keeping her eyes on the guys playing hockey. “Drake looks good in his uniform.”
Jemma, Trent’s pregnant girlfriend, taps my thigh to gain my attention. “Trent told me about your first date with Tucker. He pulled out all the stops, huh?”
“Tucker shocked me,” I admit to Jemma. “Who knew he could be so romantic?”
Jemma moves her hand to her stomach and smiles as if in pain.
I lean in closer and ask, “Are you okay?”
“Yeah.” She closes her eyes for a second and then opens them again. “I get these weird pains sometimes. Probably just gas or something.”
Bex leans over me to talk to Jemma. “You need me to go get Doc?”