fault. I understand that he was hurt and angry too, even though I’m not sure why. It had been two years since I laid eyes on him when I met Wesley. So why should he care who I went out with?
“Brenna , open the door and talk to me. Don’t shut me out now. Please don’t let this come between us. I just wanted it all out there so we could move forward.”
“Why didn’t you tell me , Tucker?” I ask as I open the door with one hand and wipe the tears away with the other.
“Damn , baby. Don’t cry,” Tucker says as he reaches out and pulls me into his chest, wrapping me in his arms. “Please don’t cry. Not for him. He’s not worth it.”
“I’m not crying for him. I feel like a fool.” I sniffle and rub my face across his chest.
“I’m the fool Brenna . Not you. I let him get to you and to me and I couldn’t see past my own issues to protect you. I should have protected you.”
“You wouldn’t even talk to me . Why would you care that I was dating Wesley? I don’t get that.”
“I won’t tell you yet why I quit talking to y ou. I will tell you this though; I had every intention of walking back into your life when you were old enough to date. He just beat me to it. I cared because I’d been waiting for two years to hold you in my arms again."
Not sure how to respond, I don’t say anything for a minute. I still don’t get why he waited. Everything was perfect between us before that last summer. And then nothing. He was gone. “Why didn’t you say anything all the times me and Wesley broke up?”
“Because I was young, hurt, angry, and stupid for listening to him. Knowing that he took you r virginity broke my heart. I had waited for you, and to hear from him that you hadn’t waited for me broke me.”
Fresh tears well up in my eyes. I lean back and seeing the tears in Tucker’s eyes breaks my heart.
I broke his heart , and I didn’t even know it.
I step back and gently push him out of the bathroom . Taking his hand, I lead him into my room and sit down on the bed pulling him next to me.
“I’m sorry , Tucker. I know it’s a little late now to be saying this but I want you to know that I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I thought you hated me then.”
“I’ve never hated you , Brenna. I tried to though, I just couldn’t.”
“Is that all there is about Wesley? Can we officially close this conversation now?”
“I have one more question and a confession , then we consider it closed. Are things still over between you two?”
“Yes , that’s been over for a long time.”
Tucker lets out a breath and a small smile forms. He has the best smiles , and I’m relieved to see it there again.
He says , “After you left for college, Wesley came looking for me and was saying all kinds of shit. I knew it wasn’t true, but I lost my temper and beat the shit out of him. I don’t think he’ll ever get close enough to breathe the same air as you again.”
“How did you know they weren’t true?”
“I didn’t go far that day. I waited and watched as he drove away and then I followed you. I was hoping you were heading to the cave but you got on the interstate instead. And well… now, here we are.”
“Here we are ? But what are we, friends again? Or do you want more?”
“ I want whatever you want as long as it includes me and you.”
“So if I said all I want is to be friends again , you’d be okay with that?”
“You’d be in my life again . So, yeah. I’d settle for that.”
“And if I said I wanted to be your girlfriend ? You’d be okay with that?”
“I’d absolutely be okay with that.”
“What if I said I wanted to be your wife and have a house full of babies? Would you be okay with that?”
I watch as the smile leaves Tucker’s face , and the most serious expression I’ve seen yet appeared. “I’d be okay with that, too.”
“I was just kidding about that part . I just wanted to see what you’d say,” I tell him and shove his shoulder. I
“Brenna , open the door and talk to me. Don’t shut me out now. Please don’t let this come between us. I just wanted it all out there so we could move forward.”
“Why didn’t you tell me , Tucker?” I ask as I open the door with one hand and wipe the tears away with the other.
“Damn , baby. Don’t cry,” Tucker says as he reaches out and pulls me into his chest, wrapping me in his arms. “Please don’t cry. Not for him. He’s not worth it.”
“I’m not crying for him. I feel like a fool.” I sniffle and rub my face across his chest.
“I’m the fool Brenna . Not you. I let him get to you and to me and I couldn’t see past my own issues to protect you. I should have protected you.”
“You wouldn’t even talk to me . Why would you care that I was dating Wesley? I don’t get that.”
“I won’t tell you yet why I quit talking to y ou. I will tell you this though; I had every intention of walking back into your life when you were old enough to date. He just beat me to it. I cared because I’d been waiting for two years to hold you in my arms again."
Not sure how to respond, I don’t say anything for a minute. I still don’t get why he waited. Everything was perfect between us before that last summer. And then nothing. He was gone. “Why didn’t you say anything all the times me and Wesley broke up?”
“Because I was young, hurt, angry, and stupid for listening to him. Knowing that he took you r virginity broke my heart. I had waited for you, and to hear from him that you hadn’t waited for me broke me.”
Fresh tears well up in my eyes. I lean back and seeing the tears in Tucker’s eyes breaks my heart.
I broke his heart , and I didn’t even know it.
I step back and gently push him out of the bathroom . Taking his hand, I lead him into my room and sit down on the bed pulling him next to me.
“I’m sorry , Tucker. I know it’s a little late now to be saying this but I want you to know that I’m sorry. I never meant to hurt you. I thought you hated me then.”
“I’ve never hated you , Brenna. I tried to though, I just couldn’t.”
“Is that all there is about Wesley? Can we officially close this conversation now?”
“I have one more question and a confession , then we consider it closed. Are things still over between you two?”
“Yes , that’s been over for a long time.”
Tucker lets out a breath and a small smile forms. He has the best smiles , and I’m relieved to see it there again.
He says , “After you left for college, Wesley came looking for me and was saying all kinds of shit. I knew it wasn’t true, but I lost my temper and beat the shit out of him. I don’t think he’ll ever get close enough to breathe the same air as you again.”
“How did you know they weren’t true?”
“I didn’t go far that day. I waited and watched as he drove away and then I followed you. I was hoping you were heading to the cave but you got on the interstate instead. And well… now, here we are.”
“Here we are ? But what are we, friends again? Or do you want more?”
“ I want whatever you want as long as it includes me and you.”
“So if I said all I want is to be friends again , you’d be okay with that?”
“You’d be in my life again . So, yeah. I’d settle for that.”
“And if I said I wanted to be your girlfriend ? You’d be okay with that?”
“I’d absolutely be okay with that.”
“What if I said I wanted to be your wife and have a house full of babies? Would you be okay with that?”
I watch as the smile leaves Tucker’s face , and the most serious expression I’ve seen yet appeared. “I’d be okay with that, too.”
“I was just kidding about that part . I just wanted to see what you’d say,” I tell him and shove his shoulder. I
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