Page 13

Chapter Twelve

brYSON

I ’d never heard a sound as comforting as Tucker singing Chloe to sleep upstairs. The memories of Brooke and Zach still echoed throughout the rooms of this house, the edges of grief at times so sharp they threatened to double me over. But the deep rumble of Tucker’s voice, the sweet sound of Chloe’s giggles helped soften those edges, gentle reminders that there was still a lot of life left here.

In the kitchen, I poured the popcorn into a bowl, but my thoughts remained on the man upstairs. Everything had changed since our night out together. What had once been a simple crush on my part had turned into a preoccupation. It was more than attraction—I had genuine feelings for Tucker, feelings that made me buzz from head to toe.

Our lives had woven together rather seamlessly. We’d gone from talks about diaper brands and pediatricians to sharing past dreams and future hopes. His openness and warmth, how easy it was just being with him, pulled me closer every day.

The more I got to know him, the more I realized he wasn't like anyone I'd ever met. Certainly not like the guys I'd briefly dated before. Tucker listened to me, he understood me, and he didn’t seem bothered by my idiosyncrasies—at least not anymore. But more than that, he was caring, and funny, and I liked spending time with him. He was chaos and comfort rolled into one.

His footsteps on the stairs pulled me from my reverie, so I grabbed the snacks and headed into the living room. I plunked the sodas on the coffee table and sank down beside him on the couch, setting the popcorn bowl between us. “Extra butter, just the way you like it. You also have your choice,” I said, holding up two boxes of candy—one Reese’s Pieces and one Milk Duds.

He paused, giving it serious thought before saying, “Why don’t we share them both?”

“Good call.” I handed him the Reese’s Pieces and began opening the Milk Duds, but stopped when I saw him dump half of the candy into the bowl of popcorn.

“What the hell are you doing?” I screeched.

Tucker looked at me like I was the one who had just lost their mind. “Don’t tell me you’ve never eaten it this way.”

“Definitely not. It sounds disgusting… and messy.”

“Man, you don’t know what you’re missing then. This is the best way to eat it. It’s a little salty, a little sweet. Mmmm.”

I laughed. “You’re crazy.”

“Just try it and if you still think it’s gross, I’ll make you a new bowl of popcorn,” he promised.

“Fine,” I said.

Before I could even reach for the bowl, however, Tucker grabbed some and held it out to me, his fingers hovering in front of my mouth. My eyes bounced between the snack and his face, my pulse picking up speed. Did he really want me to?—

“Try it,” he urged.

I held his gaze as I leaned forward, ready to back away if he changed his mind, but he didn’t, his eyes focused intently on me as I opened my mouth. The touch of his fingers—slick with butter—against my bottom lip sent a thrill throughout my entire body, like a shockwave of electricity.

My tongue accidentally slipped along the pad of his thumb as I scooped the snack into my mouth. Butter, salt, and just the right amount of sweetness awakened my taste buds, and I groaned in response, my eyes fluttering shut as I savored the taste. Like he’d said, it was the perfect flavor combination.

When I opened my eyes, Tucker was staring at me open-mouthed, his pupils so wide there was barely a ring of blue left around them. I could hear the click of his throat as he swallowed. “Like it?” he asked in a husky voice.

“Delicious,” I whispered, not sure if I was talking about the snack or the taste of him. I was pretty sure it was the latter, but I wasn’t about to admit that to him and make things awkward between us.

His gaze lingered on my lips for a moment before he cleared his throat and reached for the remote. “So, uh, ready to start the movie?”

“Yeah, sure,” I said, trying to ignore the tension crackling between us.

As the opening credits rolled, I found myself hyper-aware of Tucker's presence beside me. The warmth radiating from his body, the subtle scent of his cologne, the way his arm brushed against mine when he reached for more popcorn. Every accidental touch sent sparks skittering across my skin.

We fell into our usual pattern of playful banter, tossing out comments about the plot and characters. But I couldn't focus on the screen. My attention kept drifting to him—the way his eyes crinkled when he laughed, how his Adam's apple bobbed when he swallowed, the flex of his forearm as he reached for his soda.

As the movie progressed, we gradually shifted closer together on the couch. The popcorn bowl, long since emptied, had been discarded on the coffee table. Now there was nothing between us but a few inches of charged air. Our thighs pressed together, and I swore I could feel the electricity humming between us.

When he shifted and draped his arm across the back of the couch behind me, my breath caught in my throat. I turned my head to look at him, only to find him already watching me, his eyes dark and intense. Time seemed to slow as we held each other's gaze. My heart pounded in my chest as his eyes flicked down to my lips and back up.

Tucker's hand slowly slid from the back of the couch to cup my cheek, his thumb brushing gently across my skin. I leaned into his touch, my eyes fluttering closed for a moment. When I opened them again, he was so close I could see the flecks of silver in his eyes.

“Bryson,” he whispered, his breath warm against my lips. “Can I kiss you?”

Unable to find my voice, I nodded, my heart racing as he closed the distance between us. The first brush of his lips against mine was soft, tentative. A gentle exploration that sent tingles throughout my body. But as I leaned into him, parting my lips slightly, the kiss deepened.

His lips were soft but insistent against mine, his kiss a perfect blend of tenderness and passion that made my head spin. His hand slid from my cheek to the nape of my neck, fingers tangling in my hair as he pulled me closer. I gripped his shirt, anchoring myself as waves of sensation washed over me.

The taste of butter and chocolate lingered on his tongue as it brushed against mine, igniting a fire, low in my belly. Every nerve ending in my body felt alive, hyper-aware of each point of contact between us. The scratch of his stubble against my chin, the firm press of his chest against mine, the warmth of his thigh where it touched my own.

“Damn, Bry,” he groaned.

He shifted his body, his knee between my legs, pushing me back until I lay beneath him. The cushions softened the world around us, and he was everywhere. He pinned me down with his mouth, his body, and I couldn’t get enough. I arched up, needing him, hard for him. My hips met his, grinding. God, he felt amazing. I tugged at his shirt, needing to feel skin, warmth, Tucker. Hands roamed like they couldn’t figure out where to land. He kissed me like I was the air he needed to breathe, hot and frantic and perfect.

We moved together, faster and more desperately. His weight on top of me was everything I’d ever wanted and more. I gasped against his mouth, the only sounds in the room were our ragged breaths and muffled groans. My whole body burned, my whole heart wanted him. The world was nothing but the two of us and I never wanted it to end.

But as the initial euphoria faded, a tendril of worry crept in. I pulled back slightly, searching his face. “Wait. Tucker, what are we doing?”

His eyes fluttered open, arousal flaming brightly in their depths, his breathing ragged. He propped himself up on his elbows, still hovering over me. “I thought that was pretty obvious,” he said with a soft chuckle.

I couldn't help but smile, even as anxiety began to build in my stomach. “I mean, is this just a one and done? Do you want more? What does this mean?”

His lips landed on mine, silencing my frantic questions. “Shh! Breathe, Bryson.” He waited patiently while I pulled in a breath and then another one.

As my heartrate began to slow, his expression softened. He brushed a strand of hair from my forehead, his touch impossibly gentle. “Hey, look at me,” he said softly. When I met his gaze, he continued, “I know you like things planned out and I should have thought of that. I’m sorry for just throwing myself at you like that.”

“It’s okay,” I rushed to assure him. “I liked it… clearly.” We both glanced down at our very obvious arousal and chuckled.

Tucker shifted so we could sit up, but he remained close, his hands reaching for mine. “I like you, Bryson,” he said softly, his thumb tracing circles on the back of my hand. “A lot. And I think you like me too?”

I nodded quickly. “Very much.”

His smile warmed. “Good. Then don’t you want to see where this could go between us?’

My heart soared at his words, but anxiety still gnawed at me. “But what about Chloe? She has to be our priority. If things don’t work out, it might make things awkward between us which could make things harder for her.”

He nodded, understanding in his eyes. “I get it. She's been through so much already. But think about it, we weren’t that crazy about each other at the beginning. Hell, we damn near drove each other crazy,” he added wryly. I laughed at the accurate description. “But even then, we didn’t let it get in the way of our care for her, and we never will.”

“You’re right,” I said with a sigh. “I know you love that little girl as much as I do, and we’ll always protect her. I guess I’m just worried about things becoming weird. We’re finally in a really good place. We each have our own strengths, and we’ve learned to balance them well. We complement each other and I consider you a friend. My best friend.”

My voice cracked on the word best and his face took on a look of understanding. My entire life, only one other person had held that title. Brooke. I would always consider her my best friend, but over time, someone else had crept in, filling those empty spaces, becoming someone I could always count on. Tucker was also my best friend.

“You’re my best friend too,” he whispered.

I stared at him, imploring him with my eyes. “Which is why I can’t risk losing you. Plus, we’d still have to live together, even if things didn’t work out.”

Tucker reached up, cupping the back of my neck as he looked into my eyes. “But Bry, what if it did? What if we tried and we found that this was the best thing we’d ever experienced? I’m not saying it’s always going to be perfect. I’ll still get on your nerves sometimes and you’ll still drive me insane from time to time, but I think we owe it to ourselves to find out, don’t you?”

I bit my lip, considering his words. “So, what exactly are you proposing?”

A smile tugged at the corner of his mouth. “How about we don't label anything right now? Let's just give this a chance and see what happens. We don't have to rush into anything. We can take it slow, see how things develop.”

The look in his eyes was enough to tip the scales. I took a breath, long and deep, letting the air fill me with possibilities. “Okay,” I said finally, my heart hammering in my chest. “Okay. Let’s see where it goes.”

The smile that spread across his face was everything, and the excitement buzzed through me, mixing with nervous energy. We sank back against the couch, wrapped up in each other, knowing we were diving into something big. The start of a new chapter, full of hope, uncertainty, and a possibility for the kind of joy I’d never felt before.