Page 22

Tucker

Sam looks terrified as I park my car in front of her father’s house.

She stares out the window, biting the inside of her cheek.

We haven’t spoken a word since we left the grocery store.

I’ve heard plenty of stories about Jim Marchand—he sounds like the worst person on the planet.

What kind of man would make his kid struggle the way he has Sam?

I already hate him, and I haven’t even met him.

“It’s not too late to change your mind.” Sam squirms in her seat, shooting me a worried look. “I hate coming here. You don’t have to do this with me.”

I reach across the armrest to clutch her hand, holding it against her thigh. “I’m here for you, Sam. I won’t let him hurt you.”

“He’s not violent.” She squeezes my hand tighter and sighs. “He’s just an asshole who doesn’t care enough to get his shit together. You can wait in the car, and I’ll run the food inside.”

“Hey,” I say, brushing my fingers along her jaw and staring into her eyes. “I’m here. Let me do this with you. We will get through it together.”

She closes her eyes for a second and lets out a deep breath. “I’m so embarrassed of Jim. You come from money. You have famous parents, aunts, and uncles, and I come from this,” she says, pointing at the rowhouse. “From a drunk degenerate gambler.”

“Did I ever tell you about Preston’s family?”

She scrunches her nose, thinking it over, and then shakes her head. “No, I don’t think so. His dad is a hockey player, and his mom is a sports agent.”

“Preston’s dad was an alcoholic before he met his mom.”

“But he was a pro hockey player.” She seems confused. “How could he drink and still play?”

“He was a functioning alcoholic. After his dad died, he started drinking all the time. Preston’s mom made him stop drinking and helped him get his career back on track.”

Sam relaxes in her chair, looking less stressed than before.

“Jamie’s grandparents were alcoholics. That’s how his dad ended up in foster care. They even named his dad after a bottle of whiskey.”

“Jameson,” she says, nodding. “Oh, that’s… interesting.”

“You get what I’m saying, Sam? Most successful people don’t come from money.

You see your upbringing as a barrier, but I think that’s why you will make it.

You never give up. I’ve never met a woman like you.

No matter how hard you have to work, you keep going.

And that’s what makes you unstoppable. It’s the reason I like you so much. ”

I love her so much.

She smiles, brushing her fingers along my hand.

“I wish I had known the real Tucker three years ago. I would have made different choices if I did. It’s hard to grow up like I did and not see someone like you, thinking you have it all and that your life is perfect.”

I snort. “Far from it. I have money and material things, but I was empty before I met you. I had hockey and my family and friends but was missing something.”

She points a finger at her chest. “And that something was me?”

“Yeah, I think so. I stopped drinking all the time after I met you. I started studying after that, too. You make me want to be a better man, Sam.”

She flashes a closed-mouth smile. “I wish I had the same effect on my dad.”

“You can’t change everyone. But you changed me.”

“If I help one person, I did my job as a teacher.”

“You’re an example worth following,” I say with a wink.

A few minutes later, we enter the house carrying bags of groceries.

The entryway stinks of cigarettes and the paint on the walls is stained from age and smoke.

As we step into the living room, I stare in horror at the man on the couch across from us.

Jim snores with a lit cigarette still in his hand.

The ashes fall to the floor as the beer in his other hand spills onto the frayed carpet.

Sam wasn’t lying about her dad or the condition of her childhood home.

But this place isn’t a home. It’s a fucking nightmare.

Seeing how this man lives puts my life into perspective.

Now, I see why Sam considers me a spoiled brat.

I am by most people’s standards, but compared to Sam, my family might as well be the Rockefellers.

“Wake up, Jim!”

Sam drops the bags on the beat-up wooden coffee table and rips the cigarette from his hand, leaving it in the overflowing ashtray to burn out.

Jim rolls onto his side, dumping the rest of the beer on the carpet, now snoring loud enough to hear him from across the room.

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.