by Keelan Storm
Her expression softened as he stared into her emerald eyes, and she flushed with the sincerity she saw there. It was hard to look away; and Tucker knew she was as drawn to his gaze as he was to hers, but just as he wanted to lean in, she looked away, handing him the bag of ice from his jaw.
“I think I’m going to go take a shower. My shoulder’s starting to ache a little.”
His heart dropped a bit at the disappointment, but he wouldn’t push her, especially not tonight. He stood up, intending to leave when he felt Izzy’s hand grasp his arm.
“Don’t go,” she said, her eyes pleading and scared.
“Okay, I’ll stay,” he assured her and went to sit back down. He wouldn’t leave her by herself if she was frightened. She had every right to be tonight.
“Actually, do you think you could wait in the hall upstairs? Or in Tyler’s room?” She fidgeted as she spoke, tugging at the ends of her hair behind her back then crossing her arms as she waited for his response. “I don’t want to be up there alone.”
“I’ll sit outside your door,” he told her. Whatever she needed.
* * *
Isabel stood beneath the steady stream of hot water, letting the heat work its way into her sore and bruised muscles. Being struck and feeling defenseless against someone who intended to hurt her had given her a bitter aftertaste of herself.
She had been incredibly stubborn these past several weeks and for all the wrong reasons. Wesley had seemed so perfect at first, and she just kept blowing things off when he would do something that didn’t sit right, ignoring what her gut had been trying to tell her. And for what? To prove Annie wrong? To have a boyfriend she’d been happy without in the first place?
“So stupid,” she degraded herself.
After the soreness in her muscles eased, she proceeded to wash, her thoughts switching to Tucker. He liked her. He had been there for her tonight, saved her from a horrifying experience. She thought of him sitting right outside her bedroom door and felt a strange mixture of excitement and comfort.
“Is it possible for four childhood friends to grow up next door to one another and end up together?” It was for Annie and Jet, she knew that much, but was the same in store for her and Tucker? “What would happen if we started dating and broke up?” She couldn’t bear the thought of losing one of her best friends that way. “And don’t forget about those boundaries. You set those up for a reason.” But if they truly mattered, why had he been in her head so much?
Stepping out of the shower, she towel-dried her hair, wrapping the terrycloth around her body before bracing herself for the mirror. The damage, however, appeared more internal than anything else. Brushing her hair next and then her teeth seemed to center her a bit. She at least felt more put together when she stepped into her room, yet she stopped dead in her tracks, her heart going to her throat as she spotted someone by the window.
Tucker turned around, his eyes widening in surprise as a wave of relief rushed through her again. “Of course it wouldn’t have been Wesley. Tucker wouldn’t have let that happen,” she thought as her friend’s gaze dragged up and down her body. He swallowed hard, stumbling for words.
“Uh,” his eyes met hers before he finally snapped them shut. “I’m sorry, Izzy. I-I thought I’d be out of here before you were done.”
It dawned on Isabel that she wasn’t wearing anything but a towel, and her hand flew to where she had tucked the two ends together at her chest. “What are you doing in here?” she asked, her embarrassment starting to stake its claim in her cheeks.
Standing awkwardly in front of her window, Tucker kept his eyes clenched shut. “I thought I heard something outside, and I wanted to check.”
“What was it?” she asked, involuntarily starting to shake.
Tucker rushed to her side at the panic in her voice. “Nothing. It was nothing. Just one of the neighbors coming home.”
She nodded, forcing the breath back to her lungs.
He gently held her elbow, steadying her. “You okay?” he asked, ignoring her state of dress to search her gaze.
“Yeah,” she breathed, noting the tingles that shot through her arm with his touch. She wondered why he didn’t leave, why they didn’t move, but she was lost in his stare again and this time couldn’t find it in herself to look away. She’d pushed it away before, but there was honestly no denying it now.
There was something between them, a connection. She could feel it drawing her toward him and him toward her. The moment felt intense, deep, and the will to resist was gone. She closed the distance between them, her lips meeting his, stupid boundaries be damned.
His kiss was soft and warm, yet somehow urgent. Her heart raced in her chest, and the butterflies in her stomach swarmed at the connection. All doubts about being with Tucker were gone as every feeling she’d been shoving back for so long came rushing in.
She felt heady with her decision, and quickened her lips, moving them vigorously with his. Her hands reached up to wind her fingers in his hair, pulling him closer as he tightened his arms around her.
The raw emotion Wesley had left her with melted away as she kissed her best friend. Something new was filling her and driving her now, and all she could do was follow it. She had ignored her gut too often lately and refused to do so anymore.
Her hands reached down and found the buckle on Tucker’s belt. His lips slowed, his body tensing. She knew he would wonder if she really meant it, if she was ready, and she knew that she wanted, needed, to be with him at that moment.
Tiptoeing to press her lips against his ear, she whispered, “I’m sure.” The buckle released at last, and she tugged it from his waist.
Tucker needed no more encouragement than that. He lifted her from the ground, and her legs wrapped around him as he carried her to her bed. He was pleased to see all traces of embarrassment gone from her cheeks when he removed her towel and only saw desire in her eyes as she hastily pulled the clothes from his body.
He wasn’t sure what had come over her, but he didn’t have the strength to fight it. She had given him her assurance that she wanted him just as badly as he wanted her. They could talk later.
Electricity surged through his body tenfold each time his lips met hers, each time he felt her touch. He had known he cared for her, but this, this was more. It ran deeper than he could have ever guessed.
Knowing this was no fling, his lips traced along her jaw, his hands lingering in places he knew would please her most. She squirmed with his attentions, and he moved lower, his lips trailing to her chest as his practiced fingers focused between her thighs. He worried she’d be tense, but she gasped, trembling beneath him for the few short strokes it took to bring her release. He watched her, amazed at her quick response, but never stopped his touch. She looked up at him, her gaze hungry and craving for more. Unable to resist her, he covered her body with his, skin against skin.
Any discomfort she expected to feel vanished with his touch. All she felt was pleasure rushing through her, his body working in sync with hers. His lips, his hands…neither let her go untouched until longing filled her every pore, and each time she didn’t think she could take another second of the blissful agony, she’d come undone all over again.
His heart raced, his chest full at the intensity he’d never felt with this act before. He reveled in the sensation, in her, as he felt her body react to his time and time again. Nothing compared to being with her, and he drew it out as long as he could, collapsing against her, breathless, at its eventual end.
* * *
“What was that?” Tucker asked as his senses came back to him. “That was not what I expected for your first time.”
“I like to read,” she said sheepishly. “You learn a lot.”
Tucker smirked. Apparently so.
Flushing, Isabel pulled her purple blankets over herself, her hands going to cover her face.
“No,” Tucker stopped her. “Don’t be shy. That was amazing.”
“No, Izzy, it’s never like that.”
She flushed again, but he could tell she was pleased with his response. “So…” she began, studying some errant strands of hair she began winding around her fingers. “What does this mean for us?”
Tucker shifted to look down at her, noting her apprehension. “Does she really not know what that just meant?” he wondered. “Did it mean something else for her?”
“You know how I feel about you, Izzy,” he replied, now nervous himself. “Even without what we just did, mind-blowing by the way, I like you, and I want to be with you.”
She frowned, the familiar words striking a cord. Still focused on her hair, she asked, “Then why have you been sleeping with so many girls this summer? How do I know I’m not going to end up…forgotten the next time some other girl comes along?”
He closed his eyes for a second, hating that what he’d done made her doubt him so much. He stilled her hand, urging her eyes to his. “To your first question, because I was confused, and I was grasping at stupid, desperate straws to try to fix it. For your second question, because I would never do that to you. I really do have feelings for you, Izzy. I’ve never felt like this about anyone before, and I want to give us a shot.”
She laid there quietly for a few minutes, processing he was sure, before giving him her trademark crooked grin. “So does this mean I officially have a boyfriend now, or what?” He beamed and kissed her in response.
“We should probably go downstairs. I don’t think it would be good if Annie came home and found us lying in bed together,” Izzy said, breaking things off before they got carried away again.
Tucker groaned internally, not wanting to let her go just yet. He still couldn’t believe that they were together. “How could tonight have changed so drastically in so little time?”
“Yeah, I guess you’re right,” he agreed reluctantly.
Isabel watched as Tucker got up, ogling as he moved about her room to find his clothes. Then he turned, catching her, and she pressed her face to her pillow.
“You’re welcome to look,” He smirked in his cocky, playful way. “It’s nothing you didn’t just touch anyway.”
“Oh, my God, Tucker!” she tossed her pillow at him. Her cheeks hot with embarrassment, he took pity on her and shut himself in the bathroom to dress. As soon as the door shut, she got up to change before he came back out.
They curled up on the couch together to watch a movie while they waited for their friends to get home. Her back to his front, Tucker marveled at the idea that she was now his. Her breathing went deep as they waited, and he knew she’d fallen asleep. Between Wesley and himself, she’d had a lot taken out of her.
It wasn’t long before he heard a car door shut and several of their friends laughing outside. “Izzy,” he gently shook her shoulder, careful to avoid the bruise he could see starting to form.
“Mmm,” she mumbled.
“Sounds like Annie’s back.”
“’Kay,” she yawned as she sat up, and he adjusted so she could lean against his shoulder as the front door opened. Annie came stumbling into the room. Jet followed and grabbed her arm to steady her when she looked like she might fall.
“Tucker!...Izzy!” Annie cried. She ran up to the couch and collapsed clumsily next to her sister. “The party was sooo much fun! I wish you could have been there!” Isabel’s eyebrows rose, and she looked at Jet.
“What happened tonight?” Tucker asked him as Annie started giggling for no apparent reason. He knew Annie liked to party and sometimes had some drinks, but it was rare to see her anywhere past tipsy.
“We had a few drinks down at the bonfire,” he said with a shrug, moving Izzy’s purse to relax in the armchair.
Isabel gave him a skeptical look. “A few drinks?”
“Scratch that. I had a few drinks. Annie decided to go all out since she wouldn’t have to sneak past your mom tonight. Party was awesome.”
Annie leaned over and cupped her hand around Izzy’s ear. “I had beer and tequila!” she whispered dramatically. “I like tequila.”
“That’s nice,” Isabel replied, pushing her over a little on the couch. Her nose crinkled at the stench of alcohol on her sister’s breath. “She’s going to be so sick later,” she commented, standing up. “Come on, sis, I think you should get ready for bed.”
Annie grabbed her sister’s arm and pulled. “Wait! Did Tucker talk to you?! Did you dump Wesley yet?”
Isabel looked shocked at the outburst, but the guys laughed.
“Yeah, Annie, I talked to her.”
“So?” she said expectantly, looking from him to Izzy, back and forth.
“So…I’m kind of with Tucker now?” she replied, giving him a smile.
“Yay!” Annie cried, slipping off the couch when she tried to jump up for a hug. Jet got up to help her back to her feet, passing her to Izzy. He clapped Tucker on the back. “About time!”
Isabel wrapped her arm around her sister’s waist, rolling her eyes. “I’ve got to get her cleaned up,” she said as she guided her twin to the stairs. “I’ll be back in a bit.”
“So you’re not mad at me anymore?” Annie asked in her loud, drunken whisper.
“No, Annie, I’m not mad. Not unless you throw up anywhere but the bathroom.”
“Good… Oh! You were too mad last night, but I have news! Jet and I had sex yesterday!”
Isabel’s head whipped around in shock, her eyes wide in surprise. Jet looked over at the sofa to avoid her gaze, but she was staring straight at Tucker. She shook her head slightly and gave him a pleading look just before they were out of sight. He gave her a quick understanding nod. What happened in the twins’ bedroom that night was to stay between them.
“Goodnight!” Annie screamed down moments later.
Jet chuckled, and Tucker reached over to clap his friend on the back. “So, you and Annie did it, huh? How was it?”
Jet’s easy grin spread wide. “Worth the wait.”
Tucker nodded. “That’s great, man. Good for y’all.”
“Thanks,” he replied, leaning back in his chair. “So, what happened with the whole Wesley situation? Does it have anything to do with what happened to your face?”
Tucker gave Jet a blow-by-blow of the night’s events, careful to omit what happened upstairs.
“Damn,” Jet commented when Tucker finished. “So what’s the plan?”
“I’ve gotta call my dad. There’s no way I’m leaving the girls by themselves tonight. Izzy’s freaked out enough, so I’m just going to tell my dad I’m sleeping the party off at Hector’s and sleep here on the couch. I don’t want my mom to see my face tonight anyway.”
“Good idea.”
10
Just the Way You Are
“I am just so glad that you are with my son, Izzy,” Jenna said, giving the teen a side hug as she arrived at the Patterson’s Fourth of July barbecue. “You make him so happy. It’s so nice to see him have a girlfriend instead of dating around.”
“Mom,” Tucker complained, following his girlfriend into the kitchen. “Do you have to do this every time you see us together?”
“Of course she does,” Bridgette Dearly said, walking up, side dish in hand. “Y’all are adorable together, and we as your mothers have the right to fawn over the two of you.”
“Here, Bridge, let me have Chuck take that out back for you,” Jenna said, “Chuck!” she called as Bridgette joined Helen in prepping fruit salad at the island.
“Those your baked beans I smell, Bridge?” Tucker’s dad came in, rubbing his beer belly. “Best dang thing at our barbecues, except your desserts, dear,” he said, kissing his wife on the cheek.
“Kiss up,” Jenna smiled, pushing a few side dishes into his hands. “Those are ready to go. How’re the burgers co
ming along?”
“Stefano’s out there checking on them now. Shouldn’t be too long,” he replied, heading out back with the load.
“Do you need help with anything, Jenna?” Isabel asked.
The tall, platinum blonde glanced around her professional baker’s kitchen. “You know, I think it’s about all ready to go. Why don’t y’all head outside?”
“Thanks, Mom,” Tucker said, swiping a bun she’d just pulled fresh from the oven.
“Tucker!” Isabel chided as he grinned, bouncing it between his hands from the heat. He was stuffing it in his mouth before they were out the door. She rolled her eyes and grinned as they entered the playful chaos outside.
“Izzy!” Chelsea and Victoria called, abandoning a game of tag with Chris and Tyler to run up and give her hugs.
“Hey, girls.”
“Come on!” Chris called, annoyed that they’d left. “Hey, Izzy,” he waved.
She waved back. “Go on, girls. I’ll come play later, alright?”
“They are so excited that we’re dating,” Tucker said, taking Izzy’s hand as they ran off.
“I think everyone is,” she replied, looking around for her sister who had come over with Jet earlier. She spotted Tabitha lying across the playset’s tire swing, scratching the Patterson’s dog, Barkley behind the ears, and felt bad that she tended to be the odd sibling out.
Tucker pointed to the bench swing in the corner garden. “Over there.” Crossing the yard, he took the opposite chair, pulling Izzy into his lap.
“Hey, guys,” she greeted.
“Hey,” Annie replied, her head in Jet’s lap as they rocked.
Arms against the back of the swing, Jet looked at Tucker. “Food?”
“Should be ready soon, I think.”
“Thank God. I’ve starved.”
Annie rolled her eyes. “Y’all are always starved.” The guys shared a look and shrugged.
“Ten minutes ‘til food!” Stefano called from the back patio.