“Okay, Lucy,” she said, her voice still calm and soft. “I promise, I won’t touch you, but please, come inside with me.”
Lucy nodded and tried to smile through her tears. She climbed out of the car and avoided eye contact with the driver.
“I need to pay,” she said to April, as her brain seemed to kick back in and she became aware of what was going on. She turned back to the driver, and he handed her back her handbag.
“It okay,” the driver said quickly, and he smiled at her. “I am just happy you’re okay.”
“Thank you,” she whispered, as the tears trickled down her face, but she was not okay. She was far from it. She felt like Trent had just raped her again, but this time, Riley sat there and let it happen.
Lucy followed April up the driveway to her house, but she hesitated before she followed her inside. She didn’t know why.
“It’s okay, Lucy,” April said, sensing her reluctance to follow her inside. “You’re safe here, I promise. You don’t have to be afraid.”
Lucy smiled and followed her into the house. When they were inside, April led her through to the living room, taking care not to get too close. Lucy sat down on the sofa as a fresh wave of tears took hold and she began to sob again.
“Lucy, talk to me,” April said, sitting down next to her, but she was careful not to touch her. “What has happened?”
“T…Trent,” was all she managed to say before she quickly buried her face in her hands and began to sob harder.
“Did he touch you, Lucy?” April said, as Lucy could hear the anger in her voice. “Did he…again?”
“He was there,” Lucy blurted out. “He…touched…”
Lucy couldn’t say another word as she pinched her eyes shut, covered her ears with her hands and just sobbed.
Her mind was invaded with memories of how he held her down that night. His heavy body pressing down on hers, his breath on her face. She remembered the pain that spread through her body as he bit her again and again. She remembered how she pleaded with him to stop. There was just so many memories.
She wanted them to stop; she wanted it all just to stop. She pressed her hands tighter to her head and shut down completely.
“Lucy,” Tucker whispered softly as he kneeled down in front of her. The minute she heard is voice, she opened her eyes and was greeted with a warm smile.
Without even thinking, she leaned forward and wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her face into his chest, as she held on to him like her life depended on it and began to sob again, but this time, it was tears of relief.
“It’s okay, Lucy,” Tucker said as he cautiously wrapped his arms around her and drew her closer to him. “I am here; you are safe.”
“I don’t know what happened to her,” April said, as she stood behind Tucker. “The cab driver said he picked her up outside Monty’s. He said she got into the cab and just freaked out. He found my address in her bag, the only other address he could find was one in New York. I know you are friends with the Chief, that’s why I called you. I figured you would want to help her like you did before. God knows she needs someone she can trust.”
“You did the right thing, April, thank you,” Tucker said, as he gently rubbed Lucy’s back trying to calm her down. “Lucy, talk to me. What happened? Did someone hurt you? Was it Riley?”
“T…Trent,” She said is a tiny voice, and she instantly felt Tucker tense.
“Did he touch you?” Tucker asked, and Lucy could hear the anger in his voice.
“He…he was in the bar,” she explained, as she tried to bring her breathing back under control. She looked up at Tucker who looked like he was ready to murder someone “He was talking to Riley like they were friends. He sat down next to me…he put his arm around me…”
She closed her eyes unable to continue and began to shake from head to toe.
“Did he hurt you, Lucy?” Tucker demanded.
“No,” Lucy said, as she opened her eyes once more and looked at Tucker. “But before he left, he gave me this look and said it was good to see me again, and that…that we should catch up sometime.”
Tucker released her from his embrace and stood up. He began to pace up and down like a caged animal.
“This time, I will kill him,” Tucker said, looking at April.
“And what will that achieve?” April said, as she walked up to Tucker and stopped him. “He hasn’t done anything. At least not this time anyway. Right now, she needs you.”
Tucker looked at Lucy sitting on the chair, and she gave him a look of confusion.
Lucy wasn’t sure what she was missing, but there seemed to be some connection between Tucker and April. She knew something about Tucker that Lucy didn’t. Something that had happened in the past, but right at that moment, she didn’t want to know. She just wanted to go home; she felt drained.
“Tucker,” she said in a small voice. He instantly stopped pacing and returned to Lucy. “I want to go home.”
“Okay, Lucy,” he said, and gave her a smile. He took her hand as she stood up from the sofa. “I will take you home.”
“April, thank you for everything you have done,” Lucy said, grateful for what this girl had done for her. “I don’t know what I would have done without you.”
“If you need anything,” April said, giving Lucy a sad smile. “You call me, I mean that. I will call tomorrow to see how you are doing. I have your father’s phone number.”
Tucker wrapped his jacket around Lucy’s shoulders and held her close to him, trying to stop her shaking. When they reached his truck, he opened the door and helped her inside.
Lucy felt so pathetic. She knew Tucker and April pitied her, and she hated that. She hated that April saw her as weak and vulnerable, but right in that moment, that was how she felt.
Lucy watched Tucker as he thanked April once again before he ran around the truck and climbed in next to Lucy.
“Everything will be okay,” he assured her as he slipped the keys into the ignition and started the engine. Lucy tried her best to smile, but inside she just wanted to go home, back to New York, back to her life and as far away from River Springs as she could get.
When they pulled up to Lucy’s father’s house, Lucy’s stomach clenched when she saw Riley sitting on the front step waiting for her. He stood up the moment he saw Tucker’s truck pull into the driveway.
“Are you fucking kidding me right now?” Tucker growled angrily as he stopped the truck abruptly. “Stay here.”
Tucker was out of the truck and stalking toward Riley before Lucy had a chance to reply. She knew this wasn’t going to end well, and her heart started to race.
Lucy watched Tucker as he walked up the driveway, before her eyes found Riley and she could see the fear in his face. Still, he stood his ground.
“You have some nerve showing up here after you let that animal get near her tonight,” Tucker said, as he walked up to Riley and stopped so close to him, they were almost nose to nose. Lucy’s heart was now hammering hard in her chest. “You have balls; I will give you that much.”
“I am not here to fight, Tucker,” Riley said, holding his hands up and stepping back up the steps, away from Tucker. He glanced towards Lucy and gave her a pleading look before he turned back to Tucker. “I just came here to see if Lucy was okay. I wanted to make sure she got home safely.”
“You’re nine years too late,” Tucker said, as he reached up and grabbed Riley by his jacket, then dragged him down from the front steps and shoved him down the driveway. “It’s too little, too late, now get the hell out of here, and stay away from her, or so help me God, I will…”
“You will what?” Riley said, as he stepped back towards Tucker. “Swoop in and save the day again? Be her knight in shining armour like last time?”
Without missing a beat, Tucker swung out and connected with Riley’s jaw, sending him crashing to the ground. That was the last straw for Lucy, as she could feel the familiar feeling of panic wash over her. She pinched her
eyes closed and struggled to breathe as the panic attack she had been fighting to keep control of all evening, finally took hold.
“NOW GET THE HELL OUT OF HERE!” Tucker yelled before he looked towards Lucy. The minute he saw her gasping for breath, he ran to the truck and pulled open the door.
“Lucy, it’s okay,” Tucker said, as he turned her to him and took her hands. “I need you just to try and breathe.”
Her whole body began to shake as she desperately tried to catch her breath.
“What’s wrong with her?” Riley said, as he struggled back to his feet. He started towards them, but Tucker quickly turned and gave him a look that stopped him in his tracks.
“Lucy, open your eyes,” Tucker said, as he turned his attention back to her and ignored Riley completely. “I need you to look at me.”
Lucy opened her eyes, and she found Tucker staring down at her.
“Good girl,” he said, giving her a smile. “You’re okay. I have you. Now please, just breathe, in through your nose, and out through your mouth.”
“Tucker, this is stupid,” Lucy heard Riley say from behind Tucker. “I am a doctor. Let me check she is okay.”
“You are also the reason she is in this condition,” Tucker snapped back. “If you want to help her, Riley. Go home.”
Lucy kept her eyes fixed on Tucker and slowly her breathing started to ease.
“There you go,” Tucker said, giving her a smile. “I am going to pick you up now. Is that okay?”
Lucy just nodded, and Tucker scooped her up in his arms and headed towards the house, still completely ignoring Riley.
“Lucy, please,” he called after them, but Lucy didn’t reply. She just rested her head against Tucker’s shoulder and closed her eyes.
When Tucker reached the house, he opened the door and stepped inside, then closed the door behind them, leaving Riley standing in the driveway.
Tucker headed straight for the stairs and then down the hallway to Lucy’s room. Setting her down on the bed, he switched on the lamp on her nightstand before he lifted his coat from her shoulders, then removed her shoes. Finally, he pulled the blanket from the end of her bed and covered her completely.
“You need to sleep,” Tucker said, as he smiled down at Lucy. “I will make a bed down on the sofa. So if you need me, just call me.”
He bent down and gently kissed her forehead before he reached over and turned off the lamp.
“Tucker,” Lucy called as Tucker walked to the door. He stopped immediately and turned back to look at her. “Will you stay with me?”
“Stay here?” Tucker asked, unsure if that was what she meant.
“Yes,” she replied nervously. “I don’t want to be alone right now. Please.”
Without missing a beat, Tucker kicked off his shoes and pulled off his sweatshirt before he walked around the bed and climbed onto it behind Lucy.
As he lay down, Lucy turned and curled into him as he wrapped his arms around her.
It was the first time Lucy had spent the night with anyone, but it felt comfortable and right. She closed her eyes and was fast asleep in no time.
Chapter 12
Lucy woke up and found herself wrapped tightly in Tucker’s arms. She found it bizarre that just a week before, the thought of spending the night, lying in someone’s arms sounded so alien and terrifying to her, yet here she was, and it felt so natural.
She lay there for a few minutes watching him sleep. He really was gorgeous, but more than that, he was sweet and caring. Lucy wondered why he had never settled down.
She had to admit; she had feelings for him and she hoped he had them for her too
Suddenly, Tucker’s eyes blinked open, and Lucy blushed because she had been caught watching him.
“Good morning,” he yawned and grinned.
“Good morning,” Lucy said shyly.
“How did you sleep?” Tucker asked, as he stared deeply into her eyes. He reached up and softly brushed her hair back from her face.
“Good, thanks to you,” Lucy said with a smile.
“Do you want to talk about what happened last night?” He asked, and Lucy’s smile faded. She pulled away from Tucker and slipped her feet out of the bed.
“Not really,” she said, as she pushed up off the bed. “I think I will have a shower.”
“Lucy,” Tucker said, sitting up in the bed before he too climbed up off it. “Please don’t walk away. If you don’t want to talk about it, it’s fine. Just please don’t push me away again.”
“I never pushed you away,” Lucy said as she turned back to him, surprised by what he said.
“Lucy, you pushed everyone away,” Tucker said, as he walked around the bed towards her and took her hands. “And I get it, I do, but I swear I will never hurt you, so please let me in.”
“I am trying,” she whispered, looking up into his eyes. “I just need to take things at my own pace.”
“I can live with that,” Tucker smiled, as he brushed her face with the tips of his fingers. “Because, I’m going nowhere.”
Lucy smiled, then slowly leaned up and kissed him softly on the cheek.
“I am going to go take a shower,” she whispered, as she slowly stepped backwards. “I won’t be long.”
“I will go make some coffee,” Tucker said, returning her smile.
Lucy turned and hurried into her en-suite. She quickly slipped the dress she had been wearing the night before, over her head.
She looked at herself in the mirror and for the first time in nine years, she didn’t just see the scars that Trent had left behind. For the first time, she saw the girl she once was.
The pretty blonde with the piercing eyes and a kind heart. She wondered if maybe she might have the chance to find love, and if Tucker could be the one to finally unlock her heart?
She climbed beneath the hot water and smiled as she thought about Tucker. Even after how she had treated him two days earlier, he was there when she needed him, just like he had been that night, nine years before.
She thought of Riley. There was a time when she believed he would have always been the one that would be there for her, but each time she had needed him, he had let her down.
Lucy decided she needed to put Riley in the past if she was ever going to have a future.
When she climbed out of the shower a short while later, she wrapped a warm fluffy towel around her and returned to the bedroom.
She had just sat down at the dressing table and started running the brush through her hair when the bedroom door opened, and Tucker came into the room carrying a cup of coffee.
“OH GOD!” Lucy exclaimed, as she jumped up from the dressing table and gripped her towel tighter. “What are you doing?”
“OH SHIT!” Tucker said, as he nearly dropped the coffee. He didn’t know where to look. “I’m sorry, I thought you would still be in the shower. I just brought you up a coffee. I didn’t mean…I am sorry, Lucy.”
“It’s okay,” Lucy said, trying her hardest to appear unfazed. “Thank you.”
Tucker walked across the room and set the cup down on the dressing table. As he turned, the scar on Lucy’s shoulder caught his eye and stopped him in his tracks.
Lucy instinctively covered it with her hand as her heart sank. She had thought if anyone could see past them, it was Tucker, but maybe she was wrong.
“Why are you hiding yourself?” Tucker asked, as his eyes met hers. “You don’t need to hide from me.”
“I know that they are ugly,” Lucy said in a small voice, dropping her eyes away from Tuckers. She felt so embarrassed.
“They?” Tucker asked as he turns to face her. “There is more than one?”
“Three,” Lucy whispered. “And I hate them. They are a constant reminder of what he did to me, and of how broken I am.”
Tucker didn’t reply. Instead, he stepped forward and reached for her hand that was covering the scar on her shoulder. He looked into her eyes before he pulled her hand away from her shoulder.
His eyes dropped to the scar, and he softly traced his fingers over the rough ridge on her shoulder.
“Please don’t,” Lucy cried softly as she closed her eyes. She went to cover it again, but he took her hand and stopped her.
“Lucy I don’t see scars,” Tucker said as he took her by the chin with his other hand and tilted her face up towards his. She slowly opened her eyes and met his gaze. “I see battle lines. Reminders of not what you have been through, but that you survived, that you survive every single day.”
Lucy was stunned when Tucker leaned forward and softly kissed the scar on her shoulder, then kissed the one on her arm. Finally, he pressed his lips to the one that was on the curve of her breast. Lucy held her breath the entire time.
Tucker stood up and gazed into her eyes before he inched closer and slowly brought his lips down on hers.
His kiss was soft at first; then it grew firmer as Lucy finally kissed him back.
Lucy leaned into him as he slipped his arms around her and his kiss deepened further. Slowly, she slipped her hands up his chest and around his neck.
Tucker teased along her bottom lip, and when she gasped, he didn’t miss a beat as he slipped his tongue into her mouth, stroking and teasing her tongue with his.
He slowly dropped his hand down her back, to her ass and pulled her even tighter to him.
Lucy was surprised to feel his erection against her stomach, and she froze. She wanted him; she really did, but she was so afraid. The only experience she had was what had happened to her that night.
Tucker breathlessly broke his lips from hers and pressed his forehead against Lucy’s.
“God, you have no idea how long I have longed to do that,” he whispered as he looked down into her eyes.
“Really?” Lucy asked in surprise.
“Lucy, it’s always been you,” Tucker said. “Since the first time I saw you.”
Lucy didn’t reply; she didn’t know what to say.
“I know you are scared,” he continued. “And I know you have been hurt, in so many ways, and by so many people. But I give you my word; I will never let you down.”
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