Remember Love (9 page)

Brenna

Smiling from ear to ear
, I set out to make us breakfast. When I take out the bread and eggs to make French toast, I remember I have no milk. Damn Lexi! I swear I may kick her ass before the weekend is over.

I go outside to
beat on her door like I’m the police ready to serve an arrest warrant.

Lexi jerks her door open.
“Fuck, Brenna. I thought you were the police.”

“Payback
’s a bitch, ain’t it Lexi? I hope you were sleeping, too.”

“I was
, and almost pissed myself when the pounding woke me up. Talk about a rude awakening.”

“Yeah
, well, your timing sucks, so we’re even. I need my milk so I can fix Tucker something to eat.”

“You’re cooking
? This I have to see.”

“Shut up
, hooker! I can cook.”

I follow Lexi inside while she goes to
the fridge to grab the milk. I’m still in my night clothes, so standing outside on the sidewalk isn’t the best idea. When she comes back and hands me the milk, she notices my necklace.

“I’ve never seen this before.”

“Tucker just gave it to me. He got it for me six years ago.” I flip it over to show her the back.

“Oh my G
od, that’s so sweet. That man has it bad.”

“You think?”

“Jeez, Brenna. Open your eyes. That man is crazy in love with you and I’m betting he has been since y’all were kids.”

“I hope you’re right. Well
, throw on some clothes and come on over to eat if you want. The door will be open.”

I go back to my apartment and
see the bathroom door still closed. Good thing French toast doesn’t take long to cook or he may starve at the rate I’m going. I head to the kitchen to heat up my flat grill.

A
bout five minutes later, Lexi strolls in. She jumps up on the counter, watching the food cook like that will speed it up. I really love Lexi. We’ve known each other since our freshman year, and since she’s pretty much a loner like me, we get along great. We keep each other company when we’re bored and lonely and keep to ourselves when we’re not.

“Where’s Tucker?”
she asks.

“He’s in the shower.”

“Did he tell you that I ran into him in the parking lot last night?”

“So that’s what took so long. What did you do
, Lexi?”

“Me?”
she asked, pointing her finger at her chest. “I didn’t do anything but talk to him.”

“About?”

Just as she’s about to answer, I hear the bathroom door open. I really hope he’s dressed since Lexi is here. I don’t need her drooling over him when she sees his body wearing nothing but a towel.

“Lexi’s here
, Tucker. Just so you know.” I say loud enough for him to hear.

Lexi’s jaw drops.
“Damn, Brenna. I was hoping to catch him like he caught you yesterday.”

I scowl at her.
“Shut up and watch the food while I run to the bathroom.”

When I come
back into the kitchen, Lexi grins at me and hops off the counter, taking a seat at the table.

Tucker
enters right then, looking good enough to eat in his rugged jeans, pulling his shirt over his head.

Lexi’s eyes widen at him.
“Holy hell, can you take that shirt off and do it again in slow motion?”

I launch
my spatula I was holding right at Lexi’s head and shoot Tucker a “don’t even think about it” look.

G
rinning, he shrugs as he takes a seat across the table from Lexi.

I grab
another spatula and arrange the food on plates and turn off the grill. I take the plates to the table and sit down as we begin to fill our plates. Lexi is rubbing her head where the first spatula hit her. Serves her right! Teach her to ogle my man…

We talk about random things while we eat
, joking and having a good time. This is what happiness feels like; your two best friends sitting with you and laughing together.

“What are you smiling at?” Tucker asks
, taking my hand in his.

“Nothing,
” I say. “I’m just happy.”

“Good
, I like you happy. I plan to make you happy for a long time to come.”

Lexi’s eyes roll.
“Sweet baby Jesus, if you two get any sweeter I’ll end up with a cavity.”

“Shut up
, Lexi.” We both say at the same time.

Lexi responds
, “Seriously, how y’all stayed apart all these years is beyond me. I don’t get it.”

“Lexi,
” I say in a firm tone, trying to shut her up. I don’t want her to push Tucker into something he’s not ready to talk about.

“What
, Brenna?” she asks. “It’s just a question. I’ve only been around you two a handful of hours and I can see y’all are meant to be together. So what gives?”

She’s looking straight
at Tucker, who’s staring straight at me. I assume he’s debating how much he wants to say in front of Lexi.

Never taking his eyes away from me he answers her.
“Sometimes things are taken out of your control, and if Brenna wants you to know the whole story, she can tell you after we talk about it.”

Looking down at my plate
, I wonder what he still needs to tell me. I hope it doesn’t change how things are progressing between us. He squeezes my hand, so I look at him. He gives me a small smile that says it’s all gonna be okay.

Lexi leans forward in her seat.
“Well, big guy, all I have to say is, Brenna is my girl and if you hurt her again I promise you I will hit 65 and be southbound, coming after your ass before the tears dry on her face.”

Tucker raises a brow at her.
“You can come there whenever you want, but it won’t be to kick my ass. I don’t plan to ever hurt her again.”

She relaxes in her seat.
“Then you have my approval.”

Shaking my head at Lexi
, I take my plate to the sink to rinse it off.

Tucker s
oon appears beside me, bumping me with his elbow. “I have to admit, I like her. I’m glad you’ve had her while you were here.”

“Yeah
, she’s pretty great. Crazy, but great.”

“I heard that.” Lexi says l
oudly from the table, then stands to carry her plate to the sink. “Thanks for breakfast, Brenna. It was good to meet you Tucker. I’m gonna go back to my place and study for my finals. See y’all later.”

Tucker says,
“It was good to meet you too, Lexi. Take care of my girl while I’m not here.”

Lexi nods
and gives him a thumbs up before strolling out the door.

“So what do you want to do for the rest of the day?” he asks
, while sliding his arm around my waist.

“How
‘bout we cuddle on the couch and you tell me whatever it is that you haven’t told me?”

Tucker hesitates
for a moment, and then gives me a nod. Leading me over to the couch, where he lies down and pulls me down next to him.

I lay my head
against his chest, listening to the beat of his heart while he rubs my back in gentle circles.

We lay there in silence for a little while
, just absorbing the feeling of this moment. Like so many others we’ve shared, I want to lock this one away in my heart and remember it forever.

Tucker

I remember that day like it was yesterday
, not eight years ago. I had turned sixteen and going for my learner’s permit later that week, so naturally I wanted to share my excitement with Brenna.

But m
y excitement was short-lived. In a few minutes my world was ripped away from me.

I understand more
now than I did back then, but that day still haunts me and makes me doubt that I’m good enough for her. Fear is gnawing at me. Brenna most likely will be angry at her mom for what she did, but being a mother, she only wanted to protect her daughter.

I open my mouth and
begin the story, telling Brenna about that day as the memory plays fresh in my mind.

I drop
my bike to the ground and run up to Brenna’s porch to ring the doorbell. I’m literally bouncing with excitement to tell her that my parents are taking me to get my learner’s permit in a few days. I almost ring the bell again when Ms. James opens the door.

“Hi
, Ms. James. Is Brenna home?”

I’m grinning like an idiot
, with an expression I couldn’t understand, she just stands there and looks at me for a moment.

“No
, Brenna’s not home.”

“Do you know when she’ll be back?”

“Not until tomorrow, but I don’t think it’s a good idea that you come by.”

My smile slips from my face. “O
h, okay. Can I ask why?”

Ms. James turns from me,
like she’s trying to form words. Words that soon shatter me, one by one, as they pass her lips. Leaving nothing but a broken young man in their wake.

“Tucker, you need to move on and stop hanging on to Brenna. She has a bright future ahead of
her. Do you honestly think she’ll stay here with you forever?”

Yes
, in fact I did, until this moment.

I weakly reply.
“Are you saying I’m not good enough for her, Ms. James?”

“Yes.
That’s exactly what I’m saying.”

I drop my head and take a step back
, feeling tears well in my eyes. “Will you tell Brenna I said goodbye and that I’ll love her forever?”

I look up at Ms. James and let her see the tears run
ning down my face. I want her to know that I really love her daughter. I love her so much that if we were older, I’d try to get her to run away with me and marry me today.

Ms. James sighs and shakes her head
. “Yeah, Tucker. I’ll tell her.”

I just nod and exit the porch to
pick up my bike. I push it all the way back home.

Brenna sniffles, and I feel her
fingers wipe away a tear as it rolls down to my temple.

I turn my body
to face her and wipe away her tears, brushing my lips lightly across hers.

“She never told me
, Tucker.”

“I didn’t figure she did
since you asked me why I stayed away.”

“I’m so sorry
. If I’d of known, I would’ve come after you.”

“I know. I don’t blame you for it. Hell
, I don’t blame your mom either. Not anymore. She just wanted what was best for you.”

I feel Brenna stiffen a little
, so I rub back up and down as far as I can reach, hoping to relax her again. The last thing I want is for her to jump up and call her mom to start a fight with her. I’m sure Ms. James had her reasons.

Brenna says,
“You know, all this time, I thought it was because you got your license and didn’t want to hang around a fourteen-year-old girl who was still going through puberty.”

“Nah
, that had nothing to do with it at all. I was waiting for you.”

“
Waiting for me? To what?”

“To be able to date
. I figured then we could sneak around until you were eighteen and didn’t have to answer to her anymore.”

“That’s why you were so upset over
Wesley?”

“Yeah.
I waited for two years. But I was too late.”

Pulling Brenna with me
, I turn onto my back, settling her on top of me with her head resting on my shoulder. Her breath flutters against my neck as she speaks.

“I always thought you
’d found someone your own age and you were out getting laid every chance you got.”

“Good thing you don’t get paid for thinking or you’d be broke.”

“Smart ass.”

“I didn’t start dating until a few months after you started dating
Wesley. Well, actually, it was about the time he told me he took your virginity.”

She tries to rise up to look up at me
, but I place my hand on the side of her head to hold her in place. I’m not embarrassed that I waited so long to date or to start having sex. I didn’t want anyone but Brenna.

She says,
“Tell me why you didn’t date.”

“I was waiting for you
. When Wesley told me about that night, it felt like he was stabbing me through the heart. I went to a party the next weekend and drank until I was numb. You may not want to hear the rest of this story.”

“Tell me.”

Taking a deep breath, I have a feeling she won’t like this part. “I woke up the next morning with a girl beside me. I don’t remember anything that happened, I was too drunk.”

“Did you even get her name?” She sounds so sad.

“Yeah, I know her name.” I pause to gather my thoughts. “Brenna, I have to tell you this because you need to hear it from me and no one else. Her name is Stacy Clark, and she is the only person I’ve ever slept with.”

I hear her d
raw in a breath before she asks. “Just that once?”

This is where it could get tricky, “No
, on and off for the past few years. I ran into her again about a year after that first time and… well, I guess you could say we had a fling.”

She doesn’t respond for a few minutes and I’m not sure if she’s relieved or
what. I hate telling her about this, but I need her to know that I’m not the type of guy who sticks his dick into anything with a heartbeat.

“Is it over between y’all now?”
she asks.

“
Yes, it’s over. Has been for a long time now.”

“Do you still see her?”

“It’s been a while.”

“Good.”

Well that went over a whole lot better than I thought it would. It feels like a huge weight has been lifted from my chest. I’ve told her all I need to tell her. But waiting for her to remember the rest of the last night at the fair may take a while. I’m pretty sure she feels the same things she did then. It’s just a matter of when she realizes it.