She’s a good friend.
Levi leads the way out the back making all kinds of noise with his boots. “Tucker’s gonna fucking kill me for this,” he grumbles over his shoulder.
I’m still not sure about this. Something’s niggling in the back of my brain.
I didn’t tell him goodbye.
When the door opens, the cool morning air feels like betrayal.
The last time I watched the sunrise had been our last morning in St. Thomas. Morning normally holds promise. Today it’s an ending.
Levi opens the door of his truck while I climb into the passenger seat. The door closing sounds like a rocket in the silence. I swallow around the lump in my throat. If I allow myself to start crying right now, I won’t be able to stop.
I wonder if Jessamine told Levi what we overheard. Did she tell her mom? Colt? Am I the only one who didn’t know his regrets? His misgivings?
The engine roars to life, and with it the radio blares.
With a quick apology, Levi turns it off. “Sorry,” he laughs. It’s almost as though he wants Tucker to hear us. Almost as though he wants Tucker to come running out of the house to stop me.
I do.
I do?
Levi jerks the gearshift into first and pulls away from the house.
Why do I want Tucker to come running out of the house to stop me? Because that would mean he wants me still? Because that would mean he loves me still?
Because if what I overheard last night was true, he wouldn’t do that. He’d allow me to leave without a fight.
But he’d fought me last night. Hadn’t he? What had he said? I’d told him this wasn’t going to work. I gave him his out and he’d said… So, you just want to give up then? Two days and you’re ready to throw in the towel?
That wasn’t something a man said we he wanted to break things off. Had I even been listening to him? When I told him there was nothing here for me, stark pain crossed his face. And when he first kissed me he’d said…
There’s no way this is over.
“Stop! Levi. Stop! I changed my mind. I need to go back.” God, no one in their right mind would blame Tucker’s family for thinking I’m bonkers. But I need to go back. I need to ask Tucker why he told his mom he wanted me to leave.
There had to be an explanation other than the conclusion I jumped to. There had to be.
Because every cell of my body believes that man loves me.
CHAPTER ELEVEN
Tucker
I’m normally upand dressed by six, but I wore myself out with Isabella last night. So even when consciousness creeps in, I don’t open my eyes. I plan on spending the morning in bed with Isabella. We need to make a plan. Figure things out so that she can feel at home here.
I reach out my arm to pull her close to me again and feel… cool sheets.
Empty space.
She’s not here.
“Isa?” I call out for her, thinking she might be in the bathroom, but the only answer I get is the echo of my own voice. “Isa?” I’m already out of bed, sliding my Wranglers on over my bare ass.
Cold dread tightens my chest. Flipping on the light switch, my eyes quickly adjust and take in the fact that her makeup bag is gone. Her phone is gone. A quick search of the bathroom and the closet reveals that her clothing and luggage are gone.
The ring I gave her taunts me from the dresser.
