“I thought that was you,” she said when she stopped in front of him. He didn’t reach out to hug her, and she didn’t make a move either. He was never close to Rochelle’s family because he wasn’t the man they wanted her with. One, he was the wrong color and much younger than her, and they felt Tucker simply wanted to marry her for the money she would inherit once her parents passed away. After Rochelle died, he’d sent a check to her family for the money he’d received from the life insurance policy they had on each other. He’d cut off all communication with her family after that; he had nothing to say to them then, or now.
“How are you, Diane?”
“I’m great,” she answered staring at him.
He nodded then shoved his hands in his pockets. “Well, it was nice to see you.” He turned to walk away, but she stopped him.
“Wait, that’s all you have to say to me?”
Sighing, he stopped and looked at her. “What the hell do you want me to say?” he snapped.
“We were a family for god’s sake.”
“Were we? You must have mistaken me for someone else because I remember you standing there, not saying a damn word when your parents told me to drop dead after I’d just buried my wife and daughter.”
“They were angry and hurting,” she defended.
“And what about me? Again, I had just buried my wife and child, and I was hurting just as much.”
They were in a staring match and looked away when he heard Lucas’ voice.
“Babe, is everything all right?”
“Yeah,” he said answering honestly, having Lucas beside him seemed to push away the anger he was feeling.
“Babe? What, are you gay? You take it up the ass now, Tucker?” Not lowering her tone, maybe she thought she was embarrassing him. But Tucker was never one to embarrass easily.
“Yeah, I do, but it’s none of your business what I do, Diane.”
“Who the hell are you?” Lucas asked standing in front of him with Zoi in his arms.
“I’m—”
“No one important,” Tucker answered. Lucas turned and looked at him and whatever message he was sending to his lover he got. But it also said "I want to know what the fuck that was all about, later."
“Okay, do you have the keys to our room?” He held up the keys and smirked.
“Ready to get married?”
“Married?” he heard Diane say, but he and Lucas ignored her.
“As ready as I will ever be.”
He handed the keys to Lucas and took Zoi, kissing her on her cheek then wrapping his free arm around his lover. They turned and walked towards the elevator putting space and distance to his past life towards his future.
* * *
“Wantto tell me what that was about?” They were on the elevator going to their room, which was going to take forever since Zoi pressed all the buttons she could reach on the bottom.
“That was my former sister-in-law.”
“I take it things weren’t all roses between you two.”
“The entire family actually, they didn’t think I was the right person for Rochelle.”
“Well, I can tell you they were wrong about you, in a way.”
Tucker quirked an eyebrow. “In a way?”
