This is clearly Tucker’s father. Am I in Las Vegas? How long was I out?
“Babe, you’re not going to see anything with the blindfold on, so you can stop trying to look around,” Ryan says.
I turn towards his voice and notice the hint of annoyance. The tone most people use when it comes to me eventually. And I hate that he’s right. I turn towards his voice, but I can’t see anything. Not even a sliver of light around the edges.
“Sorry for all the accessories, but we weren’t sure what to expect,” his father says.
“You were a little too calm. It kind of freaked us out,” Ryan says. “Tucker usually likes them feistier.”
Again, I’m not Tucker’s type. Great. That’s just fantastic. I’m shackled in an unknown place with a blindfold over my eyes being told by two of Tucker’s family members they don’t understand what Tucker sees in me. Real confidence boost.
“What has he told you about me?”
“He doesn’t talk much about you,” I say.
A wheeze catches my attention, and I remember that sound. Grandma sounded like that when she’d breathe after she was put on oxygen. She died of emphysema, and even with the oxygen, she had a hell of a time breathing. When it got really bad, she’d wheeze just like that.
“Are you ill?” I ask.
“What makes you say that?”
“You sound like you’re having a difficult time breathing. On oxygen, maybe? I’ve heard it before.”
He chuckles. “Tucker doesn’tknow I’m sick?”
I shrug. “Not that he’s told me.”
“She’s lying. We should just kill her,” Ryan says.
“All he’s said is what happened with Joanna,” I say quickly. “How he got his scars when he tried to save her, but that’s it. He doesn’t talk about his family. Not until Ryan showed up in Gravelton.”
His father chuckles again. “That doesn’t surprise me. It hurts, but Tucker’s always been the one of my children who does things his own way. Whether it’s right or not, he does his own thing.”
There’s not much I can add to that. I’m in love with Tucker, but I haven’t known him long enough to really see anything like that.
“I’m Benito, by the way. Benito Vega.”
“It’s nice to meet you.”
Yes, I’m blindfolded and tied up, but my manners never fail to come out. One day, I’ll be strong enough to be less than cordial to people who want to hurt me.
“You’re polite. Tell me, Phoebe, do you have a good relationship with your parents?”
Shaking my head, I pause. I’m not sure if honesty is the best route, but I don’t have a great lie coming to mind. “My dad left when I was little, and my mom died when I was twelve. My grandma raised me.”
“That’s terrible.”
I can’t tell if he’s being sincere or not. Now I understand what people mean when they talk about the importance of body language. It sounds like he’s being genuine, but I imagine he’s not the type to actually feel empathy.
“It’s life. I can only move forward because going back isn’t an option.”
If it was, I’d have stopped my mom from dying that day.
“You’re the opposite of Tucker. And Ryan. But you kind of remind me of Tanner.”
Tanner? “Who?”
Why am I engaging him? I’d like to say it’s self-preservation, but it’s actually opportunity. I want to know everything possible about Tucker, including things he doesn’t think to tell me.
