Page 40 of Here's to Yesterday

“Me too,” I barely hear himsay.

“Why didn’t you ever approachme?”

His lips twitch just barely. “You seemed off limits, eventhen.”

The rest of the ride is silent after his confession. I’m not sure what it means, but Iamsure that I love that he noticedme.

It also makes me wonder how different things would possibly be if Tucker were the Bentley brother I had gotten with. Would I be happier? Would I beme? I hate to admit it, but I think the answer would beyes.Because as it stands, Tucker already makes me all those things and more. And we’rejustfriends.

Shoving away my thoughts, I try to relax as Tuck parks the car. I can feel him look over at me. I return his gaze, and he glances down at the bowl and then back up at me, waiting for me to say something to him aboutit.

Idon’t.

Grabbing Joey’s gift, I push open the door, and quickly close it, leaving Tucker—who is still trying to figure out what to do—inside.

I’m facing the house, attempting to calm my sudden nerves, when I feel him come stand beside me. And like that, they fade away. His other hand comes to rest on my lower back as he gently presses me forward, giving me the courage I didn’t know Ineeded.

“Hey,” Rae says as she opens the door, wearing the beautiful dress she bought the other day. Her accessory? A scowl. “Come onin.”

We follow her inside to Hudson’s kitchen. It’s small, cozy, and definitely lived in. I’m kind of in love with it because it’s the exact opposite of the kitchen I had growing up. That was strictly off limits, cold, and alwaysempty.

“Rae?”

“Hmm?” she says, whirling around to faceus.

“Yougood?”

She sighs and shakes her head. “Nope. Your friend—” she points to Tucker “—is anass.”

“I don’t doubt that he can be, but what did he do thistime?”

Rae clenches her tiny fists and does this bizarre inhale thing that makes her nostrils flare. She looks ridiculous, notscary.

With a straight, serious face, she says, “He ate my fuckingbrownies.”

Immediately, Tucker and I burst into laughter. He ate her brownies? That’s why she’s so upset and sad?OnlyRae.

“Don’t laugh, you assholes! He ate them all before I could get one!One!I’m so pissed!” sheseethes.

That makes us laughharder.

“Rae, chill. They’re brownies,” I tell her once my laughtersubsides.

“No, I won’t ‘chill’! Brownies are my most favorite thing ever, and he ate them! Ate.Them.”

Tucker continues to laugh his way over to the sliding glass door, motioning for Hudson, who comes through the door about ten secondslater.

“Hey. Why in the hell are you holding a bowl of cereal?” Hudson says off thebat.

Tucker flicks his gaze to me. Smirking at him, I think it all finally clicks. He gets now that I’ve been waiting to see how long he’d hold on to it for. The answer? Way too long. “No idea, man,” he tells Hudson, handing him thebowl.

Hudson peers down at the bowl and back at Tucker, the same look of confusion that Tucker had earlier now covering his face.Those poorbastards.

Depositing the bowl into the nearby sink, Hudson turns to his girlfriend, who happens to be throwing sharp eye-daggers hisway.

“What.” It’s not a question that comes out of her mouth. It’s more like she’s daring him to saysomething.

Hudson—the brave man that he is—rolls his eyes and turns back toTucker.

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