Page 63 of Here's to Yesterday

He spins at the click of thedoor.

“Mau—” My name dies on Tucker’s lips as he sees Tanner. His worry-filled golden gaze finds mine briefly before it flashes back to his brother. “What are you doinghere?”

Tanner doesn’t say anything. Not one word. Instead, he rears his arm back and slams his fist into Tucker’s face just once. Tucker stumbles back, barely missing the glass door that’s sure to have shattered, and falls to the ground. I lurch forward and call out his name as Tanner leans down into his face and says three words to his brother and four tome.

“Fuck you, Tucker,” he spits. He turns his rage toward me. “And fuck you,too.”

Slinging the door open until it crashes against the potted plant—breaking it, I might add—he disappears into thehouse.

I rush over toward Tucker, who’s now cradling his face in his hands, breathing deeply through his nose. I place my hands over his to remove them, tilt his chin up, and examine thedamage.

“You okay?” I asksoftly.

He opens his eyes, and the usual brightness they hold is clouded with guilt and shame and heartbreak and tears. “I’m so sorry, Maura,” he says on a raspy whisper. “Sorry.”

The tears stream down my face almost instantly. He sounds so broken. I did that to him. I broke him. And I brokeTanner.

Tucker reaches forward and wipes away my tears. “I didn’t mean to do this to you. I didn’t mean for anyone to gethurt.”

I shake my head to stop his words. “No, no. It’s not your fault. I was in the wrong. I should have kept avoidingyou.”

“I shouldn’t have stalkedyou.”

I laugh softly at his reference to a conversation that now seems like it happened so longago.

How did this all get so messed up? I feel like it was yesterday that I was kissing Tanner goodbye and watching him walk away with my heart. I remember being excited to see his name pop up on my phone, being giddy to see him. I remember having fun with my group of friends and exchanging glances with Tucker that always seemed to last toolong.

And then, as those glances lasted longer and became more frequent, making me realize that I didn’t have those with Tanner. So I stopped feeling excited. I stopped being so happy and started hiding more and more behind my stupid fucking mask. Everything…faded.

UntilTucker.

It’s always come back to him, and I have a feeling it alwayswill.

“Why are you smiling?” he asks in a confused tone.Am I?“I got punched and you’re smiling? That’s messedup.”

Despite what just happened, we can still joke with one another. We can still laugh. I think that’s a good testament to how well we worktogether.

I laugh, and on instinct I lean forward and brush my lips against his. Pulling back as I feel him press into me, I smirk at him and say, “Wanna get out ofhere?”

“I thought you’d neverask.”

We help pull each other up. I give my dress a good brush off and attempt to wipe my make-up away because I sure as hell don’t want my mother to witness me with tear stains. Tucker places his hand on the small of my back, guiding me inside and through the huge house. We don’t stop to talk to anyone, and I barely breathe as I pray my mother doesn’t seeus.

Luck doesn’t seem to be on our side tonight, because she’s suddenly in front ofus.

“Where do you think you’re going?” sheglares.

I tip my chin up and meet her stare. “Home.”

“Oh no, you most certainly are not. Go mingle.” I know she expects me to run off at her command and start playing nice with all her party guests, but I don’t. I stand there, waiting her out, as she the anger in her eyes continues to grow. “Maura,” she threatens through clenchedteeth.

“Mother.”

“What are you doing.” Not aquestion.

Tucker adds the slightest amount of pressure to his hold on me, encouraging me to stand myground.

“I’mleaving.”

---