Page 64 of Here's to Yesterday

“Why?” my motherdemands.

“Because I wantto.”

Her mouth forms an O, and she’s struck speechless. For the first time in a long time, I feel good. I feelhopeful.

“Lovely party, Mrs. Doughers. Have a great night,” Tucker says as he steers me past her with a small grin tugging at hislips.

We continue our march forward, and I spot my father. The slight pause in my step is enough to alert Tucker that something isoff.

“What is it?” he questions withconcern.

I briefly flick my eyes to him and then nod my head toward a group of oldermen.

“See that guy in the white tux? The one with the dark blond hair? That’s myfather.”

When the wordfatherleaves my lips, John Doughers glances over at me, and not three seconds pass before he turns back to his friends, not acknowledgingme.

“What the fuck,” Tucker bites out. I look over to see him clenching his jaw, his eyebrow slanted over his darkening eyes. “He barely registered yourexistence.”

I place my hand on his arm, attempting to soothe him. We’ve had a rough night, and I can see that he’s easily irritable. “It’s fine, Tuck. I wasn’t kidding when I said he ignores me. Trust me, those three seconds are three seconds I’ll cherish for a longtime.”

The sad part is that I’m not kidding. He ignores me so much that the days he looks at me become some of the most noteworthy days of mylife.

Before I know what’s happening, Tucker’s charging over to my father and his group of ultra-rich friends. I watch as he inserts himself between everyone and gets up close to the face of the man who helped make me. Everyone around them is too stunned to do anything, so they continue to gawk as Tucker leans in close, and I assume he speaks into my father’s ear. Whatever he says causes the bright blue eyes that are so much like mine to land on me withinmilliseconds.

I instantly stand straighter and tip my chin up, the pose all women of mystandardsshould have according to my mother. We hold our stares, me secretly soaking in every moment because I swear this is the longest my father has looked at me inyears.

He gives a stiff nod as Tucker steps back. My father’s eyes shift back to the man in front of him, dismissing Tucker. A few moments pass before Tuck turns on his heel and stalks back towardme.

I’m still standing there in shock when Tucker reaches me. He places a hand on my elbow and begins steering me back toward thedoor.

“What did you say to him?” I ask quietly as we reach the maindoors.

Tucker doesn’t look my way as he answers out of the corner of his mouth. “What he needed tohear.”

Vaguemuch?

A weight seems to lift off both of us as we step out of the mini-mansion and into the clear spring night. I take a deep breath and push out all the shitty things that happened tonight when I exhale. I don’t want to think about my mom. I don’t want to think about Tanner. I don’t want to think about what this night has meant for whatever the hell is happening with Tucker and me. I don’t want to think about any of it. I want to forget and let it go for one night. Or for what’s left of thenight.

I realize what I want to do on our walk down the steps. As Tucker hands his ticket to the valet, I turn to him and ask, “Wanna get drunktonight?”

His eyes light up, and a mischievous smirk crosses his face. “Hellyes.”

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