Page 31 of Coming Home Country
A hiss flew from my lips, along with a muttered curse, when I beat on his back with both hands, having forgotten one was injured, and a brilliant burst of lightning zinged up my forearm.
In the distance, a siren wailed.
“Happy now?” Tucker taunted.
The wind kicked up, and that was when I realized how dark it had become. It was the middle of the afternoon, but it looked like nighttime. The sky was angry, thick gray clouds blocking out the sun in preparation to unleash its fury.
Tucker set me on my feet so he could unlatch the metal doors that led to the storm cellar beneath his house.
His face betrayed that he wasn’t in the mood for games even before his voice came out edged with steel. “So help me God, Bex. Get in the fucking cellar.”
Shoving at his chest with my good hand, I stomped past him and down the stairs.
The last thing I wanted was to be stuck in a room with him, but I wasn’t dumb enough to believe I had a choice.
There was a heavy thud and a bolt sliding into place, indicating the doors were sealed.
I paced the far end of the underground concrete cellar. Sharp bursts of air flew past my nostrils, and all it would take for me to charge was Tucker to wave that red flag.
Having cleared the last step, he came into view and ran a hand through his wind-blown sandy-brown hair. “Tell me one thing, Bex.”
My restless motion didn’t stop. “What?”
“Are you happy?”
I came to a sudden halt, my temper flaring. “What kind of question is that?”
“A simple one. Yes or no, Bex. Are you happy? With him.”
There was no question as to who thehimin this scenario was. Somehow, he’d heard about Aaron. Probably from Mac.
Scoffing, I replied, “Don’t pretend to know anything about my life. We might as well be strangers anymore.”
Tucker took a challenging step forward. “Sounds like you’re avoiding the question.”
“Of course I’m happy,” I huffed, not willing to give him any ammunition to use against me.
“With him?” he pressed.
“Yes.” The lie slipped easily past my lips.
Voice softening, Tucker asked, “Do you love him?”
My breathing hitched as he searched my eyes. How could I convince him when I couldn’t manage to convince myself? I didn’t love Aaron. If I hadn’t fallen for him by now, I wasn’t sure I ever would.
So, I turned it around on Tucker, not giving a damn that my deflection had already been called out once.
“I’m not the one who broke us.” My hand gestured between our two bodies. “How dare you ask me to justify how I’ve chosen to pick up the pieces and move on,” I spat.
“You have every right to be angry with me, so go ahead and get it out of your system now when there’s nowhere else to run. Yell, scream, hit me. I deserve it.”
Like the wine, the temperature on my rage reached a boiling point, and the cork popped on my bottled-up emotions, letting them all burst free.
“You broke my heart!” I cried, unable to hold back a moment longer.
Tucker hung his head. “Yeah, I did. Broke mine too.”
“No, you don’t get to do that,” I huffed. “You’re not the victim here.”
