Page 15 of Words I Couldn't Say
“Not as much as me.”
“I found out something interesting this morning,” I told him when we started walking again.
He studied me curiously. “Oh yeah?”
“Yeah.” I bumped his shoulder with mine. “You told my dad you were going to marry me when we were eight?” I asked, still in awe that Tucker had known we were meant to be together from such a young age.
The knowing grin that spread across his face told me everything I needed to know. “Sure did. I told you, Ava. I’ve always known you were it for me. You are it for me.”
“I’m sorry I took so long to catch up.”
He stopped walking and drew me in close. His sweet kiss was all the forgiveness I needed. “Don’t be. We have all the time in the world.”
“Why do you love me?” The question had come out before I could stop it. I immediately wanted to take it back. “I’m sorry. That’s a stupid question. We’ve been dating for all of five seconds and I’m already making it weird.”
“It’s not stupid, and you’re not being weird. The truth is…I just do. I could stand here and list the reasons. For example, you make my heart jump every time you step into a room—like it knows you hold it and it wants to be close to you. I’m man enough to admit that your smile gives me butterflies—always has. You’ve probably smiled at me ten thousand times, and each one caused my stomach to flutter. And my guy parts? Well, let’s just say those are quite fond of you, too.”
My shoulders shook as I laughed, but it didn’t faze Tucker.
“You’re kind. You make me laugh. You’re strong, and you always stand up for yourself and others when necessary. Your beauty defies logic. Whether you’re all dolled up like you were for prom or you just rolled out of bed, you’re beautiful. You’re the whole package. That’s why I’ve never even so much as considered anyone else for me. No one would ever be able to compare.”
“I thought you said you weren’t going to list off reasons,” I teased, not admitting that every bit of what he was saying were reasons I loved him back.
His lips curved up into a half smile. “I kinda got on a roll there. It’s just… Ava, there’s this gut feeling I have, a truth I know deep down in my soul. At the risk of sounding like Jewel here, you were meant for me. I was meant for you. I firmly believe the universe placed us together eighteen years ago because we were meant to be together. Our love started as a tiny spark all those years ago. Over the years, we’ve let it sit on the back burner, simmering until ready. That kiss last night? That heat is what caused our feelings to boil, bubble up, and finally spill over. That was the gasoline that fueled the fire. The gasses in the volcano that led to an epic eruption. You’ve always been a part of me. Now? I know you always will be. You’re in my heart. Youaremy heart.”
“Wow. I never knew you had such a way with words,” I admitted, startled and strangely aroused by it.
“I didn’t, either. It’s you, Ava. You bring out the best in me. You always have.”
“When did you really know?” I asked. Once again, I knew I should keep my questions to myself, but I was also curious as to how long I’d stupidly held him at arm’s length.
“Have you ever wondered why I call you Little Bird?” he asked.
My nose wrinkled, and I frowned at his non-answer. “You told me it was because of Dad calling me Aves—which are birds.”
It was true. Tucker had had a weird fascination with cardinals when we were kids—so much so that he had gone on a bird-watching trip with his dad for his ninth birthday. Tucker was kind of a nerd. An adorable one. One Christmas, he’d gotten aNational Geographicbook on birds, and when he had seen the term Aves, he’d taken to calling me that.
He grinned. “True. But there’s another reason. And I’m going to show you exactly what that is now.” Tucker took my hand and led me towards the car, where he held my door open.
I was dying from anticipation of what exactly he meant. My eyes widened when he pulled up to one of Cincinnati’s oldest karaoke spots.
“What are we doing here? You hate karaoke.”
“You’ll see. Patience, baby.”
My belly tightened. I loved when he called me baby.
Twenty minutes later, when he was up on stage and singing an unknown-to-me Ed Sheeran song called “Little Bird,” I realized I loved that nickname so much more. The song seemed to be about a boy who wanted to kiss a girl. He loved the girl, but he wasn’t sure she felt the same. He was afraid to make a move too soon, before they were ready.
It was clearly a song written for us.
Or, well, what used to be us, because from then on, I would kiss him every time he asked. Heck, he wouldn’t even have to ask.
Tears were running down my cheeks by the time Tucker leaped off the stage and crossed the room. Then he kneels in front of me, using his thumb to wipe the tears away.
“I hate karaoke. But, when I first heard that song when I was thirteen, that’s when I knew. I really,reallylove you, Little Bird.”
I released something between a half laugh and a half sob. Then I threw my arms around his neck and kissed him until we were both breathless. “I’ll never tire of hearing you say that,” I admitted against his lips.
“Good. Because I’ll never stop.”
