Chapter Twenty-Six

TUCKER

She’s so beautiful. Standing there in her green graduation gown, unzipped so I get a glimpse of her white, form-fitting dress underneath, I can’t help but think how goddamn lucky I am.

A few feet away stands the woman who captured my heart when I least expected it. She came back into my life as a friend and burrowed her soul into mine, making it almost impossible to breathe without her.

Over the past few weeks, I’ve had Racer and Adalyn keep tabs on Emma’s emotional state for me. I needed to feel her out, to make sure my plan was working, because showing up today wouldn’t go well if she isn’t feeling the same way I am.

Thankfully, from what Racer has said, Emma wants me back, and fuck if I couldn’t get home quick enough.

I spent last night at Racer’s and this morning, I spoke with Julius. I demanded another raise for the bullshit he’s put me through and if he didn’t match what I was asking for, I would walk away.

With heavier pockets, I’m now ready to get my girl back.

I watch Racer hand her the card and hate when her face falls flat. I knew she would expect me to show up today. It was an obvious time to surprise her, but I couldn’t help it. This is the start of a new chapter in her life and I want to be a big part of it.

She flips the card around looking for any kind of note. There isn’t supposed to be. When she looks up, I know the minute she spots me because her eyes fill with tears and her hand goes to her mouth.

Knowing it’s my cue to move, I walk toward her, loving the way she is so overjoyed with emotion that she can’t control the tears that fall from her beautiful eyes.

When I reach her, I hand her the bouquet of peonies I bought from a local florist that knows me by first name now.

“Hey, baby.”

“Tucker,” she says on a whisper. “You came.”

I reach up and wipe away her tears with my thumbs. God, I’ve missed her. “I wouldn’t have missed it for anything.” I take her in and smile brightly at her. “You look beautiful, Emma. Is that dress new?”

She nods. “It’s from you.”

“It’s perfect.”

She stands there, silent for a second before she turns to Adalyn and hands her the bouquet. With her hands now free, she walks up to me and without taking a second to think, she wraps her arms around my waist, her hands threading under my leather jacket. I return the embrace and prop my cheek on the top of her head.

I’m home.

Her lithe body shakes beneath me so I squeeze her tighter, letting her know I have her. When she pulls back to look at me, she says, “I missed you so much.”

“I missed you more, Emma.” I tilt my head toward a concrete wall. “Can we talk for a second?”

She nods and then tells the group we’ll be back. When I turn to look at our friends, they’re all standing in a line together, smiling brightly, even Logan. Maybe that guy isn’t as bad as I thought he was . . . maybe.

With her hand in mine, I guide her to the half wall and lift her up on it. I position myself between her legs so we’re looking each other in the eyes. I stroke her cheek, wiping away her tears and she presses her hands on my shoulders.

“I can’t believe you’re here. When Racer handed me the card, I really thought I was going to break in half. I just wanted you home.”

“I wanted to be home, believe me.” I rub my hands on her thighs gently and say, “I’m sorry—”

She presses her finger against my lips. “No more apologizing, no more explaining. You have done enough of both.” She cups my cheek. “Tucker, you wrote that you admire me, well, the feeling is mutual. You’ve been through hell and back, and yet you stand here on your own two feet, able to listen, to provide for yourself, for me, and to open your heart once again.” Her thumb strokes over my cheek. “You have taught me about perseverance, about the strength a human possesses, and that despite your upbringing and influences, you rose above it all and became the most beautifully broken man I’ve ever met.” She leans forward and presses her forehead against mine. “I love you, Tucker. And I want to be yours forever.”

I squeeze my eyes shut for a second, trying to comprehend her words and the impact they have on my soul.

She loves me.

Emma. Marks. Loves. Me.

I’m where I belong, in her arms, in the only place that’s only felt like home to me.

I press a kiss against her lips and say, “I love you, Emma. This right here, this feeling of being in your arms, it’s home. It’s as if I’ve waited so damn long to love someone as much as I love you. You’re it for me, Emma. My love, my soul, my home.”

She presses her hand against my chest, right over my heart and she says, “You’re where you belong.”

And she couldn’t be closer to the truth.

I grew up believing the love I felt for Sadie was as good as it gets. Life is funny, and right when you think you have it all figured out, it throws you for a loop. Some of the darkest days bring the lightest of life-changing moments. I know this is true because Emma is my light.

Who would have thought that the night I saw Emma at the bar would be the moment to completely redirect my future?

I hated being at my house alone. I hated every second of its emptiness, of what it represented. It felt like a glaring reminder of my failure.

And then there was Emma. Bright, beautiful, and sassy-mouthed Emma Marks.

She didn’t just transform the empty walls of my house into a home; she transformed me. Her light. Her love. Her brightness changed me from being a mere shadow. A desperately despondent and aimless man.

I’m not reliant on her love to hold me up. That was the old me.

With a home that feels like home, a gorgeous woman in my forever, I’m a man fulfilled. I’m a man with hope. I’m a man with love.

I’m DJ Hot Cock, a fucking lucky bastard, ready to make music with my DJ Jazzy Nurse Tits.

Forever.