22. Heard It All

After a while, Tucker leaves me briefly to clean up. He brings a washcloth and cleans me up as well. Remy's taking a nice long nap, so we resume our intimate hold in bed, and our breathing returns to normal.

I run my fingertips along his stone hard abs and pecs. I want to talk to him about my fears and worries, just like I want to tell Brad about Tucker, but these conversations aren't easy. So I remain quiet.

"Your pussy gave me the best pep talk for the past half hour." He chuckles, so I take that as a sign he's ready for the game. "It happens. Win games. Lose games. Everything was just off for the entire team last night. But we have today to regroup at practice, and we'll be ready for the fourth game here tomorrow."

He turns on his side and faces me with all seriousness. "I want you there to see me play, and I will not stop begging until your sweet ass is in a seat wearing my jersey and cheering for me."

"You know I'd love nothing more, but Brad is due home soon and I need to tidy up the place and, you know, prepare to tell him about you being Remy's father."

"Hm." He judges me through slits. "And about us, too, right? Maybe you're the one who needs the pep talk? Are you okay?"

"Yeah," I assure him. I fall silent for a moment, though, before speaking again. "The Us is a new thing, but an old thing, and it led to Remy, and to more sex, and maybe to a someday… And I'm overthinking this."

"No, you're not. I want you thinking about me and us all the time, because I think about you nonstop." He runs his fingers through my hair, and in his eyes I see such care for me. I've never had this level of connection with anyone before him.

"I do, too. It's just so much all at once. Remy has a dad and I have a-a…" I stutter for the right word.

"Is that what you want? Something to call us? How about you can call me your Supreme Lover? Or even say we're parents with benefits? What about lovers in the sheets?"

I snort-laugh and mock-punch his arm. "Be serious."

"I am. Supreme Lover suits me." His cocky smolder is undeniably attractive. "Hey, Trouble, relax. I know things between us have happened fast. But there isn't a rule in stone somewhere that dictates matters of the heart. There are two words I think can sum up best what you are to me, though. You're mine."

My breath catches in my throat. "And you're mine, Tucker."

"Then that's all we need. There's no one else. You, me, Remy, we're a family now. I've claimed you, and my heart is yours."

"I'd like that. But…"

"But you're worried about Brad." He reads my mind.

"Yes. This conversation won't be easy."

"And that's exactly why I should be there when he comes home. We can present a unified front to your brother. I want him to see how serious I am about being a father to Remy. And he needs to know that I'm here now, and a part of your life."

Then familiar noise takes my attention away. A door closing shut. And a voice.

"Ne ne? I'm home."

"Oh shit," I whisper, tensing up in Tucker's arms. "Brad's home early!"

We both leap out of bed and reach for our clothes. I pull on my leggings and my mind's in a mad scramble about how to deal with this. It's one thing to approach Brad sensibly myself, but with my Supreme Lover hiding in the other room?

That's the answer. "Hide, Tucker," I whisper-screech, tugging the sweatshirt over my head.

"What the fuck are you talking about?" He stands there, looking at me confused and scowling with just his jeans on, unbuttoned.

"Sh..." I toss his t-shirt at his face. "Just stay here. I'll talk with him and suggest we take Remy to play somewhere. Then you can leave."

"Are you embarrassed to be seen with me?"

"What? No!" I take a deep breath. "You didn't see how pissed Brad was the night he found me and my dad living in a homeless camp. He beat the crap out of him."

"I can take on Brad." He cocks his head and smirks. And I know that the punching match would be quite the contest.

"Brad vowed no man would ever treat me like that again. Especially a man in sports. He has this super-charged brotherly obsession to protect me."

"I get all of that. He's a great brother, and once we get through this, I'll thank him for being there for you and Remy. I'm sure he'll understand that I'm here for you now, and that you'll have me protecting you. Or is it something else?" He gives me the side-eye and steps forward, backing me up. "That must have been a scary, traumatic time in your life, baby."

My throat constricts as all the memories come flooding back… My father dealing and using, scrounging with him in trash cans to eat, and strangers eyeing me the taller and more filled out I got.

"Could you be the one standing in the way of your future happiness? Are you fearful of winding back up in that homeless camp, you and Remy, fighting to survive?" Tucker calls me out.

"What? Um… I…"

"You have a hard time trusting I could keep you safe, don't you? So you keep holding on tight to Brad because you know he's protected you all along." He keeps charging forward. "You know it's easier to stay the course than to take a chance on me."

"Tucker…" He has me backed all the way to the wall now, his hands landing on each side of my face. My chest rises and falls so fast, matching with my pulse.

"Admit it, Whitney. You're scared to fall fast for me because that little girl inside of you can't go back there to whatever hell your dad put you through. So you let Brad dictate the terms of your life instead of really living for yourself."

I want to scream. "Yes! Okay? Happy now? I look at you and into your eyes, falling so deeply for you, and it terrifies me." I hiccup and cry, no longer holding back the tears streaming down my cheeks.

Suddenly, there's a knock on my door. "Ne ne? Tucker? Can you come out, please?" Brad says, with a stern voice.

"Oh God. He knows you're here." My heart is in my throat.

"Then let's rip off the band aid." Tucker marches to the door and opens it before I can stop him.

There, in Brad's hands, is the baby monitor. The one usually with me anywhere in the apartment so I can hear Remy. Only… I glance over to my nightstand, and there's the one we usually leave in Remy's room. Tucker had grabbed the wrong one.

My heart drops to the floor.

Brad. Heard. Everything.