Never Say Never (Haven Harbor #3)

Chapter 28

TWENTY-EIGHT

FEELS A LOT LIKE GOODBYE

T ucker

It’s our last night together before Daisy leaves, and we’re spending it at her apartment. Daisy’s flight to Rome is tomorrow afternoon. I’m flying out to New Hampshire the day after that to meet with a potential recruit. We had debated going out tonight with friends, having a little send-off party, but in the end we decided on a quiet night in at her place with some take-out Mexican food from Cocina Caliente.

Since our relationship news blew up at Daisy’s parents’ house a few weeks ago, things with our families have been as good as we could have expected. Aunt Vic and Uncle Randy have been great. My dad hasn’t been in touch, but I’m hardly surprised by that. I’ve talked to my mom on the phone a couple of times, and she’s assured me that she’s working on him. I’m not holding my breath and honestly, I couldn’t care less. I’ve had Daisy in my arms every night, and that has been good enough for me. More than good enough.

Being in a relationship—the first one I’ve had in my life, as crazy as that sounds—feels good and surprisingly natural to be a couple. Sometimes I wonder if I was subconsciously just waiting for Daisy all along. I think it’s the real reason I never wanted more with any of the girls I hooked up. They weren’t Daisy. No one has ever come close.

It feels like we’re getting to know each other again. A long time ago, I knew absolutely everything about Daisy, but it’s been years since we’ve been close, since we’ve shared secrets with each other. One of my favorite things about being with Daisy, is learning about her all over again—her likes and dislikes, her go-to lunch order, her 10-minute bedtime skin care routine. Well, that and the incredible amount of sex we’ve been having. She’s become an addiction, like a needle straight to my vein, giving me the most incredible high.

We’ve talked about our dreams for the future—about my hopes to coach in the NFL, and her dream to visit more of the world. There is so much we want to see and do together, but for now I’ve just been busy counting down the days until Daisy leaves and enjoying every second I have with her in the meantime.

We just finished the last of our tacos, and Daisy is now sitting on her bedroom floor in the middle of a pile of clothes. I watch as she stuffs another shirt in her already very full suitcase.

“Are you going to be able to carry that thing? You realize the buildings in Italy are a 108 billion years old and don’t have elevators?”

She shoots me a scowl. “I’ll be fine. I can always ask for help.”

“How? You don’t speak Italian.”

Pushing up off the floor, she walks to where I’m sitting on the edge of her bed, then softly strokes my cheek. “I can figure it out. I’ve travelled to foreign countries before.”

She has a point. But the closer it gets to Daisy getting on that plane, the worse my mood gets. The thought of her an ocean away with a 6-hour time difference is torture, but I know I need to try harder. I really am happy for her. This is Daisy. She’s always been interested in seeing the world and going on new adventures, and I’d be a dick if I didn’t support that.

“Are you sure you’re okay with me going?” she asks as my hands move to the back of her thighs pulling her between my parted legs.

“Tuck,” she says, leaning into my grasp. “Tell me the truth. Are you worried about me going away?”

“A little.”

“Why?”

She runs a hand through my hair before tipping my chin up to face her. “What’s going on, baby?”

I press my lips to her chest, inhaling her. “I’m worried things will change with us.”

“Tucker, you know I’m coming back home to you, right?”

“I’m not sure.” Fuck, do I sound needy.

Climbing into my lap, she straddles my waist and then takes my face in her hands. “If you think it’s not killing me to leave you, you’re wrong. This isn’t easy for me either, but I know I need to do this. I finally have you and I will not lose you again. I’m going to be coming home to you in three months, I promise you.”

Daisy kisses me again and that, along with her reassuring words, feels like enough. I haul her mouth to mine, sliding my tongue against hers, showing her how badly I’m going to miss her. I replay the time we’ve spent together in my mind, every moment that has brought us to where we are today. If you had told me a year ago that I would be in a relationship with Daisy, having the best sex of my life, desperately wishing I could spend every minute of every day with her, I would have said that you were insane.

But I’ve never been happier, and I have to admit, I like being hers. Now I just need to figure out how to survive the next 90 days.

“Daisy,” I breathe against her lips, “I need you.”

We crawl into her bed, slipping between the sheets. We don’t say a word as I lower myself over her and kiss her with urgency. I miss her so much already. I know it’s just for a few months, but I already feel like I can’t live without her. Tomorrow, I’m going to have to learn how to, but for now, Daisy is here, and the need to be inside her is so strong that I start stripping her out of her clothes.

There is so much I want to say to her, important words on the tip of my tongue, but they are words I’ve never said before, and I’m scared. But I do know how to make her feel good, so that’s what I do, and I show her with my body how much she means to me.

Daisy rides me, picking up speed as she glides up and down my shaft. Her bottom lip trapped under her teeth, her back arched in bliss, she’s the most beautiful thing I’ve ever seen. She begins to tremble, but she’s not there yet, so I give her what she needs until she’s crying out my name and her body shudders in total ecstasy. When she relaxes and there’s nothing left of her climax, I pull her mouth into mine in a demanding kiss, thrusting my hips deep inside her. I come hard, filling her up, wishing we could stay exactly like this.

“You are so beautiful when you are desperate for me. I am going to miss making you come, Daisy.”

“I’m going to miss it too… but most of all, I’m going to miss you .”

I brush my thumb over her cheek and notice the way her skin erupts in goosebumps. Her gaze drops down to where our bodies are still joined, and I can see the tangle of emotions threatening to undo her. “I bet the three months fly by like lightning,” I tell her.

Her eyes are wet when she looks up at me. “I hope so.”

My chest tightens.

Daisy is leaving tomorrow, and this feels a lot like a goodbye. I gather her in my arms, holding her body to mine, and I don’t let go until the morning.

I load Daisy’s suitcase in the back of my truck as she hugs her parents’ goodbye. I can’t remember the last time I’ve been this anxious about saying goodbye to someone; the pain in my chest is so strong, it feels like it’s hard to breathe.

I made her breakfast this morning–pancakes, strawberries and whipped cream–and we ate in bed. Afterwards, we showered together and then took a walk along Haven Harbor before returning to her place so that she could pack the last of her things.

This is it. The day I’ve been dreading is finally here. When she’s finished with her goodbyes, Daisy hops into my truck and her dad closes her door behind her.

At the airport, I park the truck and carry her bags inside for her, accompanying her as far as security will let me.

“You could just come with me, you know,” she teases, but I can see in her eyes that she means it.

“I wish, Dais. More than anything.”

We talked about this, about me coming to visit her for a few weeks, but my schedule is jam packed. School is in session and even though spring break falls in the middle of her trip, I’ll be coaching camps. It’s one of the busiest times of the year for me, otherwise I’d be getting on that plane with her today.

“You need to go, Dais.”

“I know,” she says with her arms still tightly wrapped around my waist. When she lifts her face, I see tears pooling in her eyes.

“Don’t cry, baby. You know I can’t handle seeing you cry,” I say, wiping her cheek with my thumb.

“Okay,” she says, taking a deep breath. “I’ll call you when I land.”

“You better.”

I kiss her one last time and when I watch her walk away, my heart sinks. I knew this was going to be hard, but I didn’t know it would feel this terrible. Before she gets to security, I sprint past the line, needing to scoop her up into my arms one last time.

“Daisy!” I holler.

I’m jogging across the airport to get to her when she turns around. “Tucker,” she says, laughing. “Are you trying to make me miss my flight?”

I stand in front of her, out of breath, and take her face in my hands.

“Tucker? Are you okay?” Daisy looks at me with concern in her eyes.

“Yeah. I just.... Before you go and get on that plane, I need you to know... I love you.”

“Tuck…” She drops her bag at her feet and wraps her arms around my neck.

“Dais, I’ve never been in love before. But I am in love with you,” I say, needing to get this out. “I’m pretty sure I’ve loved you all my life. Daisy… you’ve always been mine. My heart is yours.”

The words that I’ve been dying to say to her hang in the air between us. I swear my heart stops beating. Her teeth scrape over her bottom lip as her eyes once again fill with tears. She rises to her tiptoes and pulls my mouth to hers.

“I love you too,” Daisy says when we break apart. “I was born to love you.”

I kiss her one last time, then bend to pick her bag up off the ground and hitch it on to her shoulder.

Daisy’s lips purse together in a smirk. “I could have gotten that.”

“Are you sure about that?” I ask, eyebrows raised. “You packed your entire closet into this thing.”

She puts her palms against my chest and gives me a playful push. “Such a guy,” she says, rolling her eyes. “I need every single one of those outfits.”

I smile, the lump still in my throat. “You better go.”

“I know.”

Daisy turns, and I watch her walk away, looking back at me with a soft smile. When I get to my truck, my body crumbles into the seat like all the air has been knocked from my lungs. I don’t know how long I sit there, with my forehead against the steering wheel, wondering if there’s a limit to how much a person can wallow. Then I start up the engine and drive home.