A Love Like This (Book 1) (57 page)

Chapter 30

 
 
 
 
 
My family walks into the
 
room and the atmosphere
 
changes
 
from calm
 
to chaotic.
 
 
I missed them
 
so much when I was away
 
at school.
 
I
 
felt as if my heart might break
 
every time
 
I
’
d talk to one of them on the phone or looked
 
at a family picture.
 
However, after a week of
 
absolutely no privacy and one strange occurrence after another I can
’
t wait to go back to the safety and predictability of the classrooms at Berkeley.
 
 
I
’
m standing near the front door watching them all.
 
They seem to suck the air
out of the small condo.
 
 
Keisha
’
s kids are running amuck opening drawers and looking in cabinets.
 
Keisha hasn
’
t arrived yet and my mom is trying to
 
wrangle
 
them into
 
seats.
 
 
Nickie
 
looks as if she might hurl at any moment and Mike is behind
 
her rubbing her shoulders.
 
 
 
I think they would be good for each other but who knows
 
what will happen.
 
Sarah and
 
Nogood
 
are on
 
opposite ends of the room texting.
 
I guess the honey moon is over.
 
 
Pookie
 
and my dad
 
look like an older and younger version of the same person.
 
 
 
They
 
are standing a few feet from each other and I
’
m not sure if they
’
re going to hug or start throwing punches.
 

Shauna walks over to me.
 
 
“
Your family is nuts,
”
 
she says.
 
I see that Keisha has had quite
 
an influence on her.
 
She
’
s wearing tight jeans and high
 
heel strappy sandals.
 
Her blond hair is pulled into a
 
sleek
 
ponytail and she
’
s even showing a little cleavage.

“
I know you must be sick of all of this,
”
 
I say motioning around the room.

“
Are you kidding me?
 
Keisha and I are
 
Facebook
 
friends now.
 
She says she
’
s going to teach me how to be a fabulous full figured female,
”
 
Shauna says twisting her neck and waving her finger the way Keisha would.
 
 
“
Your mom is the sweetest woman
 
I
’
ve ever met and your dad is hot.
 
I love your family.
 
I
’
m sad we have to leave.
”

“
Yeah I guess I
’
ll miss my
 
motley crew,
”
 
I say.
 
 
We stand quietly for a bit
 
watching
 
little X wipe a booger on his shirt.

Shauna shakes her head and returns her gaze to me.
 
 
He
’
s outside,
”
 
Shauna says when she sees me scanning the room.

I turn around and head to
 
the door.
 
My family will have to
 
work things out on their own.
 
I
 
step outside
 
stand in front of the condo and watch Tucker.
 
He
’
s leaning against the rented SUV
 
looking at the ground.
 
He crosses his arms over his chest when he looks up and notices me.
 
 
I walk over and stand in front of him.
 
I
’
ve only known him for a few months but I
’
ve memorized every curve of his face.
 
Just standing near him makes my heart race and I
 
still
 
can
’
t believe he chose me. He looks down at me for a long time.
 
Neither of us says a word.
 
Then without warning he bends over and
scoops me off
 
my feet.
 
I wrap my arms around his neck and he nuzzles against me.

“
Your dad told me that you would never agree to
 
stay
 
out here,
”
 
he says as he lowers me
 
to the ground.

“
He knows me well,
”
 
I say shrugging my
 
shoulders.

“
I just want you to be safe.
”

“
Pookie
 
and I ordered a security system for the
 
house.
 
We
’
ll change all of the locks and hire a bodyguard full time.
 
I
’
ll do whatever you want,
”
 
I say touching his stomach,
 
“
As long as I get to wake up in your arms every morning.
”
 

He smiles down at me and says,
 
“
That was so corny.
”
 
 
I laugh and smack
 
his arm.
 
He pulls me close,
 
runs his fingers through my hair
 
and kisses the top of my head.
 
 
It
’
s late afternoon and the sun is beaming
 
down on my shoulders.
 
“
I can smell the ocean
 
from here,
”
 
Tucker says.

“
Yeah it
’
s just a few blocks away.
 
It
’
s too bad we didn
’
t go.
”

“
You realize that we haven
’
t taken our honey moon yet,
”
 
He says.

“
You think we should run off and spend a few weeks on an island
 
somewhere,
”
 
I say half jokingly.
 

“
I think we should spend a few months,
”
 
he says.

“
That sounds like so much fun.
 
I
’
ve never been out of the country.
”

“
My family owns a
 
small
 
house in Jamaica.
 
You can take your classes online
 
next semester
 
and we
’
ll
 
spend our days being beach bums.
”

“
Are you serious?
”
 
 
I say looking up at his face.
 

“
We
’
ll climb a waterfall, zip line across a jungle
 
and make love
 
on a private beach.
”
 
“
Getting a bunch of sand up my crack sounds appealing but
 
I can
’
t just pack up and leave.
 
I have an interview for an internship next week
 
and what about your job.
”

“
I
’
ll
 
take a semester off and you don
’
t have to interview for an internship.
 
 
Remember my dad, your father-in-law
 
owns a real estate development company.
 
 
You can start
 
whenever you
’
re ready.
”

I can just picture myself drinking ice tea in an infinity pool
 
or sketching a landscape with an ocean backdrop.
 
I shake my head to bring myself back to reality.
 
 
“
Are you sure you
’
re not suggesting this impromptu vacation because you want to keep me away from my stalker.
”

“
That
’
s part of the reason but I mostly
 
want to see you in a bikini,
”
 
He says biting his bottom lip.

“
I really should show up for my interview next week.
 
 
I don
’
t want to have a job
 
handed to me.
 
If I don
’
t earn what I have it won
’
t mean anything.
”

“
We
’
ll put you in the mail room.
 
You
’
ll start at the bottom and
 
work your way up.
 
There won
’
t be any preferential treatment.
”
 

He makes everything seem so simple.
 
“
How do you know your father will hire me?
”

“
Didn
’
t you read the list of assets I gave you?
”
 
 
I open the rental car and
 
take out the papers.
 

“
Here they are,
”
 
I say.
 
“
It only lists checking accounts, retirement and savings accounts.
 
What does
 
any of
 
that have to do with me working for your dad?
”

“
Look,
”
 
He says opening
 
the second page
 
and pointing at a list of numbers.

“
I didn
’
t
 
realize
 
there was another page,
”
 
I say looking down at
 
the
 
information
 
about hedge funds
 
and a bunch of other business lingo that I don
’
t understand.