Reckless Hero

He lowered his eyes, ashamed. The gesture made him look so young and lost. I moved back towards him and pulled him in for a hug even though he stood almost a foot taller than me.

He hunched over to bury his head against my shoulder and let out a shuddering breath. “I know I should have come to you. It’s just my head was so wrapped up in this girl and she didn’t want me to tell anyone. I promised her that I wouldn’t go back on my word.”

I had to admire his strength of character during such a difficult situation. I patted his back comfortingly. “I understand. Love makes us do crazy things sometimes.”

He laughed, a shaky sound. “Yeah, it does.”

I pulled back to look him in the face. “I have to go get Garrett now. We’ll finish this conversation later, all right?”

He nodded. “Okay. Thanks, Anna.”

I headed for the door again and patted my pockets, checking for my cellphone. It wasn’t there. I had left it in the car.

I hurried to the car, got into the driver’s seat, and immediately began searching for it.

I found it in the glove compartment. When I picked it up, I saw all the missed calls I’d gotten throughout the day—the daycare and Tucker outnumbering all.

I called the daycare back first, listening dumbfounded as they explained to me that Garrett had gotten sick and they had called his emergency contact to pick him up.

The blood drained from my face.

Because that meant Tucker knew now, and this wasn’t remotely the way I’d wanted him to find out.

I had put his number on the form on impulse, not really thinking that he still carried the same contact number. My dad and Autumn were usually unavailable, and Brandon was too young. So I’d had no one else to place as a contact.

After I got off the phone with the campus daycare, I knew my day had taken a turn for the worse. My hands shook as I dialed Tucker’s number.

He answered on the second ring.

“He’s at my apartment,” he said, the words coming across without emotion.

“Tucker, I didn’t mean for you find out like this. I swear—”

“Just come over, Anna,” he said, cutting me off with a cold tone. He then hung up without another other word.

It took a while before I was calm enough to drive. I wanted to be optimistic, but I was dreading the upcoming confrontation.

Taking a deep breath, I turned the key in the ignition and pulled out of the driveway.

When I arrived at Tucker’s apartment, he yanked the door open before I even knocked. The look on his face let me know just how much trouble I was in.

CHAPTER 18

Anna

Tucker and I just stared at each other for a few seconds, me standing just outside his front door and he like a guard over the threshold. Unable to hold his gaze any longer, I looked just over his shoulder, all the while feeling the coolness of his eyes roaming over me.

Since I didn’t have the nerve to look him in the eye yet, I trailed his body instead. Despite the severity of the situation, I still couldn’t help noticing how handsome he was, even in a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

When the moment had stretched far beyond awkward, I finally managed to bring my gaze to his face. The lines of his face were sharp, and the light stubble darkening his jaws made him appear engulfed in an angry shadow. In that moment, he looked like the definition of a guy you didn’t want the misfortune of pissing off.

To say he was angry was an understatement.

I swallowed and straightened my spine, knowing I had to take whatever was coming my way.

Knowing I deserved it.

/> All I could do was explain myself and hope he understood that I had never meant to intentionally hurt him like this.