“So, can I call you?” there was a grin on his face that was hard to say no to.
“Of course.” I gave him my number and said goodbye.
As I drove back to my folks, I thought about seeing Marcus again and how lovely it had been to talk about our shared past. Marcus was the opposite of Sam, he wasn’t in his head so much, so cut off from others. Marcus liked to joke around, to tell stories, I could tell he had plenty of friends and an active social life. He’d told me of the stuff he did over weekends, going hiking with friends or camping in the mountains in summer and skiing and snowboarding in winter.
When I got home, my mom and dad were sitting at the kitchen table with Tucker. They were holding mugs with hot chocolate and there was a plate of cookies on the table.
“There she is!” my dad said as I came in. I went over to give him a hug. My mom was beaming from ear to ear and Tucker seemed relaxed too. Later, after my parents went to bed, we went into the spare bedroom where we would be sharing a bed.
“It’s weird to be back,” he admitted. “I mean, I’m glad to be out of that place, but I kind of don’t really know where to go next.”
Tucker had only worked in hotels and in bars, places he wanted to avoid now.
“Have you heard from Lexi?”
He shook his head. “Better steer clear there,” he said, winking at me. I leaned over to give him a hug. “It feels good to have you back,” I said.
“I’m sorry I went off at you when you drove me there,” he said.
“It’s okay.”
My parents said he could help at the guesthouse for a while. It was becoming warmer now and soon the tourist season would be in full swing. I worried about Tucker meeting up with old friends and falling into bad habits. I suggested he come to Boston, saying I’d help him find a job there. I told him Holly could probably use a waiter in the coffee shop. He could stay in my room in the apartment.
It was only once we’d finished talking and were ready to go to sleep, that I allowed myself to think of Marcus. As much as I liked him and knew that he was top quality boyfriend material, I knew that he didn’t make me feel the way Sam did. When Marcus had kissed me, I’d felt nothing. OK, not nothing, but it had been nice, comforting. I didn’t feel a spark or that craving for his touch, the way I did with Sam.
Marcus may have been right for me, but I wanted Sam.
There was no denying it.