Beautifully Unfinished

by Beverley Hollowed

  “Yeah,” she smiled and nodded.

  “Are you sure?” He asked as he walked towards her and gathered her in his arms. He looked down into her eyes, and Lucy could just see love staring back at her.

  “Uh-hmm,” she replied with a sigh of contentment. “I am now.”

  “You’re happy here,” Tucker said with a knowing smile “I can see it in your face.

  “Yes,” she replied honestly as her eyes never left his.

  “Then I can be happy, too,” he said with a genuine smile on his face.

  “Are you sure,” Lucy asked nervously. “Is that what you really want?”

  “As long as I am with you,” Tucker replied. “I don’t care where I live.”

  “But it’s such a big step,” Lucy sighed, still worried that she was asking too much of him. “We are just starting out, how do you even know you will still feel the same in six months’ time?”

  “Because I have loved you since the day I first saw you,” Tucker replied with a smile. “And I will do whatever it takes to make you smile, every day.”

  “Thank you,” she whispered, as she leaned up on her tippy toes and kissed him softly.

  He released her and walked towards her iPod dock on the sideboard and pulled his phone from his pocket.

  “Can I put on some music?” He asked, as he looked back towards her.

  “Sure,” she replied, as she walked towards the open kitchen. “Would you like some wine?”

  “I would love some,” Tucker said as he selected some music and connected his iPhone to the dock.

  As Lucy poured the wine, the sound of Aretha Franklin’s, Ain’t No Way, filled the apartment.

  Lucy walked towards him with two glasses of wine, and handed one to Tucker.

  “You like Aretha Franklin?” Lucy asked, before she took a sip of her wine.

  “I do,” Tucker replied. “Does that surprise you?”

  “A little,” Lucy smiled. “I guess I thought you would like something…something more…manly.”

  “More manly?” Tucker laughed. “She is the queen of soul. I thought everyone loved her.”

  “I guess they do,” Lucy replied with a nod. “This is one of my favourite songs.”

  Tucker took her glass from her hand and set both of their glasses down on the coffee table.

  “Dance with me,” Tucker said, as he held out his hand.

  Lucy smiled as she slipped her hand into his. He wrapped her in his arms and began to move them slowly in time with the music.

  Their bodies pressed together, becoming almost one, as Lucy closed her eyes and rested her head against his chest.

  “I wish we could stay like this forever,” Lucy sighed contently. “Like there was no one else in the world, except you and me.”

  “Right now, that’s all there is,” Tucker replied, as Lucy just sighed contently.

  “Do you have any idea just how beautiful you are?” Tucker whispered softly.

  “You make me feel beautiful,” she breathed as she lifted her head and he softly pressed his lips to hers. Tucker pulled her closer to him as his kiss deepened. Lucy could feel the want burst alive inside her. She broke her lips from his and looked up at him. “Make love to me.”

  Tucker didn’t reply. Instead, he scooped her up into his arms and made his way down the hall to her bedroom.

  When he reached the bedroom, he set her down on the bed.

  “I could spend the rest of my life, lost in you,” he whispered breathlessly, as he gazed down at her. “You are beyond exquisite.”

  He climbed onto the bed and balanced over her, his eyes never leaving her.

  “I have dreamed about you, all of my life,” he whispered. “Even before I met you, I knew you were out there somewhere, waiting for me to love you.”

  He bent down and kissed her on the lips softly.

  “The first time I saw you, I knew I had found you,” he continued, as he kissed along her jaw line. “Even when you left, I knew if I waited long enough, your heart would find its way back to mine.”

  “I never imagined I could love someone as much as I love you,” Lucy breathed, as she closed her eyes and allowed herself to get lost in his touch. “And somehow, the word, ‘love’ seems so small for what I feel inside my heart.”

  Tucker moved back up over her and stared down into her eyes.

  “Then let’s not say the words,” he whispered against her lips, before he claimed them with his.

  Suddenly the longing inside Lucy consumed her. She reached up and threaded her fingers through his hair, then gripped it and pulled him closer to her.

  Breathlessly they pulled at one another’s clothes, each one longing to feel the warm skin of the other pressed against theirs.

  As the final piece of clothing hit the floor, Tucker slipped in between Lucy’s legs, as his hands caressed her body.

  “I need you,” Lucy begged, as she longed to have him inside her. Tucker balanced over her, and looked down at her from beneath hooded eyes. The hunger in them almost took Lucy’s breath away.

  With one thrust, he filled her complete as Lucy cried out.

  “I am yours,” he breathed against her lips as he began to rock into her slowly, his eyes never leaving hers.

  Each thrust took them higher, but still their eyes remained locked.

  Tucker lifted her hands above her head one at a time then entwined his fingers with hers, pinning her to the bed. Lucy wrapped her legs around Tuckers waist, and pulled him deeper into her. They’re bodies had become almost one.

  Suddenly Tucker rolled over on the bed, taking Lucy with him, so now she was above him. She pressed her lips to his chest before she sat up on him, her legs straddling him, his erection still deep inside her.

  Slowly, she began to move, rocking back and forth on him, grinding into him harder and faster.

  Lucy could barely breathe, and her heart hammered so fast inside her, it felt like it was trying to break free from her chest.

  She steadied herself with her hands on Tucker’s broad, firm chest.

  As Lucy felt herself reaching the edge, she gasped for air. She closed her eyes, threw her head back, and cried out as she let go and came harder than she had ever come before.

  Tucker sat up in the bed, wrapped her in his arms, and he pulled her closer to him, as he too found his release.

  He collapsed back down onto the bed, taking Lucy with him. He kept her wrapped in his arms long after their breathing had finally calmed.

  “I never believed I could trust someone so much, that I could give myself to them completely,” Lucy finally whispered into the darkness of her room. “That night, he took something from me that I never believed I would find again.”

  “I can’t begin to understand what you have gone through, Lucy,” Tucker replied, as he softly stroked her back. “But I swear, you will never have to be afraid again.”

  “I hated that I saw myself as a victim,” Lucy sighed, sadly.

  “You are not a victim,” Tucker said in at tone that made Lucy lift her head and look down at him. “You are a survivor; you are a warrior, and I am in awe of just how truly brave you really are.”

  “I do love you, Tucker,” Lucy said with a yawn, as she rested her head back down against his chest.

  “I love you too, Sweet Girl,” Tucker replied, but his words were lost. Lucy’s soft; even breaths told Tucker she was already asleep. He kissed her forehead and smiled. “Good night my beautiful, Lucy. Sweet dreams.”

  Lucy walked into the dark room, as fear consumed her. She could hear her heart hammering in her ears as she struggled to calm her breathing. She knew she didn’t belong here, and that she needed to escape.

  “I’ve been waiting for you,” the voice she hated more than any other, said from behind her. Her body instantly froze.

  Suddenly, a hand grabbed her from behind and pushed her down onto a hard surface.

  “You were always a fucking bitch,” he growled into her ear, and the vile stench of his br
eath invaded her senses. “Time you learned a lesson.”

  A sudden pain shot through her as he sunk his teeth into her and she tried to cry out, but his hand covered her mouth.

  She could feel her stomach heave.

  PLEASE NOT AGAIN! She screamed inside her head as she kicked and pushed against him with everything she had, but it was no use. So she pinched her eyes shut once more, praying for the nightmare to end.

  Suddenly he rolled her over so that she was face to face with him.

  “Look at me,” he demanded. “Open your fucking eyes and look at me.”

  She tried to fight him, tried to keep her eyes pinched shut, but it was no use.

  “OPEN THEM!” He screamed as he slapped her across the face.

  She did as she was told and was confused to see Tucker staring down at her….

  “NOOOOOO!” She screamed as she bolted straight up in the bed.

  “Lucy!” Tucker exclaimed, as he too sat up in bed, with a panicked look on his face. He reached out to take her in his arms, but Lucy pulled away. “Lucy? What is it?”

  “Don’t,” she whispered, before she pushed back the bedclothes and hurried into the bathroom. She was confused by her dream. She had often dreamt of Tucker finding her that night, but never before was he the one above her. Her dream frightened her.

  She slid to the floor in the corner of the bathroom and buried her head in her lap.

  It was just a dream, she chanted over and over in her mind. It was just a dream.

  There was a soft tap on the door and Lucy looked up. Slowly the door opened, and Tucker cautiously stepped inside. Lucy’s heart ached when she saw the look of fear on his face.

  “Hey,” he said as he nervously walked across the bathroom and sat down next to her on the floor. “Want to talk about it?”

  “It was just a dream,” Lucy replied, without looking at him.

  “It was more than just a dream, Lucy,” Tucker replied, his eyes never leaving her. “You’re shaking like a leaf.”

  “It’s no big deal,” she insisted. “I have them all the time.”

  “It is a big deal,” Tucker pushed. “You pulled away from me, Lucy. Like you were afraid of me. So that is a huge deal.”

  “I was just…” Lucy began to say but couldn’t fight back the tears.

  “Please,” Tucker said, as he took her hands in his. “Talk to me.”

  Lucy looked up at him, not sure where to start.

  “I dreamt about him,” Lucy sniffed through her tears, as she quickly brushed them from her face. “About that night. It’s a dream I have had many times. But this time, it was different. This time, I knew it was not the first time, but then…”

  “Then?” He asked.

  “It was you,” Lucy whispered, as she finally looked up at him. “You were the one above me and…”

  “Me!” He exclaimed, and Lucy knew he was a little thrown. “Do you think I would ever hurt you, Lucy?”

  “No, I know you wouldn’t,” she replied honestly. “But the truth is, you could.”

  “You think I could?” Tucker asked, and Lucy could hear the hurt in his voice. “That I would do to you what he did?”

  “No,” Lucy explained. “Of course, I don’t think you would ever do anything like that, but I know that you could still hurt me. Tucker, I have shut myself away for the last nine years. I built up a wall around me to protect myself. Bit by bit, you have broken down every wall I have built. Now you have the power to destroy me, and that scares me to death.”

  “Lucy,” he sighed, as he moved closer to her. “Whatever power I have over you, you have over me too. But that is what comes with loving someone so completely. You give them the power to destroy you, but have to trust they won’t.”

  “I trust you,” Lucy breathed softly. “I trust you with my life.”

  “Good,” Tucker replied with a smile, as he leaned in and kissed her forehead. “I am happy to hear that.”

  “I do love you,” Lucy reassured him.

  “Then come back to bed with me,” he said with a smile, as he stood up and reached out his hand to Lucy. “Because tomorrow is the day we are going put your ghost to rest.”

  Chapter 29

  Lucy woke with a start. She sat up in bed and was surprised to find Tucker was gone. She pushed back the bed covers and got up. She grabbed her dressing gown from the chair in her room and wrapped it around herself, as she went to look for Tucker.

  She walked down the hallway to her open plan living room, but there was no sign of him. There wasn’t even a note.

  Lucy was confused. She knew she had hurt him a little the night before, but she thought they had cleared the air. Maybe she was wrong. Maybe he had headed back to River Springs without her. She walked to her handbag on the sideboard and pulled her phone out. She needed to know where he was.

  She was just about to hit dial, when she heard keys slip into her front door and the door being opened. She froze for a moment, but when Tucker appeared, she instantly relaxed.

  “You’re awake,” he said when he walked in and saw her standing there. “I was hoping to make you breakfast in bed, but you had no fresh milk, and some of your other food was a little questionable too. I hope you don’t mind that I took your keys.”

  “I was meaning to do some grocery shopping the day I got the call about Dad,” Lucy replied, as she followed him to the kitchen. “But the truth is, I spend so much time at my studio, I rarely even eat here.”

  “Well I hope that is something we can work on when we get back from River Springs,” Tucker said, as he unpacked the groceries. “Because I plan on spending every night with you for the rest of my life, and I am not sharing you with a studio.”

  Lucy smiled, then bit her lips nervously.

  “Are you really sure you are ready to leave there?” Lucy asked, as she slipped onto the high stool that was in front of her breakfast counter. “I know it’s a lot for me to ask of you.”

  “I told you,” Tucker said, as he stopped what he was doing and looked at Lucy. “I am not losing you again, so if that means I have to move here, then so be it.”

  “What about my dad?” Lucy asked, as she remembered the conversation he had with Tucker two days before.

  “I hope he will understand,” Tucker shrugged. “But I have to do what is right for me, and you are what’s right for me.”

  “I just don’t want him to feel like we are abandoning him,” Lucy said with a sigh.

  “Then maybe we should stay in River Springs together?” Tucker asked as he gave Lucy a hopeful look.

  “Tucker…” Lucy began, but before she could say anything else, the intercom buzzed on the wall. Lucy stood up and went to answer it, grateful for the distraction.

  “Hello,” she said, as she pressed the button on the intercom.

  “Lucy, it’s David,” her friend fiancé’s voice came through the speaker on the wall. He sounded upset. “I have Ali with me. Can we come up?”

  “Sure,” Lucy replied, and she pressed the buzzer to let them into the building.

  “Who was it?” Tucker asked from behind Lucy.

  “It’s Ali and David,” Lucy replied, as she walked to the door to wait for her friend to knock. “He sounded upset.”

  Two minutes later, there was a knock on the door, and Lucy quickly opened it. The minute she saw Alison, she knew something was wrong.

  “What’s happened?” She asked as Alison and David stepped into her hallway. “Alison, are you okay?”

  “He was outside our apartment,” David replied, and Lucy could hear the anger in his voice. “That fucking animal came to our home. I swear I am going to kill him.”

  “HE WAS WHAT?” Lucy cried, as a knot of fear formed in the pit of her stomach.

  “We came out the door of the apartment,” David explained. “And there he was, standing across the street. The fucker just grinned at us when he realised we had seen him.”

  Lucy could feel her heart racing in her chest. She turned to Tuck
er and gave him a worried look.

  “I thought you called to have him picked up?” She asked, as she struggled to keep calm.

  “I did,” Tucker replied just as angrily, and he pulled his phone from his pocket. “I have no idea what the hell is going on, but I am sure as hell going to find out.”

  Tucker walked into the kitchen to make a call, as Lucy led Alison and David into the living room.

  “Are you sure it was him?” Lucy asked, as she sat down across from Alison.

  “It was him,” Alison replied, her voice barely more than a whisper. “I know it was. He was just standing across the street.”

  “I tried to get him,” David replied as he paced up and down. “But that Son-Of-A-Bitch got away. Just as well, because I would have killed him if I had caught him.”

  “Why is he here?” Alison asked, as she finally looked up at Lucy with the tears glistening in her eyes. “What does he want from me?”

  “I don’t know,” Lucy replied as her heart raced faster in her chest. When she looked into Alison’s eyes, Lucy could see the same fear she had looked at in the mirror for the last nine years.

  She wanted to be able to tell Alison everything would be okay. She wanted to push her feelings back down inside her, but they were too strong. She finally felt broken.

  “I don’t know,” she repeated, as a tear trickled down her cheek. She quickly brushed away the tears from her face. She didn’t want to cry, she needed to be strong for her friend, but she could feel herself come apart. “This was supposed to be our safe place. The place was supposed to be where he couldn’t find us.”

  “I just spoke to the deputy,” Tucker said, as he joined them in the living room. “He said they went to his house yesterday, but his mother said he hadn’t been home since Saturday. I have no idea why they didn’t let me know. We have a car outside the house in case he comes home.”

  “Only he is not going back there, is he?” Lucy said, as she stood up and looked at Tucker. She felt beyond angry. “He is here. Probably outside as we speak. He has finally taken everything from me. I have nothing…”

  She could feel the room begin to spin as her breathing became shallow and laboured. She dropped to the floor and began to sob, as her chest tightened with unimaginable grief.