by RH Tucker
After several long minutes that feels like time stands still, she speaks again. “I always thought she never loved me. Actually,” she pauses, and I hear her let out a sniffle, “I never told anyone this, but there was a brief moment in time when I thought she hated me. That she couldn’t stand that I was her daughter and that’s why she left me with Nancy.”
I pull back, bringing my face to hers. “Don’t ever think that. Please. No matter what she did, she could never hate you.”
I’m surprised when she lets out a soft laugh through her tears. “You didn’t even know her.”
“Yeah, but she made you. If nothing else, that’s enough. There’s no way she could’ve hated you after looking into those gorgeous eyes. Or hearing that incredible laugh.” As if on cue, she laughs, wiping away tears. “See?”
“I know she didn’t hate me, at least, now I know. And now I know she still loved me, too. She just made a horrible choice. And that’s the part I’m still working on trying to forgive her.” She pulls away and takes my hands in hers. “Look at me, I had a plan when I came out here, but all this other stuff just started gushing out.”
“It’s okay,” I reply, raising a hand to her check, wiping a tear away. “You can gush to me all you want. As much as you need to.”
“Seriously, Luc, how’d you get so perfect?”
Now it’s my turn to laugh, as I shake my head. “Ha, I’m not perfect. I think I’ve proven that.”
“Maybe not.” She looks down at our hands locked together. “But you’re perfect for me.”
Her words leave me speechless. Perfect for her? Is she saying what I think she’s saying?
She lets go of my hand and reaches into her pocket. “You remember Leprechauns and Unicorns?”
I give her a quizzical look, knowing what she’s talking about, but unsure where she’s going. “Yeah?”
She holds up a silver key, hanging from a chain. There’s a small smile on her lips. “What were we in, fourth grade?”
“Fifth.”
She smiles and stares at the key. “Right. And you said you’d find me a magical key one day. A key that would take us anyplace in the world.”
“A key would unlock all doors and gates until we found lost treasures.”
She laughs, still holding the key. “And I said, ‘it wouldn’t be that magical if all it found were treasures. Because what happens when we find them all? There can only be so many’.”
Now I laugh. “So, I said, ‘fine, a key that will unlock everything we want until we find leprechauns and unicorns’.”
She raises the key to me and then turns her wrist, so I see her tattoo. “And do you remember what I told you about this?”
My laughter stifles. I nod and come crashing back down to reality. I thought that she was telling me that we have a chance. That there’s a possibility for us. But I’m wrong. Because I remember exactly what she said about her tattoo.
“What?”
“Jen,” I say quietly, averting my eyes.
“Do you remember, Luc?”
“Yes, I remember.”
“What?”
My head snaps up, my eyes burrowing into hers. “You said you’d never open it up again, okay?” I don’t mean to, but I snap. Because now I’m feel like I’m being tormented all over again.
She closes the gap between us, grabbing my hand. “But I never said it couldn’t be opened.” I knit my brows together, staring at her, as she puts the key in my hand. “I thought of leprechauns and unicorns and those are just make believe. But my heart, Luc? That’s real. And I honestly don’t know if I could ever open it up again on my own. But this key,” she whispers, closing my fingers around the key with her hand, “this key is yours. Because you’ve always had the key to my heart, Lucas. Even when I didn’t want you to because I was so terrified of what might happen. But I can’t deny that you have direct access to my heart. You always have.”
I’m trying to digest everything. I stare at the silver key, which shines in the moonlight over the beach. Along the top there’s a date engraved. I rack my brain, trying to think of what it might be. It’s about five years after the year we were born, so it can’t be either of our birthdays. I flip the key around and show her the engraving.
“It’s the day we moved next door to you,” she says. “I told you, I loved you since I saw you. I know I’ve rejected you after you tried and put it all out there and I’m sorry. And I know because of all that, I might have messed this thing up already, but I at least had to do this. I had to let you know. Because I don’t want to think about what could go wrong anymore. I want to think about what could go right.”
She stares at me and I want to kiss her, but I’m frozen. I can’t believe this is real.
She looks down, let’s go of my hand, and gives an apologetic nod. “So, I guess that’s it.”
She turns around and takes one step before all rational thought finally comes back to me. Before she can take a second step, I grab her wrist and turn her around, her hands meeting my chest. I hold her face in my hands and bring my lips to hers, instantly feeling the rush of her kiss. Her hands slide around me, and she brings me closer, as our lips stay connected. There aren’t any buzzed feelings, no tears, and not even a rush like I felt at the lake. The only thing I feel is complete. Whole.
I break away slightly, resting my forehead against hers, my eyes closed. “I just want to think about what could go right, too.”
I open my eyes and she’s smiling. “You’re not scared?”
I grin, running a thumb over her bottom lip. “The only thing I’m scared about is just how much I love you and whether it will ever be enough.”
She brings a hand to my cheek. “If you keep saying things like that, I think it will be. And if you always kiss me like you just did.”
“Always.”
FROM THE AUTHOR
Thanks so much for reading Heart Shaped Lock. Lucas and Jen’s story sort of came out of nowhere for me. I wasn’t planning on writing their story until later on in the Rumor Has It series, but they were both ready to talk, so I had to listen. And write ;)
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About the Author
RH Tucker lives in Southern California, writes contemporaries and urban fantasy, and drinks too much caffeine. If you’d like to connect on social media, just follow the links below!
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www.rhtuckerbooks.com
