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Kindle Notes & Highlights
by
Lyssa Lemire
Read between
September 14 - September 16, 2024
He balks. “You mean you’re not a Taylor Swift fan?” “She’s fine, I like her, but …” “Fine?” Tuck exclaims like he can’t believe his ears. “What do you mean fine? She’s a genius!” I’m taken aback by Tuck’s enthusiasm. “Geez, I never would have taken you for such an ardent Taylor Swift supporter.” “We call ourselves Swifties, thank you very much.”
“Because I was afraid,” I say. Tuck’s lips flatten. The square between his eyebrows wrinkles. “What?” “That’s why. Why I wouldn’t give us a chance.” Surprise flashes in Tuck’s eyes. ‘You …” I nod. “I heard what you said.” His jaw muscles go tight. He leans forward, into the charged space between us over the table. “Everything?”
He’s got such an infectious, positive energy, it’s hard to believe I ever used to think he was a jerk. But that’s what bad experiences in your past will do to you. They keep you from seeing things, people, or potential relationships for what they actually are; instead, you keep looking for similarities and analogies between them and the things that hurt you.
The atmosphere is electric, the air almost crackling. The referee drops the puck. Tuck swats it away. He drops his hockey stick. Ryan drops his. Everyone else on the ice does the same. The arena is deafening as a brawl erupts on the ice. Every player is squaring off with another from the opposing team. Throwing blows, trying to grab holds of each other, struggling to stay upright. Even Hudson’s skated out to tangle with the Falcons’ goalie.
Olivia’s shoulders sag. “I told you that I didn’t want to even have to think about Ryan anymore. But after that stunt you pulled at the beginning of the game? It’s all anyone’s talking about. You and Ryan fighting is even bigger news than it was after last night, and people wanted to find out the story behind it. Guess what? They did. I had to deal with people gawking at me and whispering about me during the whole game.”
“Tuck …” she says my name like it’s a question. “You can’t be in love with me.” My brow furrows. “Well, that’s an interesting theory you’ve got there, Olivia. The problem with it is that I am.” Her arms fold over her chest, like she’s closing herself off. “We hardly know each other. We’ve only been together for a couple weeks.”
“Hey,” she says, getting my attention. I look up to see her wearing an amused grin. “That guy asked me to give this to you.” She hands me a folded-up piece of paper and then nods her head towards the door. I look over my shoulder to see Tuck standing there. My heart leaps into my throat seeing him after a couple days. That scruffy hair, those oceans of blue that are his eyes. I unfold the note. Hope this is enough space. Still love you btw.
I’m waiting in line for a coffee at Brumehill Brews, when a guy comes up to me. “Excuse me,” he says. He holds something out to me. “That guy out there asked me to come in and give you this.” Sure enough, when I follow the direction of his nod towards the glass doors of the café, I see Tuck standing on the other side. A boyish grin is carving his dimples deep on his stubble-covered cheeks. My chest flutters. I unfold the note. In case you were wondering, I haven’t stopped loving you since I wrote that first note this morning. In fact, I love you more. See the drawing below for proof.
“That fact feels like a gift from the universe to me. No matter what color your eyes were, I’d never get tired of looking at them. But the fact that every time I look in your eyes, I’ll see more shades, more specks of color, than I would in anyone else’s, that just feels like fate winking at me for falling for the right girl.”

