The Untitled Story

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

I was sitting in the office, going over the books from the auction. Paying off the bills that where still outstanding and a thought came intruding in At least you got this stupid degree. Think what would have happen if you waited? I laughed to myself. Yeah, if I had waited. A pit grew in my stomach as I was taken back to that summer night. It was still etched into my head. Watching him be driven off by Hinkey with no answers at the time. It drove me nuts for months. Not knowing more than what the town said. Luckily for me I was able to move on. Move past him. Well, pretend to.

While typing up the books I remembered this being my desk from college. How I could forget is beyond me. I started opening drawers and seeing that Ma never once cleaned out the desk. Aimee, you know this means the letters are still here! A small rise in nervous excitement hit me. You know that means you never lost them like you thought you did. I started open the drawers like I was robbing them of their youth, You didn't throw them away you forgetful dingbat! I pulled out an old cigar box, slid back the top of it and there sat the stack of letters that Tucker had sent me all those years ago while he sat in prison. While he tried to reach me, while he wanted me to just respond to one. I never did. He never gave up. Never lost faith in us. I did.

While I sat there with the box of old letters in front of me, I couldn't help but think if I had responded to just one maybe I wouldn't feel so bad right now. I started to fan through the hundreds of aged letters, all addressed to me in almost perfect penmanship. Not missing a beat in his spelling or introductions. Looking to see that theyre all still in order how I received them, the last being on the top. I started to reach to the bottom of the box to grab the first one when there was a knock at the office door. "Aimee?"

It was Tucker. As he walked in the door of my office I scrambled to hid the box of letters before he could see them. I was just about successful at getting them in the drawer but I was only able to close the lid to the box. "Hey. I just wanted to stop in and say congratulations on selling out the cattle this past week. I see youre already celebrating with the cigars." He chuckled a little knowing I wasn't a smoker. He began to reach for the box. I smacked his hand away. "Excuse me!" I smirked. "Where are your manners." He pulled his hand back slowly. Smiled. Said nothing at first. Just staring at me with a longing in his eyes. I knew deep down I felt for him what he was feeling for me at the moment. I wasn't able to break just yet. I needed to stay strong. I needed to prove myself wrong. Although it was a timeless battle I have yet to win. All these years later. "Aimee, can we talk?" I half whispered. "Is that not what we are doing right now?" I cocked my head to the side. "No, I mean really talk. There are some things that have been bothering me since you got back here are I just want to talk about them." I hung his head down an looked down at his boots. "Tucker, I am slammed today with finishing off these books, how about tomorrow? Sound good?" He looked up with a twinkle in his eyes. "Timmys, tomorrow at 8AM, I will see you there." I nodded my head, slid the box back in the drawer. "See you there Tucker."

The next morning I got up, wanted to wear something simple to the diner to meet with Tucker. This beautiful little red sundress poked from my closet. Would this be weird? No. Its just a meeting. Just breakfast. Just wear it. I wrestled with the idea of jeans or this dress until I seen if I didn't put something on I was going to be at the diner naked. I slid the dress on, put on some light makeup and left my hair down.

Once I arrived at Timmys I scanned the diner for Tucker, I didn't see him or his truck yet, so I just grabbed a window booth, ordered my coffee and waited. I am not sure if was my anxiety or my fear of him not showing up that made time pass so slow. I was on my second cup with the bell chimed behind me and Tucker walked in the diner. He sat down, smiled and blushed slightly. I looked up over my coffee and felt my face flush. "Glad I told you to be here early, I was almost sure you would have been late either way." Asshole. "Believe it or not sir I can make it places without being late." I rolled my eyes and grabbed a menu. The waitress came over and took our orders and we both sat in awkward silence for a few moments before our food arrived.

"So are you ever going to tell me why on earth we are Timmys?" I shrugged my shoulders waiting for a response. While I waited he just smiled. He is being a weirdo. What the hell is he doing? Has be lost his mind? "Tucker? Seriously, you said you wanted to talk, I am here, waiting for you to talk." He pushed his plate to the side, took a sip of his drink, looked at me from across the table and interlaced his hands in front of him. "Aimee, I want to apologize to you." Yeah, he has lost his shit! What does he need to apologize for? I mean did he break something? "For?" I must have looked irritated by now. "Aimee, it's been almost 20 years. I need to clear the air with this. I know you were there that day; I was too. What you don't know is how it really happened, or what really happened. If you would have responded to anything I said to you in those letters, I could have explained then. Now I am sitting here trying to not to look like an asshole. I am trying to live my life the best way possible. You just continue to keep looking past all of it. So, I brought you here to explain everything. I can't have you mad at me for another 20 years let alone another 20 minutes."

I sat my drink down, I narrowed my eyes to meet his, "Talk then. You have the floor." He began. My eyes followed his every word. His every emotion that was spilled into the confession of truth that he waited almost 20 years to give to me. He took a deep breath in his eyes started to welt. "The worse part of the whole thing is that in the process of it all, no matter what I did, or tried to do, you walked away from it." He wasn't wrong. I did. Based on what I knew then. Not what I know as of now. "I wrote so much I thought I would have arthritis, yet you never responded. After 2 years, I stopped. I figured you would be done with college and by then moved on and well, you did. You completely left Gunner. Your dad was the one who told me that. He told me one day you just picked up your bags and left. I was still in prison when you left. I knew once I heard that I would never hear from you again. It killed me." I was floored. I couldn't believe that he was letting all of this out from years ago. Could it be that he was still in love with me? No way. Impossible. Only woman hold on to fruitless relationships. Not men and not this man.

I had nothing to say to Tucker. I slid out of the booth and walked away without saying a word. I walked out of Timmys with my stoic appearance, got into the Jeep and turned it over. I seen Tucker coming to the door. I slammed it into reverse and sped out of the parking lot. I hit the road and got about 3 miles up the road when I pulled over. I couldn't contain myself and started to cry, that unfamiliar pain hit my chest, the burning tears slid down my cheeks, the pit in my stomach ever present. I slammed the steering wheel with my palms and screamed at the top of my lungs. This mix of old and new emotion flooding my nervous system was unhinged. I wasn't sure I knew what direction to drive, but I knew going home wasn't the answer to this. What ever the fuck this is. I put the jeep in drive and headed down the road. What do I do now? How do you handle this? Who would know better? I just kept driving and before I knew it I was at the Michigan state line.