Luminary {Book 2 ✔️}

Chapter 38

Despite the laugh that was bubbling up in my throat, I rolled my eyes at Tucker's expression and patted Harry on the back. He was standing at a distance, looking at Tucker with wariness in his eyes.

Once all the boxes were stacked inside, my friends and I settled into the most reading that I would ever willingly submit myself to. Tucker, however, was offered an excuse to get out of the sleuthing that was about to happen. He was saved by the bell- literally.

"Jacob," he greeted into the phone, "everything okay?"

Ben's head shot up at the sound of the name. Tilly and I both smirked at each other but said nothing as we started opening up the first box to go through its contents. Tucker's tone stayed steadily calm throughout the call so I knew that nothing dire had happened- they hadn't found anything at the address. He was still an alpha. He still had responsibilities.

Tilly handed me another box to open and sort through as he talked and I dumped the contents out on the floor. Luckily, my mom had decided to start looking for jobs again and she'd be out doing interviews the whole rest of the afternoon as we destroyed her living room with supernatural mystery solving. It was strange not having her moping around the corners of the mansion. Strange, but not at all unwelcome.

Tucker hung up with Jacob and approached us, glancing at the multitude of boxes in front of us. He shot me an apologetic look.

"You have to go?" I guessed.

Ben groaned as his older brother nodded. "Oh, real nice. Leave before all the real hard work begins."

"Come on, Joy. Not fair."

"Sorry, guys. I'll be back once Jacob and I figure out some pack stuff," he explained in a bit of a rush already walking toward the door. Tucker laughed a little and leaned down to kiss me on the top of the head.

As he walked to the door, he glanced toward me and called back, "As soon as I'm done, I'll be back. Promise. I love you, bye!"

It wasn't until the door shut behind Tucker and I looked up to find my friends and my brother staring at me that I realized what Tucker had just said in his rush out the door. Ben and Tilly were staring at me, mouths gaping. Even Harry's eyes had widened. I'm sure my expression matched theirs.

"Did he-" Ben began.

"Was that the first time-"

Tilly nodded. "I think he definitely-"

All four of us were shocked, staring at the door where he'd just disappeared through. However, our conversation was cut short by his reemergence. Tucker's expression mirrored all of ours, except he was blushing and slightly breathless.

"Can we just forget that that just happened?" he asked.

Unable to speak, I just shook my head.

He had said he loved me for the first time ever. On accident. There was no way I was ever going to forget something like that. He coughed a little, staring at all four of us looking up at him in shock. Tucker clapped his hands together, not meeting my eye, and sighed.

"Alright then," he said trying to maintain a sliver of composure, "I'm going to go then. I- hm okay sorry about that. Yeah. I'll be going."

With less urgency and more sheer awkwardness than before, he walked out the door- but not before he watched a smile spread across my face. As the door shut, relief flooded his expression.

The four of us were all silent as my friends and my brother watched the sheer giddiness spread throughout my whole body. Me? Giddy? Not usually a word I'd use to describe myself.