Dear Nick

Lights Out

Tucker got even closer to the bed, looking like he was about to yank me out of it, when Demi sat up, straighter, practically throwing herself onto my lap. "Do you see how I'm dressed? He's got clothes on, too. We didn't have sex, Tucker. I was just being a good friend & comforting him on what was probably the most devastating day of his life since your cousin died." Demi was angry & she climbed over me to get out of the bed & stood in front of Tucker. "Do you really think he would do that to Beth? The day he was supposed to marry her, you think he'd fuck someone else? He loved Beth dearly." Demi was yelling in Tucker's face & he looked amused by her, then he looked indifferent.

I got out of bed, too & held onto Demi's biceps. "Demi, calm down. Tucker knows I wouldn't do such a thing. Right, Tuck?" I looked at Tucker with my eyebrows up.

Tucker started stuttering as he took a few steps back. "I'm sorry, Nick. I shouldn't have assumed the worst, but when I walked in here & saw you in bed with another girl, I just lost it." He cleared his throat & looked like he might cry as he looked down at the floor. "I just don't want her to be gone. I miss her so much." He choked out then almost ran from my room.

Demi turned around, quickly, her eyes wide. "Oh shit... I shouldn't have been so mean."

I had to chuckle as I shook my head. "He's not upset because you were mean. I'm going to go talk to him."

"I hope he's okay." She smiled, then batted her lashes, like she was about to ask for the moon. "Care if I get a shower?"

I chuckled. "Not at all. There are extra towels in the hall closet. Do you need something to change into?"

Demi grinned, looking at me sideways. "You expect me to wear your clothes?"

I rolled my eyes. "I have sweatpants & t shirts that you can wear. They'll just be a little big." I bit my lip & looked away, nodding toward a dresser. "That bottom drawer, in that dresser, has a few things that were Beth's that she would leave here before she started moving in. Feel free to wear something from it." I started to walk toward the door.

"I can't wear something that was Beth's."

"Why?" I asked as I turned to look at Demi. "It's fine, Demi. I need to pack all the stuff up anyway, so you wearing it, at least it's being used."

"I don't want to make you sad... seeing her clothes."

I sighed, then shrugged my shoulders. "Find something that is plain... like a plain t shirt & pants & I probably won't even notice that they were hers." I winked at her, then left to go talk to Tucker.

I found Tucker in my kitchen, staring down at a bottle of water. He looked up when I came in the room. "I'm really sorry, man. I came over here to see if you felt up to going to the gym & when I saw you in bed with Demi... I just flipped out."

"Hey, I get it. It was like a slap in the face because you thought I had sex with Demi. You know I would never do that to Beth, right?"

Tucker looked away, shaking his head. "You wouldn't have been doing anything to her, though. You have every right to move on. You can have sex with girls. Your fiance has been gone a month. It was just the fact of the day that it was..."

"I know." I went into the kitchen, then leaned on the counter, across from Tucker. "I'm not ready to move on, though. No need to worry about me having sex with someone else. I would still feel like I was cheating."

Tucker put his water bottle down & came to stand closer to me. "She's gone. You wouldn't be cheating." He started chuckling then put his fists up. "If it were cheating, believe me... I would not hesitate to punch your lights out." He lifted his arms like he was boxing me & I grinned at him. "Now... maybe we should go to the gym so you can spar with me."