Melina spent the rest of the day trying her absolute best to act normal, which turned out to be so much harder than she thought.

Tucker was being... well, Tucker. Sweet, a little goofy, completely unaware that she was spiraling internally. He didn't seem nervous at all. If anything, she was the one acting suspicious.

They were lounging outside now, the sun dipping lower in the sky, golden light stretching over the lake. Melina was stretched out on a lounge chair in her bikini, pretending to scroll on her phone when in reality, she was stealing glances at Tucker.

He sat on the edge of the dock, messing with his guitar, absently plucking strings while his phone sat face-down next to him. Was he texting someone about it? His mom? Liv? Every time his fingers twitched like he was about to pick it up, her stomach did a full flip.

"You're staring," Tucker said without looking up, his voice amused.

Melina blinked, immediately looking away. "No, I'm not."

He smirked, finally turning toward her. "Yeah? Then why do you look guilty?"

"I don't." She forced herself to keep her expression neutral, which only made him more suspicious.

Tucker narrowed his eyes. "Are you hiding something?"

Oh God. If she didn't shut this down right now, she was going to ruin her own proposal.

Melina sat up, pulling her sunglasses down over her eyes. "I was just thinking about getting more snacks," she lied, standing up and stretching. "But if you wanna sit here and interrogate me instead—"

"Nope, snacks sound great," Tucker said quickly, hopping up. "I'm coming with you."

Crisis averted. For now.

—

The small-town grocery store had a charm that only made sense in places like this—cozy, slightly outdated, with a mix of essentials and random touristy knick-knacks.

Tucker wandered a few steps ahead of her, running a hand through his still-damp hair as he examined a row of candy. Melina let herself watch him for a moment, taking in the familiarity of it all. They had been here before, months ago. It was weirdly nostalgic.

"You know," Tucker said, holding up a bag of sour gummies, "this place still makes me think about Tom and Sally."

Melina smiled, stepping closer. "We are Tom and Sally."

"We could be," Tucker corrected, a teasing lilt in his voice. "I mean, if we ever needed to disappear. Small town, different names, open up a little coffee shop—"

"Oh, now we own a business?"

He shrugged. "Maybe. Or maybe we just hang out by the lake all day and do nothing."

Melina grinned. "You wish you could do nothing all day."

Tucker chuckled, nudging her shoulder before tossing the candy into their basket. "Alright, Sally, pick the snacks before I buy every single flavor of Pop-Tarts."

They wandered the aisles together, grabbing chips, popcorn, and a few drinks. Tucker kept reaching for things they definitely didn't need—microwavable mac and cheese cups, a suspiciously large bag of marshmallows, some weird off-brand cereal called Oaty-O's.

"Tuck," Melina said, laughing as she pulled the cereal out of the basket. "You don't even eat this."

"Maybe Tom does," he argued, grinning.

She rolled her eyes but let him keep it. The whole time, she kept stealing glances at him, thinking about how this—picking out snacks, laughing over dumb things, existing so easily together—was what she wanted forever.

And in four days, it could be real.

—

Later that night, they curled up on the couch, watching some old movie they had both seen a million times. Tucker had an arm slung over her shoulders, fingers absentmindedly tracing patterns on her arm.

"You're quiet tonight," he murmured.

Melina swallowed, her heart racing again. She tilted her head up to look at him, searching his face for any sign that he knew she knew.

But Tucker just looked at her the way he always did—like she was his favorite thing in the world.

She smiled, shifting closer, pressing a kiss to his jaw. "Just tired."

Melina wasn't tired. Not even a little.

She was distracted.

Tucker had no idea what was coming, and that made everything worse. He sat there, so effortlessly himself, his arm draped around her, fingers lazily tracing shapes on her skin as they lounged on the couch. She could hear the steady rise and fall of his breathing, feel the warmth of him pressed against her.

And God, she loved him.

Maybe that was why she couldn't just sit still. Couldn't let the moment pass without doing something.

She shifted slightly, tilting her face up and pressing a soft kiss to his jaw.

Tucker hummed, barely acknowledging it at first, still focused on the movie. But when she did it again—this time letting her lips linger, brushing against the rough stubble there—she felt his body react. His fingers, once absentminded on her arm, stilled. His breathing slowed, like he was suddenly paying attention.

"What are you up to?" he murmured, voice quieter now, a little amused but already affected.

Melina smirked, brushing her lips just below his ear, her fingers trailing lightly over his stomach. "Nothing."

Tucker huffed a quiet laugh, but she could feel the shift in him. Could feel the way his body was tensing, how his focus was completely on her now. "Liar."

But he turned his head toward her anyway, letting her kiss him properly.

It started slow—familiar, easy, like they had all the time in the world. But Melina was impatient. She wanted more.

She moved onto his lap, her thighs settling on either side of him, hands sliding up his bare chest, fingertips tracing the tattoos she had already memorized. His skin was warm under her touch, and she felt the deep inhale he took as she pressed closer.

Tucker let out a sharp breath against her lips, his hands finding her waist, gripping just a little tighter now.

"Mel," he murmured, voice lower, rougher.

She just grinned against his mouth. "What?"

"You're—" He sucked in a breath as she trailed her lips down, pressing slow, deliberate kisses to his jaw, then his neck. "You know what."

She did. And she didn't care.

Tucker groaned softly when she sucked lightly on his skin, his grip on her tightening as he exhaled shakily.

"Baby," he muttered, his head tilting back slightly, giving her even more access. His hands slid down to her hips, fingers digging in like he was trying to keep himself steady.

Melina smirked against his neck, satisfied when she pulled back and saw the faint, rising color on his skin—proof that he was hers.

Tucker opened his eyes slowly, gaze half-lidded, heavy with something darker. He let out a breathless laugh, fingers slipping under the strap of her bikini top, playing with the fabric.

"You are up to something," he said, voice huskier now.

Melina dragged her nails lightly down his stomach, making his abs tense under her touch. "Maybe."

He exhaled hard, his grip on her tightening as she shifted against him. "Yeah? And what exactly are you trying to do?"

She leaned in close, lips barely brushing his as she whispered—

"Guess you'll have to wait and see."