Endgame (The Atlanta Boys)

36. Callaway

36

CALLAWAY

“You got your ass whooped, old man!”

Oh, she’s got some sass tonight. We’ll see about that.

“Angel, feeling defensive after such a great loss is perfectly normal. Please let me know if you need any assistance wiping your ego off the floor. I’ve got a cleaning crew on standby.”

Dakota is plowing into me with kicks and punches.

It’s incredible.

Her playfulness tonight has been such a good time, a clear indicator that we’ve both needed this—the fun and the time together.

Once we got to the Adrenaline Park, she immediately set her sights on the go-carts; she was adamant about crushing my manhood with a win.

I swear this beautiful woman reminded me of a teenage boy shit talking me the entire ride. Her feistiness is one of the things I love most about her; it only made me want to destroy her even more.

That's how we got here—a win in my pocket and a bruised ego for Dakota .

Her laughter rings out, allowing me to look at her.

She’s so beautiful I find myself struggling to breathe at times. It’s a strange feeling to be so swept away by the closeness of someone. I’ve always been able to feel it, but now I can take it.

I grab her hand instinctively and watch as her eyes draw to the motion.

Accept me, angel.

This is just the beginning.

Her head lifts, delighting me with a soft smile; I know this is her way of showing me she’s okay with these inevitable small steps between us.

Looking ahead, I spot one of my favorite hot dog shacks. I can’t play in Cleveland without hitting it up.

“You hungry? This shack has some of the best hotdogs in Cleveland. I’m failing you if we don’t eat here.” I’m starving and silently hoping she likes hot dogs and can get down with some messy grub.

“Ugh, yes. I’m starving. A hot dog sounds perfect.”

My kind of woman.

I’m the kind of guy who likes to see his woman eat. If we’re at the best burger joint in town and she picks the green salad, it’s an immediate red flag.

My worries seem to settle themselves because Dakota wastes no time ordering what she wants. That's my girl.

“I’ll take a cattle dog with extra bacon and onions, a side of ranch cheese fries with extra ranch, and a large Diet Coke.”

I’m undoubtedly staring at her like she orchestrated the damn planets. As if I couldn't be any more crazy about her, she knows what she wants and goes for it—just like that cattle dog I’m going to have the pleasure of watching her eat .

I move to stand beside her, gently placing my hand on the small of her back. She shivers at the touch.

I catch it but decide not to say anything.

I love the effect I have on her.

She stares at me patiently with a small smile, waiting for me to order. I lean forward to kiss her forehead gently, throwing her off guard and no doubt irritating the people in line behind us. But I can’t find it in me to care. I’m acting on feelings with Dakota, and right this second, I feel like doing that.

Once we’ve secured our food, I lead Dakota to a small bench off the side of the park. We’re surrounded by a butterfly garden with various colorful plants to the left of us, resembling a quaint oasis and a mini putt-putt course to the right. Children and families around us filter the air with laughter and excitement.

Despite the chaos around us, we sit in silence for what feels like hours, enjoying the quiet of each other's company.

I love that this feels comfortable. She’s someone who doesn’t require much, doesn’t expect much, and that feels invigorating.

We are the start of something much greater than me.

I understand what she meant when she claimed I was calming for her. I feel it too. The ease of her company feels sublime.

Dakota wastes no time moving forward, breaking the silence with a question I knew we would discuss eventually.

“Have you ever been in love?”

I’m not thrown off by her question per se, but I am a little shocked at how quickly she’s opening herself up to me.

I throw my left arm over her shoulder and feel her sink into me, legs crossed out in front. She’s gazing into my eyes with those round hazel eyes, waiting for my response .

“I haven’t. Not for the sake of trying. There’s never been anyone I wanted to chance the possibility of heartbreak with.”

Her face falls slightly, “Or the possibility of maddening love.”

Yes.

“Is that what you want, Dakota? Maddening love.”

It takes her a moment to gather her thoughts before she speaks up, “I think so. If you would have asked me six months ago, my answer would have been absolutely not. But I feel lighter now. Like life doesn’t hurt so badly. I know my loneliness came from the loss of my parents, but now I don’t see things so black and white. I don’t think the pain will ever really go away, but I feel hopeful I’ll find my person—despite the heaviness of losing them. I have to let myself feel it, ya know?”

I do. More than you can imagine.

She’s so damn strong, and it makes me deliriously happy to see her finally embracing it.

“I do. I’m so proud of you, Dakota. The moment you began seeing yourself less like a project and more like a woman capable of loving someone, I witnessed you living .”

Her eyes shine with unshed tears. “Thank you for saying that. So, no girlfriends for you? Not even in high school or college?”

A light chuckle escapes me. “I did have one girlfriend in college, but love was never there. We fucked, and that was it. We mostly used each other for stress relief. She was working toward law school, and I was barreling deep into baseball, trying to make it to the Major Leagues. My parents weren't her biggest fans.”

I can laugh at it now, but Paige and I were not compatible in the slightest. I think I always knew that. It felt good to have human touch again—the touch of a beautiful woman distracting me from the stress in my life. Maybe it wasn’t the best way to handle it, but it worked in the end, and no one was hurt.

She doesn’t look bothered at the thought of me fucking someone else in the slightest. It’s almost like she can relate from experience. Her maturity continues to stagger me.

Dakota is my now —the past means very little.

She giggles, playing with the pocket of her sweats. “Why didn’t they like her? Your parents are so sweet.”

Somehow, I forget she knows them—her being Navy’s best friend.

“Probably because I never wanted to introduce them to her. There was no future with Paige; I knew it, and she did too. I think deep down they wanted to see me with someone who saw what they did in me. Foster life sucked, and it screwed with my head for a long time. My parents saw the ramifications of that firsthand. I promised myself I wouldn’t let them worry about me. It turns out me not having anyone worries them the most.”

Her body language shows me she’s in tune with my every word. I’ll always love her attention. It’s like she can see into my fucking soul; it’s exhilarating.

“I can understand that. I can’t imagine how hard that must have been for you to adapt from such extreme circumstances and for them to see the pain it caused you. They must be so proud of you now.”

I can tell it’s difficult for her to express the love of another parent to their child, even though it's me. Despite that, her intentional compassion draws me to her. I pull her body in snugly, cradling her in my embrace. She breathes in a heavy sigh and lets herself settle in this moment.

There’s no denying the sexual chemistry we share, but the emotional connection is what I long for from her. When she opens herself up and lets me in enough to see the scars she tries so hard to hide, I feel like the luckiest man in the world.

She feels like mine in every sense of the word.

I speak without thinking, “I want you to meet them as my girlfriend.”

Time stands still. Please don’t retreat.

They know her as Navy’s best friend, and I love that for them, but I want them to see her as my girlfriend.

“What? Do they know about us? But we just started seeing each other in that way, Cal. You don’t think it’s too soon?”

She’s not wrong. Even so, I knew she was exceptional from the second I witnessed her breakdown in that apartment months ago. The last few months have only confirmed that.

“If we’re being technical, then yes. But you and I have had more than just a friendship for some time now. I want my parents to see us together, to see you as the woman I’m crazy about, with just me, and no one else standing in the way of it.”

“I just...oh God. Not gonna lie, that makes me want to puke.”

She’s adorable. Flustered and blushed pink.

I pull her head to my lips and give her a chaste kiss. “Don’t worry; I’ll make sure there are stacks of cookies in reach if things go south.”

She smacks my leg playfully, and I’m grinning like an idiot. I’m so deliriously happy it feels too good to be true.

Realizing we still have some time before closing, I lift Dakota to stand and smack her ass, driving her forward.

“Come on, my little racing queen. Ready to get that pretty ass beat in laser tag?”