Chapter 9
CALLIE
Iwake up to sunlight streaming through my bedroom window and Ethan's arm around my waist.
For a moment, I just lie there. Taking inventory. He's still here. We're still here. Luke knows. Everything is different.
Everything is better.
Ethan stirs behind me. His arm tightens, pulling me closer.
"Morning," he murmurs against my hair.
"Morning."
"What time is it?"
I check my phone on the nightstand. "Eight thirty."
"Shit. I need to get to my laptop. Conference call at nine."
"You can use my kitchen table."
He kisses my shoulder. "Thanks."
We get up. I make coffee while he showers. Normal domestic routine. Like we've been doing this for years instead of days.
When he emerges, hair damp and wearing yesterday's clothes, I hand him a mug. He takes it and sits at my small kitchen table, laptop already open.
"I'll be quiet," I tell him.
"You don't have to be."
I pour myself coffee and lean against the counter, and watch him work. His focus is complete. His fingers are moving across the keyboard, and occasionally making notes on a pad beside him.
My phone buzzes.
Luke: You two okay?
Me: Yeah. We're good.
Luke: Ethan still there?
Me: He's working. Conference call.
Luke: Tell him I said good luck with that.
I glance at Ethan. He's talking now, something about security protocols. Professional. Competent. Nothing like the man who held me last night while I fell asleep.
The call lasts forty minutes. When he finally closes the laptop, he looks tired.
"Coffee's cold," I say, taking his mug. "I'll make fresh."
"Thanks."
I pour new cups for both of us. Sit across from him at the table.
"Luke texted," I tell him.
"Yeah?"
"He's checking on us. Making sure we're okay."
"What'd you tell him?"
"That we're good."
Ethan nods. Drinks coffee. "We should probably have dinner with him. The three of us. Clear the air completely."
"You think that's necessary?"
"I think it'll help. Make things feel normal again."
Normal. I'm not sure what normal looks like anymore. But dinner with Luke might be a start.
"Okay. I'll text him."
I do. Luke responds immediately.
Luke: Tonight work? My place. I'll cook.
Me: You can't cook.
Luke: I can grill. That counts.
Me: Fine. What time?
Luke: Seven.
I show Ethan the exchange. He smiles. "Grilling. Very Luke."
"He's trying."
"He is. And I appreciate it."
We finish coffee in silence. Comfortable. Easy. Nothing like the tension that's defined us for months.
"I should get some work done," I say. "Shop inventory. Orders. The usual."
"Need help?"
"You have your own work."
"Most of it's done. And I'd rather spend the day with you than staring at code."
Something warm spreads through my chest. "Okay. But I'm putting you to work."
"Wouldn't expect anything else."
We drive to the shop together. His truck parked next to my car in the alley. Out in the open. No hiding.
Inside, I show him the inventory system, he picks it up quickly, and types numbers while I count stock. We work side by side for hours. That radio is playing, coffee is brewing. A normal Monday morning except it's not normal at all.
Around noon, the door chimes. I look up expecting a customer.
It's Luke.
He stops when he sees us. Takes in the scene. Ethan at my computer. Me counting boxes. Both of us comfortable in the space.
"Hey," Luke says.
"Hey," we say together.
"Just checking in. Making sure you're both still alive."
"We're alive," I tell him.
He nods. Looks at Ethan. "You staying in town?"
"Yeah. Finishing the Denver job remotely. Figured I'd be more useful here."
"Good. That's good." Luke shifts his weight. Clearly uncomfortable. "Listen, about last night, I was a bit harsh."
"You had every right to be," Ethan says.
"Maybe, but I could've handled it better. You're both adults. You don't need my permission to be together."
"We wanted your blessing," I tell him. "That mattered to us."
"You have it. You've always had it. I just wish you'd trusted that."
"We do now," Ethan says quietly.
Luke looks between us. Something in his expression softens. "Yeah, I can see that."
He leaves after a few more minutes of awkward small talk. The door closes behind him, and I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding.
"That wasn't so bad," Ethan says.
"He's trying."
"We all are."
We finish inventory by three. I'm exhausted. Not from the work, from everything. The emotional weight of the last few days catching up.
"Come home with me," Ethan says.
"To your cabin?"
"Yeah, you've never actually seen it properly. You’ve neen inside, sure, but not really seen it."
I think about it. About going to his place in daylight. No secrets. No sneaking around. Just visiting my boyfriend's house like a normal person.
Boyfriend. The word sits strange in my mind. We haven't defined this. Haven't talked about what we are beyond wanting each other.
"Okay," I say. "Let me lock up."
The drive to his cabin takes twenty minutes. Trees line the road. Sky wide and blue above us. He turns onto the dirt drive I remember from that night. The cabin appears through the trees.
It's beautiful.
Small but well-built. Wood siding weathered to gray. A porch with two chairs. Garden plot off to one side, plants already coming up.
"You did all this?" I ask.
"Most of it. Luke helped with the framing."
We get out. He shows me around. The garden where he grows vegetables. The workshop where he builds furniture. The creek that runs through the property.
Inside, everything is neat and spare. But I notice details I missed before. Books on the shelf about carpentry and gardening. Photos of his sister and her kids. A quilt his mother made folded on the back of the couch.
"It's perfect," I tell him.
"It's small."
"It's you."
He looks at me, and there’s something vulnerable in his expression. "You really think so?"
"Yeah, I do."
He crosses the room, and takes my hand. "I want you here. Not just today. But regularly. Whenever you want. However you want."
My heart kicks up. "Ethan."
"I know we haven't defined this. Haven't talked about what we are. But I know what I want."
"What do you want?"
"You. Here. In my space. In my life. Not hiding. Not secret. Just with me."
The honesty of it steals my breath. "I want that too."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah."
He kisses me. Soft and slow. Nothing urgent about it. Just connection. Just us.
When we break apart, he rests his forehead against mine. "I should probably feed you. Dinner's not for a few hours but I have food here."
"I'm not hungry."
"No?"
"No."
I take his hand. Lead him toward the bedroom. He follows without question.
Inside, the room is simple. Big bed. Single window looking out at trees. Nothing on the walls. Just space. Just peace.
I turn to face him. "I want this. Want you. Not because we're hiding or because it's forbidden. Just because I want it."
"Callie."
"Is that okay?"
"More than okay."
This time when we come together, it's different. Slower. No urgency. No fear of being caught. Just two people who want each other choosing to be together.
He pulls my shirt over my head. I unbutton his. We undress each other carefully. Taking time. No rush.
When we're both bare, he pulls me onto the bed. Lies beside me instead of over me. His hand traces patterns on my skin. Shoulder. Collarbone. Ribs. Hip.
"I want to memorize you," he says quietly.
"Why?"
"So when I'm working late or stuck in meetings, I can remember this. Remember what I have to come home to."
The words hit deeper than they should. Home. He's already thinking of this as home. Of me as something to come home to.
"Ethan." His name breaks on my lips.
He kisses me. Deep and thorough. His hands map my body like he's drawing a blueprint. Every touch deliberate. Every movement intentional.
When he finally slides into me, I gasp. Not from surprise this time. From the rightness of it. From how perfectly we fit.
"Okay?" he asks.
"Yes. God, yes."
We move together. Slow and steady. No racing toward the end. Just existing in this moment. His breath against my neck. My fingers in his hair. The feeling of him inside me, around me, everywhere.
"Look at me," he says.
I open my eyes. Meet his gaze. See everything reflected back. Want. Need. Something deeper that neither of us has named yet.
"I'm falling for you," he says. "Need you to know that."
My chest tightens. "I'm already gone."
He kisses me. The rhythm shifts. Faster now but still controlled. Still intentional. His hand finds the spot that makes me arch. Everything inside me coiling tighter.
"That's it," he murmurs. "Let go."
I do. Come apart with his name on my lips and his body pressed against mine. He follows seconds later. Face buried in my neck. Hands gripping my hips.
We collapse together. Breathing hard. Hearts racing. The room is quiet except for our labored breathing and birds outside the window.
"I love you," I say before I can stop myself.
Ethan goes still. Then he lifts his head. Looks at me. "Say that again."
"I love you."
"Good, because I love you too."
The words settle into my chest. Heavy and real and perfect.
We lie there for a long time. Just holding each other. No need to talk. No need to define anything beyond what we just said.
Eventually, we shower. Dress. Drive to Luke's house for dinner.
He's on the back deck when we arrive. Grill smoking. Beer in hand. He looks up when we walk through the gate.
"Right on time," he says.
"What are we having?" I ask.
"Burgers. Only thing I can cook without burning."
Ethan laughs. "Sounds perfect."
We eat on the deck as the sun sets. Talk about normal things. Luke's business. My shop. Ethan's Denver job. Nothing heavy. Nothing complicated. Just three people having dinner.
After we clear the dishes, Luke pulls out a bottle of whiskey. Pours three glasses.
"To new beginnings," he says, raising his glass.
We clink glasses. Drink. The whiskey burns going down but warms everything after.
"I'm sorry," Luke says suddenly. "For making this harder than it needed to be."
"You didn't," I tell him.
"I did. I could've been clearer about being okay with this. Could've made it easier for you both."
"You gave me your blessing," Ethan says. "That's all we needed."
"Yeah, but I should've followed up. Should've checked in. Instead, I let you both twist in the wind thinking I'd be pissed."
"We were the ones who lied," I remind him.
"True, but I created the situation where you felt like you had to." Luke takes another drink. "I just want you both happy. That's all I've ever wanted."
"We are happy," Ethan says, reaching for my hand under the table.
"Good, then I'm happy." Luke grins. "Even if it's going to be weird as hell watching you two be all couple-y."
"We'll try not to be gross about it," I promise.
"Please do, I don't need to see my sister making out with my best friend."
"No promises," Ethan says, pulling me closer.
We stay until late, drinking whiskey and talking about nothing important. When we finally leave, Luke hugs us both.
"Drive safe," he tells Ethan. "And take care of her."
"Always."
We drive back to my apartment. Park in the alley and walk up the stairs hand in hand.
Inside, I lock the door and turn to face him. "Stay?"
"You have to ask?"
"Just checking."
He pulls me close. Kisses my forehead. "I'm not going anywhere. Not tonight. Not any night unless you want me to."
"I don't want you to."
"Good. Because I'm done leaving."
We get ready for bed. Normal routine like we've done this a hundred times. Brush our teeth, change clothes, Luke had his clothes from Denver in his truck, and we climb under covers.
He pulls me against his chest. I rest my head over his heart and listen to it beat steady and strong.
"What are you thinking?" he asks.
"That this is real, that we're actually doing this."
"Having second thoughts?"
"No. Just... grateful."
"For what?"
"For you. For Luke. For everything working out."
His arms tighten around me. "It's going to keep working out. I'll make sure of it."
"You can't promise that."
"Watch me."
I smile against his chest. Close my eyes. Let myself relax completely for the first time in months.
No more secrets. No more hiding. No more wondering if this is real or if it'll all fall apart.
Just us. Together. Finally.
"Callie?" Ethan's voice is quiet.
"Yeah?"
"I meant what I said earlier. I love you."
"I love you too."
"Good. Just wanted to make sure you knew."
I lift my head. Look at him in the darkness. "I know. And I'm not going anywhere either."
He kisses me. Soft and sweet. A promise of everything to come.
When we break apart, I settle back against his chest. His hand finds mine under the covers. Threads our fingers together.
This is what I wanted. What we both wanted. No barriers. No brother standing between us. No guilt or fear or uncertainty.
Just love. Honest and open and real.
And it's perfect.
Better than perfect.
It's ours.
I fall asleep with his heartbeat under my ear and his arms around me and the absolute certainty that this is exactly where I'm supposed to be.
No doubts.
Not anymore.