45. Callie
Chapter 45
Callie
The rain’s still falling, soft and steady against the tin roof.
I’m boneless, melted between them like my body doesn’t belong to me anymore.
Colt’s chest rises beneath my cheek, slow and sure, his hand stroking absently through my hair. Maverick’s arm is around my waist, warm and solid, his breath at the nape of my neck.
For a minute, no one moves.
The air smells like skin and sweat and rain. The rise and fall, like we’re synced now. Like something clicked into place and decided to stay.
Then Colt shifts. “You okay?”
I nod, or I think I do. “Sticky.”
Maverick chuckles behind me. “We’ve got wipes somewhere.”
He rolls away and rustles through the duffel bag in the corner. When he comes back, his touch is gentle. He cleans me first, quietly, carefully, then Colt.
“Better?” he asks.
I hum and curl back between them. “I don’t think my bones work anymore,” I murmur.
Colt grins. “That bad, huh?”
I don’t say anything after that. I just breathe.
Let my guard drop.
Let my heart settle.
Let myself stop thinking about what comes next.
For once, I don’t brace for goodbye.
I just let myself be here.
Held.
Wanted.
Home.