25. Calvin
CALVIN
My hold on Sienna only tightens as her body trembles against mine. It feels so good to hold her, but I fucking hate that I’m doing it because she’s breaking down.
Thoughts of why she might have freaked out have anger simmering just beneath the surface. The thought of anyone hurting her…Fuck. It makes me murderous.
My own hands tremble with the need to wrap them around some fuck’s throat, squeezing the life out of him for not treating my girl the way she deserves.
I don’t know how much time passes as we stand there, but eventually, Sienna gives one more sniffle before she wriggles out of my hold. I don’t let her escape, though. I can’t. It might be selfish, as she's the one who’s dealing with something, but I fucking need her.
My hands grasp her hips before she has a chance to run away.
She sucks in a shuddering breath, tilts her head back, and looks at me.
Pain sears through my chest at the hurt in her eyes.
“Who hurt you, darlin’?” I rasp.
Her eyes widen as if she wasn’t expecting me to have put two and two together.
She shakes her head. “It was no one. I’m just being stupid.”
“No,” I say firmly. “You’re not stupid for feeling something. You’re allowed to feel however you need to, and you certainly don’t need to apologize for it.”
She blinks hard, trying to force the tears down.
“I-I don’t know who he was,” she confesses quietly.
I swallow thickly. “Did he…did he ra—”
“No,” she cries. “No, he didn’t. It was…it was just a mistake on my part.”
“Bullshit,” I snap fiercely.
Her watery gaze holds mine for a few seconds before she finally turns away from me.
“I need to pack,” she says, picking up the open suitcase that’s been left on the floor and throwing it onto her bed.
“Okay,” I say, watching with concern as she races into her bathroom.
She’s running again. But this time, I don’t chase her.
I let her have a moment to herself, but I don’t walk back out of her bedroom. Instead, I kick my sneakers off and lower myself to her bed.
Unlike mine, which has sheets and a pillow, she’s got at least ten cushions and a comforter; there’s even a stuffed toy nestled in the cushions.
I shift a few things around so I can get comfortable, but instead of throwing the stuffed toy off like I do most of the cushions, I study him for a beat and then sit him on my lap.
He’s cute, obviously well-loved, and I can’t help but wonder what his story is to be important enough to still have pride of place on Sienna’s bed.
I spend a few moments taking everything else in while she crashes about in the bathroom.
Just like out in the living room, there are photos everywhere, proving just how important her friends and family are to her.
I’m glad that she has so much love and support in her life.
I also can’t help but wonder what it must feel like.
Sure, I’ve got my friends, but they’re also my teammates.
If I were to get traded, would that last?
I’ve seen guys come and go over the years, many of whom have promised to keep in touch.
The only one who ever has was Brit, Milo McKenna, my defensive partner before he was traded and replaced with Rett.
We played and partied together for years.
But even our messages are getting fewer and fewer over time.
It’s the way it goes, and I don’t really blame either of us for it.
It’s just sad how life moves on and those who were once so important become second thoughts.
Despite never forgetting about Sienna, I thought that was what had happened with her.
I had no way of contacting her. She left her address before leaving that summer, and we exchanged a few letters.
But then, I stopped receiving replies, and I assumed she either didn’t want to hear from me, or she’d moved. Both were equally heartbreaking.
But by some miracle, we’re getting our second chance, and I’ll be fucked if some asshole in the past is going to ruin it for me.
She’s going to need to think again if she assumes that I’m going to run away at the first hint of an issue.
So, me getting a little hot and heavy too fast freaked her out.
Unlike what many out there believe, I do have some self-control, and I’m more than willing to take it slow.
Hell, I’ve waited fifteen years for her.
I’ve finally gotten what I’ve been dreaming of.
I don’t give a fuck if I have to wait longer for everything else I crave with her.
Her shadow fills the bathroom doorway a few seconds before her body does the same. Her arms are full of bottles and containers ready to be loaded into her suitcase. And the second she looks up at her bed, her breath catches, and everything in her arms goes tumbling to the floor.
“Shit. What the hell, Killer?”
I smirk as she bends down to collect everything and throw it into her suitcase.
“You called me Killer,” I state.
“That’s what your friends call you,” she reasons.
“Yeah. I kinda like hearing you call me Calvin, though. It’s like you’re seeing me for me and not the player.”
Something akin to sympathy flickers through her eyes, but it’s gone before I can confirm if it was or not.
“I do see you,” she says quietly. “Or at least, I think I do.”
She studies me for a beat before turning toward her closet and riffling through her clothes.
“You do,” I confirm, making her pause momentarily. “You know, your bed is hella comfy.”
“I should hope so; it cost a freaking fortune. I don’t mess about when it comes to my sleep,” she says as she selects a few outfits, laying them on the bed next to me.
“I like that one,” I say, pointing at a burgundy dress that I suspect will make her rack look fucking insane.
“Obviously, that’s why I chose it,” she deadpans, shooting me a glare.
“You should wear it on our next date,” I state.
“We’ll see,” she mutters as she begins folding and putting clothes into her suitcase.
“So Idaho, huh?”
“Yep.”
She mentioned in her messages that her parents moved back to her mom’s childhood town when they retired, but she didn’t say anything else about their plans for Thanksgiving.
“What about you?” she asks as she turns toward her chest of drawers.
My dick stirs at the thought of her rooting through her lingerie drawer.
My teeth sink into my bottom lip as I consider what she might choose to wear under her clothes.
Whatever it is, I have no doubt that it’ll have the power to bring me to my knees.
She spins around and stuffs her underwear into the suitcase before I get a chance to get a good look. All I know was that there was a lot of black. And maybe some lace.
Damn, the thought of Sienna wearing nothing but black lace lingerie does things to me. Things they shouldn’t do, considering the turn our evening took not so long ago.
I’m in desperate need to readjust myself. I’m wearing sweats that leave very little to the imagination. Did I select them on purpose before coming down here? Maaaybe.
My hand twitches at my side, but I know I can’t do anything until she turns around. I refuse to scare her as I did earlier, even if it kills me. And honestly, it might just.
“Calvin?” she prompts, her eyes boring into mine.
“Huh?” I grunt ineloquently.
“I was asking about your holiday plans. You never said if you were going to see family or—”
I want to lie, just like I do to almost everyone else in my life. “Oh, no. I’m…uh…I’m staying here.”
“Celebrating with the guys?”
“Um…”
Sienna frowns at me.
“Don’t tell me that you’re planning on spending it alone?”
“Why? Would you stay and keep me company if I said yes?”
Guilt darkens her eyes.
“I’m joking. I wouldn’t even suggest you did.”
Silence falls between us, my stomach twisting with dread because I know that she’s not going to let this family thing go that easily.
“Why don’t you go home?” And there it is.
“My parents and I don’t really see eye to eye.”
“Why?” she asks, adding more and more things to her suitcase until I’m sure it isn’t going to close.
She knows she’s only going for four days, right?
“They’re kinda traditional, and they expected me to follow in the family business. Becoming a professional athlete wasn’t on their bingo card for me.”
A deep frown forms on her forehead.
“They haven’t supported you?”
“They did what they had to do when I was a child with a hobby. But as I got better and my hobby started getting bigger and bigger, they started resenting it and me.” I don’t know where those words come from.
I have never spoken them aloud to another living person, ever.
But just like everything else with Sienna, they spill freely.
“That’s bullshit,” she snaps.
“I think that’s my line,” I tease, trying to lighten things.
“But you’re amazing. Everything you’ve achieved has been incredible. They should be so proud of you and your career.”
“Yeah, well, people should do all kinds of things, but that doesn’t mean they do,” I mutter, hating the bitterness in my tone.
“Do you have any siblings?”
“Yeah, two little sisters.”
“And what do they think?”
“They think I’m selfish because my leaving meant they couldn’t.”
“Again, that’s bullshit. Everyone has a choice.”
“Not if you speak to my parents.”
“When was the last time you spoke to them?”
“I can’t remember. Although I’ve got a whole heap of unlistened-to voicemails and unread messages on my cell,” I confess.
“Why haven’t you opened them?”
“Because I know exactly what they’ll say.”
“Which is?” she probes.
“They’ve all come in since my injury,” I explain. “I’d put every cent I have on them suggesting it’s a sign that I should give it up and return to where I belong.”
“Wow.”
“Yeah. The Keller clan is full of delights.”
Sienna flips her suitcase closed and frowns at it when the two sides of the zipper are miles from each other.
“So, where is home?” she asks absently as she opens it again and begins rearranging.
“Uh…” I rub the back of my neck anxiously. “A small town in Texas.”
“What’s the town called?”
“It’s tiny. No one has ever heard of it,” I hedge. If I tell her, there’s no doubt she’ll put all the pieces together.
I might be starting to come around to the idea of her finding out, but not tonight. Not after what happened not so long ago, and not before she leaves town for a few days.
“Try me.”
My mouth opens, but thankfully, her apartment buzzer rings, distracting her.
“Who’s that?” she asks as I carefully swing my legs off the bed.
“Our dinner,” I explain. “I hope you’re hungry.”
“Calvin,” she warns.
“Meet me in the kitchen in a few minutes?” I ask before hobbling out of the room to get our food, incredibly grateful for the delivery driver’s timing. I make sure to give him an extra tip for that.
“It smells incredible,” Sienna says when she emerges from her bedroom as I’m unloading the bags. “Oh wow,” she says, taking it all in.
“Fully nutritionally balanced. I’ll send you all the information so you can load it into your app.”
She stares at me as if I’ve just sprouted another head. “What?”
“That was really thoughtful.”
“Contrary to popular belief, I’m not actually an asshole, darlin’,” I tease.
“Oh no, I never thought—”
I capture her chin between my thumb and forefinger before slamming my lips against hers, cutting off her words.
I don’t push for anything else; instead, I release her after a couple of seconds, leaving her wanting more.
“Grab the cutlery, darlin’,” I demand, turning my back to her so she can’t see just how much her kiss affects me.