Chapter 39 Chelsea #2
“Case in point,” I say. I read the random passage I’ve landed on out loud, and it turns out to be a perfect choice: an entry about some ridiculous drama in the math club that nobody in their right mind would have given a flying fuck about if they’d stolen my diary and read it back then.
And yet, the fifteen-year-old version of me took great care to hide the identity of every person in my story by giving them a coded nickname.
Luca laughs his ass off as I read the passage, and I’m hugely relieved. Hopefully, that will be that.
I clap the book closed. “They’re all like that. Nothing scandalous whatsoever.” I return the book to its proper slot on the shelf, thinking we’re done with this topic. But no. Luca returns to looking wistfully at that one spine yet again.
“Did you write something about me after we met in Bloomington?” he finally asks softly.
Crap. It will be one thing for me, a twenty-five-year-old adult, to tell Luca I’ve fallen madly in love with him tomorrow night. But it’d be another thing entirely to reveal the idealistic romanticism Teenage Chelsea wrote about in that diary.
“No, I didn’t bring my diary with me to Bloomington,” I lie.
“And by the time I got back to school, I got distracted by all the studying I had to do, so I forgot to write an entry.” It’s lies, lies, lies.
Not only did I always bring my diary with me back then, I also excitedly memorialized my first-ever kiss and make-out session with the hottest guy ever.
Luca looks deeply disappointed. “Did you ever think about me again after you got back to school?” He’s never asked me that question before. Why now?
“Of course,” I whisper, caught off guard. He looks so vulnerable in this moment, so freaking beautiful and earnest, I suddenly realize I can’t wait another minute to put his tender heart at ease and tell him I love him.
Slowly, as my heart thumps in my ears, I close the gap between us and place my palms flat against his broad chest. “I’m going to tell my father and Lincoln about us tomorrow night at the party, if that’s okay with you.”
His lips part. “Seriously?”
I nod. “And after that, I’m going to tell Bellamy and Ginny, too, if that’s okay with you.”
“Better than okay. Oh my God, Chelsea.” He kisses me. “You’re sure you’re ready?”
“I’m ready. I want to be with you, Luca. Out in the open. Let the chips fall where they may. I want to tell the whole world about us because …” I’ve always wanted Luca to say it first. But now, I don’t remember why that even mattered to me. “Because I love you. I’m in love with you, Luca.”
Emotion washes over Luca’s gorgeous face. “I love you, too, Chelsea,” he chokes out. “I’ve wanted to tell you so for so long.”
“Me, too.”
He leans down and kisses me, gently at first. But after a moment, his kiss turns passionate, and soon, we’re both panting and ripping off our clothes.
We move to the bed, which is where my lusty man dives between my legs and makes himself a voracious meal that quickly skyrockets me into outer space.
As I come down from my release, Luca crawls on top of me and rests both muscular forearms on either side of my head with blazing eyes. He kisses my lips gently, whispers that he loves me, and then burrows himself deep inside me with a soft moan.
As he thrusts slowly, Luca begins kissing me passionately, and I wrap myself around his gyrating body and lose myself to him.
To our newly declared love. There’s no doubt about it: Luca is making love to me in this moment not only with his body, but with his heart and soul, too, and I’m doing the same.
For the first time in my life, I’m giving myself to a man, body and soul, without holding back.
As our mutual pleasure spirals higher and higher, Luca whispers hoarsely that he loves me again and again.
That my body feels like it was designed to fit his.
That he can’t wait for the whole world to know how much he loves me, that I’m all his and nobody else’s.
But when he’s too turned on to speak any longer, when the sounds coming out of him become primal and animalistic and almost agonized, all it takes is me whispering, “I love you so much, baby,” and the poor man loses all semblance of control, loudly and with a groan in my ear, which then causes me to lose it, too.
Once we’re both completely spent and our bodies are quiet and still, once Luca’s big body is slack on top of me and I’m a wet, satisfied noodle beneath him, we remain entangled and entwined for a long, romantic moment, cuddling, kissing, and whispering about how long we’ve waited to let the cat out of the bag.
Finally, Luca shifts his big body off me with a kiss to my cheek and slides onto his side next to me, his grin massive and his dimples popping. “Are you planning to tell your dad and brother about us at the very beginning of the party, or …?”
“No, once they’ve had a chance to relax a bit. I want them feeling loose and happy when I tell them.”
“You think I should wear a bulletproof vest to the party?”
“Not at all. Although you might want to have a shank at the ready, just in case.” When Luca doesn’t laugh with me, I touch his cheek reassuringly.
“Whatever happens, it will be great. And you know why? Because it doesn’t matter what they think, in the end.
All that matters is that I love you and you love me. ”
He doesn’t look convinced.
“If you’re worried about my dad benching or trading you, please don’t.
We’re well past him doing that to you now.
” I think that’s an accurate statement, given the contracts in place and the complexities of league rules, not to mention the role of Bellamy and the operations side in managing the business of the team.
But I don’t really know for sure what my father might do if he decides he’s pissed as hell with Luca for secretly messing with his daughter under his nose for all these months.
“No, I’m not worried about that,” Luca whispers. “I’m worried he’ll think I’m not good enough for you.”
I lift my head from my pillow and glower down at his gorgeous face in the moonlight.
“Are you insane? You’re Luca Maguire, for fuck’s sake!
Of course, you’re good enough for me! And if he doesn’t think so, then he’s stupid.
” I mean what I’m saying, but that doesn’t mean I’m not nervous about how tomorrow’s big revelation will go.
First, with my father and brother, but even more importantly, with the two biggest bigwigs at the Mastodons.
I’ve committed an HR violation here, after all.
And I’m not indispensable and protected by the players’ collective bargaining agreement, like Luca is.
So, I think it’s distinctly possible tomorrow will mark the end of my time at the Mastodons.
But so what if it does. I’ve come to realize I’d rather be forced to find a new job with another team—one with an analytics department, hopefully—and therefore get to be with Luca out in the open, as my boyfriend, even if we’re long-distance, than continue hiding my love for him for another day.
Luca’s Adam’s apple bobs. “Listen, if Bellamy tries to use this situation to finally get rid of you, I’ll protect you. I’ll refuse to play unless he—”
“No, no, Luca.” I roll my eyes.
“Yes, Chelsea. With my recent stats, I’ve got some leverage here.”
Man, does he ever. Through the last four games of the season, Luca’s stats have been off the charts—even better than Moriarty’s. In fact, Luca’s become such a cornerstone of our defense, Bellamy’s already told Luca they’ll be sending a fat, multiyear contract proposal to his agent next week.
We go back and forth for a bit, with Luca insisting he’ll do whatever it takes to protect me if any kind of shit hits the fan tomorrow night.
But in the end, I simply snuggle up to him and coo, “Don’t worry so much about me.
I’ll be fine. All I care about is getting to kiss you and hold your hand at the party once I’ve told everyone.
As long as I get to do that, let the chips fall where they may. ”