Chapter Twenty-Two
The Beginning of Forever
Indi
As I make out with Caleb on my couch, I can’t help but feel like a massive weight has finally been lifted from my shoulders.
For six long years, I believed Maddie and Caleb had done something behind the school building, and that single moment became the foundation for every trust issue I carried afterward.
Now I know the truth. Caleb never let her touch her, and somehow that changes everything.
I know he’s telling the truth because I’ve always been able to tell when he’s lying. His eyes give him away every single time.
Which means I’ve spent years hurting both of us over a misunderstanding.
We could have been together this whole time.
We could have been happy.
And it’s my own stupid fault for running away before giving him the chance to explain, and I don’t know if I’ll ever fully forgive myself for that.
But right now, with Caleb kissing me so passionately, my knees feel weak, and all I can feel is relief that we finally talked honestly instead of dancing around each other like we’ve been doing since reconnecting.
If I hadn’t broken down tonight and admitted the truth, we’d probably still be trapped in this ridiculous ‘do we–don’t we’ cycle we both seemed weirdly talented at maintaining.
And honestly? I’m so damn happy we’re finally in this together.
Caleb is mine.
He should have been mine six years ago, but I truly believed he didn’t love me the way I loved him. Now, after everything over the past few days, after the flowers and the way he looks at me and the desperation in his voice tonight, I know he feels every bit as much for me as I do for him.
He loves me.
I just need to make sure we don’t lose ourselves in each other so completely that it destroys us both, because that fear is still there. I don’t think it will ever disappear entirely.
I’ll need to keep an eye on him with the band too. Make sure he doesn’t fall into bad habits with drugs or alcohol. But Caleb’s always been smart. He’s never really cared for those kinds of vices, particularly since he has only one functioning kidney, so hopefully I won’t have to worry too much.
Though honestly, why the hell am I thinking about all this right now?
I should be focusing on the way his lips feel against mine instead of mentally planning our future.
I slide my fingers through his hair while straddling him on the couch.
His hands move beneath my pajama top and grip my skin like he still can’t quite believe this is real.
Our tongues move together in deep, heated kisses, but I need this to become more than kisses and confessions.
If I’m really going to be Caleb’s girl, then I need to stop running from him.
Especially after bolting on him last night.
He deserves more than that.
I pull back from the kiss, and we both pant for breath. Caleb looks up at me with a smile so wide it stuns me for a second.
“You’re breathtakingly beautiful, Indi,” he whispers before leaning in to kiss me again.
I stop him gently, placing my hands on his shoulders before pushing myself up from his lap. His brows immediately pull together like he’s terrified I’ve changed my mind.
Poor guy.
“I love you,” I whisper before holding my hand out toward him.
He stares at it for a second before taking it and standing. “Are we going somewhere?”
“I think we have something we need to finish.”
His entire face lights up, and before I can even react, he grabs me around the waist and throws me over his shoulder.
I squeal loudly while he rushes toward my bedroom, both of us laughing as he smacks my ass on the way through the doorway. Once inside, he slows down, carefully, and ever so slowly, he slides me down the front of his body until my feet touch the floor again.
The playfulness fades instantly.
Now there’s only heat.
Lust.
Want.
Caleb cups my face gently, his thumbs brushing my cheeks while he stares into my eyes. The warmth of his hands sends a fire spreading low through my stomach, making it harder to breathe the longer he looks at me. Then he leans down and kisses me softly.
The kiss is slow and tender this time. Still filled with desire, but calmer somehow, like he wants to savor every second instead of devouring me whole. And, I want that too. The way I feel right now, I’d happily stay in this bedroom with Caleb forever.
His tongue slides into my mouth effortlessly while one hand slips into my hair to hold me closer. I step into him until every inch of us is touching and slowly push his leather jacket down from his shoulders. His arms fall to his sides, and the jacket drops to the floor without us breaking apart.
I run my hands along his muscular arms, loving the strength beneath my fingertips. Caleb doesn’t need tattoos to look dangerous or sexy. He already looks every bit the bad-boy rockstar all on his own.
His hands move to the hem of my pajama top and lift it slowly over my head. We part just long enough for him to pull it away before his gaze drops to my bare breasts and he exhales sharply.
I move closer, yanking his vest over his head far less patiently than he handled me.
I need skin against skin.
Caleb chuckles softly at my impatience right before I press my naked chest against his. His hands slide around my waist, and he smiles down at me while tucking damp strands of hair behind my ear. “So beautiful,” he murmurs.
I giggle and smirk up at him. “Shut up and kiss me.”
“Only because you asked so nicely,” he teases before crashing his lips back to mine.
I slide my fingers into his hair again, loving the control it gives me over the kiss while our mouths move together in perfect rhythm. His hand drifts down to my breast and gently massages it, sending a sharp pulse of pleasure straight between my legs.
God, I want him.
I can barely think about anything except feeling him inside me.
He rolls my nipple between his fingers before tugging lightly, making my breath catch in my throat.
The second he notices my reaction, he breaks the kiss and trails his mouth down my neck toward the breast in his hand.
Nobody has ever made me feel the way Caleb does with something as simple as a touch.
He takes my nipple into his mouth and sucks gently. I gasp instantly, warmth flooding through me while my fingers tighten in his hair. His tongue circles the sensitive bud before he bites softly, and a shockwave shoots straight to my clit so intensely that my thighs clench together automatically.
I’m already wet for him.
And he’s barely touched me.
He kisses lower, moving down my stomach until he reaches the waistband of my pajama bottoms. My breathing grows rougher while anticipation coils tighter and tighter inside me. I can already remember the way he made me feel last night before we were interrupted, and I’m desperate for it again.
Caleb kneels in front of me until his face is level with my pussy, then looks up with a smirk so filthy and gorgeous my entire body reacts. If pajama pants could melt, mine would already be sliding down my legs.
His hands glide slowly up my thighs while I tremble beneath his touch. Once his fingers reach the waistband, he hooks one finger into each side and watches me carefully as he eases them down.
I wish I knew what he was thinking when he looks at me like that.
Like I’m something precious.
I bite my lip to keep from whimpering while he slowly drags my pants and panties down together in one smooth movement. He taps my ankle lightly, and I step out of them before standing completely naked in front of him.
He blinks several times while staring up at me. “You are…” His voice roughens. “I don’t even have words.” Then he leans forward and presses a soft kiss against my pussy.
The warmth of his mouth against me sends another violent shiver through my body.
He stands abruptly and kisses my forehead before reaching for the button on his jeans. My eyes lock on his hands while he undoes them and shoves them down, freeing his hard cock.
God. I want to touch him so badly.
But suddenly nerves hit me out of nowhere.
Last night I wasn’t nervous at all.
Tonight feels different.
Now we’re really together.
Now I’m his girlfriend.
Now this means something.
I want tonight to be perfect for him because I already know it will be perfect for me.
Caleb tilts my chin upward gently until our eyes meet. “What’s going on in that beautiful head of yours?” he asks while pulling our naked bodies closer together.
“I just…”
“Indi, talk to me. Am I going too fast?” His expression shifts instantly with concern.
“No. God, no.”
“Then talk to me. You know what happened last time you kept things bottled up.”
Pain flickers through me at the reminder. “It’s just…” I exhale shakily. “I want this to be perfect. I want you to feel as good as I know I’m going to feel, and I don’t know if I’ll ever be as good at this as you are.”
His entire expression softens instantly.
“Indi,” he murmurs, leaning closer until we’re forehead to forehead.
“Just being here with you like this is perfection to me. Being inside you is going to feel like heaven. You don’t need to worry about being good enough because we fit together perfectly.
” He brushes his nose gently against mine.
“Anything you do will be perfect because it’s you. ”
“You’ve only slept with me once, though.”
He smiles slowly. “Once was enough to know that making love with you is the only way I ever want to do this again. We were made for each other, Indi.” Then he kisses me deeply again.
This time, I kiss him back with equal desperation while sliding my hand down between us to wrap around his cock.
He groans as I grip him firmly and begin stroking slowly, and his mouth loses control almost immediately.
His hips start rocking into my hand while his breathing roughens against my lips.
I love seeing him this affected by me. I love knowing I can make him lose control too.