Chapter 30
THIRTY
Birdie
“God, I’m getting old.” I blow out an exhausted breath, dropping to my ass in the sand.
Just like old times, Callum asked me if I wanted to go for a sunset run with him this evening. And let’s just say…I thought I was in better shape than I actually am. My lungs feel like they’re blazing with fire.
“Hey,” Callum interjects before joining me in the sand, “give yourself some credit. You still hung in with me, and I do this run all the time.”
“I mean, I know I’m not in bad shape,” I shrug. “I try to work out when I can, but I forgot how hard running in the sand is. No wonder you look the way you do.”
Callum arches a brow and rests back on his forearms.
“What do you mean by that?” He flashes me a wolfish grin.
He knows exactly what I mean. He looks like a Greek God, and he damn well knows it.
This time, I’m the one who cocks a brow at him. My smirk slowly fades as my eyes drag down his sweat-drenched body. I barely feel an ounce of pain as I chew on my lower lip, hard enough to taste the hint of blood.
Callum’s wearing nothing but a pair of thin nylon shorts and running shoes. His dark hair is windblown, the wavy strands pushed back effortlessly to showcase his chiseled face.
The sky cascades a golden hue against his tan skin as the sun dips beneath the horizon. Drops of sweat mix with the sand dusting along his sculpted chest and abs, creating a mouthwatering shimmer against his body. His long legs rest against the shore as soft ocean waves stretch to reach the tips of his shoes.
It’s unfathomable how stunning he is.
I still can’t wrap my head around the fact that, after all these years, he only wants me.
“You’re drooling,” Callum taunts, pulling me back to reality. He flashes me a wide grin, showing off his pearly whites.
“And you’re ogling,” I toss back, noticing the way his gaze lowers, laser-focused on my sports bra.
He clicks his tongue and tilts his head.
“You see,” he tsks, taking me by surprise by climbing on top of me until my back hits the sand, “that’s the difference between me and you, Birdie. I’m not ashamed of how fucking crazy you make me. I want every single person on this beach to know that you are mine .”
I throw my head back and chuckle as Callum tickles my neck with the tip of his nose before trailing kisses from my jaw to my collarbone. He growls playfully against my neck before placing a kiss to my top lip. I melt beneath him when he gently tugs my bottom lip between his teeth. His mouth presses to mine in a tender kiss before he rolls away to lie on his back next to me.
I reach between us and intertwine our fingers as we stare up at the tiger-striped sky. The sound of seagulls and ocean waves fills our ears as Callum brushes his thumb back and forth against my hand in soothing sweeps.
I give his hand a tight squeeze and turn to look at him. He moves at the same time, gazing back at me through cerulean eyes. I pivot onto my side to face him, using my free hand to brush away the tiny grains of sand stuck to his cheek. His dark lashes flutter when I cup his stubbled jaw and kiss his pillowy lips.
“I could never be ashamed of you, Callum,” I whisper against his mouth. “Never. All I’ve ever wanted is to love you out loud. From the very first day I met you, I wanted everyone to know that you were my best friend. At only eight years old, I knew that you had changed my world forever.”
His brows pinch together with emotion as he shifts on his side to face me fully.
“Birdie…” Callum breathes, sliding closer until our chests become one. He reaches up and swipes a windblown strand of hair from my face before cupping my jaw.
“Yeah?” I whisper.
“What’s next for us? What happens when your contract is up?”
His eyes fill with fear, like he’s terrified to hear my response. Like his next heartbeat depends on my answer.
“Well,” I sigh. “That depends…”
“Depends on what?” A panicked expression fills his features as his heart thuds against my chest.
“Birdie, I can’t lose you again,” he rushes out. “I won’t lose you again. If you want to go back to South Carolina, then I’ll follow you there. You’re the only family I’ve ever had. You’re the only person in this world that truly matters to me. I’ll go wherever you go, but I will never give you up again.”
My lips curve up in a soft smile at his confession.
I would go anywhere for you, too, I think to myself .
I would live in a tent in the middle of the cold, abandoned forest if it meant I would be with Callum.
“I was going to say that it depends on whether I extend my contract by one more month.”
His eyes go wide in shock.
“What?” he mutters breathlessly.
“Since the hospital has been extremely short-staffed, I was given an opportunity to extend my contract for another thirty days.”
“When…When did you find this out? Have you made a decision?”
“I just found out yesterday,” I respond. “I have the weekend to think it over, but I need to let management know by Monday so they can start looking for somebody else if I decline.”
Callum’s eyes dart between mine as he listens intently.
“And I wanted to say yes on the spot,” I continue, “but I have to look into housing first. I need to see if my apartment will extend my lease for one more month. I don’t know, though… Someone could have already rented my unit.”
“Stay with me,” he replies without hesitation, more of a demand than a question.
I’ve never seen him look so serious in my entire life.
“What?” I breathe.
“Stay with me, Birdie.”
“Callum…that’s a really big ask,” I shake my head. “I mean, it’s probably been years since you’ve had a roommate.”
“Roommate?” he scoffs. “First, I would be offended if you didn’t stay with me, and second, you wouldn’t be my roommate, Birdie. You’re so much more than that to me, and you know it. You won’t have a separate room or a separate bed. You will sleep in our room and in our bed. And unless you tell me no, you won’t fall asleep at night until I’ve been inside of you. That doesn’t sound like a roommate to me.”
My breath hitches as my insides heat at the thought of being fucked to sleep every night by Callum Pierce.
“Stay with me, Birdie Wren,” he insists. “Give me thirty days, baby. Give me a chance to show you what our life could be like. Let me worship you every morning and every night like I should have been doing all these years.”
Give me a chance to show you what our life could be like.
My mind fixates on that one sentence, trying to decipher the exact meaning.
“Our life…” I trail off. “Do you mean here in Alabama?”
“Anywhere you want, Birdie,” he replies without missing a beat. “Like I said, I will follow you anywhere.”
I will follow you anywhere.
It’s taking all of my self-restraint not to lean forward and kiss him right now. But I know we need to have this conversation.
“But…what if I wanna stay here?”
His chest stills, and I think he stops breathing for a second.
“What did you just say?” he rasps in complete shock.
“I know I’ve only been in Gulf Shores for a couple of months, but I can see myself living here more and more each day. It’s so easy to see why you love it here. It reminds me of our childhood in Myrtle Beach, but it also feels like a fresh start. And having you here just makes it feel even more like home.”
A smile that doesn’t quite reach his lips appears as he presses our foreheads together and speaks in a low, tender tone.
“Birdie, you know that would be a dream come true for me. But it would also kill me if you made such a huge life decision because of me. I would be happy anywhere— absolutely anywhere —as long as you’re with me. Promise me you know that. ”
“I know, Cal,” I nod. “But I really do like it here. Plus, I love my job and the people I work with. The director of nursing already mentioned multiple times that the hospital would offer me a full-time role if I wanted one. And each time she brings it up to me, the more I can see it becoming a reality.”
A boyish grin stretches across Callum’s face as he wraps his arm around my waist and pulls me on top of him. I don’t have a chance to catch my breath before he crushes his lips to mine.
My elbows dig into the sand as I tangle my fingers in his curls. He lets out a sexy groan that I feel in my chest when I part my lips for him. Our tongues tangle, mating as the sun completes its final descent below the horizon. I lose track of time as we drown in a sea of passionate kisses.
I can’t help but think about how similar this is to the first night Callum kissed me when we were seventeen. From the first touch of his lips, I knew that nothing else could compare.
When we part for air, Callum smiles up at me and nibbles on my bottom lip. His arousal is hidden between our bodies, but I can feel every inch of him. Hard and aching for me.
“It’s probably best that we get out of here,” I hint, rolling my hips against him. His jaw flexes at the gesture.
“Yeah?” he asks, his tone low and thick.
“Yeah.” I nod.
“And what do we have planned next?”
“I think you know,” I taunt.
“Mmmm,” he hums, skimming his hand down my back and squeezing my ass cheek.
“Let’s go,” I whisper, kissing the tip of his nose and pushing up on my arms.
“Wait,” he stops me by wrapping his hands around my elbows.
I tilt my head, staring down at him blankly.
“What is it? ”
The sky shifts from orange to violet, merging with his sapphire irises.
“Promise me something, okay?”
“Okay…” I stammer, unsure of what he’s about to say.
“Promise me that you’ll think long and hard about where you want to live once your contract ends. If it’s here, I would love that. But if it’s somewhere else, I’d be just as happy. I just want to be wherever you are, Birdie.”
I just want to be wherever you are, Birdie.
God, I love him. I love him so much it hurts.
“I promise.”
I tell him I’ll think about it, even though I already know that this is where I want to be.