Chapter 28
Sean
“You’re staying over tonight right?” I say, glancing up at the dark haired beauty that stands naked, tapping a finger to her red painted lips as she looks in the mirror. Her lipstick is mostly worn away from the starved kisses I stole from her earlier but she pouts her delicious mouth and attempts to salvage it anyway.
She twists her body, leaning back against the wall and stretching out her tight stomach. “Do you want me to stay over?”
I nod, gulping as I trace her milky curves with my eyes. “Of course I do, I always want you with me.”
Her face pales a little and she brings her manicured nail to her lips, nibbling on the varnish and I watch her gaze fall to the carpet. I take a few long strides across my bedroom to reach her, planting my hands on her bare hips and dipping my face into her curtain of curls.
“What’s wrong?” I murmur, hoisting her chin up and lifting her emerald eyes from where they anxiously rest on the ground.
The second her gaze fixes on mine she blurts, “I”m scared,” then her shaky hands hold onto my biceps like she’s clinging to the edge of an unstable cliff edge.
“Of what?” I whisper, tucking a loose curl behind her ear.
She sighs deeply and her eyes turn melty as she captures mine. “That this is it. That we’re forever.”
Woah, I wasn’t expecting her to say that, but honestly, she’s hit the nail on the head.
I push down the smile that wants to lift my lips and instead deepen my gaze, holding Callie’s jaw in my palms and forcing her to look at me. “Me too,” I breathe, rubbing my thumbs rhythmically across the splattering of freckles on her cheekbones. “Because I”m certain that we are, and that’s fucking terrifying.” My lips part on a chuckle and Callie’s face gains back some of it’s usual pastel pink colour. “But we’ll be scared together baby, this shit is new to both of us. I don’t want to brag but,” her eyes flicker to mine, gaining me a roll filled with attitude. “I don’t think you ever felt this way about Joel.”
I think I”m right…god I hope I”m right.
“You’re right.” She sighs. Thank fuck for that. “I never did and I think that’s why I”m so scared. I thought I knew the relationship game really well but the way I feel about you is just…it’s different.”
“Good different?” I murmur, raking my fingers through her thick tresses, a smile creeping onto my face before I can stop it. She nods, a shy smile lifting her lips and my entire face cracks open and blinds her. I love when she’s open about her feelings towards me, it’s rare that she expresses her emotions with words so when she talks like this with me, so open and vulnerable I feel like I”m looking through a window into her soul. It’s fucking addicting.
I slide my hands down to her hips and pull her naked body to my chest, our warm skin colliding and making my chest flutter. “I”m a catch aren’t I? A weapon on and off the ice.” I lift a taught bicep and squeeze, admiring as the muscle strains against my skin.
When my eyes fall back to Callie her fist is on her hip, eyebrows pulled together. “You’re on thin ice Taylor.” I love when she tells me off. My dimples deepen further and I smack my lips against Callie’s jaw, feeling the goosebumps ripple everywhere my open mouth touches. I feel her shoulders relax as my hands run over them, down her bare back, heading for her ass. I cup both cheeks in my hands, giving her perfect ass a hard squeeze and hauling her into me. She only gives me a few seconds to hold her to me, just staring at her pouty lips and daydreaming about sucking them into my mouth before she shoves at my chest, brushing past me and grabbing her dress from the floor. She slips it over her head, shaking out her curls and turning back to face me as I stand there, still naked and watching her every move, mesmerised. I think I could watch her stare at a wall and never get bored.
“Speaking of ice…” she smirks, smoothing her dress over the curve of her ass and turning to look at her open back in the mirror. “You have a game on Tuesday right?” I nod, clearing my throat but remaining silent, hypnotised by watching her move. “I”m gonna come and watch.” “Thank god,” I say, finally picking up the bundle of boxers on the ground and pulling them up my legs, hiding my deflated cock. “I always play better when I know you’re watching.” I catch Callie’s sneaky smile that she tries to hide by turning away from me.
“That reminds me,” I continue, unraveling my jeans and hoisting them up my legs. “I need a hair tie from you, to wear around my wrist when I play.”
Callie spins back around, padding closer, her bare feet sinking into the carpeted floor. “Why?” She says, head tilted in confusion.
“For good luck, you’re my lucky charm.” I smile, throwing her a wink and earning myself yet another eye roll.
Callie drops to her knees, sticking her ass in the air and rummaging under my bed. She pulls out a handbag, popping the button and rifling around inside for a moment before triumphantly holding up a black hair tie. She gets to her feet, moving into me and securing it around my wrist. I tilt my face down, crushing my mouth to her’s for a beat and whispering a, “Thank you,” against her soft lips.
“Hey, I hope you don’t think I”m really fucking nosey for asking this but…” Her wary eyes capture mine and I nod for her to continue. “How much did it cost for you to come to Redwood? I know your parents are rich but it must have cost a fortune to send you and Lois here.” That’s not at all where I thought she was going with that. I was expecting a question about how old I was when I lost my virginity. Or how many girls have I slept with, something along those lines but money is never really something we’ve talked about. Callie is fully aware that my parents are high flying lawyers with their own business in London. Our conversation about family never really went past where our parents live and where we grew up. Callie had a few choice inquires about why her ass started burning when she sat in my car, that’s how my parents came up. She wanted to know how a 23 year old hockey player who doesn’t currently have a side job managed to afford such a new car with instantly heating seats. I told her that my parents bought it for me as a birthday gift last year and that’s how their overflowing bank accounts came into the conversation.
“Well, it cost a lot when I was at Preston while I waited for my space to open up here. Redwood was always my first choice university especially because they offered me a full scholarship, so now it costs nothing.” I shrug, raking a hand through my curls and covering my stomach with a tshirt.
Callie’s face drops, her mossy green eyes following. “I didn’t know you were on a full scholarship…I’d have killed for one.”
I let out a light chuckle. “Don’t be so entitled Cal, we all know your dad pulled some strings to get you into Redwood. Bit of a coincidence you were then made captain of the gymnastics team too.” I laugh, half joking, half serious.
I know Callie is talented, I”ve seen her body move in that impossible way it does through the air like a bird. The way she springs across the floor like her spine is made of rubber bands and the way she twists and turns with such precision. She’s impressive to say the least. But of course with her dad having been the head hockey coach here for almost ten years, she must have seen the advantages of that. I’m sure he did his best to talk to all the right people, ensuring his only daughter got a place at the most sought after sports university in the country.
When I look back at Callie her mouth has fallen open, eyebrows high with disbelief. “I’m entitled?” She shrieks, flailing her arms in the air. “You’re the one with two millionaire parents and yet here you are on a full scholarship that someone else could have had!” She’s really yelling now, finger pointing at me aggressively, her cheeks flooding red with anger. This isn’t like the normal attitude she throws at me, this isn’t just a black cat with it’s claws out, ready to swipe at me. This is real, bubbling, volcanic anger and I’m not sure how to play it, I don’t think I’ve ever seen Callie truly mad like this. She’s pretty fucking terrifying I won’t lie. “It’s not my fault I”m talented.” I say, and immediately regret it when Callie scrunches her hands in her hair, yanking at the roots with brimming frustration.
She blows out an exasperated breath and releases her curls. “Do you know my dad had to save almost my whole life for me to be able to come here? He gave up so much to get me where I am today.” Her voice has mellowed a little, the red seeping out of her cheeks and down her neck, warming the purple welts I left there earlier.
“What about your mum?” I say, watching her face crumple slightly and again, regretting ever opening my big mouth.
I’ve asked about Callie’s mum before and she always seems to skate around any mention of her, I know her parents are still together as Coach often mentions his wife and you can’t miss the wedding ring attached to his finger. Callie has always been more than happy to talk about her childhood, all the happy memories and experiences but as soon as her mum is brought into the conversation she does a u-turn and changes direction.
She heaves a weighty sigh. “I don’t want to talk about her.”
Don’t push her Sean, she’s clearly upset.
“Why not?” Is what flies out of my mouth before I can stop it. My intrusive tendencies will get me in trouble one day I know but I’ve always pushed Callie to her limits, there’s no use stopping now.
I see her usually bright eyes turn a murky colour as they mist over and she tips her head down so I can no longer analyse her.
“Just leave it Sean.” Her voice has transformed into a whisper, the warning still creeping it”s way through her hard tone.
But of course, I don’t heed the warning, I never have with her. “No Callie, I won’t just leave it, tell me.”
“My mum has cancer!” She snaps, waving her hands in the air as if to say, ‘happy now?’ The answer is no, I”m not happy, not even a little bit. Why didn’t she ever tell me this? I could have been there for her, she’s been holding it together, trying to be strong on her own and I fucking hate that. My heart hates it too, looking at her crumpled face, the lines in her forehead as she sniffs back tears and the thought of her crying alone whilst she dealt with her mum’s illness. All the while I was going about my day having no idea of the internal battle she was facing without me. “She had it a year ago,” she sniffs, “we thought she was ok now but, it’s come back and it’s worse than the last time. She says she’s ok but I know she’s not, she just insists on wearing a brave face all the time. I’m sure she does it for my sake.” Her voice cracks with pain at the end and I want to fall to my knees at her feet, hug her warm thighs and tell her everything will be ok. But I can’t do that, it wouldn’t be fair to lie to her when I can’t be sure everything will be ok.
Instead I opt for, “Baby I”m sorry, I didn’t know.” She smacks my hands away when I reach for her, wanting to scoop her up and hug her so tight she forgets about everything. “Come here.”
She shakes her head at me. “No Sean, go away.”
“I wasn’t asking.” I say, grabbing her by the waist and dragging her to me. I lift her off the ground, my arms wrapping around her body like tree trunks. She instantly buries her face into my neck and her arms circle around me as I feel the moisture seep into my t-shirt.
“Let me hold you, please.” I whisper into her mane of curls and she brings her thighs up to enclose my waist, tightening around me as she hoists herself up my body, sobbing into my shoulder.
She’s given in, allowing me to comfort her, to be her anchor when her own is floating away. I love when she’s like this, totally raw and vulnerable with me, letting me see the deepest parts of her.
I squeeze her tight. “Shhh, baby it’s ok.” It’s not though is it? My inner voice screams at me not to give her false hope, to tell her things that aren’t true just to comfort her in this moment. If there’s one person in this world she can rely on to always be honest with her not matter what, I want it to be me.
“It’s not ok Sean,” she sniffs, her voice watery and unsteady. “She’s going to die, I”m sure of it.” Her face sinks back into my neck, the slippery skin there coated in her tears.
I take a breath, pulling on the big boy pants that I don’t want to wear, but know I have to, for her. I’d do literally anything for her and I refuse to lie. “I can’t tell you that’s not going to happen.” I murmur and feel her body tighten like a koala around mine, clinging for dear life. “But whatever happens I’ve got you ok? I promise I’ve got you.”
Her wailing cuts through my chest, piercing a hole directly through my heart and making me want to keel over in pain. I drop to my knees, still holding her to me like we’re superglued together.
I don’t know how long we stay there, me gently rocking my girl back and forth and whispering, “It’s ok baby,” in her ear on repeat until her stuttered sobs finally cease. She peels her body off mine and I finally get a look at her face, her rosy cheeks and her puffy eyes. My t-shirt is quite literally soaked with tears, the cotton sticking to my skin where my baby’s puddle of misery has spread across my shoulder. I can almost feel the weight float away from her shoulders at having shared that with me and let out all the pain she’s likely been carrying around on her back for god knows how long. Callie fans her face, trying to cool her burning skin as I run my thumbs along her under eyes, wiping away the smudge of mascara. I stand up, taking her hands and bringing her with me. “Wanna just stay up here for the rest of the night and cuddle?” I whisper, dropping my forehead to her’s and breathing her in.
She shakes her head, her curls brushing over my jawline. “No, I need another drink. The mental breakdown plus the mind bending sex has sobered me up.”
I stifle a titter and follow her out of my bedroom like the obsessed puppy that I am.