SALT (Summer Nights)

32. Cameron

Chapter 32

Cameron

L ips trailing down my bare stomach as the blanket shifts, exposing my nipples to the cool air, have me stirring awake right before a tongue licks me straight up my center. "Mmm," I moan as Everett's strong arms wrap around my thighs and pull me closer.

"Good morning, sunshine," he says right before his tongue slips inside of me, melting me at my core. It's been two weeks since the accident and two weeks of him worshipping my body and waiting on me hand and foot. Waking me up like this is one of his favorite love languages. Everett loves physical touch, and living in my RV has only turned touching me into an obsession. One I'm more than okay with. The day I was discharged, I told him I didn't want to go back to his place. I wanted to come here, to my RV, on my property, because the place I was building here felt like home. It felt like ours, and we've been here every day since.

"Ev, you don't have to do this every morning." I'm not complaining, but I feel a little guilty for how this has become my new normal. Upon being discharged, I was given strict instructions to take it easy. When we got home, we laid in bed for hours, talking about everything, and it was during those talks that I divulged my favorite sex is morning sex. I like starting my day with a smile on my face. I love waking up with him wrapped around me and going through my day feeling where he had been. It's a reminder that all of this is real and he's mine.

"Turns out your favorite way to wake up is mine too, but since you mentioned it..." His big hands trail up my thighs, and my stomach tightens. My body feels like clay in a potter's hands, yielding to his every touch, until suddenly they're digging into my sides, and I squeal as he flips us over.

"Everett, what are you doing?" I ask as I brace myself on my forearms. Blowing the hair out of my face, I look down and find his midnight eyes peering up at me from between my thighs.

"You said I don't have to do all the work every morning and you're right." He slaps my right cheek hard. "Ride my face, baby girl."

"Ev, that's not what I meant..."

My argument dies the second I feel his tongue run up my center, and I instinctively grind against it. Both hands grip my ass as his groan reverberates through my body. My hands move to the headboard for better positioning. I'm not fat, but I'm also not a twig. I don't want to smother him. I slowly rock against him as he alternates between running the tip of his tongue down my center and sucking me into his mouth.

"Stop teasing me, sunshine, and sit this pretty pussy on my face."

"Ev, this is hot as fuck," I say, peering down at him between my legs as he deliciously continues to nip and suck. "But I'd rather not suffocate you, and that's a very real possibility since I've never done this."

I'm no stranger to oral but sitting on someone's face is a first. I'm young, and most guys my age are orgasm chasers. They play around down there, never doing it quite right, until getting impatient and going straight for sex, which doesn't always end with you being fully satisfied.

"I couldn't think of a better way to die."

"Everett, I'm serious."

"So am I. This is happening. Especially now that I know I'm your first. Release the headboard and sit up." I wordlessly follow his instructions. Hovering above him, his hand skims up my stomach before cupping my breast and pinching my nipple. The move instantly has me clenching. "The only way I can fill you and give you what you want is if you lower yourself. You can ride my face willingly, or I can tie you up and make you submit. That roof hatch has caught my eye a few times now." My eyes drift to the ceiling and the pull bar on the hatch. I bite my lip hard as images of being tied up flick through my mind. Great, now that's exactly what I want. "Christ, baby. I should have known my girl would want that. We're not doing that today, but if you're a good girl and give this to me now, I'll give you something else."

I roll my lips. I really want to know what something else is. "Fine, but if you ever want me to get on this ride again, you better make it one I'll never forget."

He bites my inner thigh, and I gasp. "Challenge fucking accepted. Now put this pussy in my mouth."

Fuck. I love it when he talks dirty to me. This is the unhinged side of the man behind the suit. The one that comes out to play when he wants to fuck. He's been gentle with me since the accident, nothing but vanilla sex, too scared to risk anything more; but I know he craves more, especially now that he knows I like it rough. I lean on my palms rather than reaching for the headboard, knowing the angle will spread me wider and I'll feel him deeper.

"Fuck yeah," he hisses before he dives in, and I know I'm in for it. Every time I tell Everett something sexual is a first for me, he gets feral. He's definitely going to go hard.

His tongue spears me as his pinky slips to my tight hole, and I try to relax. I can't help but clench a little when the tip slides in, but the second his teeth nip my bundle of nerves and my thoughts are diverted, he's all the way in. "Yes," I moan as I grind down hard, and he pushes back on my thrust. I'm so turned on. My hand reaches back further, and I grab his hard length. "Mmm, I want this Ev." I stroke him from root to tip, and he groans before sucking my clit into his mouth, and I detonate. His tongue laps up my juices as I rock out the aftershocks of my orgasm. Strong arms grip my hips before he places a kiss on each inner thigh and pulls away. I let myself fall forward, completely spent until I hear the drawer on his side of the dresser open. "What's that?" I watch as he pulls out a little box.

He removes the lid but doesn't show me. "Ass up," he commands as he smacks my cheek.

I pull my knees up and do as I'm told, knowing I want whatever he gives me, but I still ask, "Are you going to tell me what was in the box?"

"You'll find out soon enough," he says as cool metal glides between my cheeks. He runs it through my wet lips, teasing my entrance with its tip before dragging it back up to my puckered hole. "You like it when I play here…" He lets the words hang between us, then, slowly adding pressure, he adds, "Are you ready for more?"

"You got me a plug?" I question nervously. Do I like it when he plays there? Hell yes, but his fingers are a lot smaller than a plug.

"You didn't answer the question, Cameron."

He used my name. That means he's serious about this and I need to answer. "Yes, I want more. I want more with you." It's honest. I trust him. I know he wouldn't do anything to hurt me.

"Good answer, sunshine." I feel the metal slide back down to my pussy where he teases my entrance before pushing it inside of my pussy. "See how big it is..." He pumps it inside of me a few times. "You can take it." Just as I'm relaxing into the sensation of having the plug inside of me, he pulls it out and drags it back toward my tight hole. "Relax, sunshine," he says as he slowly inserts the plug. My body instantly tries to push it out until two fingers slide inside of my pussy, and the sensation steals my focus away from the intrusion. "That's it, baby, you're so fucking sexy. I wish you could see how you look with this ass in the air for me." His words of praise, coupled with his fingers and the plug, have me on the brink of coming again. I'm just cresting the hill when he removes his fingers. I groan my displeasure, and he slaps my ass. "Get dressed. I'm going to make breakfast."

"What?" I question, flipping onto my back when I hear the band of his boxer briefs snap around his waist. "Shit," I hiss when I feel the plug is still inside of me. "You left it in!"

"You said you like morning sex because you enjoy feeling where I've been. Well, today, you get to feel where I will be tonight." Why do I find his cockiness sexy as fuck? As he struts out of the bedroom in nothing but his black boxer briefs, I admire his tight ass and defined back. A back that I had really hoped to dig my nails into before work. "Do you want eggs for breakfast?"

"You don't have to make me breakfast. I can grab a granola bar, and you can come back to bed."

"Not going to happen," he calls out before asking, "Toast or English muffin?"

"Why am I complaining?" I mutter to myself before saying, "Toast, please."

I'm stretching like a Cheshire Cat, getting used to the sensation of being full without him being inside of me, when he says, "I'm going to stop by the house and grab some more clothes. Do you want me to pick up anything while I'm there?"

"If you can wait until tomorrow, I'll go with you."

He peeks around the corner. "Are you sure?"

I pull a blanket around me and climb out of bed to meet him. "Yes, I'm sure. I said I'd like to stay here from now on, but it didn't mean I never wanted to go back. Staying there doesn't bother me. I just prefer to stay here." I watch the muscles in his back flex as he whips the eggs, and I add, "I know it's cramped here. We can stay at your house on the weekends if we want. Living in an RV isn't ideal, but when I pulled the trigger on all of this, I didn't exactly see it playing out this way…" I trail off, looking down at the table. The last thing I ever expected was for Everett to come live with me in it.

He abandons the bowl and turns around. "Baby, I'd live with you in a cardboard box. I just don't prefer it," he tosses my words back at me before finishing his task. "Believe it or not, I actually like it here. I built that house for Moira. She used to clip things out of magazines that she liked and paste them into a journal. Once I made enough money, I brought her clippings to life. I never needed anything that big. I'll admit the closet thing is a small issue." I can't help but laugh. I might be the one getting a degree in fashion, but Everett likes to dress nicely. His shoe collection rivals my own, and don't even get me started on his suits. "What?" He glances back with a crooked smile.

"I'll see if we can't change the floor plans to accommodate a bigger walk-in closet."

"I may have already spoken with Mackenzie about that."

"What do you mean you already spoke to Mackenzie about a bigger closet?" I question, somewhat taken aback.

"Well, I needed an office, and the house you were building only had one, so while I was reviewing the plans to add another office, I made a few slight changes."

"Everett," I stand out of my chair, and I'm reminded of the plug that's still inside of me, but it doesn't lessen my annoyance. I'm peeved that he took those liberties without me.

"Are you mad?" He turns, his brow furrowed in disbelief.

"Yeah, a little. Not because I don't want you living here but because you didn't include me."

His eyes close, and I know he understands. We aren't married. It's technically my name on all the loans and paperwork. The only reason he was able to pull weight and make changes is because the designer is his daughter-in-law and my best friend. He knows this is my project, something I've been working on every day. We might be talking about forever, and he may have plans to propose, but we aren't even there yet, and he's cutting me out.

"Cameron, I'm sorry. I didn't even think of it like that. I'm used to getting things done. Mackenzie was in the office at the stadium with Connor and had the floor plans pulled up. I make calls like that every day on the fly for work. I'm not used to having a partner that wants to do everything with me." He crosses the trailer and pulls me into his arms. "I'm going to mess up. I messed up. Please forgive me."

I know his words are true. I witnessed the marriage he had with Moira. It was cohabitation. They collaborated on the charity and Connor, but with everything else, they had their roles. She stayed in her lane, and he stayed in his.

"I forgive you," I say as I hold him around the waist. "But why do we need two offices? You just said you liked how this trailer is small. I'm not building another mini-mansion."

"I assumed you'd want your own office for designing, and since I plan on working from home more often, I needed a separate space where I could have meetings and?—"

"You're going to work from home?" I pull back and look into his eyes. Technically, Everett has always worked from home, but it was after he had already put in a ten-hour day at the office. It's not like he worked in his home office all day.

"I want to be here with you. I no longer want to live to work." His eyebrows rise. "Technically, I don't need to work. I could step away, but I don't know who I am without the law firm. It's part of my identity, one I'm not ready to give up, but I do want to take a step back. I want to be present in this life I'm building with you." His lips press against my forehead. "'The universe always has a plan, and for me, it was you. I love you, Cameron Salt." He smacks my ass, causing heat to spark low in my belly as I clench around the plug. The wicked grin cresting across his mouth tells me he knew that would happen. He bites his juicy bottom lip before adding, "Now get ready. It's the last day, and I don't want to be late."

I smile as I watch him walk back toward the eggs and take a second to collect a moment, the first one in this new reality where we fall into step doing the mundane tasks of cooking breakfast, getting ready for work, and loving each other out loud without reservation.

When he realizes I haven't moved, he looks over his shoulder. "What are you doing? Why are you just standing there?"

"Just admiring the man I love," I say as I make my way toward the bedroom, only to pause when I get to the hallway. "Don't forget the ketchup."

" Y ou're here," Stormy says, somewhat shocked when she sees me behind the counter in the team shop.

"I am. I'm not working today. I'll be out there watching the game. Reece is working."

"Yeah, I know. I'm working the first half of the game with her," she says before hopping onto the counter to sit. "Are we still surprising Everett with a party at Connor's after the game?"

"Yes," I say as I press print on the report I was working on. I wanted to see what items sold the best this season to identify trends. Did they sell because they were cheaper? Were there sales that helped push the product, etc.? The data will help me in my new venture and aid me in getting Connor set up for next season. "Did Parker mention if Moira and Kipp were still coming to the party tonight?"

After Everett knew I was okay, he searched for Moira, knowing she was hurt when the tent collapsed. Kipp was knocked unconscious when he pushed Moira out of the way of a falling beam. She tripped on the dress she was wearing and took a hit to the head, but it didn't render her unconscious. However, when she sat up, she found Kipp lying beside her, out cold. He didn't clear the beam, and his right leg was caught beneath it.

Apparently, she had a severe panic attack, her mind immediately believing he was dead. She couldn't form sentences because she was in complete hysterics, nor could she walk. The paramedic on the scene was young and gave her morphine, believing she was in shock from pain. That's the part Everett heard when the nurse called. She's doing fine, and the baby is safe. The doctors said the amount she received wasn't enough to cause any long-term effects, but she was already taking it easy before all of that happened. Now, between her high-risk pregnancy and Kipp's injury, they don't leave the house.

"They are both going to try and make it. With Parker and I moving to the West Coast at the end of the month, they want to soak up all the family time. However, I know she let Evan move in two days ago. So, depending on how that's going, they could be a no-show."

"Really? They let Evan move in?"

Everett told me his story and the truth about who his father is. I was shocked to learn all that and felt bad for him. We don't get to choose our parents. I was trying to convince Everett to let him stay at his house since we were living in the RV, but then he told me why Evan had my dad's book. Apparently, he was planning to use it to blackmail Everett if he didn't help him. Everett's done nothing but show him kindness even when it was the last thing he deserved. That move sealed his fate. Evan had already crossed lines with Connor, but Everett continued to give him grace. This time, he went too far. So now he's at Moira's.

"I understand why she's helping him. He's her nephew, but he's old enough to know better, and unfortunately, from what I've seen and the things Parker has shared with me, I think he's one of those people who will never get it until he's forced to. Handouts are only helping him remain the same because he takes them for granted, believing they will always be there. I think the only kind of love that can help him is tough love, but..." She raises her hands. "Not my circus."

I grab my papers off the printer and shove them in my bag. I agree with everything Stormy has said, but she doesn't know the root of Evan's problems, and it's not my place to share, so I change the subject. "I still can't believe Parker got an offer, and not just for a feeder team. He's going to be playing for San Diego," I squeal in excitement.

"Yeah, we're going to stay with his cousin who lives there until my tiny house is ready. We've already found some great parks we want to stay at."

One of the things I love most about Parker is that he's a simple man. He's signing a contract next week that would more than allow him to afford a number of nice houses, but he doesn't want them. He wants to live the nomad lifestyle with Stormy. My only hope is that celebrity doesn't change him.

"Well, you know you always have a place to park here."

"I'll probably be taking you up on that when we come home for Christmas."

A hand pounding on the doorframe steals our attention. "It's go time! Operation create-a-distraction-for-Everett has commenced," Mackenzie says before adding, "Come on, come on, let's go."

I snatch my bag off the counter as Stormy slides off. "Wait, I thought you already gave Connor everything he needed to hand out to the team for the game."

She jiggles a bag at me. "No, they just delivered."

"How much time do we need?" I say as I follow Mackenzie down the breezeway.

"I don't know… twenty, thirty minutes. I guess it depends on if they're dressed yet." I roll my lips as I think of a plan. "Is that going to be a problem?"

I smile big. "Nope. Just make sure Connor has no reason to come upstairs for that time." I shoot off a quick text.

Cameron: Can you meet me in the office?

Everett: I'm with the team.

Cameron: I know. I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important.

I know he'll come, but to ensure it sooner than later. I hit below the belt.

Cameron: Never mind, I just saw Nash. I'll get him to help me.

Everett: I'd rather not go to jail today, Cameron.

Everett: I'm on my way.

"Shit, he's on his way. Go," I say as I take off toward the office.

H e must have lied when he said he was on his way because, while I may have run up the stairs, it shouldn't take him this long to get to the office from the locker room. I consider sending him another text, but I left my phone across the room, and I'm already in position. I have no doubt that if I walk over to grab it off the table by the window, he'll walk through that door, and I don't want him to see any view other than the one I currently have set up. It's fucking hot, and he'll be in the doghouse, no questions asked, if he leaves me hanging as he did this morning.

The door opens, and he curses, "Fucking hell," before I hear the door slam shut and the lock turn. Got him. "Cameron, what the hell? What if someone else walked in and saw this?" I'm currently bent over his desk wearing nothing but blue heels, his Bulldogs jersey, and the plug he put in my ass this morning.

I don't break character. "But no one else did walk in. You did."

His hands skim up my cheeks. "You were going to let Nash help you with this?" he questions as he presses his fully clothed, hardening length against my ass. The sensation renders me speechless. Having this plug inside of me all morning has left me thoroughly aroused. I'm so worked up that I'm certain I could come from his dirty talk alone. He runs a thick digit through my slick core when I don't respond. "Answer me, sunshine."

"Ev, we both know there's no one else. I can't wait until tonight?—"

His finger dips inside of me, and I'm instantly done talking. I need him. I need him to make me come. "I don't have time for this. I want to take my time with you and this," he says, twisting the plug, "takes time. The game starts in an hour." I can hear the ache in his voice. "And I'm not prepared to take you this way. I don't have?—"

"This," I say, flipping the lid on a bottle of lube.

He presses into me again with a groan. "You're seriously trying to kill me. Wearing my fucking jersey nonetheless."

"Please, Ev," I beg as I push my ass into his groin.

"Cameron..." His hands glide over my hips.

"If you say no, I'll be forced to take care of myself on top of your desk."

I hear his belt loosen. "The fuck you will. You're mine. Your pleasure belongs to me." Without warning, his tip is at my entrance, and he shoves in hard. We both moan as his cock twitches deep. Weeks of vanilla don't compare to this angle. My thighs pressed into his desk, his weight at my back, his length fully seated, hitting the spot only he ever has. After he collects himself, he slams in hard again, pulling back teasingly slow. "My god, you're so fucking sexy." He twists the plug and pumps in hard. "Knowing I'm hitting that spot does things to me, sunshine. Do you feel it?"

"I feel you, Ev, and I want it." My hand reaches back to his thigh, where I squeeze. "I want this with you." I had my IUD taken out. The doctor suggested we abstain from sex for a week to avoid getting pregnant. Everett was gentle with me, only giving me oral sex for two days, scared I'd be sore from the procedure even though I told him I wasn't before he decided he couldn't take it anymore. I didn't make it easy on him either, wearing sexy lingerie to bed every night to taunt him, in hopes of getting him to cave. The vanilla sex we've been having since the accident is everything, but this angle puts him deep. He feels my cervix, and I know he wants to coat it. "You won't hurt me. I'm good, Ev. I promise."

His hands grip my hips, and he pumps me long and slow. "You want me to put a baby inside of you?"

"I'm already going to love you for the rest of my life. I'll love all the pieces of you."

His hands glide up my back before his lips kiss my shoulder. "You are the most beautiful gift I never saw coming. I want everything with you, Cameron Salt. But I'm selfish. I want you all to myself a little longer." He thrusts into me one more time before saying, "Hand me the lube, sunshine." He's still buried deep when he slowly pulls the plug out, and his index finger rims my tight hole. "You sure you still want me here?" When I subtly nod my agreement, he slips out and brings his tip to the place no man has ever been. I can't help but tense from the sensation. His hands glide up my sides under his jersey, and he cups my breasts. Bringing his lips to my ear, he whispers, "Relax, if it's too much, we stop. You're in control here." Those words were the right ones. I instantly relax into his touch. His fingers pinch my nipples before he releases my breasts, letting them fall back to the smooth surface of the desk. I hear the click of the lubricant lid before I feel oil drip between my cheeks. His thick tip drags between my cheeks, spreading the oil and coating his cock before coming back to my entrance. "This ass you've teased me with for years is mine." He dips inside of my pussy, and I instantly clench around him, my body begging for release. "So greedy," he growls, pushing in deep.

"Mmm," I moan as my hands grip the edge of the desk.

"Say it, sunshine. Say it's mine."

When I hesitate, he pulls out and slaps my pussy, and fuck if I don't need more. "It's yours, Ev."

"Only mine," he states as if I need a reminder after I teased him earlier. I instinctively tense up when he spreads my cheeks and slowly starts to push in. "Reach back and play with this pretty pussy." Snaking my hand between my thighs, I start rubbing slow circles over my bundle of nerves, and as I do, I feel myself relax, and what felt like an intrusion starts to feel pleasantly full. "You're doing so good, baby. So fucking good."

"More, Ev," I beg, desperate to have him like this. "You don't have to go slow. You won't hurt me." I know he's been scared to lose himself because of the hit I took to my head, but I want him to. I need him to.

"Fuck, sunshine. Do you know how hot it is listening to you beg for my cock?" I feel him fully seat himself, his thighs butting against mine before he says, "My god, don't move." He drapes himself over my back and kisses my neck, his breath heavy as he composes himself. "So, damn perfect." His short, ragged breaths against my neck make my skin pebble, and my nipples tighten with need. The hand he has on my breast notices, and he tweaks the hardened peak before saying, "I love how your body responds to me." He nips my ear before slowly retreating, running his hands down my waist, and digging his fingers into my hips just the way I like. "My god, I wish you could see how perfect you look wearing my jersey with my dick disappearing inside this tight ass." He slowly starts to increase his pace, his words loosening me.

I'm high off the way he's losing himself and how I'm the one that's making him feel good. I already know having sex in his office was a first for him, so I'm certain this is, too. His grunts and low moans of ecstasy as he slowly thrusts into me have me on edge. I move my fingers from my clit to my entrance and insert two.

"Oh god," I moan, not expecting it to be so good.

My words spur him on, and he picks up the pace. "That's it. Pump your pussy, baby."

His words have me pushing back on him. I love the unhinged side of him. The side that let's go and trusts me with his heart. I love knowing that I own his pleasure as much as he owns mine. "You want more?"

"Yes, Ev. I want everything." I hear him let out a groan.

"Fuck, I'm going to come." Slowing his thrusts, he reaches around and removes my hand to replace it with his own before saying, "Come with me." His groans and pants already had me on edge, but his words send me over. He feels the second my orgasm hits and holds in deep, finding his own release before falling on top of me. With ragged breaths, he says, "I love you, Cameron Salt. I love you with everything that I am."

" W hat if we don't win? I didn't even think about that."

"Don't say that," Mackenzie and I say in unison as Stormy threatens to jinx the game with her bad juju. The Bulldogs are taking their last at-bat for the season. We have a man on second and one on third, with two outs. If we don't show up now, that's the game since the Sharks are ahead by one.

"The one thing about this year's team is they perform well under pressure. They all want to go out with a win," I say as I drink my beer and try to calm my nerves. The first batter comes up, and it's Deke. We'd hoped to have a solid lead when Connor and I planned this all out, but maybe a little fun is what they need to swing for the fences this inning and bring home a win, so I call out, "Show 'em those socks, Deke."

Everett's standing at the top of the dugout, his jersey stretching over his biceps and clinging to his back in all the right places, but his fit physique is no match for those molten eyes that turn toward me with an assessing glare, narrowing as he scans my body from head to toe before tracking back to Deke at the plate, raising his pants and sporting socks with pictures of Everett running. Deke's move triggers our players on second and third to do the same. Each pair of socks has different images of Everett working out.

All season, he trained with the team. Harder if you ask me, considering he always started his routine before they arrived. In the beginning, it was to earn their respect and prove he wasn't just a fill-in who wasn't invested in seeing to it that the team had a good season. Game after game, the team saw his dedication, and what started out as respect morphed into something deeper, a reverence, a level of admiration for giving it his all when others may not have. Tongue in cheek, he drops his head, but his smile can't be hidden. From here, I can see it pulling at the corners of his perfect mouth. Connor clasps his shoulders as the guys in the dugout pull up their socks and smack his back.

My eyes are so keenly zeroed in on Everett and watching him have his moment that I miss the pitch, but I don't miss the sound of the bat connecting with the ball as Deke slams one into right field. The right fielder dives to catch the ball and misses it by a foot, and the stadium goes crazy as we close out the season with a nail-biting win.

Mackenzie and Stormy jump up and down and hug as I make a beeline for the field with one target. My man.

When I reach the field, the guys are still huddled around him, chanting, whooping, and hollering, but that doesn't stop him from feeling me. His midnight eyes connect with mine, he starts pushing through the team, and I take off running. He catches me in his arms and twirls me around.

"I like what you're wearing," he breathes against my neck.

I pull back, slap his hat, and say, "Your girl, your jersey." He gives me the biggest boyish smile and I know without a doubt my words, coupled with my grand gesture of running out to him on the field, made his heart swim. "Nothing like closing out the season with a win, two major league contracts, and three farm team drafts. Tell me, Coach, did the season go as planned? Did you know your team would be number one?"

"This season was nothing I could have planned for because I never saw it coming. It was nothing I wanted and somehow everything I needed."

"Is that so?" I wrap my hands around his neck. "You doubted your ability to read a game you love, manage personalities, and change lives? Game part aside, it's what you do as a lawyer too."

He sets me down. "Maybe I'm not saying it correctly. All season, my goal was to change them, help them grow into their full potential, show them their weaknesses so that they could harness their strength. That was planned. It's the incidentals I didn't see coming, that I could never have planned for…" His thumb brushes over my cheek. "Ones like you. You were the absolute last thing I wanted. I hated myself for wanting you, and fuck if you weren't dead set on making my life hell, but hell is exactly what I needed. I had to walk through its fire and test my strength, only then would I know if I was worthy of standing at your side. All season I thought I was changing them, but it was the summer that changed me."

My hand covers the one he has rested on my face. "Change is good, Ev. I liked the old you, but I'm madly in love with the one that's standing before me now."

He leans down and pulls me tight against his front. "I'm glad." He kisses my forehead. "I would much rather be in love with you than the idea of you," he says against my mouth before his lips run away with mine, and the lines that separate where he stops and I begin dissolve, blurring us into a perfect forever.