29. Darcy
29
DARCY
M y mind swirled with all this new information. My body flushed with happiness as I kissed Callum, feeling the solid form of his body beneath me. The fifteen-year-old me would not believe that I was lying in this field with Callum Jones. And to think that our separation all these years was because of some big misunderstanding.
Callum lifted his hand and brushed my hair behind my ear.
“I can’t believe we’re here,” he said, mirroring my own thoughts.
“Me neither. I doubt Liz is going to be too happy with us ... we sort of bailed on the play.”
Callum laughed.
“Don’t worry, she already gave me an earful. I think I’ll have to bring the kids to that theme park I promised them sooner rather than later.”
“Can I come?” I asked, feeling like a little kid myself. “I love rollercoasters.”
“I knew I liked you,” he said with a huge smile.
I bent down and kissed him again, and this time his tongue slid into my mouth. Callum pulled me closer to him, and I pressed my mouth harder against his as the kiss deepened. Our kissing got more intense, filled with desperation and passion fueled by our recent recommitment to one another. I wanted to feel even closer to Callum, and I slid my leg across his body before sliding to be fully on top of him.
“Wait,” he said, breaking off the kiss. “There’s something I need to do.”
I groaned and dropped my head to Callum’s chest.
“Now?” I asked with a smile.
“Yes, now.” He laughed. He helped guide me off of him and slid up to a seated position so we both sat on the blanket. I saw Callum pull his cell phone out of his pocket. There was a moment of hesitation and I caught him as he glanced over at me. But then he was back to his phone.
“You don’t have to worry about Liz,” I told him. “You know she’ll always forgive her big brother.”
Callum put the phone to his ear and gently shook his head at my words.
“Hey. Brady.”
I held back a small gasp as I heard the greeting. I looked over at him, trying to catch his eye, but Callum wouldn’t look at me.
“You don’t have to do this right now …” I tried, but Callum wasn’t listening to me. I was about to try again, but I stopped myself. I realized that this phone call wasn’t all about me. It was the culmination of what Callum had been thinking about all summer. It was Callum finally speaking his mind and saying what he wanted.
“Listen, I’m not going on tour.”
I couldn’t hear Brady’s words on the other end of the line, but I could hear a muffled voice. It sounded angry and loud.
“I know that’s not what you want to hear, but it’s time you start realizing that I’m a person and not a product . Look, I’m grateful for what you’ve done for the band, but our success is not because of you.”
Again, the angry voice. I slid myself closer to Callum and rested a hand on his back, providing comfort.
“Yes, I know how much time you’ve spent promoting the band and representing us. But it’s nothing compared to the hours we spend writing music and practicing and traveling from city to city. So, when we say we need a break, you’re going to listen to us. And when the band agrees to something like my summer away, you’re not going to turn around and convince them otherwise.
“Just stop talking for a minute! I need you to know that I won’t allow you to kick me out of this band. If I need to get lawyers involved, I won’t hesitate to do that. So, I think you better call up that company and tell them the Horizon will not be a replacement band on anyone’s tour!”
I wanted to cheer as I heard the words, but I knew it wouldn’t help Callum if I was overheard. A smile spread wide across my face and I felt giddy with happiness.
“Here’s what’s going to happen, Brady. I’m not going to hear from you for a month. You’re going to sit back and collect your paycheck and forget that the Horizon is even a client for this month. Then, when I’m ready, I’m going to call you and you’re going to answer. We’ll discuss my solo album and we’ll plan the recording of my new music in conjunction with events for the Horizon. And if you don’t like this plan, then I think it’s time for the Horizon to look for a new manager.”
I celebrated silently next to Callum, even grabbing his shoulders to shake him in pride and appreciation. Callum smiled over at me as he brushed me aside, trying to keep the phone pressed to his ear. But even as he tried to stay focused on Brady, I saw the huge smile that spread across his face.
I was so thrilled to hear him take charge with his manager, and I couldn’t stop myself from dreaming about the summer we would have together. I could picture the trips to the theme parks and an afternoon on the beach. I would show him my favorite hike around a local lake. I was so distracted by thoughts of the summer, that I was surprised when Callum began saying his goodbyes to Brady.
“Sounds good. I’ll talk to you in a month.”
He hung up abruptly, without further niceties and, as soon as the phone was off, I let out the excited squeal I had been holding inside.
“That was amazing!” I cried. I wrapped my arms around Callum and hugged him close to me. He seemed a bit stiff, as if he might be shocked by what he had just done. But then he was hugging me back, and I felt him squeeze me close as relief flooded through his body.
“I can’t believe I did that,” he breathed out.
I pulled back so I could look at him.
“How did it feel?”
He thought about this for a moment, and then that smile spread across his face once more.
“It felt amazing! And it felt like it was a long time coming.”
He leaned in and kissed me as he set his phone back onto the blanket.
“A whole month without band stuff?” I asked. I thought about the month stretched out before us. Would this turn into a month spent together, planning out the recording studio and going on silly first dates? I certainly hoped so.
“A whole month,” he repeated. “Just the two of us.”
I felt my stomach flip as he said this. For the first time in our relationship, we were on the same page. I leaned in and kissed him and Callum kissed me back. His hand came to my upper arm, and he squeezed it gently. I felt his happiness and commitment in that kiss. It was like Callum could finally breathe again, and now that all that business with the band was settled, we could block out the world for a moment.
Callum deepened the kiss and I forgot that we were outside in an open field where anyone could see us. I only knew Callum’s lips on my own and the thrill of potential that coursed through both of us following our commitment to each other. Callum pressed forward so I was lying on my back, and I felt the rough flannel of the picnic blanket below us. He leaned over and kissed my neck and then his hand was on my stomach, his fingers drifting down to the hem of my shirt.
I smiled at him as he ran his fingers against the sensitive skin of my stomach and tried not to squirm as his fingers tickled me. He looked down at me with a smirk, enjoying this, and I grabbed his hand and pulled it to my chest, hugging his arm to me and bringing his body closer. He gazed into my eyes and then he dropped his lips onto mine. I felt the soft touch of them as he gently kissed me. The sweep of his tongue along my bottom lip sent a shiver through me.
Callum seemed to notice, because he instantly doubled down on our kissing. His arm was squeezed between our bodies as my breath began to come more quickly with each caress. I felt desperate for him, eager to hold every part of him against me and never let him go. Callum’s leg hitched around my own, so I felt the comforting pressure of his hip pressed against mine as he rested on his elbow so he wouldn’t crush me with his larger frame.
The hand between us was back to the peek of skin along my stomach, but now he ran his fingers up and under my shirt, above my belly button and toward my breasts. My whole body was buzzing, and even this gentle touch was electricity I could feel in every extremity. A gentle throbbing was building between my legs as Callum’s hand found my breast and he began to rub against the hard nub of my nipple.
I gasped when he touched me, and Callum nipped gently along my jaw line as his fingers teased. A small moan escaped me, and the sound was enough to bring my head back to reality. I was reminded that we were outside in a public park where anyone could see us. This portion of the park was definitely more secluded, far away from the playgrounds and the dog park, and the sky was darkening around us, but we never knew who might come walking by.
“What if someone sees us?” I whispered, but I knew my voice was already betraying me. It was dripping with desire and an unspoken pleading for Callum to continue.
“Don’t worry,” he said. His hand switched to my other breast as he kissed me sweetly on the temple. “I’m watching. I’ll stop if someone’s coming.”
Before I could protest, his hand snaked down to my waistband and he undid the button of my jeans. I pushed my hips up, trying to press against his leg that was still wrapped around my own, but he had positioned himself tight against my side so he could have better access to what was waiting between my legs. Still, I felt his arousal long and hard against my hip, and it brought waves of pleasure directly to my core.
Callum didn’t wait to press below my underwear, and I gasped as he quickly dipped into my folds and felt the wetness waiting for him. I felt like a live wire as his touch made my hips jerk up in surprise, and then he was stroking me—long and insistent touches that brought quiet gasps as I felt pressure instantly building between my legs.
“Look at you,” he whispered. My eyes were squeezed tight, but I blinked my eyes open to look up at him. He continued his rhythm, growing faster with each stroke, and I could hardly keep my gaze on him for all the pleasure clouding my brain. He bent down and locked his lips with my own before locking his fingers over my sensitive button. I gasped and lifted my hips again, feeling how close I was and delighting in the way this man could make me melt beneath his fingers.
“I always knew it was you,” he whispered. I thought about our first time together this summer: Our fast and surprising coupling in his theater dressing room. I thought about dinner and conversation at my house, and that day we toured the town looking at properties. And there was that beautiful moment earlier today when Callum played me his music in the middle of the hardware store. He had written a song about me and this summer.
But now I knew it wasn’t the first time Callum had written a song on my account. All those years ago, in this very field, Callum had professed his love. And I was finally here to hear it.
Callum kissed me as his fingers moved fast between my legs. I pressed my lips against him as pressure built, and I let myself move toward it. I pushed my hips up and angled myself in the perfect position to feel his expert hands, his mouth on mine, and the warmth of his body beside me. I was close; another moment and I knew I would crash into pleasure that would ripple through me. I wanted to tell him not to stop, to keep going and do exactly what he was doing, but the words that came out of me were different.
“Stay with me,” I gasped. And suddenly the pressure of his fingers brought me to completion. I cried out, much louder than I should have, and my whole body shook in the aftermath. Waves of pleasure washed through me, and Callum tucked my face into his neck as he held me, letting me ride out the journey. My eyes were squeezed closed, and I lost myself for a moment, content to disappear into the euphoria all around me, knowing that Callum was there to protect and keep me safe. We lay like that for a long moment, surrounded by the sound of cicadas emerging with the evening and feeling goosebumps rise on our skin as the air cooled around us.
“I’m not going anywhere,” he whispered. I opened my eyes to see his adoring gaze looking down at me. Callum slid his fingers out from between my legs and I smirked at him, overwhelmed by what we had just done out in this field where things between us had begun.
“Me neither,” I promised him.