30. Tristan
30
TRISTAN
N othing could bring me down. Nothing . Not even the sudden downpour that soaked me to the bone and had the spectators scrambling for shelter.
Aria had come. She’d come to watch me play, and not only had she told me to my face that she cared about me, but she’d kissed me, too. And now she had the necklace that I’d been holding on to ever since that night at the manor.
She was wearing my jersey as well, and that was a big statement. We both knew it. Everyone would see my name on her back and know she was mine.
I flew down the field into the Clifton end, skidding through the mud as I twisted out of the way of the player marking me. I barely even noticed the dirt splatter up my legs as I sent the ball arcing towards Roman, who raised his stick in perfect synchronisation with my movement and caught it in mid-air. Instantly reacting to the player coming at him, he flung the ball straight at the goal. It was a long shot, but luck was on our side, and somehow, it went in. 1-0 to Hatherley Hall.
We kept pushing and pushing, and we scored again. 2-0. With eleven minutes left on the clock, Clifton scored for the first time, but we were still ahead, and I was determined to keep it that way. Pushing my body as hard as I could go, I shouted instructions at my teammates, along with Saunders, who was doing his usual coaching job of gesturing wildly and screaming at us from the sidelines.
I was dimly aware of a cheer from the home supporters, and as I passed Knox, I heard his shout. “Burford are beating St. Peter’s!”
Fucking yes. I was even more motivated than I had been before, if that was possible. I glanced up at the clock, realising we were almost at the end of the game. The rain was easing up a little, helping with the visibility, and the second Link passed me the ball, I took my chance, launching it in the direction of the net.
My teammates swarmed me as it went in, smacking against the net. We were winning 3-1, and there was no way Clifton could catch up with us now unless we were incredibly unlucky. I got everyone on defence, holding the Clifton players back from our goal for the final couple of minutes of play.
Then, the whistle blew, and it was all over. I glanced over at Saunders, who was holding up his fingers. “4-3 to Burford!” he shouted.
The euphoria that filled me was like nothing I’d ever experienced before. We’d done it . We’d won the league.
Instead of joining my teammates in celebrating, I dropped my stick and ran for the stands, skidding to a halt in front of the barrier separating me from my girlfriend. Drenched, wearing my jersey, her honey eyes sparkling and her lips curved into a beaming smile, she’d never looked better.
“You look so fucking good in my jersey.”
She held out a hand to stop me. “If you say I’d look even better out of it, this’ll be the shortest relationship you’ve ever had.” Her expression was a little uncertain, like she still wasn’t sure I’d meant what I said about her being my girlfriend.
I grinned. “The only relationship I’ve ever had.”
Her uncertainty disappeared as her gaze turned uncharacteristically soft. “Me too.”
I yanked her over the barrier and into my arms, spinning her around as she wound her legs around my waist. She laughed, wild and free, and I joined her.
Carefully lowering her to the grass, I removed my gloves and helmet, running my hand through my hair where it had been flattened. I glanced down at her jersey with a grimace. “Shit. I got mud all over you.”
“Do I look like I care?” She gestured to herself. “I’m already soaked through. What difference is a bit of mud going to make? And you won. We won! League champions!”
“True. Even so.”
“Tristan. I really don’t care about a bit of mud. You should be celebrating your win.” Pausing, she glanced down at the ground and then back up at me, biting down on her lip. “I’m happy you won, you know. You worked really hard for this, and I’m so proud of you. I don’t want to—” She took in the expectant look I was giving her and sighed. “As well as all that, I’m wondering about this necklace you gave me.”
When she held up the gold chain, I grimaced. Fuck, now I was going to have to explain, and hoped she understood the significance and wasn’t scared away by it.
“Tristan!”
My head shot around to the stands to see my parents seated with Knox’s mum, dad, and little sister, Quinn’s parents, and Roman’s uncle. My father was waving, and my mother was impatiently beckoning me over.
“Shit,” I muttered. I looked back at Aria. “Do you trust me?”
“Yeah…why?”
I pulled her in the direction of my parents. “Come with me.” Before we reached them, I came to a sudden stop. “Aria? Wait a second. Will you wear the necklace?”
A fucking lump appeared in my throat when she immediately nodded. Sweeping her hair out of the way, I fastened the chain around her neck.
She was wearing it .
“Okay.” I cleared my throat to get rid of the lump. “Ready to face my parents?”
I didn’t give her any time to stress about it, quickly tugging her towards them. When we reached them, I ducked down so I could see beneath the golf umbrella they were huddling under.
Might as well get the news over with as soon as possible. “Mother. Father. Do you recognise this?” I tapped the lightning bolt that lay against Aria’s breastbone.
My mother gasped, her hand flying to her heart. “Your grandmother’s necklace.”
“Yeah. I got it from Jack’s safe during the party. It legally belongs to me—Father gave me an inventory of all the pieces I was due to inherit when I came of age, and I knew this one had been stored at the manor, so you didn’t take it for yourself.” I shot her an apologetic look. “I didn’t actually think you would really take it, of course. I never even had a say in where all the pieces were stored.” I sucked in a breath. It was the moment of truth. “I hadn’t ever considered giving it to anyone before, but as soon as I remembered it was there, I knew what to do.”
She stared at me in disbelief. Turning to Aria, I continued. “I got this from the safe that night. Before I knew about the money. Before we found the missing pages. Before…you know. I got it to give to you. I know you don’t want anything else from me, but this is something I wanted to give you before everything happened. It means a lot to me.”
Aria stared down at the ground, twisting her hands together. “Why?” she eventually said, and her voice was uncharacteristically subdued.
“Why? Because I want it to be yours. Because it reminds me of you—you’re the storm, and the lightning, and the person who lights up my world. Because you’re fucking amazing and deserve to be appreciated. Because you mean so much to me.” I paused, looking both of my parents in the eye before I continued, my gaze returning to Aria. “Because I’ve realised the things I used to think mattered don’t matter to me anymore. Because you’re my girlfriend, and I want to be with you. I don’t give a single fuck about what other people think. I’m prepared to walk away from my family…to lose the Smith-Chamberlain name if that’s what it takes.”
“Tristan,” my father bit out. “You cannot possibly?—”
My gaze shot to his. “Listen to what I’m saying. I will walk away. I’m not giving you an ultimatum. I’m telling you what will happen if you don’t accept the fact that me and Aria are together.”
His eyes widened as my mother clasped her hands together, her knuckles turning white with her tight grip. “We’re her godparents.”
“So fucking—so what? We’re not related. There’s nothing wrong or immoral or whatever bad things your minds are thinking. Do I need to remind you that my grandfather arranged for this to happen in the first place?”
“Tristan,” Aria whispered. Our eyes met, and I lowered my head, sliding my mouth over hers. Ignoring my mother’s shocked gasp, I picked Aria up and carried her away from them, striding across the field and detouring around the buildings until the two of us were lost in the trees with the misty rain pattering softly on the leaves over our heads. Just me and her, alone. Together.
“Are you okay?” I asked her, lowering her to her feet.
“I—yeah. Wow. I wasn’t expecting that.” Her hand went to her necklace, her fingertip tracing the shape of the lightning bolt. “When I heard this was your grandmother’s necklace and you’d chosen to give it to me, I…I guess I was wondering if this was all worth it. If I was all worth it. If your parents have a problem with me being with you?—”
“No.” I jerked my head towards the direction we’d come from. “What I said back there? I meant every single word. Fucking hell, I know I only just asked you to be my girlfriend, but I’m all in. No regrets, no changing my mind. Okay?”
“You told me to be your girlfriend,” she muttered, aiming for a glare, but the way her lips were curving upwards ruined the effect she was going for.
“Yeah, that’s because you’re stubborn as fuck, and sometimes you need to be told instead of asked.”
“Oh, really?” Her brows rose. “I seem to remember you saying ‘please’ several times in your texts to me.”
“That’s because I know you so well. I know how to handle my little scorpion.”
“Are you ever going to stop calling me that?”
“Probably not.”
She sighed. “Fine. I guess there are worse nicknames.”
I grinned down at her. “It’s okay to admit you love it.”
“Fuck off.”
“Hmm.” I tapped my lips with my finger. “Don’t think I will. I wouldn’t want to deprive you of my company.”
“I hate you.”
“Do you really, though?” Drawing her into me, I wrapped my arms around her waist. “It’s okay to tell the truth. No one else is here to hear you say it. Just you, me, and the forest creatures.”
“Forest creatures.” She huffed out a laugh before winding her arms around my neck, looking up at me with what I knew for a fact was adoration in her eyes, not that she’d ever admit it. How the hell had it taken me so long to lock this girl down?
I kissed the tip of her nose, and she smiled.
“I’m such a good boyfriend,” I said.
“You’re such an arrogant boyfriend. But I guess it’s okay because I like you anyway.” She pulled my head down to her, pressing a soft kiss to the corner of my mouth. “I like you quite a lot, in fact.”
My heart felt as if it was going to beat right out of my chest at her confession. Capturing her lips in a kiss, I poured everything I wanted to say into it, without saying the words aloud. She kissed me back almost desperately, pulling me closer and holding on like she never wanted to let me go.
Our romantic moment in the woods turned filthy pretty quickly, with my cock hardening as she ground down on my thigh, breathy little moans falling from her throat.
“That’s it, baby.” I palmed her ass, angling my thigh so she could ride it harder, wishing it was my dick she was riding instead. There’d be time to take care of my needs later, though. All that mattered at the moment was making her feel good.
Slipping my hand beneath my jersey—the one she was wearing—I played with her pretty tits, feeling her nipples pebble beneath my fingers as she panted against my chest. Fuck, she was so fucking hot like this, so unrestrained and wild, using me to get herself off right out in the open. My dick was throbbing.
I slid my hand into her leggings and underwear and groaned.“So fucking wet.”
“Tristan. Please. I need?—”
“I’ve got you. Ride my fingers.”
Three fingers inside her, my thumb circling her clit, and she cried out, her pussy clenching around me as she came all over my hand. “Fuck, fuck, fuck,” she chanted, collapsing into me.
I couldn’t fucking handle it any longer. I manoeuvred her backwards until she was supported by the tree behind her, and then I tugged my shorts down, wanking myself hard and fast. I came with a groan, my release hitting the ivy winding around a fallen trunk, decorating the glossy green with stripes of cum.
“Desecrating nature,” Aria said as I wiped off my hand on a large leaf and tugged my shorts back on, still regaining my breath.
“Improving nature,” I corrected. “And now I really fucking need that shower. Want to go and get cleaned up and then meet in the common room? I think it’s time for our public debut.”
“Okay. If you promise never to refer to it as our public debut again.” She stepped towards me, pressing a soft kiss to my jaw. “Tristan. Seriously, though. Thank you. For…for being you. For choosing me.”
“Best decision I ever made.” I kissed her again, losing myself in the slow slide of her mouth against mine.