12. Twelve

Twelve

Bo

T he amount of shit breaking in my room thankfully made no one suspicious. Maybe because Ollie is the one dealing with the maintenance?

We were all up in each other's business, horny like teenagers who regarded every moment they weren't kissing, or making out, or actually in each other, a moment lost.

We tried to make the most of our limited time together, yet the end of our camp came way sooner than I had hoped. We had to be careful with our sneaking around. His colleague Clara had almost spotted us fooling around in a dark corner one day. But we managed. Twice more we met in the clearing to fuck under the stars, and to cuddle afterwards, exchanging our life stories, or as much of it as we could fit into those stolen moments.

I yearned to get lost in him and then fall asleep together without having to worry about how loud we were, or if someone would see. Is that too much to ask, universe?

The day before our departure, we had a whole day of training with the kids of Blue Kraken. Cal had paired me with twin brothers, who insisted on shadowing me so thoroughly I had to lock myself in the bathroom to pee in peace.

In the evening, our goodbye dinner brought all the sponsors and important people together one last time.

"Damn, I'm so ready to go home," Decks huffed from right next to me as he picked at his steak and salad.

"Is the food not to your liking?" Arne grinned over the table at our centre.

"Shut up, Cap," he snorted. "I miss my man." With a shrug, he cut off a chunk, chewing it slowly. "The food is great, but I prefer when he cooks for me."

Our captain met his eyes, looking slightly ashamed of himself. "Sorry, Nate."

"It's all right, don't worry about it."

Ollie had been eyeing me all evening, and I hoped he would come to find me when I excused myself for a moment and left for the terrace for some fresh air.

Making my way around the building, I waited for him to catch up on me.

Instead, I faced two men who looked close to hitting each other. Taking a step closer so I could intervene, I heard them exchange heated words.

"I am not interested in anything you have to say," Callum hissed, pushing Gilliatt hard in the chest, before a tentacle wrapped around his wrist and pulled his arm away almost lovingly.

The Kraken did indeed make a move, but not to hit Callum. He pressed a gentle kiss on his forehead, muttering something I couldn't understand. Then he let go, and left.

He stood stock still and gaped after the Kraken, not even moving as I came closer.

"Callum?"

He kept his eyes on the spot where Gill had disappeared.

"Hey, Cal. Are you okay?" Nothing. "Callum, can you please nod if you're okay? Did he hurt you?"

He shook his head in slow motion. "He didn't hurt me, no."

I stepped nearer, reaching out to grip his shoulder, slowly to give him time to back away.

He didn't. "Hey, wanna go for a walk?"

I steered him away from the windows, towards the forest. I craved only my man's presence, but couldn't just abandon Cal.

"The freaking audacity of him," he suddenly blurted out, rubbing the wrist Gill had held with his other hand. Then he let go and touched his forehead. "He gives me nothing but radio silence for months! Months! And then he pretends he didn't freaking ghost me? Can you believe this shit?" His drawl was difficult to understand, and I didn't know if he wanted to vent or to have my input, so I just hummed in agreement.

"Shit." Callum took a deep, shuddering breath. "I should hate him, but…" The rest of his sentence went unheard when I turned my head and spotted Ollie on the other side of the terrace, his eyes flickering from Cal to me and back, lingering on my hand holding his shoulder. Then he spun on the spot and almost ran away.

"Go. I'm okay," Callum told me, pulling out of my hold.

"Are you sure? I…"

"Go." He gave me a little smile and nodded.

I hoped he had gone back to his apartment. Not caring who saw me but quite sure I'd be all right with everyone at the party, I snuck through the tiny garden to his back door.

Nothing happened after my first gentle knock. I tried again, already making a list of places I could check next.

A pale face appeared in the space between his curtains, surveying me, and for a moment I was sure he wouldn't let me in.

"Hey," I murmured, ready to hug him, but he stopped me with raised hands. "What is it, ?lskling?"

"Oh God," he groaned, hiding his face in his hands. "I'm so sorry, Bo. I understand if you never want to see me again." Ollie pushed his hands into his hair, gripping fistfuls and pulling the strands hard.

"?lskling!" With one step, I crossed the distance and captured his wrists in my hands, prompting him to stop hurting himself. "What are you doing?" I muttered, bringing his fingers to my mouth and kissing them.

"Stop being so kind to me, Bo! Bloody hell, the last thing I deserve is your love."

His eyes flew open when his words registered with his brain, and he groaned again, struggling to get out of my hold.

"Ollie, please stop this. You deserve everything I have to give. Fuck!" Huffing, I shook my head. "No, you deserve way more than someone like me."

"That's nonsense, and you know it!" He started struggling again and I had no clue what to do but shut him up with a kiss.

He melted under my lips, half-heartedly protesting, but not for long. A soft moan echoed between us when his hands sneaked around my neck, our difference in height meaning he plastered his body to mine.

It took me a while to realise he was crying.

"Ollie?" I backed out of the kiss, cradling his head in my hands, thumbs brushing the sparkling tears off his face. "?lskling, what's wrong?"

I hated to see him so upset and needed to take care of my man.

"I'm just…" he struggled for words. "So bloody angry at myself. I suck and I have no idea what you even want with me—"

" Jag ?r k?r i dig ," I stopped him, needing to tell him in my native tongue and hoping he would understand, anyway. "I'm in love with you," I repeated when all he did was gape at me.

"Yeah, I understood."

"You did?"

His face blushed under my fingertips.

"I've been looking up some things in Swedish," he mumbled without meeting my eyes.

"What things?" I grinned even though I knew exactly what kind of things.

The words and sentences you research when you meet someone from another country and want to impress them by telling them what you feel in their native tongue.

"Things," he repeated. "Not a lot of them because I'm the economist in the family, and it's Noah who has a talent for languages—"

"You learned Swedish for me?" I interrupted him in a murmur, falling more for this man by the minute.

"That's a gross overestimate of my skill. I learned—"

Again, I stopped him with my lips.

"Say it," I told him. "Tell me what you learned. Please, Ollie." I kissed my way to his neck, tiny tingling licking kisses that had him moan and grip me tighter.

"I listened to a recording of this," he whispered. "About a hundred times, so I wouldn't embarrass myself."

"?h, min k?ra . You don't ever have to worry about that with me, okay? I am lying at your feet, Oliver."

"Bo!" he groaned, making me freeze.

"Did I say that wrong?"

"No," my love huffed. "It's just super hot when you call me ‘Oliver'." He shuddered happily. " Jag ?lskar dig ," he mumbled into my hair.

His pronunciation was close to perfect. Not that I cared about it when my heart dissolved into a gooey little puddle.

I wonder what else he believes he can't do because it's a Noah thing…

" Jag ?lskar dig ocks? ," I growled as my hands roamed his body, needing to get closer to him.

"I'm sorry. I got jealous about Callum. He's a great guy, and that was uncalled for."

"Callum is hurting. He needed a friendly face. We are not interested in each other. And besides, I only had eyes for you all evening. "

"So did I."