21. Callum

“I’m sorry I upset you. I’ll do whatever you need. Where are you? ... Yes!”

Ari threw his hands in the air, fists pumping triumphantly.

“Oh my god, finally!” he cried and whipped around to look at me. “And I have you to thank!”

I flinched back, my heart sinking at the realization of what Addison”s message meant.

Ari hadn”t done a thing to me yet, other than clipping me to a chair with cheap handcuffs.

He”d brought me to a house in the suburbs on the east end of town and walked me inside into a living room as though it was nothing.

I had never felt so ridiculous just going along with someone before. It felt like I should have run or fought but the man had a gun and he was clearly not right.

In the light of a small table lamp, I could see the weapon sitting on top of a cabinet now.

For hours now I had been sitting here, my limbs going numb, and my mind going crazy with imagined scenarios. What would my family do if something happened to me? What would Addison do?

It was strange to be in such a normal environment while something so horrible was happening.

There was a flower-patterned couch and matching drapes, a pile of laundry in a basket in the corner and some old ceramic figurines that made me think this wasn’t Ari’s house. Maybe it was his parent”s place? I was too afraid to ask. I had barely said a word out of fear of making him angry.

If only there was a way I could tell someone where I was and most importantly, to tell Addison to stay as far away as possible.

“All these years...” Ari mumbled, running his hands through his disheveled hair. “To think, all I needed was a bargaining chip.”

He grinned at me.

“You... I was so mad at you but look at what”s happened. You”re the one who will bring us back together.”

He picked up his phone and typed out a quick message.

A moment later, his phone vibrated, and he read the message. A serene smile washed over his face.

“He”s coming. Right now.”

He turned, flipping on the TV in the corner.

It was already set to the sports channel. The game was already over. We had won.

Pride filled me.

No matter what happened to me, at least I knew that Addison was okay. He could keep playing and still have the future he was meant to.

“Perfect,” Ari sighed to the screen. “All done work. Now it’s time to play, right Addy?”

The screen flipped to replay some key moments. Everything looked the same as usual. No one acted like one of their players was kidnapped. I didn’t know what I expected, but they just played ball and killed it while they were at it.

All while I was here…

Suddenly, the pressure to finally speak was too much.

“What are you going to do with me?” I asked.

He looked at me sharply and there was something in his eyes that made it hard to look at him.

My gaze fell to my lap.

“When Addison gets here, are you going to let me go?”

There was a long silence.

“That depends,” he said slowly. “How do I know you won’t try to get between us again?”

When I chanced a glance up, the gun was back in his hands. He was stroking it, idly.

I shivered.

“I won’t,” I promised.

I tried to sound firm but my voice was trembling.

“Addison is nothing to me,” I lied. “We weren’t serious.”

“You moved in with him,” he said coldly.

I shook my head.

“No, it was just because—just because my place was broken into,” I said, suddenly realizing. “That was you, wasn’t it?”

Ari glared.

“Are you trying to say it was my fault?” he demanded. “That I brought you two together?”

“No! It wasn’t your fault. I just—I was moving anyway. It had nothing to do with you. I happened to need a place to stay.” I was scrambling and terrible at lying but Ari seemed to accept my stumbling excuses and turned away from me.

For a while, he paced the length of the room. Now and then, he glanced over at me, and I had the distinct impression that he was deciding what to do with me.

If he shot me, Addison would never forgive himself. It had taken him ten years to move on from what this man had done to him the first time. If I died at Ari’s hands, he would probably never allow himself to fall in love again.

For some reason, that was the most terrifying thought of all.

There was a soft knock on the front door.

My heart leaped into my throat.

Ari clutched his gun and I thought I was going to be sick.

“What are you doing?” I demanded as he went to the closest window and peered outside.

I was ready to start screaming, to tell Addison to run but Ari gasped.

“Oh god, it”s really him,” he breathed. “He came back to me!”

He grinned and tucked the gun into his back pocket, moving quickly to the door.

I watched, barely holding it together as he peered through the peek hole.

My heart was beating so fast.

I didn”t even know what I wanted as he slowly unlocked and opened the front door. I wanted Addison to run, but I didn”t want to stay here either.

As the door opened, Addison”s large form was exposed, he was no longer in his uniform, his broad shoulders and strong legs were hidden under one of his hoodies and a pair of sweats.

Seeing him here was such a relief that tears suddenly sprung to my eyes.

I didn”t say anything, but I didn”t need to, his gaze flew past Ari, over his shoulder to where I was sitting, trapped. Our eyes met and then suddenly, others appeared from around the corners. Police officers with their guns brandished.

I gasped.

Ari stood frozen for a moment. I could see his hands shaking and then Addison was being pulled out of the way and Ari’s hands were going up into the air and just like that, I knew this was all over.

Ari didn’t fight the police and the moment they had him, Addison started shouting.

“Cal!”

“I’m here!” I called, relief flooding me and suddenly, Addison was the first person through the doorway, shooting across the living room to where I was still sitting, helplessly cuffed to the chair.

He fell to his knees in front of me, his hands frantically running over me, checking me.

“I’m okay,” I said and I didn’t realize that I was crying until he was wiping the tears from my cheeks and kissing me, his own mingling with mine.

“I was so scared,” he breathed.

“Me too,” I whispered. “But he didn’t do anything to me. He just wanted you.”

He squeezed his eyes shut and held me tightly while the cops entered and my wrists were released. As soon as they were free, I wrapped them around him, clinging to him.

“I’m sorry, he choked, but I shook my head.

“Don’t be. You came for me, and you brought back up.” I looked around at all the people, amazed.

Ari was probably in one of the cop cars already and I was being wrapped in a blanket as though I’d been traumatized.

I didn’t think I had been, but I was shaken for sure.

They sat me on one of the couches and asked me everything that had happened.

It felt like it took forever for them to take my statement. The whole while, Addison sat next to me, his hand in mine, his thumb brushing over my knuckles comfortingly.

“It’s so weird being back here,” Addison muttered to me after a while.

“Is this his parents’ house?” I guessed.

He nodded.

“Yeah, and it hasn’t changed a bit. Wonder where his parents are…”

I shook my head, thinking through all that Addison had been through. Years ago, he had been involved with this guy. He probably never would have imagined it going in this direction.

“I think this is all going to be over now, for real.”

He gave me a look like he was too afraid to believe it. I squeezed his hand.

“It escalated too far… He won’t just get away with this.”

“You really think so?” he asked hesitantly.

When I nodded, he shut his eyes and let his head fall onto my shoulder.

“I couldn’t take it if anything happened to you.”

“I’m okay,” I reminded him. “You saved me.”

He chuckled.

“It would have been sooner if I wasn’t in the middle of a game.”

“That you won,” I said, suddenly smiling. “If anyone can win a football game and rescue his boyfriend in one night, it’s Addison Kelly.”

He shoved me playfully with his shoulder.

“It’s too soon to start joking about it,” he informed me.

“I’m not joking.”

I leaned into him, feeling his warmth.

“I love you.”

“I love you too,” he whispered without hesitation.

He pressed his lips to my cheek and when he pulled away, one of the officers walked over.

“Do you two need an escort home?” she asked.

“We can go now?” I asked eagerly.

“Yes, but are you sure you don’t want the medic to check your wrists?”

I’d already said no a few times. I could handle a couple of bruises, but I appreciated how kind everyone was being.

“I’m okay,” I insisted.

Addison was right behind me as we left.

The car holding Ari was still there. I could see his silhouette watching us leave, but Addison didn’t even look his way.

“I’m not going to give him anything,” he said quietly as we got into his car, “not even a look.”

As soon as we were on the road, I reached out and took his hand.

There was going to be a lot to sort out, I imagined. At the very least, a court case… maybe therapy wouldn’t be a bad idea either. Ari needed it, but for me and Addison too.

That was stuff to think about tomorrow though. Right now, I just wanted to get home and curl around my boyfriend in bed and not let him go.

I was glad this was all over. All I could hope was that this escalation meant Ari was finally done and Addison could move on with the next chapter of his life.

One that we would write, together.