22. Addison

I hadn”t doneanything other than change before heading to Ari”s mom and dad”s place.

I”d driven by it a couple of times over the years, but being inside again was weird, especially with Callum there.

I didn”t think I”d ever felt so scared in my life as I had walking up to that door, but there was something about the aftermath, of sitting there with his hand in mine that felt like closure.

This had gone far enough that now, I believed Callum was right. It was all over.

When we got home, I didn”t want to leave Callum for even a second, but I badly needed a shower. When the washroom door opened behind me a moment later, I knew that Callum was feeling the same way as me.

He didn”t have to say a word as he got undressed. I just reached out and pulled him into the water with me.

We ended up spooning at the bottom of the tub, letting the bath fill up instead so that we would both be warm while we held each other.

Callum snuggled up against my chest, holding my arms tightly.

We didn”t say anything for a long time.

I”d seen the tapes and heard the story when he”d given it to the police.

“Tell me you”re not still looking for a new place,” I found myself saying after a while.

“To be honest,” he said, “I haven”t even been looking at all. We were so busy.”

I squeezed him a little tighter.

“Good. Stay here.”

“Are you sure?” he asked, shifting so that he could see my face. This meant I had access to his lips, so I took the opportunity to kiss him deeply.

“Yes,” I whispered when I finally pulled back. “I don”t want to let you out of my sight ever again.”

He chuckled, tilting his chin up for another kiss.

“You think I”m joking, don”t you?” I asked, shifting out of reach.

“No, and it’s okay. However you’re feeling right now is okay.” He kissed me again and this time I didn”t stop him.

The bathtub was big, but not big enough for two NFL players to stretch out in very comfortably but we made it work.

I stretched back with my legs on either ledge, and Callum stayed snuggly in between them, doing the work for me. He had his back against mine, my cock buried deep inside him while he rocked, keeping me inside while we clung to each other desperately, not letting go for a second.

When we came in the warm water, it was at the same time with our lips pressed together, tasting every moan and gasp.

And then of course, we had to shower again but neither of us minded because just touching and feeling each other with soapy hands was just as nice.

A few days passed like this, with us stuck in each other”s back pockets.

I had to update Coach on what had happened and apparently, rumors were going around already. People had noticed that Callum was absent from the game but in the end, we decided to keep the truth to ourselves and let people speculate.

We held each other”s hands through this ordeal and I knew that we would continue to support each other through anything else that was to come.

And somehow, the fear that I”d been feeling over what had happened began to transform into something else, something much more joyous and exciting.

We”d survived and we”d done it together.

Each day was a gift.

Then, maybe as Coach”s way to squash all the rumors at our next game, toward the end, he pulled me off the field and sent Callum out to finish it.

I walked over to my seat, grinning as I got a front-row spot to watch my boyfriend and my team do what they did best.

We had been planning for this all week no matter how the game was going and the reaction from the crowd only made my smile grow.

Sometimes people wanted drama over happy endings, but they were just going to have to get over that where we were concerned. I didn’t think anything could get in between us.

Even though we hadn’t been together for long, I knew in my heart that Callum was my person and I would do whatever was necessary to keep him happily in my arms forever.

To prove it, when he came off the field at the end of the game, I met him by pulling him into my arms and kissing him square on the lips.

There was an immediate reaction from the crowd as people cheered and whistled.

Wyatt playfully knocked us apart.

“We’re not supposed to be celebrating a loss,” he reminded us.

I grinned.

“That’s not what I’m celebrating.”

Callum nudged me toward the changing rooms, holding back a smile.

“Was that a pity kiss?” he asked.

I shook my head.

“Was it a “me and you against the world, no matter what,” kiss?”

“Nope,” I said, giving him a look. “I hate to break it to you, but I’m pretty sure we’ve got all the support in the world.”

“Yeah?” he asked.

I nodded.

“We’ve got our families, our teammates, our fans and each other… I kind of think we won.”

His smile warmed.

“When you put it like that…”

As soon as we were inside, he pulled me into a quick embrace.

“Does this mean we should do something to celebrate?” he asked.

I nodded.

“I think it’s high time for that first date,” I said. “You know, if you want to go out with me.”

He shoved me playfully away.

“The answer to that question should already be pretty clear,” he teased.

I couldn’t help but smile because it was. Callum had laid everything out for me from the start, all his feelings, all his good and his bad… and even the worst of him was better than anything I had expected.

I had no doubt that he was kind-hearted, loving, and completely mine. I genuinely didn’t know how I had gotten so lucky, but I would make sure to give Callum the kind of life that he deserved.

Starting with dinner.