Chapter 28

chapter

twenty-eight

Ellie didn't come.

Cal frowned down at his phone as he left the hospital. He'd fully expected her to be here when they released him.

Why wasn't she here?

Panic tried to rear its ugly head, but he squashed it down. There had to be a perfectly reasonable explanation. He dialed her number and got dumped straight into her voicemail.

Was she avoiding him again?

Jesus, he hoped not. He didn't think his heart could handle it.

He thought they were past all that. He thought they were something more now. What kind of something more? He didn't know. Something real, something good, something that lasted forever.

He shoved his phone back into his pocket and strode toward the parking lot. Zak and Donovan had brought his car over for him last night, and he found it easily enough among all the sedate sedans. He slid behind the wheel and powered up the engine, a low growl echoing in the early morning hush. As he pulled out of the hospital's grey concrete parking lot, his thoughts were as turbulent as the rolling waves crashing onto the Northern California coastline.

All right, it was time to hammer out their relationship once and for all. He was all in. He needed to know if she was, too.

He drove to Ellie's bungalow, a charming little piece of property nestled between towering redwoods and the salty Pacific. He parked outside, and just as he was about to knock, he realized he could hear music—cheesy 80s pop music, to be precise.

He paused with his hand poised to knock, his anxiety softening into bemusement.

Well, this was unexpected.

His fingers rapped gently against the worn wooden door, though she probably wouldn't be able to hear over Cyndi Lauper's strident insistence that girls just wanted to have fun.

No answer.

He tried the knob and found it unlocked.

Pushing the door open, he walked into a scene so wildly unexpected that his brain took a moment to register it.

Ellie was dancing.

No, not just dancing.

She twirled, bounced, and shimmied with the kind of abandon that only comes when you think you're alone. She held a hairbrush like a microphone and sang into it. Puzzle pranced around her legs, his tail knocking into everything, as he gleefully joined the dance party, leaping and bounding with unbridled joy.

And there was the girl.

True sat on the couch, watching Ellie with something close to wonder on her face.

Ellie twirled and spotted him and fumbled the hairbrush. "Oh. Cal!" Then her eyes widened. "Oh, no. They released you already? I'm so sorry I wasn't there. The nurse told me they weren't going to until this evening."

"I got an early release for good behavior." He moved farther into the room and sat down in a chair. "Please, don't stop on my account."

Color infused her cheeks, making her freckles stand out. "I was just teaching True about the art of dancing to 80s music. And, you know, how to properly use a hairbrush as a microphone."

"All very important life skills," he said gravely.

Ellie pointed the brush at him. "Exactly. I knew you'd get it."

As the song changed to Bon Jovi's "Livin' on a Prayer," he pushed out of his seat and took the brush from her. "You also need to know how to play a proper air guitar." He bounced around to the music, banging his head and strumming on the brush. Ellie joined in until all three of them—him, her, and the dog—were howling out the lyrics.

True giggled.

The sound sent his heart soaring. He grinned and held out the brush to her. "You try now."

True blinked at him, her light blue-green eyes wide and startled. "Oh, I can't... I mean..."

"Nonsense," Ellie interrupted, sweeping over to the couch and hauling True to her feet. "You're a Summers. Dancing like a fool is in your blood."

True's face flushed a lovely shade of rose, but she took the hairbrush-mic with a shaky hand and started bobbing awkwardly to the music. A few bars in, she relaxed, a tiny smile teasing the corners of her lips. Soon enough, she was twirling around the room, her dark curls bouncing with each step.

Cal watched, his heart feeling like it might burst with affection for them both. Ellie met his gaze and beamed with pride before joining True in a wildly uncoordinated dance-off that had Puzzle barking in delight.

The three of them danced and sang until they were all breathless. Ellie laughed so hard she doubled over, clutching her stomach while True collapsed onto the couch, giggling uncontrollably. Puzzle flopped down at Ellie's feet, tongue lolling out, tail thumping against the floor in exhausted delight.

Eventually, they all ended up on the couch, with Cal sandwiched between Ellie and True, more content than he'd ever felt in his life. He glanced over at Ellie to find her watching him, an unreadable expression in her bright blue eyes.

He knew then that he wanted this. He wanted them—this family. Ellie and True, and even Puzzle. He wanted the chaos and the laughter and the unexpected dance parties. He wanted the raw, real moments that came with being part of a family. Being part of this family.

"We're gonna teach you how to break it down 90s style next," Ellie said, her voice soft and warm, her blue eyes twinkling with joy.

"Absolutely," Cal agreed. "Just wait until you see me do the Macarena. It's a sight to behold."

"I just bet," Ellie said dryly.

True blinked at him, surprise etching across her young face. "What's a Macarena?"

Cal glanced at Ellie, and they both burst out laughing. "Oh, you're in for a treat."

And that's how they spent the rest of the day— dancing and singing and laughing until their stomachs hurt. When night fell, they ate pizza at the coffee table and introduced True to Ellie's favorite movie, The Princess Bride.

Puzzle tried at various points to steal pizza from the box when they weren't looking. He finally gave up, but only because he found a stray sock to steal.

Ellie quoted lines from the movie, making True laugh with her impressions until True eventually drifted to sleep. Not wanting to disturb her, they shut off the TV and covered her with a blanket before Ellie took his hand and pulled him toward the bedroom.

Neither of them spoke.

Neither of them had to.

They just moved, coming together in a clash of bodies and lips.

It was primal, passionate, and yet somehow tender—the rush of their breaths mixing in the quiet room, hands exploring familiar paths of soft skin and hardened muscle.

Cal pressed kisses up the side of her neck to her jaw until he found her lips again. His name tumbled from her like a prayer—one he'd happily answer a thousand times over, one he wanted to hear every night for the rest of his life. He loved how she felt in his arms. Loved that he could make her feel this way.

His hand slid up her shirt, fingers tracing paths of fire along her ribs. She arched against him, a soft mewl of desire spilling from her lips. And Cal... He could only think about how much he wanted more. More of her, more with her, more everything.

Finally, he pulled back, breath ragged as he looked down at Ellie. Her blue eyes were dark with desire, glasses perched precariously on the tip of her nose, and he found himself laughing softly. She was so awkwardly adorable. He loved that about her, too.

"Ellie," he said softly, cupping her face with both hands. I need you to understand something."

"What's that?" she whispered.

"I have never, never before wanted someone the way I want you. You're it for me. And it's not just physical," he added, pressing a kiss to her jaw. "Though that's pretty great, too. It's... it's in the way you laugh, the way you tilt your head when you're thinking, the way your glasses slide off your nose..." He gently took her glasses off and set them on the bedside table, replacing them with a kiss on the tip of her nose. "It's the way your freckles cluster like constellations. The way you blush when you lie, or when you get drunk, or when you come... it's every look, every gesture, every detail about you, Ellie. It's... it's everything. You have completely, irrevocably enthralled me."

Ellie felt a heat spread across her cheeks. She watched as a flicker of vulnerability flashed through his eyes.

God.

Nobody had ever said anything like that to her before, and the way he was looking at her… it was magnetic, pulling her in like gravity.

She reached up, brushing a thumb against his stubbled jaw, her heart pounding in her chest like a drum.

"Cal," she whispered, her voice choked with emotion. "I..."

He caught her hand and pressed a kiss to her palm. "You don't have to say anything right now. I know it freaks you out. I know that's why you keep pushing me away, and that's fine. Just know I love you. I've loved you from the moment you walked into me at the rescue. And I'm not going anywhere."

With that, he pressed his lips to hers. It wasn't the searing kiss of passion they'd exchanged earlier. This was intimate, slow, and timeless. It was as if Cal wanted to memorize her.

Ellie's heart fluttered at his touch, a slow burn of desire building from her very core. His confession, so raw and sincere, had shattered any defenses she had left. Her arms found their way around his neck, bringing him even closer until there was no space left between them.

With a gentle moan, she kissed him back with everything she was feeling, her hands tangling in his hair as their tongues danced, teasing and exploring. The taste of wine and desire lingered on his lips, making her mouth water for more.

The stubble on his jaw scratched lightly against her skin as he nibbled on her bottom lip before trailing more kisses down her neck. His hands glided softly over her back, tracing the contours of her waist until they found the hem of her shirt. With a sudden movement, he lifted it over her head, revealing her lacy bra.

The air was chilly against her heated skin, but it wasn't enough to cool the fire that burned inside her as he took one of her breasts in his hand, gently squeezing it through the fabric. She arched into his touch, yearning for him to remove the barrier between them.

His lips trailed back up to hers again, and she nipped at his lower lip, demanding entrance. He obliged with a groan, reconnecting their mouths as he slid the cup of her bra down. He released her mouth, and his warm breath fanned across her sensitive nipple before he captured it between his lips and sucked gently.

Ellie gasped in surprise as a shockwave of pleasure shot through her body. This was so different from their previous encounters— tender and caring instead of rough and desperate. It felt right in a way that she couldn't explain. Her head spun as he moved to the other breast, paying equal attention to both before pulling away to look at her once more. His eyes were full of lust and adoration like she was some kind of goddess who'd graced him with her presence. No other man had ever looked at her like that.

"Cal." His name was the only word she could form as her whole body throbbed with need. She was utterly lost in him—in the electricity of his touch, in the intimacy of their locked gazes.

"I love you, Ellie," he whispered, pressing a gentle kiss on her bare shoulder. It was a soft admission but uttered with so much conviction that it coursed through Ellie like a surge of electricity.

Love is always complicated. But that doesn't mean it isn't worth it.

Her stomach fluttered as her sister's words floated through her mind.

Take the chance on Cal.

Nobody else was ever going to make her feel like this. Nobody else was going to look at her with such worshipful intensity. No one else could touch her soul like he did. Nobody else was ever going to love her like Cal did.

Yes. She would take the chance.

As the decision settled over her, a bubble of joy expanded to fill her entire body, and she wrapped her arms around him, pulling him close and burying her face in his neck. "I'm so sorry I kept pushing you away. I was just.. scared. You're it for me, too. It's you. I knew it since I walked into you that day at the Rescue. You caught me and kept me from falling, and nobody's ever done that for me before. I've always had to rely on myself and my sister, and the thought of letting someone else in was terrifying. But I'm ready now. I love you too, Callum Holden."

Cal froze for a moment before his arms wound around her more tightly. His body vibrated with barely repressed emotion, tremors wracking him as he pulled her in impossibly closer. Their heartbeats pounded in sync, a throbbing echo that filled the silence of the room.

"Say it again," he murmured into her hair, his voice rough.

Ellie laughed softly, butterflies dancing in her stomach as she pulled back to look at him. His brown eyes were bright with joy, crinkling at the corners as his lips curved into a grin.

"I love you, Cal." Finally admitting it out loud felt powerful and right on her tongue. "I love you so much."

"You have no idea how long I've been waiting to hear those words from you." He threaded his fingers into her curls and showered kisses over her lips, nose, and eyelids. "Will you let me marry you and love you for the rest of our lives?"

"I'm a packaged deal now," she warned. "True is staying with me."

"Then I'll love her, too, like she's my own daughter. She deserves parents who actually care about her and put her needs above their own." His hand splayed over her belly. "And when we're ready, I want to add to our family—a couple of girls with my eyes and your curls."

"And a boy with your perpetually messy hair and crooked smile." She could picture it all so clearly, and a strange mixture of fear and exhilaration surged through her. It was as though she were standing on a precipice, teetering on the edge of a magnificent canyon with nothing but a vast expanse of open sky before her. Taking the leap, embracing the fear, and letting go of the doubt…

It was the most terrifying thing she'd ever done.

But with Cal, she knew she'd survive the fall into the unknown, into the thrill of what might be.

"Yes," she answered finally. "Please love me for the rest of our lives."