54. Fallon

Regret covers me in a hot rash that makes my skin feel like it’s on fire.

I clearly did not think this through very well because not only is Corey’s father scrutinizing me once more behind those metal frames, but Breanne is here. Breanne, the girl Corey dated for a decade. The girl who grew up with him and received all his firsts. Of course, she’s a family friend. Of course, she would get here before me to offer him comfort.

“Fallon,” Corey says, interrupting my downward spiral.

My heart is still beating at the rate of a stampede, trying to escape my chest as I meet his familiar stare. I can’t read his expression. A look of surprise and what I think is fear that has my heart somehow racing even faster.

He closes the distance between us in two long strides, and with my bags still in my hands, he wraps me in his arms. The scent of his cologne, the familiar beating of his heart, and the warmth of his touch have tears collecting and itching the inner corners of my eyes. “What are you doing here? You’re supposed to be in Spain.” He pulls back and grabs my carry-on and suitcase.

He doesn’t kiss me, and I hate how much this stands out in my thoughts.

He carries my bags inside the hospital room that feels as small as my dorm had that night he’d been too drunk to walk up the stairs.

I’m exhausted. I haven’t slept in so many hours that I’ve lost track of what day it is. I flew overnight and switched planes three times to reach Colorado and came straight here via an Uber. I don’t trust myself to explain my revelation about how I wasn’t ready to give up all my dreams for one, especially when I still plan to chase those dreams later. Nor can I admit that my heart wouldn’t let me stay over there another day after learning he was here.

“Core, introduce us,” Anna tells him, smiling at me from her hospital bed.

I feel like a heel. “I didn’t mean to barge in here with my bags and interrupt. I…”

Anna grins, and it has the slightest resemblance to Corey. “You’re not interrupting. I’m Anna.” Her eyes are the same striking shade of melted caramel, but they’re sunken and heavily shadowed as though she hasn’t slept in weeks. Her hair is straight and a lighter shade of brown, brushing the tops of her shoulders, which look too sharp. Her nose is a little longer and narrower than Corey’s, but it’s the size difference that shocks me most. I expected her to be his height, but even lying down, I can tell she’s shorter than I am.

Corey sets a hand on my shoulder, and I feel his dad stare at the contact. “This is Fallon,” he says. “Fallon, you’ve met my dad, Conrad.” He waves a hand in his direction. I’m glad to see he’s wearing dark jeans and a polo rather than a suit. It makes him slightly more approachable.

Slightly.

I nod. “It’s nice to see you again.”

Conrad nods pleasantly. “And you.”

Corey swallows. “And this is Breanne.” He nods to her.

I try not to be petty and compare the two of us, but it’s impossible not to. Her hair is long, sleek, and a bright shade of blonde that falls in large waves around her shoulders. Similar to Adelaide, her makeup is flawless. She would be one of the women that men constantly claim they want because they’re “natural,” subtly emphasizing every perfect contour of her face without being obvious. Her outfit is just as perfect, flattering and sophisticated, while still being stylish. She’s stunning, and she came prepared with a gift while I am here in yesterday’s jeans, a wrinkled tee, and a crumbled cookie from lunch shoved somewhere in my purse.

Breanne flashes a confident and elegant smile. “It’s nice to meet you. How do you know Corey?”

Nerves crackle through my body like little bolts of electricity. I’m so underprepared and undercaffeinated for this moment. “I’m?—”

A loud thump is followed by liquid splashing, a squeal, and a faint burn on the back of my legs.

“Oh my God!” A dark-haired woman I recognize as Corey’s mom from a stray photo cries. “I’m so sorry. I don’t even know how that happened. It just slipped out.” The woman looks from the two drink trays she’s holding to me and her brow furrows slightly, clearly confused about who I am and why I’m here.

Conrad moves to avoid the large puddle on the tan tiles and takes the remaining drinks as Corey’s mom glances at Breanne. “Oh no. Did I get you, too, sweetie? I’m so sorry.”

I glance at Breanne’s legs, realizing they’re as wet as mine from whatever drink spilled.

His mom’s thin and short like Anna, with similar dark hair and a pointed chin. She could pass as Calista Flockhart’s sister and is dressed in the same level of class and style, wearing white linen pants and a matching jacket.

Breanne smiles again. “I’m fine, Diana. Here, Core. Can you…?” She extends the flowers and balloon she’s holding for him to take.

Corey doesn’t move to take them, staring at me with the same notes of panic I feel in my chest. I knew the trip was impulsive, but now it feels intrusive and stupid.

“Are you all right?” he asks me.

I nod. The wet marks on my jeans are quickly turning cold against my skin. “Nothing that won’t dry.”

“I feel terrible. There’s a restroom just down the hall if you two need to clean up.” Diana points toward the door, and I am all too glad to accept the excuse of slipping away and gathering my nerves.

I catch sight of Corey taking the gifts from Breanne as I glance back, realizing too late she’s following after me.

Inside the restroom, I grab a handful of paper towels, wishing my alter ego was present because I never imagined standing in a hospital bathroom with Corey’s ex would be on my Bingo card, and I’m in no way, shape, or form ready for this moment.

The door opens, and Breanne smiles at me as I pass her some paper towels.

“Thanks,” she says. “Sorry, we were interrupted. You were telling me how you know Corey.”

I glance at my reflection, noting my ponytail is disheveled and angled to one side from sleeping on the plane. My lips are dry, and I don’t have even a dot of makeup on. A month ago, I’d feel self-conscious and likely embarrassed by my unkempt state, but today, pride guards my heart, reminding me I worked my ass off for three days straight, went on an emotional roller coaster that required a difficult and demanding question for my future, then realized I’m in love and finished off my four-days of grueling tryouts by taking a red-eye flight that led me on a nineteen-hour trip across the globe.

“I’m Corey’s girlfriend,” I tell her, sounding so smooth and assured that it surprises even me.

Her eyes grow round with surprise. “Really?”

I nod as my insulin pump blares, reminding me I’ll need to change my site soon.

Breanne’s gaze tracks where I tuck my pump into my pocket as she wets the paper towels. She gingerly dabs them against her pants. “I’m not surprised. Corey’s always loved swooping in to play the role of white knight.” She laughs like she hasn’t said something wildly offensive.

“White knight? Perhaps you’re confusing hero complexes with loyalty because Corey never seeks recognition or accolades for anything he does. And I most certainly didn’t need saving.”

Her mouth falls open slightly, as though considering her next strike.

“I know you two dated for years, and I’m sure getting over him is an impossible task, but I wish you luck because he’s mine now.” I throw the wad of paper towels in the trash and leave her in the bathroom as my heart races so fast I feel lightheaded.

“Fallon.” Corey steps forward the moment I step out of the restroom. My name on his lips pulls at my heartstrings, just like it had that first night in May, as his eyes rake across me. He shakes his head again. “I can’t believe you’re here. I’m… I’m sorry. I think I was in shock. I wasn’t expecting you to walk in here.” He chuckles, a tired and rough sound, as he sets a hand against my jaw and runs it down the length of my neck as his eyes peer into mine. “How long do you have? When do you need to be back?”

“I withdrew,” I tell him.

His brow knits as he shakes his head. “You what? Why? Fallon, this is your dream.”

“I remembered that I have more than one dream, and staying would have made chasing the others next to impossible.”

His grip tightens fractionally, and his gaze becomes more intense. “I’ve barely slept since you left. I’m going to need you to punch me in the face and prove I’m not dreaming right now.”

Laughter has my chest warming, and I lean closer to him. I press up on my toes and kiss him once softly on his lips. “I love you, Corey.”

His arms are around me before his name is fully out of my mouth, and then he’s kissing me with enough impact that I sway back in his arms, but he’s there to catch me. “I love you,” he says with so much insistence, I feel the words burned against my heart. “I love you so damn much.”

The next twenty-four hours are a whirlwind. We spend the day at the hospital, where Breanne thankfully makes a quick excuse to leave, and Anna shares stories with me about Corey between firing off questions about my family, soccer, major, and everything in between.

When Anna falls asleep for a nap, Corey’s parents take us for a late lunch. Despite my nerves about meeting his parents under such unfavorable circumstances, his dad seems surprisingly interested in my trip to Spain, and his eyes reflect admiration and respect when I tell him my reasons for returning to college.

As we get back to Anna’s room, my insulin pump beeps, warning me I’m low on insulin. Vic spends the next thirty minutes asking dozens of questions about diabetes. His medical background and familiarity with the endocrine system make his questions thoughtful and thorough. He is fascinated when I try to explain what a high and low blood sugar feel like and how I can sense them before my CGM.

Corey’s mom insists I stay at their house, which I’m grateful for because I hadn’t planned past arriving here. The house makes the rental from Adelaide’s bachelorette party look small.

We step inside, and I can’t help but stare at the soaring ceilings and how the house goes back farther than a football field.

I glance at Corey, and his gentle smile gives me the assurance that was beginning to slip from my fingers, making me remember I belong wherever he is.

“Please, make yourself at home, Fallon,” Conrad says, smiling as he gives me a polite nod and turns to Diana, brushing a kiss to her cheek. “I need to make a few calls, and then I’ll be up.”

She smiles as he turns to what I’m assuming is the office.

“Do you need help with anything?” Diana asks me.

I shake my head as Corey assures her that he’ll take care of things. I have a feeling he’s been in this role much of his life.

When she disappears upstairs, Corey turns to me. “Do you want the tour?”

I do. I want to see where Corey was raised. Want to discover if there’s a doorway with scratches and markings where he and Anna were measured every few months, where he relaxed and read the stacks of books he owns. I want to see it all, but Corey looks exhausted, and I already know this house isn’t a reflection of him.

“Maybe later.”

Despite my protest to help, he grabs my bags and carries them up the stairs and down a maze of halls into a room where the faint scent of his cologne greets me like a warm hug.

“Will your parents mind?” I ask.

He closes the door in response, flicking the lock before he closes the distance between us. “You came all the way from Spain.”

I swallow, resting my hands on his waist when he’s within reach. “I didn’t want you to go through this alone.”

Emotions shine back at me through his eyes, reverence, attraction, and adoration that sends an invisible bind straight through my chest where it curls around my heart like a promise. “I am so in love with you.” His words wrap around my chest, making me feel impossibly strong and vulnerable at the same time.

“How was yesterday? What changed your mind?” he asks.

We sit on the edge of the bed, tangling our hands and bodies as I tell him how I came to my realization.

“You’re already formidable,” Corey says when I mention what the assistant coach had said, making my cheeks burn. He strokes the pad of his thumb down the colored splotch as though fascinated his words can paint my skin. “Are you sure, though? I don’t want you to regret this. We can get you back to Spain by Monday.”

“I’m positive,” I tell him, my voice ringing clear because I am. “I want to finish my degree and beat a couple of records while at Camden.” I flash a cocky grin.

Corey chuckles, tightening his arm around me. “Wherever you play, I’ll be there as often as I can, cheering you on.”

I grasp his tee and pull him closer to me so I can kiss him again. Though it’s only been six days, it feels like it’s been months since we were together, and I can’t seem to get enough of him. I want to bury my nose in his skin, want to trace every plane of his body, want to lose myself in the way he kisses me until my mind is silent from everything but want and pleasure like only he is able to do.

“I’m going to look for a flight tonight,” he says, running his fingers down my spine. “That way, you can rest and hopefully adjust to the time zone before Monday.”

“I don’t even know what day it is,” I admit, feeling the weight of exhaustion pressing on my thoughts.

Corey skates his hand up my spine and presses a kiss to my brow.