22. Rhys

22

RHYS

O f all the sights that I expected to show Cal at the Lighting of the Square festival, Connor Rigby was certainly not one of them. I think I was still scooping my jaw off the floor having him here and actually talking to me like nothing had gone wrong with us. He used to hate this festival and would tease me nonstop about how much I enjoyed it since, according to him, it was for crotch goblins and old fogies.

His words, not mine…

So I'd say I was entitled to a little skepticism about why he was so adamant to talk to me, specifically away from Callum. The hurt that marred his face when I'd said yes to Connor gutted me, and I wanted nothing more than to leap into his arms again and cement myself to him permanently. Good grief, it was the most exquisite torture when he'd held me after I nearly buttplanted on the sidewalk.

His arms were so toned and strong, and he smelled like Heaven dipped in sin. Don't know exactly what that smells like, but I'd bet my kidneys it'd smell just like Cal. And the way he had stared into my eyes, as though I were the only person in the world who mattered to him? Yeah, I had an unfortunate wet spot in my boxers and a couple dirty fantasies now that showed what effect that had on me. The extreme craving to capture those perfect lips of his had ripped through me like wildfire, scorching every nerve in its path .

I was almost positive he would have made a move if our unexpected guest hadn't cut in. I was thankful there was no bloodshed when I returned to them, but it was obvious their talk wasn't a pleasant one.

“So what's with you and that guy anyway? What's his deal?” Connor asked when he'd pulled me a good distance away. I oddly thought about how his hand on my back no longer sent tingles across my skin like it used to. Not like Cal's now did. When he touched me, it was like being doused in lighter fluid and set ablaze. I'd happily burn every time if that meant I could have his touch.

“Is that really what you wanted to talk about? I haven't heard from you in a year and a half and you want to ask about my love life?” I asked incredulously. I was baffled by his audacity to ask me personal questions like that without even so much as an apology. My mind replayed all the times Cal had apologized when he'd wronged me, and the differences between them were starting to sharpen.

“Look, that wasn't really my fault. Natalie could be really damn jealous and I'd told her about how we were together once, so she didn't think it was appropriate that I talk to you,” he said sheepishly. I figured I'd be angry if I ever got to confront Connor about dropping me from his life, but strangely enough I didn't feel…anything.

“That sounds like a surefire recipe for a healthy relationship. Mazel tov on that one,” I murmured.

“There's that sarcasm I miss so much,” Connor smiled down at me, and I noticed that also had changed. His smile didn't weaken my knees or speed up my pulse. That was someone else now too. And I really needed to get back to him.

“Connor, that's not?—”

“I broke up with Natalie,” he blurted. “About a month after summer break. I just realized it wasn't what I really wanted. She was great and all, but like I said, she had some issues. And for a while all I could think was how much I missed you and how I hated that I never gave us a real chance to be together. Yeah, we fucked around and I loved it, but I also sort of kept you at arms length. I guess I was scared to let myself really fall for you, but I'm not scared anymore. I'm so sorry about everything, but do you think you could give me a chance?”

Someone definitely spiked the hot cocoa. It's got to be drugged. This is drugs, right? This must be what they mean by tripping balls because there is no way I'm hearing him correctly .

“Wait, what? Where is all this coming from?” I questioned him. “This is like, so much to take in right now…”

“I know. I didn't mean to drop this on you, but when I saw you and that guy together, I had to go for it. I didn't want to lose you again. I've thought about messaging you a hundred times the last couple months, but I always psyched myself out of it. Please, Rhys. Give me a chance to show you how great we can be together again,” he pleaded. His eyes gleamed with sincerity, but his words nettled me. It was possible he had thought about this before, but it seemed like seeing me with Cal had triggered it.

A boy doesn't want a toy until another boy has fucked with it. Ugh, now I'm cursing. This is all Cal's fault, that stupid, sexy mothercurser.

Why was everyone scared to fall for me? Was it so terrifying being in love with me? Cal had also run away from me when it got to be too much, but he came back. He worked so hard to earn my forgiveness and had put his own feelings for me aside for what I needed most. He'd held himself accountable and every action since had done nothing but show me how much he cared. Thinking about him brought a smile to my face and suddenly, I didn't care what else Connor had to say. I only wanted to go home. With Cal.

I reached for Connor's hand and gave it a firm squeeze, flashing him a sympathetic smile. My gesture must have been misconstrued because he just gave me a wide grin and I saw the relief in his gaze.

“Connor, it's been good to see you and I'm truly sorry, but I can't be with you,” I told him gently. The smile was wiped from his face and my gut twisted a bit with regret, but not much. “To be honest, I don't think we were ever meant to end up together. I don't regret anything we did, but I also don't want to go backwards. Cal…”

I paused, not sure how to articulate just what Cal was to me, how much he meant to me. How did I put into words that Cal had become as necessary as the blood in my veins, the air in my lungs, the heart in my chest? It sounded dramatic, but the truth was actually quite simple when I thought about it.

“Cal is my future,” I admitted, the rightness of it washing over me and burrowing into my bones. “I'm sorry about what happened with Natalie, but you'll find the right person for you. The person you perfectly fit with, the one you can't stand to be without because they're your other half. The one who will know you inside and out, better than you know yourself, and still love every broken piece of you. ”

Connor looked defeated. “And you think he's that person for you?”

“I know he is. And that means I could never be that person for you,” I said softly.

His resigned expression told me I'd at least somewhat gotten through to him. “Can we at least be friends and start talking again?”

I bit my lip, thinking over his request. “I don't think that's a good idea right now. Since you told me you have feelings for me, that wouldn't be fair to Cal for me to talk to you. I personally would hate it if he was talking to an ex who still liked him, you know? He has to be my priority. I'm really sorry.”

“No, I get it. It sucks, but I get it,” Connor grumbled. “I hope he makes you happy, Rhys. And for what it's worth, I am sorry for how I treated you last year.”

I held out my arms for a hug and his lips tilted up at the corners. He squeezed me tightly and a small part of me was sad about the end to our friendship. Even if we somehow managed to be friends again later, it wouldn't be the same. That Rhys didn't exist anymore. I wasn't the same awkward teenager who followed Connor around like a shadow and traded in his virginity for safety over love.

Whoever this new Rhys was had grown a spine and found his voice. In a bizarre way, Cal had been the one to push me the rest of the way to finding this new me. He wasn’t a flame meant to burn me down, but my pilot light that reignited the spark that had been snuffed out. He'd challenged me, terrified me, excited me, and fought for me.

And this new Rhys belonged completely to Callum, every single broken piece.

I whirled around to go hunt him down, invigorated with determination to go get my man. However, he was nowhere in sight. I searched around the area for a minute before calling him, but it went straight to voicemail. Fear crept in at the edges of my mind, worried about what could have made him leave me here. Gran had called me over earlier to tell me she was taking a tipsy Joann home after she'd had a bit too much spiked eggnog and would be staying there overnight, and that made Cal my only ride home.

I called again and texted him, but my message went unread. My annoyance peaked and I tried to figure out how to get home. I needed to get back to him and make him hear what I had to say.

I was done running. I was done trying to protect my heart from him when it had been his from the day we met. It had been violent and harsh, but my heart recognized its bruised, battered half even through all the rage and armor Cal put up.

I knew what I had to do. I looked around frantically for Connor, spotting him as he headed toward the parking lot.

“Connor!” I shouted, and he glanced over his shoulder. “You mind giving an old friend a ride home?”

I stormed into the house, slamming the door behind me. In the ten minutes it took to drive to Gran's house, my irritation had boiled over and I was foaming at the mouth to give Cal a piece of my mind. I was relieved to see my car in the drive, assuring me he'd at least made it home okay.

“Cal!” I called out as I ran up the stairs to the bedrooms. “You better have a dang good reason for leaving me at the Square, you son of a hobbled goat!”

I flung open the door to his room, prepared for any excuse he might have thrown at me, but I came to an abrupt halt when I saw him. Cal was hunched over the dresser top, scissors in his hand and scraps of wrapping paper on the floor at his feet. He looked startled and nervous, like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar. It would have been adorable if I hadn't been so annoyed with him.

Okay, he was totally adorable still and it made me temporarily forget why I had burst into his room to begin with. Then my brain registered what I was seeing him do and my heart stuttered.

“Is that what I think it is?” I whispered, feeling foolish for thinking the worst of him. He rolled his lips between those perfect teeth of his, slowly removing the couple sides of wrapping paper he'd taped to the box.

“It's your Christmas present. I asked Gran this afternoon if I could borrow some gift wrap since I didn't have any, and you were always around so I didn't have a chance to wrap it earlier. Way to ruin the surprise, Evans,” he awkwardly chuckled, but I could see the uncertainty in his gaze. I came close and ran my hand across the box, tracing the gold, raised letters with my fingers that spelled out The Princess Bride . To anyone else, this would seem a rather simple gift, but I understood the great care and thought he put into getting this for me. I knew the meaning behind it .

When I didn't say anything, he fidgeted beside me. “I know it doesn't seem like much, but it's the deluxe box set and it has a ton of extra stuff in it. It has art prints, a behind the scenes photo journal, interviews with the cast, early film sketches, and a special edition copy of the actual novel. I know you can just stream it whenever you want, but I wanted you to have something that meant a little more. I found it and couldn't pass it up.”

My eyes stung and my throat tightened, remembering how Cal's last gift to his mom had been a special edition of her favorite movie. And now he'd done the same for me, made all the more special because of what I shared with him about it.

“So this is why you ditched me back there?” I blurted, my mouth running off without me.

“What? I didn't ditch you,” Cal sputtered, looking confused. “I thought you could grab a ride with Gran so I could run back here and wrap it.”

“Gran left to play drunken Uber! I didn't have a ride!” I cried, internally begging with myself to shut up and not pick a fight over something so trivial.

“Well, why didn't you call me?” he countered, bewildered at my reaction. I was being ridiculous. I knew it. He knew it. But my mouth was on a runaway train and God himself couldn't stop it.

“I tried! You didn't answer, dingbat!” Real nice, Rhys. Mature. Why don't you hit him with a round of “I know you are, but what am I” next?

He thankfully ignored my childish outburst, pulling out his phone with a puzzled look. “I never got a—oh. Uh, I guess I didn't charge it last night.” He wiggled the dead phone at me, a sheepish smile tugging at his lips. The pieces must have connected to him at that moment because his brows crashed together and he shot me a suspicious look. “Wait, how did you get home then?”

I faltered, knowing how the truth would sound to him, even if it was completely innocent. That didn't untangle the knot in my gut though. “I, um, asked Connor for a ride. He was the fastest option I could think of,” I mumbled.

Cal's face went eerily blank and he nodded at me, walking over to the nightstand to plug in his phone. “Right. That makes sense. I'm surprised you had him bring you back here instead of staying out. I guess you guys made plans for tomorrow then? ”

“What are you talking about? Why would I make plans with him?” I asked.

He still wouldn't make eye contact with me when he turned around. “It seemed like things were heading that way when you guys were talking. I mean, I get it. I figured you'd want time with him now that…well, you know.”

My mind was spinning out, fighting to grasp onto what he meant. Oh crap, did he think I wanted to go off with him? Was he…jealous of Connor? The thought sent a ripple of excitement through my limbs.

“Now that what?” I pressed, taking a step toward him. I saw him stiffen and his fingers twitch with my movement, as if his body were attuned to my smallest movement. I knew that sensation well. It was like being tethered to him by bonds I couldn't see or touch, but felt through every fiber of my being.

He cleared his throat, picking at the skin around his nails. “Now that you guys are back together, or talking about it or whatever. I just…”

Cal paused and my lungs froze, needing him to give me a sign he felt as I did. His gaze slid up to mine, the space around us crackling with heat and energy. It had always been there between us, vibrating impatiently until we gave into it. It had the power to consume us if we let it.

“You just…what?” My eyes stayed locked with his, willing him to give in with me. To let go.

“I just want you to be happy, Rhys. That's all I want for you,” he finished gruffly, and my stomach bottomed out.

No. No no, he's not running from this again. I will throw myself on top of him before I let that happen!

I opened my mouth to protest, to tell him that he was wrong about what he assumed, but Cal cut me off.

“No, you know what? That's not what I fucking want,” he bit out, brows drawn down over those piercing orbs.

“What do you want?” I asked, the hope seeping into my voice and taking over me. I saw his jaw set and a flash of something crossed his features. He stalked toward me, my heart speeding up with each foot of space he ate up. He came to a stop inches from me, my pulse frantic and body shaking with anticipation.

Cal slowly raised his hand, hesitating just a second before he cupped my cheek. His thumb stroked my skin and I nearly collapsed at his feet. Each time he touched me it was familiar, like I'd known him for years. My body felt as though it remembered him from lifetimes ago, waiting for its missing piece to return. It was a knowledge of him that ran deep into my soul.

“I want to be the one to make you happy,” he breathed, a confession whispered across my lips. “I know your pain like you know mine, and I want to be the one to protect you from ever being hurt again. I want to be the person you turn to in your life, the one who brings out that gorgeous smile. I want to be the one you trust with your body and your heart. That's what I fucking want. You have owned me from the beginning, Rhys. I want to be your happiness like you are mine.”

Tears swelled in my eyes, obscuring my vision of him. I blinked them away, not wanting to miss a single moment of this. I was petrified that this was a dream I'd soon wake from and I'd be in bed, alone and longing for a man who didn't want me. There was only one way I could be convinced this was real.

I dropped my gaze to his lips, watching him wet them reflexively. My cock jumped behind my zipper, aching to feel him. He pressed into me, his thick erection digging into my thigh and he let out a pained groan. It was all I could do to stay standing.

“Fuck, Rhys…” he moaned, barely audible over the erratic thumping of my heartbeat and the blood pounding in my ears. “Tell me yes, Sweetness. Tell me you want this as much as I do.” He sounded absolutely wrecked, lust grating his voice.

“It's always a yes with you. Even when it shouldn't have been,” I admitted breathlessly before he crushed his lips to mine. Colors exploded behind my eyelids, a new world opening up to me in that moment. I felt weightless, yet grounded by the feel of him on me, around me.

His hands dove into my hair, tugging hard and I gasped into his mouth, his tongue slipping inside. The taste of him was everything I imagined and more, addictive and potent. He devoured me, undoing me with every sweep of his skilled tongue. I clung to his shoulders for dear life, my air being stolen by this seductive thief, but I'd give it all freely just to have him like this.

All too soon, he pulled away, both of us panting for breath and quaking in each other's arms. The need I felt for him was overwhelming, overriding all other thoughts except having him inside me. No more waiting, no more second guessing.

“You know there's no going back after this,” Cal warned, cupping the back of my neck. “There's no damn way I'm letting you go now.”

That was the best threat I'd ever heard. If I had it my way, I would be the last first kiss he ever had.

“Good,” I whispered, ghosting my lips over his. “I need you, Cal. Mark me up. Make me scream.”

His smile was downright lethal, dripping with carnal intent. “Don't you worry, Sweetness. I'll fuck you into the mattress so good you'll be ruined for anyone but me. And when we're done, I'm going to pump you full of my cum so you remember exactly who you belong to now. I'm going to make you fucking mine.”

His hands slid down to my thighs a second before he hoisted me in the air and carried me toward the bed. I captured his lips again, ravenous for every sinful promise he gave.