But fuck it, I mean every word.
“You don’t disappoint me on the field, that’s for damn sure.” Drew holds out his right hand for me to shake. I take it, giving him a firm shake, and then he hauls me in at the last second into one of those slapping on the back bro-type hugs.
I’m so grateful for it, my knees get wobbly.
“See you at practice tomorrow,” he tells me, and I nod my response before I turn to Autumn.
She’s standing before me in a thin little summer dress, and she’s never looked more beautiful. Though I always think that. Every time I see her, I think, how’d I get so lucky to find her? To find all of them?
I don’t know what I did, but I’m fucking grateful.
“We’re acting like I’m moving away, when I’m only moving down the road,” I say, loud enough for everyone to hear, and they all start to laugh.
Then they all shift away from us, taking their conversation closer to the Weldmans’ car, giving Autumn and me one last bit of privacy.
“I’m going to miss living here with you,” I tell her.
She’s not crying anymore, which is good. Breaks my heart when she cries like that. I hate it. “I’m going to miss having you here.”
“I’ll see you tomorrow, though. And in two months, we’re free to see each other on the weekends,” I tell her.
“I seriously can’t wait.” She steps closer, slipping her arms around my waist, and lifts up on tiptoe to press a sweet kiss to my lips. “I love you.”
“I love you too.” So damn much, I don’t know if she’ll ever understand how I feel.
I’m just going to do my damnedest to show her, every single day.
For the rest of my life.
Epilogue
Autumn
Nine months later…
“What do you think?” Ash throws his arms up into the air, slowly turning in a circle as he stands in the middle of the empty football field.
“I think you look good out there,” I call out to him. I’m sitting on one of the sideline benches, sweating under the hot summer sun as I cup my hand over my eyes to shield them so I can witness the boy I love have a total moment.
“Really?” He turns to look at me, an adorable smile on his face. He looks so happy. Downright boyish. After witnessing a scowling Ash for so many years, this constant smiling Ash is a more than welcome sight.
I know I’ve contributed to putting a smile on that handsome face, but the reason for today’s happiness is the meeting he just had with his new team coach. He’s so excited to play college football, he can barely contain his emotions.
“Really,” I say as I rise to my feet and start walking toward him. The stadium is huge, and I’ve watched a few games here before with my family, though it’s been a while. The stands were always full when I attended, the fans wearing red and white in support of their team. It was exciting, even as a spectator, and I can’t imagine the adrenaline rush the players must experience when they’re out on that field during a game.
Ash meets me halfway, his arms slipping around my waist so he can lift me off my feet and twirl me around. Squealing, I grab hold of his broad shoulders, then slip my arms around his neck when he gently sets me on my feet. We hold each other for a moment, the only two people on this field, and it almost feels like we’re the only two people on this entire college campus. I press my head against his chest so I can listen to his heart’s steady thumping rhythm, and I close my eyes, savoring the moment.
“All my dreams are becoming real,” he whispers. “I sound fucking ridiculous, but it’s true. This is all I ever wanted, to play football in college. The fact that I even got in…”
I pull away so I can look into his eyes. “You got in on your own merits,” I remind him, my voice firm. “You don’t owe my parents anything.”
He feels obligated toward them, and it’s understandable. Especially my father, who did ask a recruiter to come out and watch him play—and that recruiter just so happened to come from this very university. But Ash earned his spot on his team fair and square, and while he’ll be a backup the first year or two, the fact that he’s on this team is everything to him.
“They helped,” he says, his expression serious as he studies me. “You know they did. If I would’ve stayed with my mom, I wouldn’t be here right now.”
He’s right. He was on a path of complete self-destruction, living with his mother. She tried her best to ruin him.
Look at him now.
“And you helped too,” he continues, his voice soft, his eyes glowing, full of love and affection. All of it for me. “You’re everything to me, Autumn. I don’t know what I’m going to do when you leave.”
“Stop.” I rise up on my toes and kiss him, silencing his depressing words. It’s weird to think how I will never know what it’s like to cheer on the sidelines of this team while my boyfriend is playing.
I’m going to a different college. I put on a positive front, but deep down, it scares me a little, to think of us separated while we’re in school. But we’re not going to let anything bad happen to our relationship. We’ve been through so much together. I love him, he loves me. We trust each other.
And that’s all we need.
“What do we got?” he asks after he breaks the kiss. “Six weeks?”
“Seven,” I say. “Seven long, glorious weeks until I leave.”
I won’t give up my dreams for him, and I don’t expect him to do that for me either. He wanted to come to the local university, while I’m headed south, to Santa Barbara. It’s not that far, a little over a five-hour drive one way. We can see each other on weekends. Meaning I’m the one who has to come up to see him when I can during the fall semester, since he’ll be playing on Saturdays—or at the very least, bench warming.
Though I would never put it like that to him.
“I’m going to have to work extra hard then to make the next seven weeks count,” he says just before he settles his mouth back on mine.
His kiss is warm and sweet at first, then with one swipe of his perfect tongue, it deepens. His hands wander, and so do mine. Until I’m gasping and clutching at his shirt, desperate for more.
Ash sets me away from him with a chuckle, reaching down to readjust himself before he glances around the stadium one last time. “Don’t know if I’ll get used to this,” he says with a slight shake of his head.
I take his hand and we head for the exit. “Someday, you’re going to be a superstar out on this field.”
“We’ll see.” His tone is cryptic.
“You will,” I reaffirm. “And once you graduate, you’ll go on to even bigger and better things.”
“Stop talking so much, Callahan. You’re gonna jinx me,” he teases, squeezing my hand.
“Never,” I say. I have faith that he will accomplish whatever he sets his mind to. And I will be right there beside him.
Every step of the way.
Want more? Jake’s story is out now in Falling For Her, the second book in The Callahans series! Keep reading for a sneak peek!
Falling For Her
Chapter One
Jake
“How about that one?”
We all snicker when we see who Diego’s discreetly pointing at as we walk past her in the hallway. Some freshman who looks about ten, with big blue eyes and a mouth full of metal. She’s cute enough, but way too young.
“I don’t think so,” I tell my friends as we stride toward the quad.
It’s lunchtime. Our senior year. We’re able to drive off campus now, but not today. Coach wants us to watch game film of the team we’re playing tomorrow night. So we have about fifteen minutes to grab food before we all meet in the team room to study our opponents. Learn their weak spots, their strengths. See if they’re better defensively or offensively.
When I say Coach, I’m talking about my dad. I just try to keep that shit separate. It’s easier that way.