‘Just tucking in your brain, telling it to shut up and leave my baby alone,’he whispered.My baby.
“Let me do that,” his deep voice engulfs me as he reaches out and takes the cloth from my hand. I’m balancing on one leg trying to wipe at the floor, just making it worse, yogurt all over the place. On my T-shirt now, too. Or rather Luke’s T-shirt.We pretty much just have one wardrobe at this point, sharing clothes randomly.
‘You’re so fucking hot in my clothes, baby,’Luke hummed against my ear a couple of weeks ago when I was wearing his jersey to the game.‘You look so fiiine with my number on you. You look like mine.’I always wear his jersey to all our home games now. He went fucking wild the first time I wore it to a game after the surgery.‘Fuck yes, baby, let the world know that you’re mine!’I swear he was one step away from pounding at his chest in full-blown caveman style.
‘Do youwantto let the world know that I’m yours?’I murmured, my fists clenching his hoodie so firmly; like I was afraid that he was a mere dream and that any minute I would wake up.
‘Always,’he whispered back.‘I’m ready. I’m just waiting for you.’Waiting for you. I nearly exploded with adoration right there in the hallway as we were getting ready to leave. If it weren’t for my knee, I would’ve dropped to said knees right then and there between empty Gatorade bottles and muddy sneakers and wept at his feet. And then the words slipped from my lips, Luke’s loyalty and bravery making me brave, too.
‘If someone asks me, I won’t lie. I won’t ever lie about what we are to each other. If anyone’s not ready for us, they better catch up fast, because this,’I waved my hand between us,‘is for real.’And then Luke was the one who looked like he was ready to fall to his knees and weep atmyfeet—or maybe just throw me over his shoulder and carry me back to bed and deal with Coach’s wrath later. Much later. And now, as of last night, we’re…out. Yeah, we’reout.It all happened in the blink of an eye after the game, and my head is still spinning.
“Thanks.” I lean in and brush my lips against his, breathing him in. His cheeks and chin are all smooth now, the faint smell of shaving cream hanging on his skin. “Hmmm,” I hum, lickingat his chin, causing Luke to squirm deliciously. I love the effect that I have on him. He positively melts into a pool of goo whenever I touch or kiss him. Hell, sometimes a mere look is enough to get him all swoony and pliant. I never thought I could matter so much to anyone. So much so that their smile grows bigger and their eyes brighter when I enter a room.
“You like it?” he gasps as I add my teeth, nibbling at his chin.
“Oh, I like it,” I purr, taking the cloth from his hands and pushing him against the kitchen island. It’s still hard to maneuver around sometimes, but where there’s a will there’s a way, right? “I really like it,” I smirk, placing my hands on the counter on each side of him, boxing him in, keeping him tethered against me.
“What’s gotten into you this morning, baby?” Luke laughs until his voice spills over in a clipped moan. “Shit, baby, do that again,” he begs when I tug at his earlobe with my teeth.
“Just you,” I murmur against his ear. “Just your smooth skin and your flushed baby blush,” I hum. And it’s true. It’s just him. Just Luke. He turns me inside out in the best of ways with his mere presence. With his wavy, dark brown hair and his smoldering chocolate eyes, he rocks my world. But the biggest turn-on? We can live and love out loud now.
“Shit, Mitchell. If I’d known I’d get this kinda morning welcome, I’d have shaved much sooner,” he whispers beneath my touch. Shit, I love when he calls me Mitchell. It sounds so playful. So…carefree.He seems to sober a little. “Let me just clean this mess up,” he rasps, and I just love that small proof of how I turn him inside out, too.
Reluctantly, I let him go, and Luke quickly cleans up the counter and then the floor. Then he pours us both a bowl of yogurt, placing them on the island. Jumping on a stool, he smiles at me, his rosy cheeks glistening with moisturizer. Taking myhand, he tugs me towards him, arranging me between his spread thighs, wrapping his solid arms around my neck.
“You thought more about what we talked about last night?” he asks tentatively, his eyes coasting across my face.
“I have,” I croak, hiding my face in Luke’s chest, letting his clean scent engulf me.
“And?” he laughs into my hair, his fingers playing with the longer strands at the back of my neck, twirling them around his fingers.
“I don’t know,” I whisper. “I just don’t know, Luke.” My fists clench around the sides of his T-shirt and I cling to him like he’s the very anchor keeping me from spinning out of control.
“Why not, baby?” he coos, pressing soft kisses against the top of my head. “Why are you afraid? You know that no matter what happens, I’m here. Nothing is ever going to change that. I’mhere.” I nod against his chest because I know. I know that he’s here and that he always will be. Still, I’m afraid. Afraid of opening Pandora’s box. Afraid of what’s in it.
“I’m afraid that they won’t want me,” I blurt. “That they’ve forgotten about me.” Shit, last night, after the initial shock of being out had settled, Luke told me another thing that rattled my world; he’d been playing detective aside from boyfriend extraordinaire and professional hockey player. He’s joined forces with Lilly and Elly, and they’ve managed to find Danny’s Instagram profile. And my dad’s Facebook.
“They will and they haven’t,” Luke speaks against my temple. “Of course, they’ll want you, baby. Who wouldn’t?”Who wouldn’t?It sounds so logical when he puts it like that. Like there’s no doubt in his mind whatsoever that they’ve been missing me and thinking of me all this time. Just like I have them.
“Okay,” I nod against his solid chest. “Yeah, okay, maybe it’s time.” Apparently, this is the new me, breaking all my rules andfacing all my fears. I might as well ride on the wave of courage that I jumped on last night and let the momentum carry me wherever it takes me.
“Yeah?” Luke holds me out in front of him, his face beaming with happiness and… pride. “Really, baby?” I swallow as a few tears spill from my eyes.
“Yeah,” I repeat, nodding furiously, the tears falling freely now.
“Shit, baby,” he smiles. “I’m so proud of you.Sofucking proud!” And I see it written all over his face. It’s true. And I believe it. When it’s Luke telling me, I believe it. I’m so grateful I went to see Victor that day. He challenged all my rules and stupid fears. That he challenged me to trust Luke. Because trusting him is what’s starting to set me free.
“It’s time,” I say, my voice drowning in the shrill ringing tone from my phone. Picking it up from the island, I already know that it’s my mom. She’s calling me every day and mostly I ignore her. Her threat that she was done with me didn’t last long. Holding up the phone between us, I sigh. “Maybe it’s time for something else too,” I say as I answer the call. Luke’s face transforms in front of me, his cheeks pinking, his eyes nearly black. My mom is still at the top of his shit list. He doesn’t say it, but he doesn’t need to.
“Mom,” I say, my voice neutral as I brace myself for what’s coming. For what I know is coming.
“Are you out of your darn mind, Cody? What on God’s green earth was that stunt you and that… that…whateverpulled last night?” Thatwhateveris, of course, Luke. Yeah, my mom continues to play her favorite game: ignore reality and it’ll go away. But Luke isn’t going anywhere. “You really think that was a smart move, honey?” The endearment makes me wince and Luke pulls me closer, a streak of protectiveness washing over his face. “Have I taught you NOTHING?!” Her penetrating voicegrows in volume as she continues to rile herself up. I hold my phone away from my ear, taking a deep breath.
“Mom—”
“You know you’re ruined now? Right? Not just because of your knee, but after last—”
“Mom, will yo—”
