"I'm not proposing," he said quickly. "I know we're young and we have school and careers to figure out. But Rosie, I need you to know that this isn't temporary for me. You're not temporary."
"You're not temporary for me either," I said softly. "You're it. The person I want to build a future with."
"Even knowing I'm going to have bad days? Days when the PTSD flares up and I'm not fun to be around?"
"Even then. Because I'm going to have bad days too. Days when my hip hurts, and I grieve for what I lost. And you'll be there for those days, right?"
"Always."
"Then we're even." I rolled onto my side to face him. "We're not perfect, Derek. We're both still healing. But we're healing together, and that's what matters."
He kissed me then, slow and deep and full of promise. When we broke apart, he reached into his pocket.
"I got you something. It's not an engagement ring," he added quickly at my expression. "It's a promise."
He held out a small box. Inside was a delicate silver bracelet with tiny soccer ball and ballet slipper charms intertwined.
"Derek," I breathed. "It's perfect."
"The jeweler said she could add more charms as we go. Build our story." He fastened it around my wrist and kissed the inside of my wrist. "I figured we could add one for every major milestone. Good and bad. Building a visual reminder that we're in this together."
Tears streamed down my face. "I love it. I love you."
"I love you too, Thorn. More than I thought possible."
We lay there under the stars, our lips locked, legs tangled as weexplored each other’s bodies like we had all the time in the world. This time, there was no rush to our moves, no fear of getting caught or someone calling us. It was just us two and the stars.
He slid into me with practiced ease, making me moan his name over and over, like my favorite prayer. My fingers curled into his messy hair as I held onto him, before pushing my hips up and flipping us over. I straddled him with a wide smile, watching the pleasure on his face as I sank all the way on his length, before circling my hips in a slow, seductive way.
His fingers dug into my hipbone, and I loved seeing him lose control with me. Loved seeing all the different sides of him and getting to know him better.
“Faster, Thorn,” he groaned, his fingers moving to my butt cheeks, massaging and urging me on.
I obliged, watching in awe the pleasure on his face that I could give him and no one else, the honest and open expression, and the safety we both had with each other to be whoever we wanted to be.
Leaning down, I kissed his face with a sweet smile that was in full contrast to the way he stabbed his hips seeking a faster release.
Derek’s hand moved up my back, all the way to my breasts, cupping them, before sucking on my nipple.
A loud moan escaped me, and he grinned victoriously around my tensed buds.
“Come for me, Thorn,” he muttered over my breasts as he sucked on my nipple harder, making me see stars with my eyes closed. “I want us to come together.”
Our bodies moved in unison as we picked up a faster pace, our pants and moans, mixing until we both reached our climax seconds apart.
I collapsed on top of him, feeling him fill me up before his cum dripped down my thighs. But neither of us moved tountangle each other as Derek drew lazy circles on my back, slowly lulling me to sleep.
We stayed like that until the sky started to lighten, until the first hints of dawn colored the horizon. Then we drove back to campus, exhausted but happy, ready to face whatever came next.
Together.
CHAPTER TWENTY-THREE
DEREK
Thanksgiving break came two weeks after the championship win, and I was nervous.
Not about going home, though explaining Rosie to my parents would be its own adventure. But about the Friendsgiving dinner the team had organized.
