He answers on the second ring. “Hey, troublemaker.”
Just his voice—that deep, gravelly rumble—steadies me for a moment before reality crashes back.
“Beckham.” My voice cracks. “My dad knows.”
There's a pause, just long enough for me to hear him take a breath. “Alright.”
I blink, pulling the phone away to stare at it before pressing it back to my ear. “Alright? That's all you have to fucking say? My dad just threatened to take out your other knee, and you say 'alright'?”
“What do you want me to say, Hennessy?” His voice is calm, controlled in that way that used to drive me crazy before I understood what it meant. “He was going to find out eventually.”
“And you're not freaking out about that?”
“No.” The certainty in his voice catches me off guard. “I'm not hiding you. Whatever your dad does is on him.”
Mom and Abuela are watching me with identical expressions of curiosity. I turn away slightly, lowering my voice.
“Beckham, you don't understand. He's really fucking pissed.”
“I don't care.” The steel in his voice sends a shiver down my spine. “I'm not fucking giving you up, baby. Not for him, not for anyone.”
My breath catches. In the background, I can hear the sounds of him moving around his apartment.
“He could make your life hell,” I argue, even as warmth blooms in my chest at his words.
“Let him try.” He snorts. “You think I haven't dealt with worse? Your dad's been a pain in my ass for decades. I've handled it this long because I didn't have anything worth fighting him for. Now I do. I love you too much to?—”
He stops abruptly. The silence stretches between us, heavy with the weight of what he just said.
“Shit,” he mutters. “That's not how I wanted that to come out.”
My heart is suddenly in my throat. “You love me?”
Another pause. I can practically see him running his hand through his hair, that thing he does when he's frustrated with himself.
“Yeah.” His voice is rougher now. “I do. Not exactly how Iwanted to tell you. Blurting it out over the phone while your dad is plotting my murder isn’t screaming love.”
I laugh, the sound watery and bright. “Say it again.”
“I love you, Hennessy.” No hesitation this time.
“I'm coming over,” I decide, already looking around for my purse when my mom hands it to me, tears lining her eyes because she heard him.
“I’m gonna go,” and both women in my life laugh and practically push me out the fucking door.
Chapter 26
Beckham
Ican't sit still. My footsteps echo across the hardwood as I pace back and forth, checking my watch every thirty seconds like it's going to make her get here any faster. Fuck. I told her I love her. Over the goddamn phone. Not how I planned it. It’s not how I planned any of this.
The Christmas tree lights cast shadows across the living room, twinkling like they're mocking me. Three minutes since I last checked my watch. Christ. What if she?—
The front door flies open with enough force to slam against the wall. And there she is. Her chest heaving, eyes wild, hair a mess like she ran here.
“Beck—” she starts, but doesn’t finish.
She launches herself at me, and I catch her like I was made for it, her legs wrapping around my waist, her mouth crashing into mine. She tastes like her mint gum, her tongue sliding against mine as her fingers dig into my shoulders. I grip her ass, holding her against me where I'm already hard.
