I can’t help but laugh, settling back into the pillows as she launches into full gossip mode. My body might feel like it’s been hit by a truck, but at least my spirit will get a boost.
twenty-two
BREE
Zoey dropped me off an hour ago, and I wassoclose to drifting off into blissful sleep. I showered, slipped into my comfiest pajamas, and collapsed onto the couch with Nugget. My body is beyond exhausted, but apparently, my brain missed the memo. I’m wide awake.
Just as I start to sink into the glorious embrace of the couch, there’s a knock at the door.
Ugh.
Nugget’s ears perk up, and he’s already glaring at the door as if the boogeyman himself is standing on the other side. I give him a soft chuckle, rubbing behind his ears. “Chill out, boy. Let’s see who it is first before we go into protector mode.”
He huffs in response, still glaring at the door. He reluctantly starts to calm down. I sigh, already bracing for whatever awful interruption is about to happen and slowly creep toward the door. You know, just in case itisthe boogeyman or, god forbid, a door-to-door salesman.
I crack the door open and freeze.
What the?—
There’s no way. No freakin’ way.
Callan.
My brain takes a second to process it, but even then, I can’t seem to figure out if this is real or if my tired eyes are playing tricks on me.
“Callan?” I whisper, almost afraid to say his name out loud in case I’ve somehow slipped into a weird dream state. Is this really happening?
But then there’s the unmistakable pressure of his fingers on my skin. His thumbs glide gently across my cheeks. He cups my face in his hands like he’s afraid he might lose me if he blinks. His eyes sweep over me, scanning, searching, making sure I’m not broken in any way. I’msoclose to losing it because he’s looking at me likehemight fall apart if I’m not okay.
His voice cracks, words tumbling out in a rush, as if he’s been holding his breath this whole time. “My god, I was so worried. I didn’t get the message until I was stepping off the plane.”
And that’s it. The second those words escape his lips, the sobs I’ve been holding back for three long weeks come crashing to the surface. I’ve kept them locked up tight and buried under layers of distraction since the moment I came home. Every single day without him was like walking around with a piece of myself missing.
I clutch the front of his shirt, my hands trembling as the fabric absorbs the tears I’ve been too afraid to let fall until now. “I missed you…so…much,” I manage, my voice breaking with each ragged hiccup.
His strong arms are around me in an instant, pulling me close as he kicks the door shut behind him. “Come on, lass,” he murmurs. He presses a tender kiss to the top of my head, and in that moment, everything that’s been spinning out of control finally startsto settle.
“You need to sit,” he says softly, his hand guiding me but not forcefully.
He’s not wrong. My legs have turned into jelly, and the condo’s small enough that the living room’s only a few feet away. He lowers me onto the couch, and then, without hesitation, pulls me onto his lap. Normally, I’d have something sarcastic to say about being treated like a baby, but right now, I don’t have it in me. I don’t want to fight it.
Being cradled in his arms with the strong beat of his heart under my cheek… It’s like finally breathing after being underwater for too long. It’s everything I’ve been missing.
“What are you even doing here?” I finally ask, still in complete disbelief.
“Surprise?”
I smirk, leaning in to press my lips against his neck. “Surprise, indeed.”
Nugget, who’s been silently observing us like some furry little judge, lets out a quiet whine from his spot on the floor. My heart sinks a bit at the sound. “Oh, shoot! Poor Nuggie’s probably so confused.” I extend my hand, gesturing for him to come over. “Come here, sweet boy.”
Nugget trots over, tail wagging, and rests his head on the edge of the couch. Callan’s body tenses beneath me, stiffening like a board.
“Are you okay?”
He clears his throat a little too quickly. “Um, yeah. Totally fine.”
He doesn’t look fine. His eyes are locked on Nugget like the dog might decide to rip his face off. Cal’s hands are practically frozen, his fingers twitching, bracing for an attack that doesn’t come. It’s not the reaction I expected. Nugget, with his big, wide eyes and floppy ears, is about as harmless as a marshmallow, but it’s clear Callan’s bothered.
