He holds my gaze for a beat, then glances back at Nugget, the corner of his mouth quirking up a little more. “I suppose you’re right. Maybe I can learn something from him after all.”
It doesn’t catch me off guard in the slightest when Callan leans over and, with a mischievous glint in his eyes, licks my cheek. I burst into laughter, wiping my face with the back of my hand. “Exactly what I thought.”
His smirk deepens, clearly pleased with his impromptu display of affection. “I’m just following Nugget’s lead. Thought I’d give it a shot.”
I shake my head, still chuckling as I lean back against him. “You’re lucky I’m too exhausted to give you a hard time about that.”
twenty-three
BREE
We’ve fallen into a comfortable silence. I’m tucked into his arms, my body finally surrendering to the comfort and safety he offers. It’s the kind of peace I’ve been yearning for.
“I’m so glad you’re here,” I whisper.
His lips brush against my temple in a gentle kiss. “Can we talk about the fact that you’ve been working yourself to death?”
My stomach tightens, and I quickly shake my head. “Can we…not?”
I mean it. I really don’t want to talk about it. The truth is, I’m not sure I can without falling apart. I’ve been drowning in work, pushing myself to the brink just to avoid confronting how much I’ve missed him. What if I scare him off?
His usually carefree expression shifts, turning serious. He looks down at me, his hand gently rubbing my arm. “Bree… What’s going on?”
His genuine concern melts away the last of my reservations. “I missed you. Terribly. Picking up some extra shifts was a good distraction. Well…until it wasn’t.” I wince.
His arms tighten around me, pulling me closer, and I revel in the rise and fall of his chest as he exhales a deep sigh. “I missed you, too. More than you know.” His voice is low, thick with guilt and longing. “But you can’t keep doing this to yourself. It’s not healthy.”
I nod against him, my voice barely a whisper. “I know.” I pause, fighting the lump in my throat. “But every time I stop moving, stop working, I think about how far away you are, and I was afraid…” My voice cracks, betraying me in the worst way. I just stopped crying, damn it. And now, the tears are threatening to spill again.
He pulls back, lifting my chin to meet his gaze. “Afraid of what, Sunshine?”
My heart stutters, and I take a shaky breath. “That the distance is too much, and that it might not be worth it for you.”
A flicker of hurt flashes crosses his face, and guilt claws at me. I want to take it back. I need to take it back.
“Have I ever, even once, given you the impression that this isn’t worth it?” he asks, his voice strained. “Thatwearen’t worth it?”
I shake my head. “No, you haven’t. It’s just…my own insecurities getting the best of me.”
His thumbs swipe away the tears that have slipped past my control. “Listen to me, Bree,” he says, his voice unwavering. “You are worth everything to me. The distance, the long nights, the missed calls…all of it. I crossed a fucking ocean for you, and I’d do it a million times more.”
There’s a lump in my throat the size of an iceberg. I’m pretty sure if I open my mouth again, it’ll just be a chorus of ugly sobs. Instead of replying with some profound, heartfelt declaration of my own, all that comes out is, “I’m sorry.”
“Please don’t apologize,” he says. “It just breaks my heart to know you’ve been struggling like this on your own…again.” His head inclines slightly, his gaze locking with mine, searching for the reassurance he needs. “You can trust me, aye? I don’t say things I don’t mean,” he continues. “And I meant it when I said we’d figure this out together.”
I nod as his words work their magic. He’s peeling away the layers of fear I’ve been suffocating under, and for a moment, I can breathe again. But even though his words soothe the ache that’s been gnawing at me for weeks, it doesn’t change the fact that I’m living two separate lives.
There’s the one without him, where I work, exist, and force myself to get through the days. Where I’m just passing through, waiting for something to give. And then there’s the life I have when we’re together, the one that feels more like me than anything else. It’s everything, but it’s fleeting.
“Hey,” he says, pulling me from my thoughts. “I’m here. Even if you think I’m too good to be true.”
I blink, completely thrown off. “What?”
He shrugs, his grin turning playful. “You’ve got that look, like you’re waiting for the other shoe to drop. I promise, I’m real. You want me to prove it?”
I raise a brow, a smile tugging at the corner of my lips. “How exactly would you do that?”
He leans in closer, his breath warm against my skin, and my whole body shivers with awareness. His lips hover a breath away from mine.
