Page 126 of Ricochet

“You should probably get to the hospital now.” I don’t even attempt to conceal my amusement.

He nods and starts taking small steps backwards. “See you guys. Not too soon I hope.”

I can’t help but chuckle at that.

While he heads off to his car, I grab Callum’s hand and pull him in the direction of mine. It’s a bit of a slow walk, the pain in my leg causing me to limp.

When we reach my Charger, Callum asks, “Do you want me to drive?”

I don’t miss the eager inflection in his voice.

Leading him around to the driver’s side, I back him up against the door, caging him in with my hands on top of the car. I lean in and brush my lips against his. “You want to drive the Batmobile, baby?”

“Maybe,” he says, smiling against my mouth. “And you always give me what I want, right?”

I growl before pressing my lips harder to his, kissing him deep. Digging my keys out of my jeans pocket, I place them against his chest. His hand comes up over mine, taking them from me.

When I start to move away to round the car, his other hand comes up and fists the front of my hoodie. I stop, staring into his eyes that are so open, so soft.

“You’re it for me, Stone,” he says. “I just want you to know that.”

My heart swells inside my chest. I know I’ll give this man anything and everything he could ever want for the rest of my life.

“You’re it for me too, Callum. No one’s ever had a hold on me the way you do, and it just gets stronger every day. I fucking love the power you have over me, and I never want it to go away. I belong to you. I always will. For-fucking-ever.”

“For-fucking-ever,” he repeats with a gentle smile.

I kiss him once more before forcing myself away. We get in the car, and Callum holds my hand as he drives us from the scene of another kill. Maybe it’ll be the last one we do together. Maybe it won’t be.

Either way, we’ll always belong to each other.

Four months later.

We made it to thefucking championship.

In the past three years of playing with the Lynwood Monarchs, we haven’t even come close. Stone likes to say it’s all because of him because, well, he’s arrogant like that. He’s certainlyonereason. The team plays better with him on it.

But I’m pretty sure another reason is we all wanted to give Coach a big “fuck you” after everything he did. Nothing stayed secret. Truth and rumors spread through campus like wildfire that next week.

He’s rotting in the ground, and we made it to the championship without him. He never deserved to experience this with us.

Stone was out for our next few games. His leg and hand healed quickly, so he didn’t have to stay out for long. Eric, on the other hand, withdrew from Lynwood completely and went back to school in Pennsylvania. The only reason he was here wasbecause of Coach. I’ve heard from him a couple of times, and he’s said he’s trying to give his dad a chance to patch things up. I’m glad he’s trying.

We’re in Michigan for the championship, and both Stone’s family and my family are here. Stone was surprised his mom took the time off from work, but I could tell he was happy she did. I tried to tell my aunt she didn’t need to haul her family all the way out here, but she wasn’t having that.

My aunt and uncle and cousins all met Stone over Christmas. They loved him, of course.

For a serial killer, he’s incredibly charming.

We spent part of the holidays with them and the other part with Stone’s mom and sister. It was…really fucking nice.

Even though I moved in with my aunt’s family when I was sixteen, I spent more time at Jesse’s place than I did there. I never let myself feel like they weremyfamily too.

I miss my mom everyday. I always have. Just in these past few months, I’ve been reminded of what it feels like to have family.

“Hey.” Stone throws a ball of tape at me, snapping me back to the present inside the locker room. “You better be thinking about the game.”

“I’m thinking about a lot of things,” I admit as I pull my sweater on over my pads. I turn to him and let my gaze rake over his body. He’s in only his base layer, tight fabric clinging to well-defined muscles. I still can’t stop myself from looking at him every chance I get. “Like how we’re going to win this one. How wehaveto win because we won’t have you out there with us next year.”

---