Page 113 of My Best Years

“Birdie…” Callum breathes, sliding closer until our chests become one. He reaches up and swipes a windblown strand of hair from my face before cupping my jaw.

“Yeah?” I whisper.

“What’s next for us? What happens when your contract is up?”

His eyes fill with fear, like he’s terrified to hear my response. Like his next heartbeat depends on my answer.

“Well,” I sigh. “That depends…”

“Depends on what?” A panicked expression fills his features as his heart thuds against my chest.

“Birdie, I can’t lose you again,” he rushes out. “Iwon’tlose you again. If you want to go back to South Carolina, then I’ll follow you there. You’re the only family I’ve ever had. You’re the only person in this world that truly matters to me. I’ll go wherever you go, but I will never give you up again.”

My lips curve up in a soft smile at his confession.

I would go anywhere for you, too,I think to myself.

I would live in a tent in the middle of the cold, abandoned forest if it meant I would be with Callum.

“I was going to say that it depends on whether I extend my contract by one more month.”

His eyes go wide in shock.

“What?” he mutters breathlessly.

“Since the hospital has been extremely short-staffed, I was given an opportunity to extend my contract for another thirty days.”

“When…When did you find this out? Have you made a decision?”

“I just found out yesterday,” I respond. “I have the weekend to think it over, but I need to let management know by Monday so they can start looking for somebody else if I decline.”

Callum’s eyes dart between mine as he listens intently.

“And I wanted to say yes on the spot,” I continue, “but I have to look into housing first. I need to see if my apartment will extend my lease for one more month. I don’t know, though… Someone could have already rented my unit.”

“Stay with me,” he replies without hesitation, more of a demand than a question.

I’ve never seen him look so serious in my entire life.

“What?” I breathe.

“Stay with me, Birdie.”

“Callum…that’s a really big ask,” I shake my head. “I mean, it’s probably been years since you’ve had a roommate.”

“Roommate?” he scoffs. “First, I would be offended if you didn’t stay with me, and second, you wouldn’t be my roommate, Birdie. You’re so much more than that to me, and you know it. You won’t have a separate room or a separate bed. You will sleep inourroom and inourbed. And unless you tell me no,you won’t fall asleep at night until I’ve been inside of you. That doesn’t sound like a roommate to me.”

My breath hitches as my insides heat at the thought of being fucked to sleep every night by Callum Pierce.

“Stay with me, Birdie Wren,” he insists. “Give me thirty days, baby. Give me a chance to show you what our life could be like. Let me worship you every morning and every night like I should have been doing all these years.”

Give me a chance to show you what our life could be like.

My mind fixates on that one sentence, trying to decipher the exact meaning.

“Our life…” I trail off. “Do you mean here in Alabama?”

“Anywhere you want, Birdie,” he replies without missing a beat. “Like I said, I will follow you anywhere.”

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