Page 38 of My Best Years

“Alright.” I pull my eyes from his and open my car door. “I’ll see you tonight then.”

Before I can get behind the wheel, Callum takes my breath away by gently wrapping his fingers around my wrist. Even though his touch is light, every nerve in my body sings for him.

It’s been so long since I’ve wanted—cravedthe touch of another man.

“Birdie…”

“Yeah?” I pant. When I turn back to look at him, there’s a sheen in his eyes that wasn’t there before.

“Thank you,” he breathes, his voice faltering.

All I can do is muster up a nod as my pulse drums against my neck.

“I’ll see you at seven,” I mutter before getting into my car.

FOURTEEN

Callum

Eighteen Years Old

“I missed you,” Birdie murmurs as she peppers kisses along my cheek and jaw.

“I missed you too.” I dip my head to capture her lips. “So much.”

I kiss her slowly, savoring her addictive taste. Occasionally, I pull back to tug her bottom lip between my teeth. I can’t seem to get enough of her heart-shaped lips. Birdie lets out a sexy moan when I suck on them, sending all of my blood rushing south.

I just got back tonight from an out-of-town tennis tournament. I was in a shit mood on the bus ride home for two reasons. One, we lost right before the championship game, and two, I haven’t seen Birdie in five days.

Five days seem like nothing in the grand scheme of time, but I’m used to seeing Birdie every day. Things have been bad at home, and she’s my only sense of peace in my fucked up life.

I guess thingscouldbe worse, because my father’s been paying less attention to me and my mom. Let’s be honest, the asshole never pays attention to me unless he’s drunk. He’s never even been to one of my tennis matches.

But he hasn’t been taking his anger out on me like he usually does. I’m used to him coming home shitfaced, terrified that he’ll use me as a punching bag. Though lately, instead of picking a fight or ramming his fist through a wall, he’s been treating me and my mother like we’re invisible. Completely ignoring us, which I don’t mind at all. It’s better off that way.

But he also hasn’t been home much. I’ve barely seen him over the past six months. Mom said he called to let her know he would be out of town this weekend. When she told me, I could hear the hurt in her voice.

I think we both know what kind ofworkhe’s referring to. He’s gone almost every weekend on mysterious business trips.

I’ll never understand why she loves him so much or why she’s stayed with him this long. You would think his cheating on her would be a blessing in disguise. It would give her a clear way out—a reason to leave.

But in all reality, if she were to leave him, it would tear his cookie-cutter image to shreds. The picture-perfect family he tries so hard to portray would be exposed as a façade. I wouldn’t be surprised if she’s already tried to leave, and it ended in him threatening her.

Just like he’s threatened me more times than I can count.

Mom texted me this afternoon to let me know that she’s going away for the weekend. She decided to visit her best friend, who lives a couple of hours away in Charleston. Even though I don’t have a great relationship with my mom, I’m happy that she’s getting out of the house for a few days.

Lately, she’s seemed…depressed. Some days, she struggles to just get out of bed.

Birdie and I started officially dating a year ago, and for the first time, I have the house all to myself. We’re together almost every day, but we rarely have a chance to be alone. When we’re at her parent's house, her mom and dad are always keeping an eye on us. Birdie’s parents are down-to-earth and super cool, but they’reveryprotective over her. When we’re in her room, the door has to be open at all times.

Not only is tonight the first time Birdie’s staying over, but it’s also the first time she’s ever stepped foot in my house. She knows I have a strained relationship with my parents; she just doesn't know the extent of it all. I wouldn’t dare bring her here if my mom and dad were around.

They don’t even know that she’s my girlfriend. And truthfully, I want to keep it that way. I want to keep Birdie as far from my father as possible. If he weren’t away for the weekend, there’s no chance in hell that we would even be here, lying in my bed together.

Moonlight illuminates the dark room, shining in through the sheer curtains covering the window. Birdie’s body is sprawled out against my chest as she rotates between kissing my neck, face, and lips. Her fingers are in my hair, continuously running through my thick curls as her smooth legs tangle with mine.

She hasn’t stopped touching me since she showed up, which has me achingly hard against her soft belly.

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