Page 116 of Endgame

Callaway runs his thick fingers through his hair, and thedig deepertattoo inked along his forearm emphasizes his strong veins in tension.

“I don’t even know anymore, Dakota. Why don’t you tell me? For all I know, you may already have a new place in Denver by now.”

Wow. Might as well cut me wide open. The hits keep on coming.

He thinks this is the end.

I want to put his mind at rest, but it’s not simple.

“That’s not fair.”

A loud huff leaves his lips, “You're serious right now? I had no idea about this potential job opportunity for you until I overheard my girlfriend sharing her exciting news with my mom. It would have been nice to be the first to know. I thought you had more respect for me than that. I mistakenly assumed we were on the same page enough to share those things. I’m seeing now that I was very wrong.”

I’m doing my best to see his side in this.

I want to give him the benefit of the doubt in his reaction, but I can’t help but feel like, despite everything we’ve been through and as far as I’ve come, he still sees me as I was on day one. The woman I was five months ago would have run by now and taken the job for an easy way out. The woman I amtodaydidn’t have to think twice about who I couldn’t imagine leaving;heis my every reason to stay.

I can’t help my reaction.

“You’regirlfriend? Cal, not once have we sat to discuss what we are.Youcalled me that on your own.”

“I didn’t think we had to! I feel like I do a pretty damn good job at showing you how fucking crazy I am about you, Dakota! The label of what you are to me should go without saying.”

He’s right.

He’s shown me every day how important I am to him. His definition of us, however, has always been based on him, never on me. He knew ahead of time it would take me longer to catch up.

“You do. You always have. But talking about these things helps me process. Cal, if this is arelationship,then some things will require both of us to agree on and talk through—especially labels.”

He seems to ignore my comment and circles back to the initial problem.

“That still doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell me about the job.”

“You think you have it all figured out, don’t you? At what point did you think to ask me what your mom and I were talking about, and what came from the phone call before huffing and puffing and running off like a child? I didn’t even get a chance to finish speaking, Callaway. You don’t know this, but I started the conversation by telling your mom that I wasin lovewith you. I’m in love with you, Cal. But you overheard the tail end of it and jumped to conclusions. How did I deserve that?”

I’m not sure if that thought gets through to him. He thinks as he runs his hand over his scruff with his arms crossed while looking into the distance. Even when he’s frustrating the shit out of me, he still takes my breath away.

The jaw muscles in his face are clenching like he’s fighting back his words.

“Maybe I’m not ready for the answer yet.”

His breathing slows down as I follow his eyes cast towards the gravel driveway.

We’re standing so far from each other that my body instinctively tries to move towards him, fighting my logic. I find myself strong enough to stay firmly planted.

“Your reaction surprised me. I’d like to make sure nothing is left unspoken between us—so I’ll voice my side. I declined.”

His eyes shoot up to mine, hopefully now filled with regret.

“If you would have let me finish, you’d know that. There was nothing to even think about, so I wasn’t in any rush to share. It meant nothing.”

His silence is deafening, so I continue.

“I’ll go ahead and answer the next question I know iscoming while I’m on it. I declined because Denver never stood a chance, Callaway. All my favorite people are in Atlanta: the team that feels like family ishere, the memory of my parents ishere,but most importantly, the man I am hopelessly and madly in love with ishere. You’re here, Callaway, and there was no other option but to stay. I don’t even know if I’ll be offered a more permanent job with the Strikers again after this season, but that had zero hindrance in my want. No, I’m sorry, myneedto be wherever you are.”

The silence between us could bring a congregation of worshippers to their knees; the tension and passion are left open-ended, waiting for closure.

I think I’ve stunned him.

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