Page 79 of Just Breathe

“Good morning.” He smirked at me as he left the cart at the foot of the bed. He walked towards my side of the bed, leaning over to give me a peck on the lips.

“Good morning,” I replied, feeling unsure about how to go about acting. It had been years since I’ve dated, much less sleep with someone other than Henry. I just hoped I wasn’t being weird.

“We’ve got about an hour before check out.” He pushed a strand of hair behind my ear. “They also delayed our flight forty-five minutes.” He looked at me for what felt like forever, but it was only a few seconds before he smiled and gave me another peck. “Get some clothes on before I want to ravish you all over again.” He smiled at me and went to his bag to throw me a shirt of his.

I caught it and breathed in his amazing scent. I quickly pulled it on, almost deciding maybe one more ravishing was in order, but I didn’t think we could eat, have sex and get ready in just one hour, so I reluctantly put the shirt on all the way.

“I’m going to miss all this breakfast being delivered every day.” I got up from the bed to the food cart, eyeing Callum’s gorgeous body with gorgeous tattoos and his newest tattoo by my brother.

“Me too. This is a grand hotel.” He finished piling food on his plate, smiling at me as he walked to the bed to get started on eating. Callum smiling was so refreshing that I knew I’d try anything to keep him smiling.

He was in a good mood, making me feel more comfortable and safe about last night. I smiled too, still feeling a little awkward, but I grabbed some food and coffee. I walked back to my side of the bed, taking a sip of my coffee, feeling a little hungover from the drinking we did last night.

“You ready to go back home?” I asked in between bites from the delicious quiche they sent up. I really was going to miss these breakfasts, that amazing tub and just the hotel. It made me nervous about breaking this cozy bubble of life we had going on. Would things change when we went back to Colorado?

He shrugged his shoulders. “Yes, and no. I’ve enjoyed my time away from the small town and also with you, but I miss the guys.”

“Y’all’s bromance is cute. I wish I had friends like that. It’s like y’all are made for each other.” I sipped my coffee.

He pursed his lips together. “We’ve been through a lot together and it only makes sense that we stick together. We’ve learned how to help each other out and make life less miserable for each other. Family isn’t always blood. I like that I can pick and choose, because family isn’t always there for you, especially moms and dads.” He sounded so damaged in his confession that a piece of me knew he had a really hard time growing up. It sounded like they all did.

“Well, I’m jealous because you guys seem like a solid unit.” I gave him a small smile.

“We are only solid when we are together. It’s kinda sad.” He drank his coffee. “It’s nice to know. If we fuck up, we don’t judge and just help.”

“Now I’m even more jealous. I’m constantly thinking, what if I’m making a mistake running from family, but I feel like everyone is always on pins and needles around me.” I took my last bite, put my plate down, and took a deep breath. It was the first time I thought of Henry, feeling a little guilty that I forgot about him when I first woke up in the morning. The past weekend, I’ve rarely thought of him. With all the commotion, the drama, and Cal, my former life faded just a little this weekend. I didn’t know if that was good or bad.

“Sometimes family babies us too much and don’t set us straight when we need it the most.” He took a bite. “Plus, they also have this set vision of who we are, and that’s not always the case,” he said with his mouth full.

I felt like that was pretty spot on because I felt like my family had a singular view of me that wasn’t entirely true, or maybe it was a version of the truth, but I was no longer the person who I used to be. Was I even the same person or did I change?

“I think if you frown anymore, you might get stuck like that.” Cal’s voice brought me out of my thoughts. He scooted closer to me and took my hand. “You ok? Did I say something wrong?”

“No, not at all. I was just thinking about changing and I was wondering if I was the same person I was before the accident.” I noticed that with the guys, my truth seemed to come out without hesitation. It was nice because I wasn’t worried about being judged or having my words misinterpreted.

“Change is good. If we don’t change, then how are we expected to grow with life?” Callum always had a way with words that soothed me. He cupped my face and leaned in for a kiss. It was chaste but still made my body tingle. “People can’t expect you to be the same after such a traumatic experience. It’s not healthy and not fair to you.”

“Why are you so good to me?” I asked, not believing that this man could be this good, or this was the same man who intimidated me at our first meeting.

He released my face and shrugged, not looking at me. “I think you might bring this out of me. I’m usually hating the world, moody as hell and not usually like this.”

“I find that hard to believe, but you were brooding when I met you, so maybe you might be on to something.” I crawled into his lap. “Maybe we need to show each other some appreciation.” I rocked my hips against his, hoping he would take me on my offer.

He groaned as I gave another rock of my hips. “If you continue, we might not make it back to Mountain View today.”

“Oh, I’m sure we could work something out.” I kissed his neck, biting and sucking before I took his earlobe in a bite. “Unless you're not up for the challenge,” I taunted him.

He chuckled. “You vixen. Challenge accepted.” He quickly pushed me to my back, grinding into me as he kissed me into oblivion. I smiled against his mouth, thinking this was significantly better than talking about my feelings. Callum showed me that fast and hard was just as satisfying as last night

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