Page 18 of Hell Hath No Fury
“I don’t know!” She slips away from me, wrapping her arms around herself. “You hadn’t called or texted, and you always call.”
I stop in the middle of the street, pulling her to me. Callie tries to resist it, but I’m stronger. My hands cup her face, and I gently rub my fingers over her cheekbones.
Damn, she looks beautiful. She put on some makeup that makes her eyes seem bluer somehow, even in the dark, and they shine with unshed tears.
“You were really worried.”
She slaps me over the chest half-heartedly. “Of course I was worried. You’re always there. You either call or, if not, you at least text so I know you’re fine. In all the time we’ve been apart, there hasn’t been one day that we haven’t talked.One day.Even when we fight about something, we always talk, so today was horrible.”
I just stare at her, at the worry swimming in those blue irises. My throat tightens, my chest squeezing as the love I feel for this girl grows to the point of suffocating.
“Dance with me,” I rasp.
Callie blinks as if she’s unsure if she heard me correctly. “What?”
“Dance with me, Angel,” I repeat, my voice stronger. Letting my hands drop down, I intertwine my fingers with hers and pull her with me into the main courtyard. The fountain is frozen, but twinkling lights are hanging on the trees giving the space a festive look just like they do every year.
“Here? You want to dance here?”
“Yes.” I twirl her into my arms, wrapping my hands around her slender waist and pulling her body into mine. “I want to dance with you in the snow like we did our first Thanksgiving together back at Grams’.”
“Back then, I didn’t wear shoes that could easily break my leg.”
I tsk. “So little faith in me.”
“More like so little faith in myself.”
“I’ve already told you, Angel. I’ll catch you if you fall. Always.”
She lifts her hand to my face, her fingers tracing the scruff on my jaw as she watches me. “You always do. There isn’t another man who makes me feel as safe as I do when I’m with you.”
“That’s good to know.”
“Is it?” She leans down, her head pressing against my chest. I just tighten my grip on her, our bodies softly swaying to the sound of the wind.
“It is because I plan to do it forever. It’s you and me, Cals. It’s always been you and me.”
“Forever is a long time. What if you get bored of me? With your exciting new li—”
“Never.” Disentangling my hands from her, I push her back so I can look at that gorgeous face. She’s nibbling at her lower lip, those big blue eyes watching me. “I’ll never get bored of you. There will never be a day when I stop thinking about you. Stop loving you. Whenever I think I’ve reached the point where I can’t possibly love you more, something happens that shows me just how wrong I am. I could have stayed at that airport and waited it out.”
She lets her lip pop. “Why didn’t you?”
“Because I couldn’t. Because the idea of staying away from you one more second was unbearable. Because even though I knew there wasn’t anything I could have possibly done to change the outcome, I didn’t want to disappoint you.” Cupping her cheeks, I press my forehead against hers. “Because although people told me I’m crazy for even thinking of driving back here, not doing it wasn’t an option. I love you, Callie, and I didn’t want to spend a moment longer than necessary to have you in my arms. So no, Angel, I’m not getting tired of you. I’m getting tired of this life in which you’re not with me. I’m getting tired of waking up without you by my side. I’m getting tired of not having you in my arms when I get home to sleep or when I wake up. It’s not even a real home. Not until you’re there with me.”
“H-Hayden…” she breathes, her voice shaky.
“I mean it, Callie,” I swipe my thumb over her cheek, brushing away a snowflake that clings to her skin. “You are my home. I love football, but I love you more. You, Callie, are my end game. Not football, not trophies, or the Hall of Fame. You are my end game. And I want to keep on loving you for the rest of our lives. I want you to move in with me the second you’re done with college. I want you tomarryme. I want us to have kids. To have a life together. To have a future.” I watch as those pretty blue eyes widen in surprise. She inhales sharply, lips parting. “You’re not saying anything,” I whisper as I brush away a tear that slid down her cheek. “With how much you teased me about it, I’d have figure—”
My words are cut short when her mouth connects to mine. I stumble back, catching myself at the last second as Callie’s mouth devours mine.
I cup her cheeks, sliding my tongue into her mouth, tasting her sweetness.
Breaking the kiss, she looks at me but doesn’t pull back. “You want to marry me, Hayden?”
“Hell, yes. It’s you, Callie. It’s always been you.”
A smile slowly spreads over her lips. Her fingers run through the hair at my nape, making tingles run down my spine. “It’s always been you for me too.”
