Total pages in book: 59
Estimated words: 57355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 57355 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 287(@200wpm)___ 229(@250wpm)___ 191(@300wpm)
“He’s going to take all of my time, Cal.”
“I know.” I felt him come up behind me. “But not forever.”
“I don’t know what the future is gonna look like. I can’t ask you to wait.”
“You can.”
“No, I’ve already asked you to wait for . . . you know. You have your own life to live.”
“I don’t. I don’t have a life without you.”
His hand slid under my hair to stroke my back. I sighed in pleasure, resisting the urge to lean back against him.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Of course you have a life. You had one before we met. You can go back to that.”
“You’re wrong. I can’t go back to that. I won’t.”
I looked at him and my heart sank.
He looked bad. Really hurt and upset. Damn it. I hadn’t wanted to hurt him. I’d imagined his moving on with a hundred girls and forgetting all about me. I was sure they were lining up in droves.
“Molly. We’re together now. We are a team. Don’t break up the team because you’re tired and stressed.”
“I don’t know. I don’t want to, but I can’t even imagine how this is going to work.”
“It’ll work.”
“Callaway. I have to find someplace else to live. I already had to tell Janet I couldn’t work for her anymore. I owe this place some crazy number. I’m pretty sure it’s over ten thousand dollars already. They basically own me. I have no idea how I’m going to support the two of us and—”
He pulled me into his arms again. I let him. It felt so good there. So safe. But I knew I couldn’t stay.
“Shh. It’s okay. It sounds like a lot of money but it’s not. I can pay it.”
“I can’t let you do that.”
“Why not? I love you, Molly. I want to be with you.”
I forgot to breathe. He kept stroking my back, murmuring soft words of encouragement. That everything would be okay. That he would take care of me. That he would take care of Tommy.
He said he loved me .
“Callaway, he’s going to need so much help. I called my Aunt. She said we could come stay with her in Florida.”
“Florida?” He squeezed me hard. “No.”
I pulled back and stared at him.
“No?”
“That’s right. I said no.”
The look in his eyes was unfamiliar. Steely. Hard.
“You can’t tell me no. I don’t belong to you.”
He smiled. It was not a friendly smile.
“Oh, but that’s where you’re wrong. You do belong to me. And I belong to you, too. That’s what being together means. And we belong together, sweetheart. I’m keeping you.”
My mouth dropped open. Callaway was talking crazy. It was kind of a sweet crazy, but crazy all the same.
“We just met! You don’t own me!”
His smile got wider.
“Oh, I think I do.” He leaned in to whisper in my ear. “And I think you know it’s true.”
I just stared at him.
“You are not moving to Florida. You’re moving in with me.”
“With you? In your apartment?”
“For now. I was going to tell you but I thought I’d wait until you were less skittish.”
“Tell me what?”
“About the house.”
“What house?”
“The house I’m buying you.”
“What are you talking about?”
He was starting to scare me.
“I was planning to buy a house or build one. I’ve been watching the MLS. I found a few good options last week. I even went to look at them. I haven’t found the perfect place, but I will soon.”
“Buying a . . . house?”
“Yeah. It was supposed to be for us. But there’s plenty of room for Tommy.” He stepped forward until our bodies were touching. “And anyone else who might come along.”
“Huh? Who else might . . . come along?”
My brain wasn’t working clearly. None of this made sense. Callaway rode a motorcycle. He was in a gang. He wanted to move in with me? I hadn’t even given up my V-card yet!
“Babies.”
“Babies?”
I just kept repeating what he said like an idiot. It took a second. He held my hips and smiled at me, waiting for the idea to sink in.
“Are you out of your mind?”
He smiled wider.
“Yes. I am.”
I spun as the nurse wheeled Tommy back in. I guess he was meeting Callaway now. I was so tired I could barely see straight.
“Hey, man. I’m Callaway. I’m with Molly.”
“Cool. You’re the one who brought the milkshakes, right?”
“That’s me.” Callaway stuck out his hand. He was surprising me right now in a really good way. He was cool as a cucumber with my brother. So many people didn’t know how to act around sick people. Especially people in wheelchairs. They just stared and acted awkward. Callaway was just being a guy, talking to my little brother man to man.
Tommy didn’t miss a beat. He shook hands with Callaway, obviously impressed. I looked at the nurse, Maggie. She was one of the nicer people on staff.