Total pages in book: 23
Estimated words: 21496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 21496 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 107(@200wpm)___ 86(@250wpm)___ 72(@300wpm)
“Hm, that makes sense. Who’s your favorite female heroine in a movie?"
I pause, caught off guard by the question. I trace a finger around her bare breast as I think. "Mm, I don’t know. Who needs fictional heroines when there are real-life ones walking among us every day?"
She smiles thoughtfully and snuggles into my side before sighing softly. "I haven't seen any heroes around Devil’s Peak lately."
I run my fingers through her hair and press a kiss to her forehead as she yawns. "Well, I have one in mind. Now go to sleep and dream about how sweet it will be when I wake you up with a kiss tomorrow morning, precious."
Chapter Eleven
Liam
The sun dips low over Devil’s Peak, washing the horizon in hues of gold and pink. The stillness of the evening wraps around us like a warm blanket, and the hum of crickets fills the air. Callie sits next to me on the porch swing, her legs curled up under her, the tips of her fingers absently tracing the edge of her glass of iced tea. She’s quiet tonight, but it’s not the kind of quiet that makes me uneasy. It’s the kind that feels... settled.
I glance at her out of the corner of my eye. She’s beautiful in a way that catches me off guard every damn time. Hair loose and wild, a soft smile teasing the corners of her lips. She doesn’t know I’ve been thinking about this moment all day. Hell, maybe I’ve been thinking about it for years.
“You’ve gone quiet,” she says, tilting her head toward me. Her voice is soft, teasing, but there’s an edge of curiosity there too. “What’s going on in that head of yours, Liam Grayson?”
I smirk, stretching my legs out and crossing them at the ankles. “Just wondering how I got roped into sitting on a porch swing like some lovesick fool.”
Her laugh is light and warm, and it tugs at something deep in my chest. “Roped in? Please, you’re practically glued here. Admit it, you’re a sucker for the sunset.”
I grunt, but I don’t argue. She’s not wrong.
“Am I part of the deal?” She presses, her voice lilting. “Sometimes I feel like collateral damage.”
My smirk fades as I turn to face her fully. “Callie, you’re not damage. You’re the damn sunrise after the storm.”
Her cheeks flush, and she looks away, but I catch the flicker of emotion in her eyes. She’s always so quick to tease, to deflect, but I see through it now. The vulnerability she’s so careful to hide is one of the things I love most about her.
Love.
The word slides into my mind as easily as it slides into my chest. I’ve known it for a while now—maybe I’ve always known it—but tonight, I’m ready to do something about it.
I shift in my seat, reaching into my pocket. My fingers brush the cool iron band I’ve been carrying around for days, waiting for the right moment. It’s not a diamond or anything flashy—Callie’s not the flashy type. But it’s something I made myself, shaped and hammered with care, each blow of the hammer carrying the weight of what I feel for her.
“Do you remember that day in middle school?” I ask, my voice low.
She frowns, caught off guard. “Which one?”
“The day I passed you that note,” I say, a smile tugging at the corner of my mouth. “The one about our marriage pact.”
Her eyes widen, and then she laughs, the sound pure and sweet. “I still can’t believe you wrote that.”
“Believe it,” I say, leaning back against the swing. “You were bossy even back then. Figured if I was going to be stuck with someone, it might as well be the girl who could hold her own.”
She swats at my arm, but there’s no heat in it. “Bossy? I was twelve, Liam. And you were the one who dared me to eat three slices of pizza in under a minute.”
“And you did,” I remind her. “It was impressive.”
Her laugh fades into a soft smile, and she shakes her head. “Why are you bringing this up?”
I reach into my pocket and pull out the ring, holding it out to her in the palm of my hand. Her breath catches, and her eyes lock onto mine.
“Because I think it’s time we made good on that pact,” I say, my voice steady. “You and me, Callie. For real.”
She stares at the ring, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. “Liam, I...”
“It’s not just about some childhood promise,” I cut in, my tone soft but firm. “It’s about now. About everything we’ve been through. You came into my life like a damn hurricane, and I haven’t been the same since. You’re my home, Callie. You and everything you bring into my world.”
Tears spill over her lashes, and she swipes at them with the back of her hand, laughing softly. “You really know how to make a girl cry, don’t you?”