CHAPTER THIRTY-SEVEN
Ashton
Tied game, in overtime. Does Ashton Carmichael have what it takes to pull it off?
He wasn’t going to come. Christ, he wasn’t going to come.
Still, I didn’t move, didn’t get up from my spot on the dock, and waited for him. I’d wait forever for Beau Campbell, I thought. I was the one who kept us waiting before. It was now my turn.
My stomach twisted nervously when I heard tires on the gravel. My palms started to sweat even though it wasn’t hot, because this was Beau, and I wanted him so fucking much. More than anything.
If it was Wyatt, I was going to fucking kill him.
“Playing hide-and-seek by yourself?” Beau asked, and I smiled. It was what I’d said to him as I’d walked onto this same dock toward him that night long ago.
Beau touched my shoulder. “I’ll play. I found you. Freeze.”
“You mixed up hide-and-seek and freeze tag,” I told him. “But I miss you too much to care about the details.”
“You took my line,” he replied.
I scooted over as Beau sat on the edge of the dock with me, just like we’d sat ten years before. “You came out…on Instagram. It was mushy as hell.”
A laugh rumbled in my chest, falling from my mouth. “Holy shit, it was mushy. See what you do to me, Cranky Campbell?”
“Do I make you feel like you can’t breathe without me?” he asked.
“Oh, look at you. I publicly declared my love for you, and you’re still reaching for compliments. Isn’t that my job?”
“Answer the question, Ash.”
“Yeah, you do.”
“Do I make you feel like you can do anything if I’m by your side?”
“Yep.”
“Like you weren’t really complete without me?”
“Uh-huh.” He was really playing this up, wasn’t he?
“Like you’d do anything to be with me? Even if it meant a long-distance relationship or me moving to Texas with you or wherever the hell your career might take you because losing me isn’t an option?”
I whipped my head around so I faced him.
“If that’s how you feel about me, then we’re damn lucky because that’s how I feel about you too.”
“You would move away with me? You wouldn’t even move away for you.” Goddamn it, I kind of wanted to cry. Fucking Beau.
“Being with you is for me. I haven’t cared enough about anything in my life that I had to fight for it…except you, Ash. You’re worth fighting for…I’m worth it. Being with you makes me happy, and I’m not willing to lose that. You’re obnoxious and cocky. Needy for attention. Oh, and a hat thief. Did I mention you’re a hat thief? But I love you…I love you so damn much it hurts. You fire up my soul, Ash.”
“Holy shit, Campbell. I’m not sure I can follow that up.” My heart was beating so damn hard, it nearly burst out of my chest. How did I get so lucky?
“Wow, did you just admit I’m better than you?” he asked with a smile.
I reached over, ran my fingers over his bandaged hand. “We’re both pretty damn good. Together, the best. You’re cranky, and perfect. But I love you…I love you so damn much it hurts. You fire up my soul, Campbell.”
“Copycat.” He winked.
Again, I fingered the bandage. He’d punched someone because of me. “I’m sorry for leaving you. You deserved better. I should have been there with you.”
“You’re here now,” he replied, and I was. I was right where I always wanted to be. If he’d have me, I’d never leave his side again.
“I told Andrea I don’t want to go back. I don’t care who offered. We have a team here—you and me. I want to stay with you, coach with you. This is where I belong.” There was so much I wanted to do. Coach Kenny, be with Beau…maybe find a way to work with LGBTQ high school athletes. Help pave the way for them so their road would be easier than mine.
He closed his eyes, dropped his forehead against mine, and breathed me in. I wrapped my arms around him, inhaled, and did the same.
“I belong to you too,” he replied.
“We’re getting mushy again.”
“It’ll be our secret,” Beau added. “Now don’t you think you should kiss me again? We get a do-over. We can make this one end the way the first one should have.”
I really liked the sound of that. I pressed my lips to his. Beau opened and let me inside. Just like the first time we sat in this same spot and kissed, the world righted itself. Fireworks went off in my stomach.
I was free.
When we pulled away, it was on our terms. I stood, held my hand out, and helped Beau up. “Come home with me, Campbell. I miss being naked with you.”
He laughed, and I felt it in my chest. There was nothing like Beau’s laugh. “Well, I did fix your dick and all.”
“Asshole.”
“You love it.”
I loved him.
“Let’s go home, Ash.”
And we did just that. Together.