The Resolution of Callie & Kayden(68)

‘So what’d you think?’ I ask, aiming for indifferent but ending up sounding like a bundle of nerves.

He’s silent for forever, each second passing almost painfully slow. ‘I think it’s beautiful and meaningful and real,’ he finally says, his tone radiating every emotion he’s feeling. ‘Although, I’m pretty sure ours gets a happily ever after.’

‘You think so?’ I ask with a soft smile. ‘Because that’s a big promise.’

His smile reflects mine. ‘No, I know so.’

And then he kisses me.

But this isn’t the end of our story just yet.

In fact, it kind of feels like the beginning.





Chapter 27


#103 Outrun Leave Your Inner Demons Behind and Find Your Love for the Game.



Kayden


It’s the last game of the season and I’m feeling pretty good. Things have been amazing with Callie and I’ve been focusing on the future instead of the past. It’s been that way for the last month, ever since I said my goodbye. I’m not happy all the time, though, but then again no one ever is. I still feel the slightest bit of guilt and sadness whenever I think of my father and how it all ended, but that happens very rarely.

What almost always happens is that I’m happy, not just with Callie and mine’s relationship, but with myself. It took me forever to get to this place, to let go, but I’ve managed to find my own form of inner peace with all that happened to me. And I can honestly say that my life is great at the moment.

Right now, I’m f*cking amped up, though, as I get ready to make the last play of the game. If we don’t make it, we lose, but I’m not betting on us losing, In fact, I can feel it in the air, in the hollers of the crowd, in the lights that are so f*cking bright it’s blinding. From the f*cking way that I’m loving every minute of this.

My team is lined up and I’m hunched over, waiting for the snap. My heart is thudding, my skin damp with sweat, my feet ready. And my mind …

Is silent.

I hear everything. From the sound of the footsteps, to my coach shouting something on the sidelines. I can also hear my own voice.

You can do it.

I know I can.

My heart slams against my chest as the ball is snapped in my directions. My fingers perfectly wrap around it and then I’m running back, looking for the perfect throw. But then I realize there’s no perfect through, but a close one. So I spring my arm back and let the ball slip from my fingers and soar away.

I let it all soar away as I breathe freely for the first time, waiting for it to happen.

The ball climbs higher and so does my pulse. I swear the crowd is holding their breaths, but maybe that’s because I’m holding mine as I watch the ball reach its peak and then drop.

It drops.

And drops.

And drops.

Then it lands perfectly in the receiver’s hands.

Perfect.

Touchdown!

The crowd starts cheering and so do my teammates as we win the game. And this time I join them, cheering and happy as I look up at the crowd where I know Callie is watching me with pride. But only part of my celebration is because I kicked ass and played my heart out. The other part is because I’ve finally left my inner demons behind and found my love for the game.





Epilogue


A little over a year later …

#595 Make You Happy After Official (because it’s about damn time)



Callie


Life is great. Not perfect, but life never is. But perfection would be boring anyway. For the most part, things are good, though. Kayden and I are still living together, and plan to stay that way for a while. Our walls are covered in photos of us as a couple, with family, with friends. It shows how whole our lives are and how far we’ve both come.

There’s been a lot of talk about him getting drafted next year, though, and we did have the talk even though it’s early. It only took us like two minutes of him laying out all the reasons why he needs me to come with him if he leaves Laramie, and it took me like half a second to sputter that I’d follow him anywhere, that I can write anywhere since that’s what I’ve been doing and plan to keep doing. That a life without him would be a sad life I never want to have.

We have a little routine now where we alternate holidays between my parents’ house and his brother’s in Virginia. I got to meet a sober Tyler about six months ago and that was nice. And Kayden hasn’t cut himself in just over a year. The sadness in his eyes is gone, except for on occasion, like when he gets a random call from his mother. He never answers her, though, or calls her back, and her voicemails are anything but persuading.