Never Forever (24 page)

Turning around I notice Harry standing next to the control box. “Please let me go in there, Harry. I need to talk to Callum.”

His head tilts curiously, as he cocks his eyebrow in a revealing manner, “Blimey, you’re the reason why that barmy bloke is up there.”

Pain rips through my heart as he brings to the forefront of my mind the reality of what I have put Callum through. Gazing up at the swing now slowly stopping, I notice Callum’s languid face. Though his eyes are tightly closed, a searing ripple of anguish pulsates through his face and down his body, leaving a relinquishing appearance to flow over him.

A warm hand tenderly pushes on the mid-section of my back, “He’s a great bloke, go get ‘im.”

Turning towards Harry I give him an understanding smile. He at one time walked in the very same shoes as me but his outcome held a different scenario, one that I almost had. His eyes beamed with satisfaction as if I am completing the choice he always wished he had the strength to make. Giving him a slight wink I walk over to the now lowered and motionless ride. Walking up to the only inhabited swing – his, I stand firmly above his relaxed, dreamlike body. His eyes are still tightly closed as if he is refusing to face the world. A sharp ping pierces my heart as I stare down at the man who has loved me through all my stubbornness; the man who I am not only willing to give my heart to, but also my trust, my future, and my soul. I would have never thought that I was actually running towards something instead of running away when I came to England.

Leaning over his face I utter lovingly, “Hey stranger, what are you doing here?”

His eyes instantly snap open, revealing a wave of shock rolling within his stunning eyes. His thick eyebrows flow perfectly over his eyelids, causing his soft caramel color to explode vehemently from his face, giving him a seductive appearance. A large smile spreads across my face as I gaze down at him. My heart rolls open in a sense of relief as I realize that I am not too late.

“What are you bloody doing here? How did you find me? I thought you were leaving,” he breathlessly stumbles out the questions as his body starts to catch up with his mind. Quickly jumping to his feet, he begins surveying me skeptically, as if he doubting his own eyes.

“I am not leaving, I choose you, Callum Hughes. I am so sorry for my stubbornness and fear. I love…”

Instantly he grabs hold of me, pulling my body firmly against his as his mouth presses down on mine, stopping me from finishing what I was going to say. His soft lips move with an urgency, showing me what I was about to tell him. The sweet taste of his mouth fills my mind with pleasure as I aggressively squeeze my body against his, melting our heightened forms into each other. His hands press into my back, refusing to let me go, as if I am going to truly leave this time. Our tears mix sweetly within our mouths, coating everything with untainted ecstasy.

His mouth forms a soft smile across my lips, causing me to open my eyes in response. Liquid caramel eyes blaze down on me as he peers into my face, causing my heart to melt, seeping down into the tips of my toes. I look into his gaze, owning every part of him, knowing that he wants me as much as I want him. His lips gently brush against my mouth as he pulls his mouth tenderly away.

“Are you telling me that you are staying? You are not going to run away…”

Backing slightly away from him, I reach deep into the pocket of my jeans, pulling out a wad of crinkled and torn up papers. Tenderly I reach for his hand, placing the wad symbolically within his grasp, “Yes I am staying here.”

Lifting his hand up he begins unraveling the crumpled pieces of paper. A congenial smile spreads contagiously across his face as he looks down at the destroyed airline tickets. Giving a final blow to the tickets, he adds another destructive tear through them. Picking me up within his arms he spins me vivaciously around while he presses his mouth against mine, kissing me passionately. A soft laugh rolls through me as the world twirls effortlessly around us. He puts me down next to him, locking his hands tightly around mine, facing each other we gaze fervently at each other.

A villainous smile spreads across my face, “What is your mother going to say about this?”

“Nothing, she can’t.”

“What do you mean?” I question.

He drops one of my hands while still gripping onto the other firmly within his, he begins walking me towards the bank of the River Wye. The plush green grass feels like we are walking on a thick bed of carpet beneath our feet. Geese glide across the river, leaving slight ripples behind them. The trees dip the tips of their fingers into the river, gently stroking the surface of the shimmering water. A soft breeze blows gently across us, causing him to wrap his arm protectively around me.

Stopping at the river’s edge he adds, “Olivia confronted my parents, explaining in her own way.” A smile spreads across his face, alluding to the fact that Olivia’s way is not always diplomatic. I have been on the opposing side of Olivia’s blatant comments on several occasions. I can only imagine what her parents were thinking. “That if they were going to force me to stay away from you then she was going to disown them.”

“She basically threatened them, for you.”

“No, she threatened them for you.”

A smile spreads across my face, feeling for the first time like I have a sister who is willing to give up everything for me. Turning back towards where the car is parked, I notice Olivia lifting Noah into the air and spinning him around as she plays with him enthusiastically. My eyes take in the vision of Noah now being surrounded by a family who will love him as if he is their own. Suddenly my mind recalls the picture of Andrew’s headstone, with a fresh bouquet of red roses placed delicately in front.

Turning back towards Callum I utter respectfully, “Callum, when did you go to see Andrew’s grave?”

He hunches down slightly. Kissing the top of my head, he utters against my head, “The day after you drunkenly threw me out of your flat.”

“How did you know where to find it?”

“Breanna, there is only one cemetery in your town. It was not difficult to find it.” 

Eagerly I gaze up at his face, still bent towards mine, “Why did you go?”

“Because, I was hoping to be able to give you this,” reaching into his pocket, he tenderly pulls out a small black velvet box, holding it within his trembling fingers. Dropping down to one knee, he peers into my eyes with a fervent love blazing within his face. My body quivers as my heart vibrates against my chest. Tears begin to pile within my eyes, pouring over the protective dam, causing them to now stream down my face. My hand begins trembling within his still enveloping hand, as he grips onto mine tightly.

“I couldn’t ask you this without first asking for Andrew’s permission, and telling him thank you. If it hadn’t been for his request for you to come to England, I would have never met you. I promised Andrew that if you let me, I will always love you and Noah and I will be the kind of husband and father he would be proud of.” I look down at him through tear-filled eyes as an abundant surge of warmth fills my soul, like a warm blanket is being wrapped around me. “Breanna Hayes, will you marry me?”

Dropping down to my knees, placing us on equal levels, I tenderly look into his eyes, “Yes! Yes, Callum Hughes, I will marry you.”

Enveloping me within his arms, he holds onto me tightly as the rippling laps of the River Wye break effortlessly against the bank where we sit. Life has a strange way of showing us that incredible happiness can come out of the darkest nights, if we only have the strength to persevere, choosing to fight for what we deserve.

Callum’s warm, soft body lies next to me in our bed as I look out the window at the crisp morning air. The cold cusp of winter is blowing out our window. The trees outside have long since lost their vibrant colored leaves, leaving their bare branches to scrape gently across the frozen glass, giving a slight screeching sound. The thick crystal fog shimmers around the grounds, coating everything with a gray frozen mist. The rising sunlight dances on the tips of the mist, illuminating the fog with a slight orange glow.

Callum’s bare arms are wrapped tightly around me, melting his skin onto mine. Our legs are intertwined, making it difficult to know whose legs are whose. The warmth within the covers is heightened by our bare bodies merging perfectly into one another. His soft, sleeping breath rolls down my exposed neck, causing my skin to explode in goose-bumps.

A heavy breath flows down my spine, sending chills racing up my back. He gently kisses the base of my neck. “I love when your skin gets goose-flesh from my breath against you. Will that always happen?”

I spin around so that we are no longer spooning, but are now face to face. Responding tenderly to his question I add, “Yes, you will always give me goose-bumps.”

His stunning morning face is illuminated by the filtered sun now flowing through our window. I take in every part of him as I gaze at his light caramel eyes. His arms that are still enveloping me habitually pull me against his exposed body. My hand tenderly traces the soft ridges of his chest, the deep valley between them, down his rippling stomach muscles. A soft moan escapes from his mouth, causing a slight shudder under my fingertips. “I love when you make that sound when I touch you. Will that always happen?”

A wicked smile tickles the corners of his mouth, “No.”

“What!” I shout, slapping his chest teasingly.

A loud laugh rushes out of him as he grabs hold of my now thrashing body, rolling firmly on top of me. “Shhh, don’t wake Noah up.”

“I won’t. He has been sleeping through the entire night for a long time. We are so lucky he is now sleeping a good ten hours a night, because when he is awake I do nothing but chase after him. I can actually sleep now.”

“I can think of better things we can do than sleeping,” he utters mischievously, as he presses his naked body down onto mine.

A soft groan escapes through my mouth as his warm, firm body merges with mine. “Will our passion for each other ever end?” I add, wrapping my arms and legs tightly around him.

“I bloody hope not,” he smiles ruefully, as he begins tickling my completely exposed body. Wriggling jolts of laughter rush through me, as I thrash around, attempting to get him to stop tickling me. Trying to grab his hands, he suddenly envelops mine, aggressively pinning them above my head. His mouth drops onto my neck, softly kissing my now heightened skin. A lascivious moan escapes through my teeth as his hands press mine open, intertwining our fingers together. The new life of marriage has settled into us perfectly, like the final pieces of a difficult puzzle. His thumb begins to slowly spin the diamond on my ring finger around. Nibbling on my ear he utters breathlessly, “I love you, Mrs. Hughes. You have given me everything I have ever wanted.”

“I have something more to give you,” I whisper back.

His body freezes against mine. Lifting his head up his eyes pull together quizzically, deepening the furrow between them. Raising a brow in a perplexed manner, he adds, “What do you mean?”

Looking deep into his eyes I state joyfully, “I am pregnant.” Excitement rolls through me as I realize that I am able to tell him. I was robbed of the excitement with Andrew, and the memory of that situation has been giving me a heavy burden of anxiety lately. Fear that something was going to happen to Callum haunted my mind these past few days. But now after telling him, I am left with a peaceful wave of warmth washing through me.

Callum’s eyes widen as he gazes down at me in complete shock. His naked body lay frozen against mine, like a horizontal statue of David. Sitting up slightly I tenderly ask, “Are you alright?”

A sudden smile explodes across his face. Wrapping his arms around me he spins onto his side, exposing my torso. His hand gently glides down my breast bone, along my ribs, tenderly resting on my lower abdomen. His gentle touch sends chills throughout my body. Looking into my eyes, he responds, “I have never been better.” Leaning over me he gently kisses my stomach, resting his soft lips there for a long while. “You have allowed me to be a part of Noah’s life, and now you have given me a part of myself back. I love you, Breanna Hughes.”

He lays his cheek against my stomach as I affectionately stroke his hair. Twirling a strand of his hair within my fingers a sudden sense of peace washes over me. I have fought my whole life to try and have some kind of solidity to it. Andrew was the only anchor I thought I had, and when he was ripped away from me it felt like everything around me was spinning out of control. Now that I am able to look back I know I wasn’t spiraling out of control. There was someone at the helm guiding me to the place where Noah and I are today. Love is an amazing power. There are no borders to it. I had thought I could never love again when Andrew died, but love doesn’t work that way. The more you give love, the more it allows you to receive it. I have been led to a family I always dreamed of, a spunky and vibrant sister-in-law, a devoted and passionate husband who loves Noah and me unconditionally. And yes, parents who will someday, I hope, come to fully accept me.

As I lay here with Callum I know that we were lead towards each other. I will always love Andrew, but now I know I can love Callum too. Bending down I softly kiss the top of Callum’s head as I whisper earnestly, “I love you with all my heart, Callum Hughes.”