Thank fuck.

I had my girl back.

Chapter 42

Callie

We barely made it out of the bedroom that night. I didn’t want to move away from him for a second—I was feeling too raw—but eventually we had to make an appearance. It was my birthday party, after all.

My face flamed in embarrassment as Farrah hooted with glee, but thankfully Echo said something into her ear that made her straighten her shoulders and glare at him, ending her amusement. I wondered what exactly they’d heard. I was strangely unembarrassed about the spanking and more concerned with the fact that they may have heard Asa tell me he loved me for the first time. Out of the entire episode, that was the one thing I fiercely wanted to keep private. Only one person made a comment after that, something about the thumping of the headboard, but the look Asa gave him was enough to make him stop mid-sentence.

The only people left in the house were Aces and their women, and I was glad that I didn’t have to worry about socializing with a bunch of people I barely knew. I couldn’t make myself leave Asa’s side, and it reminded me of the needy girl I’d been the year before, but I refused to stop. I needed to touch him, and if his arm wrapped tightly around my shoulders was any indication, he was feeling that need, too.

I watched Farrah and Echo argue quietly for a while before she headed toward me, pulling me away from Asa as she marched into the kitchen. I didn’t have a chance to say a word before she started speaking fast, almost manically.

“Are you okay? He did not seem happy. I couldn’t believe that chick. What a whore. I can’t believe he was pissed about that. I mean—she was all over his ass. I swear guys are such idiots sometimes—”

“Whoa! Slow down,” I interrupted her, pulling her in for a hug. “It’s all good. We had some other shit to work out—but it’s all good now.”

She dropped her head on my shoulder and her arms tightened around my waist.

“Hey, you okay?” I asked gently, rubbing my hand down the back of her hair.

“Yeah. I’m sorry.” She tried to pull away, but I held on tight, refusing to let her go.

“Something’s up,” I whispered in her ear. “You’ve been arguing with Echo since we got out here. What aren’t you telling me?”

“It’s nothing,” she sniffled, pulling her head back and giving me a bright smile that looked gut-wrenching when paired with the sheen in her eyes. “Stupid drama. You know I don’t have time for that shit.”

She patted me on the back a few times before pulling away again, and that time I let her. I watched her closely as she walked to the fridge and opened it as if looking for something, but never grabbed anything before swinging it shut again.

“I think I’m gonna head home,” she told me nonchalantly. “You had a hell of a party, even though you weren’t there to witness it, and I’m tired as hell.”

She looked tired. She also looked haunted, and I noticed for the first time how dark the circles under her eyes were.

“I’m sorry for not hanging out more,” I replied, looking around at the drooping balloons and streamers. “You did an awesome job.”

“No worries, sister. Anything for you.” She walked over and gave me a sloppy kiss on the cheek, paired with a fake smile, before heading for the front door.

She hadn’t been through it for two seconds before Echo was following, looking both pissed and worried.

It wasn’t long before the others followed them out and we finally had the apartment to ourselves. If I hadn’t come home to an apartment full of people, we would have stayed curled together in bed from the moment I got there. The minute the last person walked out the door that was exactly what we did.

Asa stripped me as we walked down the hall, and only seconds after I’d climbed into bed, he was climbing in behind me, naked.

“You have a good party?” he asked me quietly, his hand rubbing lightly over my belly.

“Yeah…Well, what was left of it,” I sighed back with a smile.

His breath huffed against my neck and he gave me a squeeze, pulling my back tighter against his body. “I’ve missed you like hell, Calliope.”

“It’s been a long three months,” I agreed, finding his hand with mine and patting the back of it gently.

“Been longer than that, sweetheart,” he mumbled, lacing his fingers with mine.

“Yeah,” I answered, sniffling once as my eyes filled with tears.

“I want you to move with me, Callie,” he told me seriously, his arm tightening to keep me from bolting. “I want you with me. I wanna see you every day and start a family at some point. It’s not gonna happen if we aren’t in the same place. This shit is fuckin’ with both of us.”

“Okay,” I whispered back.

I was startled when he pulled away and pushed me to my back so he could loom over me.

“What did you say?”

“Um… okay?” I replied, confused.

“Is that a question?”

“No, it’s my answer,” I snapped, exasperated with talking in circles. “You asked me to move with you and I answered yes!”

His face lit up with a smile so big it made my breath catch in my throat.

“I have to take care of things around here,” I told him softly as he dropped down beside me so we were lying face to face. “I have to give notice at my job and have Gram to visit one more time.”