“My stick figures are a masterpiece,” Clay said, holding his head high.
Riley and I exchanged looks before all four of us burst into laughter.
“I can’t believe you did that,” I said, shaking my head as I looked up at Clay. My heart beat faster when I did, when I realized his arms were around me and we were together.
Together.
“I can’t believe you’re giving me the chance to explain,” he countered.
“Speaking of which, we’ll leave you to it,” Zeke said, and he and Riley gave a wave of their fingers before disappearing down the hall, leaving me and Clay alone.
I turned in his arms, fingers crawling up his chest before I hooked them behind his neck. “Is this real?” I asked, chest pained at the thought that I was dreaming.
Clay swallowed, nodded, and pulled me into him. “I’m sorry I ever made you doubt my feelings for you. I’m sorry I hurt you the way I did.”
“I knew you didn’t want to.”
“I know,” he said, shaking his head. “Which is crazy, by the way. How did you know?”
“Because I know you,” I said simply, searching his eyes. “Because I love you, too.”
Clay blew out a breath, his forehead bending to meet mine. “Fuck, it feels good to hear you say that.”
I smiled, pressing up on my toes to kiss him. We both inhaled deeply at the contact, savoring the way that kiss felt as Clay swept his tongue in to taste mine.
“I want to know everything,” I whispered. “But first, I want you to take me home.”
Giana
“That is… a lot,” I confessed after Clay told me everything that had happened, head on his chest as he idly drew circles on my bare back with his fingertip. Each new spiral sent chills down to my toes, and I curled into him like a sated cat, still sore between my thighs from him ravishing me as soon as we pushed through my apartment door.
I couldn’t stop touching him. I couldn’t stop holding onto him and pressing soft kisses to his skin and inhaling his scent to convince myself that this was real, that he was here, that we were together.
“I know,” he said, fingertip trailing over my shoulder. “I’m sorry I didn’t let you in. You probably would have been like Riley, Zeke, and Holden and been able to talk some sense into me.”
I frowned. “I don’t know. Honestly, I might have just cried more and clung to you as long as I could before I had to let you go.”
“Let me go?”
I leaned up onto my elbow, looking down at him. “I understand, Clay. What your mom has done for you is precious, and I don’t fault you for wanting to pay her back for that, for wanting to give her everything — regardless of whatever demons she might be fighting. You love her,” I said on a shrug. “And Mommas come before girlfriends.”
His smile was sad, brows furrowing. “I don’t want anyone or anything to come between us. And I think that’s what I forgot. I can give to the ones I love without sacrificing everything that brings me joy in the process.” He made a face. “Although, I have no idea what I’m going to do for her now.”
“Is she home?”
He nodded. “She was more than understanding when I told her everything. In fact, I saw the Momma Bear come out in her,” he added with a smirk. “She wanted to kill Cory. But I told her I had it handled, and she trusted me.” He paused. “Or Cory’s dead right now and we just don’t know yet.”
I chuckled.
“Either way, she’s home, and looking for jobs. She’s proud of me, and loves me, and understands. But…” He shook his head. “I know she’s still not okay, Giana. I know she needs help. She might be fine for a while — find a job, find a guy. But the cycle always repeats.”
I stared at my hand on his chest. “What if there was a way,” I whispered.
“A way to what?”
“To help your mom the way she really needs it.”
Clay’s brows perked up.
“What if you could cover the bills for a while, and still send her to rehab — maybe not one as fancy, but a nice one.”
“I think that would be amazing,” Clay said, thumbing my cheek. “But I also think it’s impossible, unless I’m willing to take out a pretty sizable loan.”
“Not necessarily.”
Clay eyes me curiously as I sat up fully, crossing my legs under me. He slid up until his back was to the headboard, waiting.
“We had a sponsor reach out to us, and they’re looking to do a big campaign leading up to the bowl games and championship.”