He moves between my thighs, staring at me like he has a thousand times before, only this time is different. I will remember how Caleb looks at me right now for the rest of my life. It will be imprinted on my soul forever. Something flickers in his eyes, a barely there movement, determination perhaps. “I love you,” he says, his jaw clenching. “I love you.”
“I love you, too.”
The air sizzles as we just look into each other’s eyes, letting the words settle between us. Eventually, Caleb leans in and rests his head against my chest, and I wrap myself around him. He sighs against my heart, then mumbles something unintelligible.
“What?” I ease him away from me. Worry pools in his eyes.
He looks at the floor. “Sal is gonna fucking kill me.”
I brush my fingers through his hair. “Probably,” I chuckle half-heartedly, because Caleb is right. Dad won’t like it. He won’t understand it at first. But I’ll make him understand.
“Do you think he’ll hate me?”
“No.”I don’t know.
“Your mom will be okay with it, don’t you think?”
I nod. I know Mom will be. She’s less protective than Dad. It doesn’t mean she won’t fight tooth and nail for me, but she doesn’t see me as her little child who can’t fend for himself. Not like Dad does. “Mom’s cool,” I smile.
“She is,” he agrees. “She’s cool.” Then he pales, groaning. “Oh, God.”
“What?” I lift his face to mine.
“I fucking dated your mom in high school!”
I laugh because, fuck, the look on Caleb’s face right now. Sheer mortification. “I already know that.”
“I swear we only kissed. That’s it. Only a couple of times. Nothing else. She always liked your dad better anyway. Shit, it’s weird, right?” He stares at me helplessly, his hair a mess.
I shrug. “A little. But there are a lot of things between us that could be weird if we let them.”
He bites his lip. “I guess.”
“So we won’t make it weird, will we?” I kiss him softly, and he leans into me. I love this side of Caleb. The side where he needs me and allows me to be there for him.
“No, we won’t,” he smiles against my lips, then squeezes my thighs.
“Because only one thing matters, right?”
“Yes.”
I laugh, my stomach twisting and turning with a mix of emotions. “And what is that?” I ask teasingly, and Caleb blushes even harder.
“That I’m in love with you.”
“And?”
He huffs. “And by some fucking miracle you’re in love with me too.”
“Exactly.” I lean in and kiss him. “Just don’t ever mention kissing my mom again, okay?”
“Okay.”
“So… about those jockstraps,” Caleb smirks, placing his empty plate on the coffee table. Oh God, I was hoping he wouldn’t go there yet. I try to keep my expression as unfazed as possible.
“What about them?” I close my lips around a forkful of only slightly burned scrambled eggs and moan exaggeratedly. I love getting a rise out of him. Caleb stirs on the couch, adjusting himself, then eyes me through hooded lids. He’s lying with his back against the armrest, his legs stretched out in front of him, his bare toes brushing up against my shins from time to time. He looks delicious, and I want to suck his face all over, all the time.
“You only wear them when you’re on the app?” There’s a rare sharpness to his voice, and his jaw is pressed into harsh, defined lines.