Dad and Jake soon arrive home, bringing with them to go boxes of pizza. The scent hits me the moment they enter the kitchen, and I’m immediately starving. I don’t even bother giving either of them a hug, I’m so hungry.
I’m pushing open the lid of one of the pizza boxes when Dad asks, “Isn’t Ash coming for dinner?”
Turning toward him, I wrap him up in a quick hug before I return my attention to the pizza. “He should be here soon.”
I have no idea if that’s true. I know Ash said he would try his best to arrive by dinnertime, but I feel like we’re eating a little earlier than usual.
“You should text him,” Jake suggests. “The weather’s getting worse. Tell him he needs to leave if he hasn’t already.”
I glance out the window once more. Jake’s right. The rain is coming down. And the temperature is just going to keep dropping.
My boyfriend needs to get here and soon, before he becomes stuck in the snow.
Chapter Two
Ash
It’s raining like a son of a bitch, and I keep my hands steady on the wheel, my gaze focused, my speed slow. Basically, the complete opposite of how I normally drive, because I don’t want to risk it. I don’t want to get in a wreck on these slick roads and ruin everyone’s Christmas.
Including my own.
I’m eager to see my woman. It’s been too long. Haven’t touched her since Thanksgiving, and that’s messed up. This long distance relationship shit is for the birds, but lucky for us, we only have another year and a half of this before it’s over.
Hopefully.
Frowning, I press on the gas as the car climbs uphill. Thank God there’s not a lot of traffic on the road now. But it’s past seven, and while Autumn texted me earlier, asking if I’d left yet, unfortunately I was still at my apartment. She told me her dad and brother just showed up with pizza, but she’d save me a couple of slices.
I don’t even care about the pizza. All I want is to see her. Touch her. But that’s going to be kind of difficult, considering we’ll be surrounded by family for the rest of the week.
That’s why I have a little plan. A secret early Christmas gift that I think she’ll approve of. I already ran it by her parents, and they were fine with it. We’ll only be gone for approximately twenty-four hours, and even then, we won’t be too far away.
My girl and I need a little getaway. I booked a cabin at one of the nearby resorts months ago, knowing they would sell out fast. A man has to do what he can to get his girlfriend alone so he can get her naked.
You know, the important stuff.
The reservation is for tomorrow, and I can’t freaking wait. For Autumn and me to be all alone. In a small cabin all to ourselves. No nosy siblings around. No parents always keeping an eye on us.
Hey, I love the Callahan family, and Christmas is amazing at their house. They’ve made me feel welcome, like I’m a part of their family ever since Autumn and I got together. But…
We need a break. We haven’t been alone for a while. We get tired of sneaking into each other’s rooms after a while. We’re not teenagers in high school anymore. We’re adults.
It takes me a little longer than usual, but I finally arrive at the Callahan house around seven-thirty. The rain is slushy, with little flecks of snow falling mixed in with the rain drops, and I grab my duffel bag and make my way to the front door as fast as possible, ringing the doorbell repeatedly once I arrive. It’s too damn cold for me to stand out here for too long.
The door swings open and there’s Drew Callahan himself, smiling at me. “Ash! You finally made it.”
I practically run inside, nearly colliding into the gigantic tree that’s overtaken their living room. “It’s cold as hell out there,” I tell him as I brush flecks of snow off my shoulders and onto their bare wood floors.
Oops.
“It’s not even that bad,” Jake drawls when he sees me, sauntering into the living room and grinning like the smug bastard he is. Jake and I, we have a love-to-hate-you relationship. Though it borders closer to love now than hate. Not so much a few years ago, when I first got together with Autumn, but he’s loosened up since then.
So have I.
“Whatever,” I mutter as we give each other a lackluster high five. I smile at him. He smiles in return. I glance over at the couch to see his girlfriend Hannah is sitting there, smiling up at me.
“Hi Asher.” She’s pretty. Quiet. A little shy. The complete opposite of Jake, but opposites attract and I think she’s good for him. He seems to have mellowed out since they’ve gotten together.
Ava and her mom enter the living room next, and they greet me with hugs and questions about school, football, the holidays. Everything, as usual. Ava’s boyfriend Eli is with them, and we start talking. He’s going to graduate high school in the spring, and hopefully become a Bulldog with me in the fall. My little baby freshman quarterback to my senior year, top dog QB. He’ll be my protégé, and honestly? I’m looking forward to it. I like the kid. He has a lot of potential.
Jake is even better. The Callahan family both creates football talent and surrounds themselves with football talent.
It’s kind of wild.
“Ash, you’re here!”
I turn to watch my girlfriend descend the staircase hurriedly, dressed in a cute gray sweatshirt and matching sweats dotted with white stars, her hair hanging loose and damp past her shoulders. She comes barreling towards me and throws herself at me, her arms going around my neck as mine automatically wrap around her waist. Bending down, I kiss her, forgetting myself for a moment, drowning in the taste of her, until her little brother Beck brings me back to reality.
“Get a room!”
Everyone in the living room starts laughing. Autumn blushes. Eli and Jake say stupid shit until I glare at each of them and they immediately shut up. Autumn starts laughing and squeezes me harder, whispering in my ear, “Let’s go to your room.”
We leave the living room and head down the wing—yes, the Callahan house has actual wings—that leads toward Drew’s office and the guest room. The guest room that just so happens to pretty much be my room, since no one else stays in it but me.
Once we’re inside, Autumn closes the door and basically attacks me, pulling my head down so her lips touch mine. The kiss deepens in an instant, and my hands start roaming. So do hers. Until we’re both staggering toward the bed, and I pull her down with me onto the mattress, my arms cradling her to soften the fall.
“I’ve missed you so much,” she breathes moments later, when our lips finally break apart so we can catch our breath. “You don’t even know.”
“I know.” Grabbing her hand, I settle it on top of my erection. “See?”
She laughs, and the sound fills me with warmth. You don’t even know you’re walking around cold and lonely until the very one who takes those feelings away is back in your life, shining her light on you.
That’s Autumn for me. My life used to be complete shit. She changed that for me. Her parents helped me, gave me opportunities I would’ve never received if I hadn’t met them. If I hadn’t started chasing after their daughter.
Now, I’m on top of the world. Life is pretty damn good. There’s only one thing missing.