In Good Company: Chapter 53

“So, this is it,” Lucy tells me with a bashful grin as we step into her childhood bedroom.

I laugh, my eyes scanning the room, not knowing where to look first. “This is amazing.”

Lucy softly shuts the door behind us, making my pulse spike a little, remembering the scowl on her father’s face when Lucy said we were going to go upstairs to talk some more.

I clear my throat, my eyes focusing on the shut door. “Your dad was very clear he wanted that door open.”

Lucy laughs and rolls her eyes. “I’m twenty-three years old. He’ll get over it. Plus, he’s going to bed. No one sleeps deeper than him.”

I nod, feeling like a teenager again, afraid of a father on the other side of the house. I take a step closer to a wall of photos. It showcases photos of Lucy at different ages, making me smile. I point to one of a five- or six-year-old Lucy in a full chef’s costume. “So you knew you wanted to cook from a young age?” I ask.

She nods as her attention shifts to the photo as well. “You could say that.”

I continue to look at the photos as she takes a step closer to me, closing the distance between us. Her arms wrap around my middle.

“I can’t believe you’re here,” she says against my chest.

My hands travel down her back and rest at the small of her waist. I keep her body close to mine, reveling in the feeling of holding her once again. “There’s nowhere else I’d rather be,” I tell her honestly.

Her chin presses into my chest as she angles her head up to look at me. “So, quick question. Where’s your phone?”

I cock my head to the side. One hand leaves her waist to grab my phone from my pocket. I tap the screen, but nothing happens. “It must be out of battery. Why?”

She chews her lip as her brown eyes search mine. “When you plug that in, don’t be alarmed by the amount of missed calls from me.”

I smile, my heart warming at the knowledge she finally called me. “Really?” I’ve been attached to my phone for two weeks without her. I checked it way more than I should’ve, just hoping she’d call. It figures when she finally did call, I missed them.

Lucy nods, her teeth still digging into her bottom lip. “Yeah. I called you…a lot. There was just something I really needed to tell you.”

Something about the look in her eyes makes hope bloom in my chest. We just spent two hours discussing a plan with her family where Lucy got what she wanted but felt that her parents were taken care of as well. She made it clear she wanted me in her plans for the future, but the more validation I got from her that she’s ready to tackle anything life throws at us together, the better.

“What did you need to tell me?” I ask, my words coming out low and raspy. My heart lurches in excitement at the smile spreading across her lips.

Lucy runs her hands along my chest. I love feeling the press of her touch against me again, even if there is a layer of fabric between us. I feel like I barely breathe as I wait for her next words.

Her brown eyes find mine. “I love you, Callahan Hastings,” she says, her voice strong. Her smile gets even wider as she moves her hands to cup my cheeks. “I love you so much that these last two weeks have been torture without you. I don’t know what I was thinking, and I’m sorry for hurting you and pushing you away, but I love you.”

I smile at her words, closing my eyes for a moment as I let them sink in. Happiness radiates through my entire body at finally hearing her confess her love. I let out a happy sigh as my hands find her face. I press my forehead against hers as we both hold each other’s faces. “You have no idea how much I’ve been dying to hear you say that.”

“I love you,” she repeats.

The last two weeks have been pure hell. I didn’t know it was possible to think about another person so much, but it seemed like my mind was full of nothing but her. There were mornings I woke up and feared I’d never get to hold her again. I didn’t know if I’d ever get to tell her how much I loved her again, and I didn’t even let my heart hope to hear her tell me the same.

But she’s here in my arms.

She loves me.

And nothing else matters in this world.

“I love you too,” I tell her, my grip on her face tightening. I look into her eyes, hoping she can see the love I have for her written all over my face. “I love you so fucking much, Lucy Rae. My love for you is the kind that only comes once in a lifetime. I’ve been so lost without you.”

She nods. “I know. Jude told me. I’m so sorry to have put you through that. I think I just needed⁠—”

My head pulls back. “Jude told you?”

She gives me a hesitant smile, as if she doesn’t know if she was supposed to tell me that or not. “Yes. He was with Charlotte when she called me. It was actually them who finally made me see reason and realize I needed to call you and tell you how I felt.”

“I’m so happy they did,” I note, feeling immensely grateful for the two of them. Who knows how things would’ve turned out if she hadn’t talked to them and decided that she wanted to make things work with us? Me showing up at her house unannounced and making a plan with her parents before she even got home could’ve gone very differently if she was still thinking I was more of a distraction than someone she wanted to spend her life with.

Lucy lifts to her tiptoes and presses a kiss against my lips. It starts out timid, but I end that quickly. We may have spent the last couple of hours together, but I haven’t had the chance to kiss her yet. We were busy making plans with her parents about the next steps.

Now that her lips are against mine, I need more. I slowly slip my tongue into her mouth, waiting to see if she’ll allow it.

I fight a smile when she immediately opens for me. Her hands move from my face as they slide down my arms and then find my chest. She grabs the fabric of my shirt and pulls my body flush to hers.

I don’t know how long we stand there in her childhood bedroom making out. Time seems to stand still as we both get lost in the moment. Our hands in each other’s hair, on the other’s body, pulling at clothes. Neither one of us can get enough.

“I have a confession,” I tell her, breaking the kiss for a moment.

“Yes?”

“I also got a little push to stop wallowing and to do something about it.”

She smiles. “Was it also Jude?”

I shake my head, for some reason nervous to tell her the truth. “It was Ollie. He asked to meet at the club. We got to talking, and I told him how I felt about you. He’s the one who pushed me to come here…”

My words fall short as I try to gauge her reaction. She stares at me for a moment with an unreadable look on her face. Finally, her lips spread into a genuine smile. “That was nice of him.” She stands on her tiptoes again and places a soft kiss against my lips. Her mouth moves against mine with her next words. “I’m glad he did.”

I let out a breath, not realizing how tight my entire body was as I told her that. “The reason he wanted to talk to begin with was because he wanted to mend things between us. He seemed older, more mature. He asked me to be the best man at his wedding to Sophia.”

The last sentence comes out rushed. I’m nervous to see her reaction. I know she loves me, and she’s made it clear things with Ollie were never as serious as she once thought. I just don’t want her to be upset that he’s marrying her old best friend.

The smile doesn’t leave Lucy’s lips. Her hands tighten on the fabric of my shirt. “I’m happy for them, Cal. I can’t wait to be the hot best man’s plus-one.”

All the tension leaves my body at her words. “I’ll have the hottest date there.”

Her fingers begin to undo the buttons of my shirt. “I love you,” she tells me, her eyes focusing on her task.

“I love you too, baby,” I respond, groaning when her palms hit the bare skin of my chest. She slowly pushes the shirt off me.

“I choose you,” she adds with conviction. “I promise to always choose you.” Her fingers roam along my abs as she reacquaints herself with my body.

“Baby,” I rasp, trying to hold myself back as her fingers play with the waistband of my pants.

It appears she’s being a tease because her hands travel up my body before she wraps her arms around my neck. “I know I said this when my parents were with us…but thank you. For tonight. For everything.”

I tuck her hair behind her ear and really look at the woman I love. I’d do anything for her, and tonight was just the beginning of us planning a life together. “Don’t thank me. We’re in this together, Lucy Rae. I’m just so fucking relieved you’re letting me shoulder some of the responsibility with you.”

Her answer is to kiss me all over again, a small moan leaving her lips as my fingers tangle in her hair.

We’re still working things out, but it was clear after talking with her parents that the right thing to do is to ask Alec to take over the furniture store. He’s been with them all along and has more than earned his right to take it over. I told Lucy’s parents I could get them with the best business lawyers to talk about a partnership between them and Alec. I even already have ideas of some suppliers they could get into the store that would really make business boom. Lucy seemed relieved to pass on the store to Alec, mentioning that he deserves it more than she does and is far more equipped.

When we’d gotten to the discussion of Lucy coming back to the Hamptons for the summer and then to Manhattan to continue her work and be with me, she seemed unsure. Both her dad and mom insisted she get back out of Virginia, but I could tell it made her uneasy. Finally, we came up with the idea of hiring help for them around the house as well. That way, Lucy’s mom can get a break when she needs it and won’t have to handle everything on her own.

I haven’t mentioned this to her yet, but I also plan on buying a house here in Virginia, close to her parents. That way, with a house nearby and my private jet, Lucy can come visit her parents any time she wants. I don’t want her to think that being together means she can’t spend time with them. Now, she’ll be able to do whatever she wants, whenever she wants.

“Want to break some rules with me?” Lucy asks, pulling away from the kiss. Her fingers skirt across the waistband of my chinos again.

Her father’s warning pops into my mind. He’d been adamant about us keeping the door open if I were to stay here with her tonight.

I groan, my head falling back as her fingers drift underneath my waistband. “I just met your dad. I don’t want him to hate me.”

Lucy laughs, her fingers undoing the button of my pants. “He won’t hate you. He loves you, I promise. Plus, we’ll be quiet.” Her eyes meet mine as she playfully bites her lip. “I’ve missed you, babe. I need you.”

I can’t say no to her. I grab the fabric of her shirt and hastily strip her of it, needing her just as badly as she needs me.

Neither one of us says a word as we continue to pull each other’s clothes off until we’re left with nothing between us.

We get lost in each other, in the feeling of being together once again. And once our desires are satisfied, at least for the moment, we lie awake all night talking. She tells me all about her life, her brothers, and answers any questions I ask. Neither one of us holds back as we fully get to know one another. We’re both honest and open, and by the time we both drift off to sleep, I’m more in love with her than I’ve ever been.

Something I didn’t even know was possible.