I took a deep breath, steeling myself, and pulled it open.
And there he was.
Colton.
He was here. Standing right in front of me. There was something different about him. He looked more sure of himself, stronger. There was a confidence in his eyes that hadn’t been there before he left. He looked… good.
My breath hitched. I raised a hand to my mouth, completely speechless. It had been about sixweeks since we’d seen each other, since his panic attack, since my jealousy had me acting ridiculous, and since that explosive fight. I was rendered speechless. I didn’t know what to say. He looked… different. More at peace, somehow.
“Colton,” I whispered, his name barely audible. My mind raced, trying to figure out how to act, or what to say. The shock, the hurt from our last encounter, the excitement and hopefulness of us finally getting the chance of a future together, it all swirled together, leaving me frozen.
“Hey, Firefly.”
Chapter 30
Colton
“Hey, Firefly.”
The nickname was the only thing I could manage. Fuck. She was a sight for sore eyes. Seeing her, standing there, her blue-gray eyes were filled with a mixture of disbelief and shock. Her long blonde hair was pulled into a sleek ponytail, with loose strands framing her face, and she looked absolutely stunning in her simple jean shorts and pink tank top. Seeing her after six weeks, looking as gorgeous as ever, had my cock thickening in my pants. Popping a boner was the last thing I needed at the moment. I didn’t need her parents or mine for that matter, seeing that.
My mom called me last night letting me know Ember was starting to worry that something was wrong. I hated keeping our calls short, but it was needed this time. I had plans to make and a short time frame to get everything figured out. I wanted this moment to be a surprise to her.I didn’t want her to know I was coming home, I wanted to see the look on her face when she opened the door and it was me. So I arranged it with her family and mine, for everyone to be here.
Before Ember could utter another word, the screen door behind her flew open with athwack. A blur of motion and then a very serious looking Garrett was in front of me, his fist connecting squarely with my jaw. A sharp, stinging pain exploded across my face, my head snapping back from the force. I stumbled backwards down the steps, but didn’t fall. I was expecting this. Afterall, he told me when I first came back what would happen if I ever hurt Ember again, so I didn’t blame him.
“That,” Garrett calmly stated, coming down the steps towards me, his eyes connecting with mine, “is for hurting my sister- again.”
“Garrett! No!” Ember gasped, a horrified cry coming from her. “Mom! Dad! Get out here and get your son!” She yelled into the house as she descended the porch steps and started yelling at Garrett.
I raised a hand, rubbing my jaw, the metallic taste of blood forming in my mouth. It hurt like hell. I wasn’t expecting Garrett to pack such a punch. I was impressed. “It’s okay, Ember,” I said. “He’s right. I deserved that.” She searched my face to see if I was lying or I was serious. “Ember, I deserved it. I promise Firefly, it’s ok.”
“I told him to be expecting an ass whooping if he hurt you again, Ember,” Garrett said. “I always keep my words.”
Our families were already starting to come outside, my dad and Richard’s faces were grim, but there was a flicker of understanding in their eyes. I think they knew what was up and knew it wouldn’t escalate to anything further. I deserved it, and I accepted it. Owen, on the other hand, looked kinda amused at the whole situation. Like he was getting a kick out of my getting punched in the face.Fucker. My mom andLaura stood behind Owen and both had a look of worry and shock on their faces.
To prove to Ember, and everyone else, everything was really ok, I extended my hand to Garrett, my gaze unwavering. “I deserved it and I’m not going to make excuses. But I’m back, for good.”
Garrett immediately took my hand. “Glad to have you back, Colton.”
“Colton!” my mom called, rushing down the steps and to me with her arms wide. She didn’t stop for a second before she wrapped her arms around me in a tight hug. “It’s so good to have you back.” She stepped back, looking at me. Nodding her head, she said, “You look so much better. I see a change in you, Colton.”
I heard everyone talking around us and noticed the smiles on their faces. “Come on, Paula, let the boy go so we can get back inside and he can eat.” Turning to me he asked, “Are you hungry?”
“Oh yes! Laura and your mom cooked up quite the feast,” Richard said, coming over to clap a hand on my shoulder. “It’s good to see you, Colton. Really good.”
“Thank you, sir. It’s good to be home,” I said, looking over at Ember. “Really good.”
“Well, let’s go everyone,” Laura called from the porch. “Food is getting cold. And I’m sure you’re hungry, Colton.” I was actually. I haven’t had a home cooked meal in forever.
As I passed Laura on my way through the door, she put her hand up to stop me. Without saying a word, she pulled me into a hug, whispering, “I am so proud of you. We all missed you.”
The dinner was incredible. Laura made a roasted chicken with a mix of vegetables, some roasted and some grilled. There was a choice of mashed potatoes or mashed cauliflower, which she informed me shewas working on cooking videos for vegetarian options and wanted to also include different cauliflower options. They all sounded delicious and I told her I’d be more than happy to taste test anything she made.
As conversations flowed around the dinner table, I couldn’t stop glancing at Ember every chance I could. She was sitting right next to me and there was nothing stopping me when I reached under the table and placed my hand on her bare thigh, giving it a squeeze. Her breath hitched, her body stilled for only a second, and I watched as she quickly glanced around the table. When she realized no one was paying attention, they were all in their own conversations, she reached under the table and with no hesitation, or shyness, placed her hand right over my jean covered dick, giving it a firm rub. And just like that I was sporting a massive hard on at her parents dinner table.
The following week, I fell into a rhythm. I no longer felt like I was just existing, I felt like I was actually living. I was working on figuring out what I was going to do, I needed to find a paying job, but most importantly, I was healing. My sessions with Alejandro continued, either by phone or text just to do a daily check-in, something he said we would try tampering off to maybe as needed. But we were still meeting once a week to do our weekly session.
Today, Alejandro and I met at the local park, somewhere quiet and not inside. We were sitting at one of the picnic tables, the warm sun felt good against my face.
