Page 121 of Callous Shot

53

LINCOLN

THREE MONTHS LATER

“Can we play Zelda after we eat?” Tilly shot Daniel a hopeful glance across the kitchen table, and his gaze turned soft and indulgent.

“Course we can, Tils.”

“And can you braid my hair?”

“Yep.” They grinned at each other, and my heart swelled.

“It’s good to see you happy,” Mike murmured to me as Tilly began regaling my boyfriend with her latest school-related drama. “He’s good for you.”

“Yeah, he is,” I said softly. “Speaking of happy, you’ve been a lot more cheerful lately. I take it the job’s going well?”

He nodded. “Yep. Honestly, at first, I wondered if I’d made the right decision. Going from the police force to risk management? If it hadn’t been for the guaranteed hours and the pay scale, then…” Balancing his fork on the edge of his plate, he picked up his water glass. “Never mind, there’s no point in thinking about the what-ifs. I know I made the right decision. I feel much more settled, I know what I’m doing now, and I enjoy it, and most importantly, I can be here for Tilly.”

“Yeah. No more late shifts.” I tapped my glass against his. “A toast? To doing what makes us happy.”

He clinked his glass against mine. “Speaking of…”

Spearing a potato on my fork, I shook my head. “I know what you’re gonna ask, and I don’t know. Even though my parents are locked up, and as far as I’m concerned, they no longer have a say in my life, the fact is, I’m halfway through this degree, and I don’t want it to be wasted. I’ve been looking into alternative career options, and there are other things I can do with it.”

“Dream career?”

“Hockey player,” I said instantly. “But I’m not sure it’s an option.”

His eyes narrowed as he studied me. “Are any of your teammates giving you a hard time? They’re not trying to get you kicked off the team or anything, are they?”

I shook my head immediately. “No, nothing like that. A lot of them weren’t happy when I told them about me and Dan, mainly because of the whole rivalry, but Enzo shut that down quickly. Some of them have been a bit distant since then, but you know. Dan’s friends, though…they’ve been the opposite of distant. I get on surprisingly well with them, especially Jay.”

“Surprisingly well.” He grinned. “Okay then, if your teammates aren’t giving you a hard time, then what’s the issue?”

“Uh…” I thought about it for a moment. Was I holding myself back from chasing my dream? “Maybe the issue is me,” I said slowly.

“Don’t hold yourself back. Do what makes you happy. You chose him.” He nodded towards my boyfriend. “Now choose yourself.”

I glanced at Dan to find him watching me with a soft smile. I believe in you, he mouthed.

Little eavesdropper. A grin tugged at my lips as I turned back to Mike. “Okay. I promise I’ll look into it. Seriously. No more holding myself back.”

He nodded. “Alright. I know you, Link. If you want something badly enough, you’ll make it happen.”

I entered Daniel’s bedroom, locking the door behind me to find he’d made the most of his alone time after his shower, while I was having my own shower in his shared bathroom. I took in the hot-as-fuck sight of him spread out on his bed like a delicious offering, his hand inside his boxer briefs, lazily stroking his erection as he tracked my movements with dark, wide pupils. My cock hardened rapidly as I stalked across the room, shedding my clothes as I went.

“Clothes off. Now.”

“Hmm, I dunno. What’s it worth?”

My cock jerked. So this was how he wanted to play it. “How about we start with you getting naked and fucking me open, and then⁠—”

“Then you can fuck me open, and I can come on your dick.” He shot me a sly smirk. “I know that was your plan.”

“You missed one thing.”

“Which is?”