Array
(
[text] =>
SHE’S BACK HOME. She’s back with me. It feels… surreal. It feels so fucking good.
That morning, I visited my mum’s grave. Seeing her name written on the stone brought back memories. Memories of ten-year-old me in a suit watching her coffin get lowered to the ground. I haven’t visited her in a while but I had to.
After finding out the truth about her death, it felt like finding the missing piece to the puzzle. My mum was struggling, really struggling. She didn’t leave me because she didn’t love me, but because she stopped loving herself. Coming to terms with that was hard. The only place I wanted to be was at the bridge. And the only person I wanted to talk to? I thought she was away at rehab.
But no, she’s back and she made my day a whole lot better.
When I saw her yesterday, I couldn’t believe it. My heart felt like it was about to jump out of my chest. God—she does something to me. Something no one ever has. I can’t even explain it. But it’s like I want to change every bad thing about me, every bad habit, just so I can be better for her and treat her the way she deserves.
As soon as she asked me why I cared so deeply, I couldn’t stay quiet anymore. I had to say it. Had to tell her I love her. That I’m in love with her.
And fucking hell, the lady loves me back.
I felt like the happiest lad alive. I must’ve looked like a complete idiot walking around with this massive grin on my face, planning our whole bloody future the second those words left her mouth.
After months of waiting, she’s mine. Carmen Castro loves me back and she’s fucking mine.
My phone buzzes and her name flashes on the screen—Blondie—as if she knows I’m thinking about her. My chest tightens in that way it always does when she calls.
I drop my pen without a second thought. AS exams can fuck off for a minute. I’d rather talk to her.
“Hi, Aaron,” she says softly when I answer.
“Hey, blondie.” I lean back in the chair, the smile spreading across my face without even trying.
See? This is what I mean by when I say she does something to me. She has me grinning like a goner. Well, I am for her, there’s no fucking doubt in my mind.
“Come over.”
The way she says it catches me off guard. It’s bold and with no hesitation. “Right now?”
“Felix and my dad are out doing something football related, and my mum’s at a meeting,” she explains. “You don’t understand how long it took to convince them that it’s okay to leave me home alone.”
“Can’t blame them,” I chuckle lightly. “They’re just looking out for you.”
“They’re overcompensating, Aaron. Hovering over me like I’m some newborn baby,” she huffs.
I laugh, already standing and grabbing my car keys.
“So can you please come over?” she asks again, voice dipping into something softer.
“Alright, darlin’,” I say. She didn’t need to ask again but hearing her wanting to see me—needing to see me—makes me go crazy.
“Yes!” she practically squeals, and I can picture that giddy smile on her face. “Thank you, Aaron.”
“I’ll be there soon,” I chuckle before ending the call.
I reach into the top drawer of my desk and pull out the small box I’ve been holding onto for weeks now. The necklace I’ve been waiting to give her.
I pull up to the tall black gates and press the buzzer.
“The password?” Carmen’s voice crackles through the speaker, teasing.
“Aaron O’Connor will be the next star player for England?” I offer.
She snorts. “That works.”
The gates creak open, and I drive up the paved road, parking next to the garage. Before I’ve even shut off the engine, the front door swings open and there she is, leaning casually against the frame with her arms crossed, wearing short black denim shorts and a red tank top that should be illegal.
She’s not even trying and she’s already wrecking me.
I head up the steps, take her hand, and pull her into me, pressing a kiss to her lips before she can get a word out.
“Hi, Carmen,” I murmur between kisses.
Her cheeks flush a warm red. “Stop,” she says, one hand on my chest.
“What?” I chuckle quietly. “Do I make you nervous?”
“As if,” she scoffs, crossing her arms again like she’s unaffected.
I lean down, bringing my lips closer to hers. “I can always tell when you’re lying.”
She lets out a huff. “It’s annoying when you do that.” When I analyse everything about her? I can’t fucking help it.
I laugh at her response before I place a kiss on her cheek and slip inside, closing the door behind me.
“So what’ve you got planned for us today, Blondie?” I ask, draping an arm over her shoulder.
“Since I can’t go to school because it’s exam season, I’ve picked up a new hobby to keep me entertained,” she says proudly.
“And that would be?”
We walk into the kitchen, and my jaw actually drops. Three full jugs of colourful drinks, a plate stacked with golden pancakes, and another full of fruits. “Cooking, baking, smoothie-making.” Carmen grins. She looks so cute right now.
“Now sit,” she orders, pointing to the island chairs like she owns the place. Which, fair enough, she does.
“Yes, ma’am.” Doing as she says, I pull out one of the chairs and take a seat.
I watch as she pours a red drink into a cup and slides it across the counter to me.
“Tinto de verano,” she says, her Spanish accent smooth and melodic. “It’s basically red wine and Sprite.”
I raise a brow but take a sip anyway, and surprisingly, it’s actually good. Really good.
“You like it?” she asks, chewing the inside of her cheek nervously.
“Only because you made it,” I tease, and she rolls her eyes. “But seriously, it’s proper nice.”
“I got the recipe from Tío Sam,” she chuckles. “My parents would kill me if they knew I was drinking it, though.”
I take her hand and pull her between my legs. “What’s it called again?”
“Tinto de verano,” she repeats. Fuck. That accent. That voice.
“Why are you looking at me like that?” she asks, eyes narrowing.
Because I could listen to you speak Spanish for the rest of my life without a complaint.
“Say something else.”
“In Spanish?”
I nod my head, letting out a hum.
She hesitates, then murmurs, “Eres lo mejor que me ha pasado en la vida.”
I don’t know what that translates to, she could be insulting me for all I know, and it still sounds beautiful coming out of her mouth. “What’s that mean?”
“That you’re annoying as hell,” she deadpans, then walks around the island with a smug look.
“Yeah?” I chuckle, standing up to follow her. “Is that right?”
“Mhm.”
Liar.
“Well then,” I sigh dramatically, “I guess I won’t give you your gift.”
Her head snaps toward me, confusion written all over her face. “Gift?”
“Your birthday gift.”
“But my birthday was weeks ago.”
“I forgot to give it to you,” I say, scratching the back of my neck. I sound like an absolute dickhead.
“You didn’t have to get me anything,” she replies, her voice quieter now.
“Yes, I did.” I shake my head. “Besides, I wanted to.”
She looks at me like I’ve just handed her the world. And I haven’t even given her anything yet.
I pull the small box from my pocket and hand it over. My heart’s pounding harder than it does before a match. God, I hope she likes it.
I watch as Carmen slowly opens the box and then her lips part in shock. Her fingers brush over it gently before she looks up at me.
“Thank you, Aaron,” she breathes out. “I love it.”
“You do?”
She nods with the softest smile. She does.
“Can you put it on me?”
I take the necklace from the box, step behind her, and gently clasp it around her neck, my fingers brushing the cool skin of her collarbone.
Carmen turns around, her face just inches from mine. “I love it,” she repeats. Then, softer, “Y te amo.”
And I love you. “I know what that one means.” My lips tilt up in amusement as she laughs quietly.
Just as I lean in, a sharp bark rings out. Dexter, the German shepherd Felix got her for her birthday, sprints into the room, tail wagging like he’s gone mad.
“Hi, Dex,” Carmen coos, kneeling to pet him. He trots over to the glass doors leading to the garden and sits, looking back at us expectantly.
“You wanna play outside?” she asks.
The dog nods, actually nods. I’m not even joking. Carmen opens the door, and he bolts outside without hesitation.
“Let’s go,” she says, nodding toward the garden.
I follow her out, scanning her garden like it’s the first time I’ve seen it. It’s massive. Like, I could fit my house three times over in here and still have space left.
“This is the perfect weather for swimming, don’t you think?” she asks, throwing a smirk over her shoulder.
“Yeah, but—” Before I can finish my sentence, she shoves me into the pool.
The cold water hits me like a punch to the chest. I resurface, coughing as I push away the hair plastered to my forehead, and she’s doubled over laughing at me.
“Oh, really?” I raise my brows at her but she just continues to laugh, her hand covering her mouth hiding her big ass grin.
“Help me out, then?” I put out my hand.
“So you can pull me in?” she scoffs. “Not a chance.”
“I won’t,” I say, all innocent. She narrows her eyes skeptically. “I swear, darlin’. Promise.”
Hesitantly, she reaches for my hand, and the second she grips it, I yank her in. She shrieks as she hits the water, and now it’s my turn to laugh. Her head pops up beside me, hair dripping and eyes wide.
“Aaron!” she gasps.
“Payback.” I shrug carelessly.
She then splashes water at me, and I splash her right back. And just like that, we’re laughing again. Wet clothes, tangled limbs, and all.
She’s back. She’s safe. She’s mine. And I’ve never felt more like myself.
She has her legs wrapped around my torso and my hands sit comfortably on her waist. “You lied to me,” she grumbles, eyes narrowing.
“That will be the one and only time I’ll ever lie to you, Carmen,” I promise.
“Good.”
I scan her face, taking her all in. Her softly arched brows, her thick lashes, those big, brown eyes, the dahlia dimples she has when she’s smiling. Yes, I figured out what they’re called.
“Can we always stay like this?” she asks, meeting my gaze.
“I want to,” I mutter. “So fucking bad.”
“Me too,” she sighs. “I just… I can’t believe it. Us. Everything.”
“You better believe it.” I pull her in closer. “Because loving you, Carmen, has been the easiest and best thing I’ve ever managed to do.”
I watch as her eyes start to get glossy, my heart slowly breaking at the sight. She doesn’t say anything though, just wraps her arms around me and nuzzles her head into the crook of my neck.
“We can stay like this forever,” I tell her, answering her question from before.
“Forever,” she repeats quietly as if she’s trying to picture it. “I’d like that.”
“Yeah?” I chuckle softly, running my hands down her hair as she nods her head in response. “Well, I’d like that too.”
I freeze in place as I feel her lips on my neck. She continues, pressing soft kisses against my skin. Once she hits my sweet spot, a soft groan escapes me but she just lets out a quiet chuckle and carries on. Fuck—what is she doing to me?
“Carmen, sweetheart!” A voice calls out from inside the house. Not just any voice.
My coach’s voice. Oh, I’m so done for.
“Shit,” Carmen mumbles before swimming away from me, keeping some distance between us. Shit indeed.
I contemplate getting out of the pool but that would only make things worse considering my fucking boner would be on display.
I start to plan my own funeral as her dad steps outside into the garden, Felix and her mum following behind. Should I just drown myself now?
Coach Castro looks taken aback once he sees me in the pool and he glances between me and Carmen repeatedly before his jaw starts to twitch. “Connie,” he grits out, eyes glaring.
Felix lets out a snort, crossing his arms as he leans against the glass door. Oh, piss off.
“Who’s this, mija?” her mum beams with a grin on her face, her reaction completely different from her husbands.
“He’s—”
“Aaron O’Connor,” Carmen’s dad interrupts.
I rub my hand on the back of my neck as I let out a nervous chuckle. “Hi, Coach.”
Her mum clasps her hands together and her next words make me want to kill myself, “Why don’t you have tea with us, love?”
I glance at Carmen who has the same shocked look on her face as me. “Mum, he—”
Coach Castro interrupts again, “No, he can’t stay. Right, Connie?”
I don’t miss the threatening hint in his tone. “Sorry, Mrs. Castro, the lads from the football team made plans,” I lie.
“Alright, Felix, how about you give Connie here a change of clothes?” she suggests and I watch as the smug look on Felix’s face drops within seconds.
“Yeah, ‘course,” he grits out and I can’t help the smirk that makes its way onto my face.
“Great,” I mumble under my breath, dragging a hand over my soaked face. I put my hands on the edge of the pool and pull myself up.
This is the exact opposite of how I imagined meeting her family officially was going to go.
“Dry off and come back downstairs,” Coach grits out, then throws a towel in my direction with more force than necessary. It slaps against my chest with a wet smack. “We’ll talk later.”
Shit. That’s going to haunt me for the rest of the night. Am I gonna get benched now? Or worse, kicked off the team?
Felix is already walking inside, still laughing to himself, and I shoot Carmen a what the hell do I do now? look. She just shrugs, brows furrowed and lips part in shock of what just happened.
I dry my hair with the towel as I step inside, Carmen beside me. “Bit dramatic, don’t you think?” I mutter to her as we walk up the stairs.
“My dad or you?” she teases.
“Both,” I sigh.
Felix is in front of us as we walk up the stairs. “Romantic swim, was it?” he taunts.
“Piss off,” Carmen huffs, pushing past him into the hallway.
Felix winks at me. “Come in, Romeo.”
I follow him into his room. It’s… massive. Sleek black furniture, a ridiculous-sized TV, and a walk-in closet bigger than my entire bedroom.
“Catch,” he says, tossing a pair of black shorts and a plain tee my way. “Don’t say I never did anything for you.”
“Cheers,” I mutter, grabbing the clothes.
“Put your clothes in here,” he says, pointing to a laundry basket. “My mum’ll dry them for you.”
Of course she will. Like I’m not already dying from embarrassment.
As I turn toward the closet, he calls out, “Oi.” I glance back. “You didn’t do anything with my sister, did you?” His voice is suddenly sharp, eyes narrowed.
I scoff. “Really, Felix?”
“What kind of brother would I be if I didn’t ask?” he shrugs, but he’s dead serious.
He’s not wrong. I don’t say anything, just shake my head and step into the closet, closing the door behind me. I change quickly, draping my wet clothes over the side of the laundry basket Felix pointed out.
When I step back into the room, Felix is gone. Thank fuck. I know all he’d be talking about is what he just saw with Carmen and I.
I walk down the hall to her room and knock softly. The door opens almost immediately, and the second I see her face, lips pursed with her arms crossed, I can’t help the laugh that slips out.
“Aaron,” she scolds, “nothing is funny.”
“It kind of is,” I grin. “I mean, besides the fact your dad wants to murder me.”
Carmen groans, dropping her head into her hands. “This dinner is going to be terrible. I’m so getting a lecture.”
“Hey.” I reach out, gently pulling her hands away from her face and easing her closer. “It’ll be okay.”
Will it be? I’ve got no fucking clue. But if saying it helps her breathe easier, then I’ll keep saying it until I believe it too.
“I didn’t think they’d be home this early,” she mutters. “I’m so sorry.”
“It’s all good, don’t worry about it,” I say, brushing her cheek with my thumb.
She looks up at me, wide-eyed, full of worry. I brush my fingers against her cheek and she lets out a sigh. “Okay,” she mumbles. “Let’s go before my dad comes storming up here.”
“You’re right.” We step into the hall together, walking side by side, fingers brushing as we make our way downstairs. I want to grab her hand. Say fuck it and hold on. But it’s not the right time at all.
We reach the living room and the conversation between her parents stops as Carmen’s dad immediately stands up from the couch. I glance over at Felix and he shrugs his shoulders, telling me he doesn’t know what the fuck is going to happen either.
“We need to talk,” Coach says, nodding his head towards the garden, and before I can reply, he’s already walking to the glass doors.
I don’t say anything, just follow him outside, but I don’t miss the nervous look on Carmen’s face as she sits down beside her brother.
Coach Castro closes the door and then next thing I know, his arms are crossed and he’s glaring right at me.
“When did you two get so close?” he asks, eyes narrowed.
“I tutor her in maths.”
That answer isn’t good enough for him. There’s a long pause before he says, “What’s going on between you and Carmen?”
I stand up a little straighter, my jaw tensing. “I like your daughter, Coach.” There, I said it. No hesitation. No white lies. Just the straight up truth.
He scoffs, eyebrows lifted in disbelief. “Connie, as much as I like you on the pitch and as a player on my team, I don’t want you near my daughter.”
Is he serious?
“She just got out of rehab and this isn’t what she needs,” he continues.
You don’t know what she needs, I think to myself but I know better than to say it out loud. I know he’s just a worried dad that has no idea how to deal with what’s happened to his daughter.
“With all due respect, I’ve been there for her,” I tell him. Every step of the way. I’ve been there. He has no bloody idea.
“And with all due respect, Connie, she’s my daughter, alright?” he says firmly. “I don’t want anything jeopardising her recovery.”
I hold back my scoff. “I wouldn’t do that.”
“I like you, O’Connor,” he sighs. “You’re a good lad, a bright future ahead of you, but Carmen can’t be included in that future. At least not for a few months. You understand that she needs to recover properly, yes?”
“I do.” I understand that but me staying away from her? Fuck that.
“Then you understand why I want you to stay away from her?”
No. But I nod my head anyways.
He places a hand on my shoulder, lips pursing. “Good lad.” Then, he opens the sliding door and steps into the house like nothing happened.
“I’ll see you at the next game?” he asks, basically telling me it’s time for me to get out of his house.
Carmen glances between us, her brows furrowed, and I have to force myself to look away.
I want to be angry, I do. I want to scoff in his face and tell him there is no way I’ll be staying away from Carmen. But I’m the bloke that he found in his house, swimming with his daughter. And that bloke? He doesn’t have a good reputation.
So what Carmen’s dad is doing, is what any protective dad would do.
That doesn’t mean I’m going to listen to him though. Keeping my manners and trying to be as respectful as I can, I just said what he wanted to hear.
There’s no way in hell I’ll stop talking to that curly-haired blonde who flipped my world upside down. No way in hell.
“Yeah, Coach.” With that, I walk off, the sounds of arguing getting farther and farther with every step I take to the door.
“Carmen!” I hear Coach yell, his voice echoing throughout the large house. And then, just as I reach for the door handle, I hear running footsteps behind me.
“Aaron.” Thank fuck. It’s her. Heaving a breath, I turn around to meet Carmen’s gaze.
“What happened?” Carmen looks up at me with confusion written all over her face as she takes a hesitant step towards me.
“Don’t worry about it,” is the only thing I can manage to say.
“No.” Her voice comes out quieter as she shakes her head. “Tell me, Aaron.”
“I have to leave now, okay?” I say softly, tucking a curl behind her ear. She doesn’t need to know what her dad said, his words actually don’t matter, because I’m not going to stay away from her.
“He doesn’t want us together, right? I can tell,” she mumbles and buries her face in my chest, covering her eyes with her hand.
I hold her close, rubbing her back slowly. Fuck. She already knows. “It’s okay,” I whisper.
“No,” she chokes, her voice small and broken. “I thought he was finally starting to care about me.”
“He’s scared,” I murmur. “He doesn’t know how to show it, but he’s just trying to protect you.”
She pulls back slightly, just enough to look at me. Her eyes are glassy, a crease between her brows. “Please don’t…” Her voice cracks. “Please don’t listen to him. Don’t stay away from me.”
Her words hit like a punch to the chest. “I wouldn’t be able to if I tried,” I say softly, brushing a tear from her cheek with my thumb.
“I need you, okay?” she breathes. “Don’t leave me.”
I don’t reply. I just pull her back in, holding her tight as she tucks her face into my neck.
Whatever her dad thinks, it’s bullshit. I’m not going anywhere. Not when she needs me the most. Even if it costs me playing for Royal United.
“I’ll talk to you soon, okay?” I say softly, both hands on her cheeks as I wipe her tears.
She nods her head, leaning into my touch. Then she mutters, “I’ll try to talk to him.”
There’s a sadness in her eyes. Devastation, even. After everything, all she wants is for him to listen to her wants and needs and it looks like she isn’t hopeful that he will.
“Remember what we said at the pool?” My lips tug up into a small smile. “Forever, right?”
“Yeah,” she breathes out slowly, mulling into the memory.
I finally decide to twist the door handle and open the door. “I’ll see ya, Blondie.”
She doesn’t reply, just looks up at me with glossy eyes that break my heart like nothing else does.
I look into the house and when I see nobody in the foyer, I lean in and pull her into a kiss.
“Bye, Aaron,” she finally says.
And then, I step out, forcing every bone in my body to walk to my car even though everything is screaming at me not to.
Her parents finding out about us couldn’t have gotten any worse.
[text_hash] => fb2d8241
)