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Chapter 16 - Endgame

"Think we can get out of here?"

God, does she have any fucking idea what she's doing to me? Those eyes… that mouth… that low, husky voice… I've been hard since the minute I heard the rumbling engine of her truck pull up, for fuck's sake.

And then she just stared at me from across the bonfire until I couldn't take it anymore and went all caveman on her, pulling her away for some privacy.

Luckily, that didn't piss her off.

She had to work today, so we hadn't seen each other since late last night. After…

Fuck.

Bella and I fell asleep together for a little while, but thankfully, I got out of there before her parents came home. I don't even want to imagine how awkward it would've been if I hadn't. I still don't know how I'm going to look Charlie in the eye from now on. And Renee… I'm guessing she would've tried to high-five me or some shit, and yeah... nope.

I would've much rather stayed with Bella all night, but we weren't sure how our parents would feel about that, even though we're eighteen. Plus, with her having to work this morning, she needed some sleep, and let's face it. There would've been absolutely no way in hell I could've kept my hands or other parts off of her. I'm sure she was sore, but I guarantee I would've been dry-humping her half the night, at the very least.

As I adjust my dick in my shorts for what feels like the millionth time tonight, Bella tracks the movement and licks her lips.

She's seriously going to kill me.

I am going to die of a perpetual hard-on and never even make it to college.

"Drama queen," she says because I definitely groaned and mumbled something about dying.

Not the first time she's called me that. Won't be the last.

"You gonna quit whining and let me take care of that for you?" she says, running the back of one finger up the hard line of my cock. "My truck has so much room…"

Wow, I think that might be the first time I can say my dick legit jumped, like it just knew it was about to get to dive into something warm and wet.

"Yes. Yes, I am, you evil woman. I've been sporting wood since you got here, and you keep looking at me like I'm a giant steak burrito bowl or some shit, so it's getting painful now."

B licks her lips again, most likely picturing me covered in guacamole.

"Awww. Poor baby," she croons.

"Shut it, Swan. This is all your fault." My eyes rake down her body. "Can't stop thinking about what's under those hideous clothes."

Her chocolate eyes roll, but a smirk plays at those cherry lips.

Yanking her to me, I suck that bottom lip between my teeth, pulling a deep moan out of her mouth.

Fuck yeah. I live for those unguarded reactions from her.

I let my hands roam down over her ass, but before I start humping her right here against the driftwood, she steps out of my hold and grasps my hand, leading me toward the small parking area in the trees beyond the sand.

As we near her truck, Bella turns and walks backwards, still holding my hand, with a gleam in her eye that I've never seen before.

I spot Jacob then, walking to the beach from his car, but he quickly averts his gaze, his expression turning stony. He's been avoiding hanging out with us since Jas's party, which sucks, but Brady says to just give him time to get over it on his own.

Bella doesn't see him, her eyes laser-focused on me. Her back collides with the passenger door of her truck, but she keeps pulling so that I collide with her. Dipping low, I capture her lips again. She tastes so goddamn sweet.

Just as B finally manages to open the door after I've kissed the hell out of her and my balls are absolutely aching, Emmett pops up out of nowhere.

"Hey, kids. Whatcha doin'?"

I level him with a flat look. "What does it look like, genius?"

His eyes wander to my crotch, which I instantly cover with both hands, and Bella steps in front of me to block his view like it's her raging boner to protect.

Guess that's accurate.

"Looks like I'm about to win the bet," he says, wiggling his eyebrows.

I pull my lips between my teeth to hide my smile as B walks over to him, standing on her tiptoes and reaching way up to pat him on the head. "Aww. You're so pretty."

Em swats at her hand. "The fuck?" He narrows his eyes at us—at our smug-as-hell expressions—and things finally click into place. "Aw, mannnn," he whines. "You already fucking did it, didn't you? Sluts," he grumbles, folding his arms over his chest and pouting like a gigantic two-year-old.

"Um, you're the dumbass who told us when you bet we'd do it," Bella points out.

He opens his mouth, but the protest dies in his throat when he appears to remember doing just that. Why the hell would he think we'd help him win?

"When?" Emmett asks, defeated.

"None of your business," I say at the same time B says, "Last night."

We glance at each other and grin.

"Gross," Em says at our display. "And you just had to do it the night before. Just had to rub in it, huh?"

"Uh, yeah," we say in unison and grin even bigger at each other.

"Assholes." He frowns. "Ugh, it's gonna suck balls having to hang out with you guys now that you've fucked, isn't it? I mean, it's been bad enough for the last few weeks, what with B sitting on your lap and shit, but now? Ugh. You're gonna be wishing you were fucking the whole time we're all together." His frown deepens, and then he points at us, shouting, "Life-ruiners!" before storming off.

Bella and I blink at his retreating back and then burst out laughing.

"Well, he's not wrong. I mean, naked Swan or video games in a fart-filled basement? Hmm," I say, moving my hands like I'm weighing the two options on a scale. "Gonna have to say naked Swan would win every time."

She purses her lips, though one side is fighting to tug upward. "Even if it's Mass Effect?" she asks with wide eyes and raised eyebrows.

Damn. Mass Effect is my favorite.

But yeah.

Grasping the loose fabric of her big t-shirt at the waist, I tug her against me, and I know I'm sporting a goofy smile, but I can't find a fuck to give. "Even if it's Mass Effect."

.

.

College is fun—freedom and parties and getting to fuck like bunnies any time we want. And weird—nothing can really prepare you for the eclectic mix of people you'll meet at a large university when you've grown up in a small town. And harder than we expected—neither of us ever had to study much in high school, but it's a different story here.

I'm homesick a lot, but so is Bella, and she anchors me. I hope I do the same for her.

Today's my first college ball game.

Deep breaths.

"Okay, dude." Bella stands in the doorway of my tiny dorm room and claps her hands once before rubbing them together. "Time to make the chimi-fuckin'-changas."

I pause midway through stuffing my cleats and glove into my duffle and turn to look at her standing there in an oversized t-shirt with my number on it. Fuck. "Just when I think I couldn't love you any more, you go and quote Deadpool." I put my hand over my heart and tilt my head back to look at the ceiling, pretending to blink away tears.

Bella snorts at me. "Yeah, I know. I'm awesome. Just keep remembering that when all your fans are trying to get in your pants," she says with a derisive side-eye out the window, like there are droves of girls lying in wait to pounce on me or some shit.

Silly girl.

Even if there were, she has to know by now that I only have eyes for her.

I mean… I'm not saying I've never looked at another girl. That'd just be a blatant lie. But there is nothing and no one in this world that could make me give up what I've got with Swan.

.

.

"I'm gonna miss you. So fucking much."

Holding her head to my chest, I stroke down her soft hair. "Me too." My voice cracks, but I can't help it. This sucks more than anything ever.

But I can't pass it up.

It's a step toward the majors, and even if it's against the odds that I'll ever make it there, my coaches say I've got potential, so I have to at least try. And I'll be back for our senior year. I know B would come with me if she could, but she was able to snag a summer internship with Blizzard in California. And I guess we'd better get used to the long-distance thing because if I'm good enough, I could at least move up in the minors, and who knows where I'll play?

Bella wants to go to grad school here too. And UDub is one of the best schools for her program. A masters in computer engineering will give her almost unlimited job potential after graduation. So she's staying here at least another three years.

And I'm going.

At the moment, it's to freeze my nuts off in the middle of Montana, of all places.

At least it's only for the summer. But June in Billings isn't exactly warm.

"Go Mustangs," she says with a half-hearted fist-pump and a shaky voice.

I squeeze her even tighter.

.

.

I'm not gone all the time. I have a few seasons under my belt now and have moved back home, back to Bella in between. I've been back home since November, but I still sometimes forget where I am when that first morning light stirs me from sleep.

On Christmas morning, I'm disoriented for a brief moment as I wake up to dark hair tickling my nose.

Bella's apartment.

Her bed.

Her.

I guess it's our apartment again now. Our bed.

Remembering what I've been wanting to do since the moment I realized I was in love with her, I roll stealthily out of bed and open my underwear drawer, letting my hand close around the small box that's been tucked into the back corner for over a month now, burning a hole in the particle board and my mind.

I don't lift the comforter. A draft would wake her, so I slither under, find her left hand, third finger, and slip the ring on while she's still sleeping. And then I slide back up to my pillow and pull her toward me. She grumbles, and I chuckle into her ear.

"Merry Christmas," I tell her in my sleep-scratchy voice.

B shivers and slings a leg over my hip.

But then she goes slack with sleep again a few seconds later.

I huff an impatient sigh and run my hand down to her thigh, hitching her leg up to my waist. Walking my fingers back down toward her ass makes her squirm, and I smile in triumph as she gives me a throaty moan once I get under her boy-shorts.

Pumping two fingers into her lazily, I run my nose over her jaw, moving her hair off her face. Without warning, she reaches down to give me a hard stroke through my boxer briefs, and I let out a surprised "fuck" against her neck.

"Merry Christmas," she husks with a smug smile evident in her voice.

We maneuver with practiced ease until she's under me on her stomach, pinned by my weight the way she loves, and I'm thrusting into her with a hand wedged underneath her pelvis, fingers pressed to either side of her clit in the way that makes her scream.

She doesn't disappoint and almost head-butts me when her orgasm hits because I'm busy dusting her neck and shoulders with open-mouthed kisses. But I move just in time, and I'm not done with her yet. Keeping my hand where it is, I lift her onto her knees and plunge back into her slick heat.

I know from experience that she's had her eyes closed this whole time.

I smack her ass, and she bucks back into me.

"God, I love being inside you."

B lets out this sweet little mewling sound and squirms on my dick.

"Fuck yourself on my cock."

She does—slides back and forth on my dick, tilting her hips, and it's fucking heaven. I throw my head back and dig my fingertips into her plush ass cheeks.

She doesn't talk much during sex, but we've come to learn that she loves it when I do. And as it turns out, she likes it a little rough too.

Another slap to her right ass cheek makes her clench around me. "Mm, that sweet pussy. Fuck, Bella."

When I grip her hips hard, she stills, waiting as I bury myself deep inside her and stay there. The anticipation makes her tremble, and I move my hands to stroke the smooth skin of her sides, sneaking underneath to palm her breasts. She moans and drops down onto her forearms, so I straighten up, wrapping my hands around her hips once more.

And I let loose—slamming into her while pulling her onto my cock, nailing her G-spot again and again, and she's got her face buried in the mattress now, muffling her keening cries so the neighbors won't bang on the wall like they did last night.

She doesn't notice the ring until we're both panting, me lying half on top of her back, the fingers of both our hands entwined. I kiss her sweat-slick shoulder just as she lets out a loud gasp, followed by, "Holy shitballs."

I grin. There's my B.

"What the fuck is this, Cullen?"

My balls threaten to shrivel up. Fuck. "What? D'you hate it or something?"

She has to know what it is. We've been together for years, and she's known since our first date that I've wanted to marry her.

"Seriously." She shoves me off of her and hops up, and I stare at her boobs because well, I can see them. "I can't—What the fuck is this?"

Maybe she needs some coffee, because damn. "Some might call it an engagement ring."

"I…" she starts but seems to have no idea what to say to that.

I prop myself up on one elbow and lock eyes with her. "Marry me."

It's not a question because there is no question. At this point in our relationship, we've been through shit that probably should've left us in ruins, but we only get stronger.

I only ever love her more than I did yesterday.

Bella's eyes get big and sparkly.

Relief floods me, and I smile.

"Marry me, B."

Her head tilts, eyebrows pull together, chin quivers as she fights off the tears.

"Well, duh," she says before launching herself back onto the bed. Onto me. I catch her with my free arm and bury my face in her hair because my cheeks might be a little wet at the moment.

I'm not embarrassed, though.

It's a big fucking moment.

"Also," I say after we lie there, breathing and sniffling and holding each other for a small eternity, "I've been called up to the majors."

"What?" she shrieks, and I cover my ear with a wince.

She moves away, and next thing I know, she's slamming a pillow down on my head.

"Why didn't you say anything before now? How long have you known? Which team? Oh, my God, is it Seattle?" Her rapid-fire questions are punctuated by the pillow coming down on me.

Laughing, I move my hands to block her. Not because she's hurting me but because she's still naked, and things are bouncing around, and my dick is very interested in that.

After my short season in Billings, I came back for senior year, graduated, and then got to move to a Class A Advanced team in Modesto, California for the next full season. My team was literally called the Nuts, and of course Bella and the guys never stopped giving me shit about it. The next year took me to triple-A in Tacoma, and it was amazing to be back home. Bella and I were able to live together in a shitty studio apartment during that time, and it was honestly the best time of my life until now.

And then came the Arizona Fall League—reserved for the minor league's top prospects. It was my big chance. And when I pitched more than a few no-hitters, that clinched it for me.

Reaching out, I pull her down to me.

"You're looking at the newest relief pitcher for the Mariners."

Bella pops back up onto her knees. "No. Fucking. Way!" she shouts. "YES!" This is followed by rapid fist-pumping, and yep, still naked.

I'm staring at her tits when she freezes and looks right at me. Busted. "Hey, focus." She snaps her fingers in front of my face. "I don't have to sit with the WAGs now just because it's the majors, right?"

I laugh and flick her on the forehead. "Selfish, much? I think a congratulatory BJ is in order, don't you?"

"I literally just put out."

"And?"

"And jeez, gimme a minute, will ya? And I'm the selfish one?"

She rolls back out of bed, snagging her robe off the hook on the closet door—boooo—and flipping me off on her way to the bathroom. Hand still in the air, she looks back over her shoulder at me with a wicked smile, and the wave of happiness that rolls over me is so intense I rub my chest.

I still can't believe I get to stay in Seattle. It helped that my triple-A team was a Mariner affiliate, but still. I feel like I should be shitting out four-leaf clovers right now.

.

.

"I knew it! Finally! I win! Booyah, mothafuckas!" Emmett crows as Alice and Tanya shriek over the diamond-and-sapphire ring on Bella's left hand.

After a nice Christmas dinner at my parents' house with the Swans, at which our mothers cried happy tears and even our fathers' eyes were suspiciously wet at hearing our news, Bella and I headed over to Jasper's house. He and Alice are house-sitting while his parents are on vacation in Aruba, so we're gathered in the roomy basement.

I've already snagged a beer and a recliner, just like old times.

"Oh, my God, I'm so happy for you guys!" Tanya says, clapping.

"I'll help you plan!" Alice cuts in, holding B's hand and tilting it back and forth. "I still have my wedding binder. This'll be so much fun!"

"You did not win," Brady says to Em, after checking a small piece of paper he pulled from his wallet. "You bet Christmas Day, but you bet on it three years ago, dude."

"Still counts!" Emmett fist-pumps with a hop. "Pay up, bitches."

Everyone suddenly finds the floor or walls quite interesting.

"God, you guys suck." He flops onto the couch and proceeds to bitch about the unfairness of it all.

Rosalie steps toward him after making herself a martini at the recent wet bar addition to the basement. "Congrats, you two," she says, raising her glass to us with a warm smile, and I tip my beer bottle at her. "Come on, you big baby," she says to Em, trying to pull him off the couch to no avail.

He flings a forearm over his eyes. Seriously. And I'm the dramatic one?

"The only thing that could make me feel better right now is one of B's epic BLTs with avocado," he says with faux tears in his voice, peeking over at Bella to gauge whether or not she's taking the bait.

She flips him off. Would probably be a double-bird if Alice wasn't still holding her left hand.

"Jesus, Em. Leave her alone. We just ate before we got here." Rose nudges him over so she can sit and rolls her eyes when he lays his head on her shoulder. But then she scratches her fingers through his short hair lovingly, and I grin.

She and Emmett broke up when she went to college at UCLA and he stayed here. But she moved back after finishing her degree, and they're newly dating again. I hope it works out for them because I think she's good for Em, and he brings some lightness and fun to her life.

Jacob walks in with his fiancée, Rachel, and fist-bumps everyone on his way over to where I'm sitting. As soon as we got here, Emmett sent out a group text to tell everyone that I'd finally gotten my head out of my ass and proposed. Pretty sure he tweeted it too.

With a thousand-watt smile on his face, Jacob holds his fist out to me, and I meet it with mine. He started at UDub the year after Bella and me, but that time away from us had helped him get over his crush on B, and we were all able to hang out like normal again. He was also around a lot when I was away for baseball, and I admit I got prickly at times, but I knew I had nothing to worry about. It was just the fact that he could be there with her when I couldn't that really got to me.

"What took you so fucking long, man?" Jake razzes me, thumping me on the chest.

"Shut it, dickweed," I say, but there's no bite to it since I can't wipe this goofy-ass smile off my face. "I wanted to be able to afford a decent damn ring. You know minor league pay is shit."

"You know B wouldn't've cared, man," he says quietly, leaning toward me. "She's so chill she probably would've been happy with a piece of wire wrapped in electrical tape."

We laugh together. "I know. But I wouldn't have. And I guess I wanted to wait until things were more settled. I made it, Jake. The Mariners, dude."

"You WHAT?" His face lights up even more. "Dude!"

"What? What?!" Em scrambles over to us. "What happened?"

"I'll tell you guys in a minute." I don't want to steal B's thunder, though it kind of looks like she might want me to.

I can't hide my laugh when I look over to her and see that Tanya and Alice both have their hands in B's hair, twisting it into different styles as she scowls at them.

Once Alice became a permanent fixture in the group, Bella tried to give her a chance. They didn't like each other much at first, being such polar opposites, but now, they love each other like sisters.

Sisters who constantly bicker, that is.

"Alice, I swear to God," Bella says through gritted teeth.

Alice ignores her because they have this symbiotic relationship in which Bella indulges Alice's whims but reserves the right to bitch about it the whole time. "Oh, yes. Definitely a veil, but maybe just blusher length," Alice says with a nod, and Tanya bobs her head in agreement.

Bella sends me a please rescue me look, and Jake gives me room as I leap out of the chair, moving in swiftly and wrapping my arm around her waist. Jasper walks over at the same moment with fresh drinks to distract Alice and Tanya with, because he's still smooth like that and always ten steps ahead of everyone else.

I toss him a grateful smile, and he winks at me.

Kissing Bella on the temple, I tug her over to the recliner to sit in my lap. She lays her head on my shoulder and whispers in my ear, "We're totally eloping to Vegas, right?"

Huffing a laugh through my nose, I nod. "Definitely."

Her warm breath gusts against my neck, and she squeezes my torso with the arm she slung over me. "Thank fuck."

Chuckling, I tighten my hold on her and wonder for the millionth time how I got so damn lucky. To have these people in my life. To be able to make money doing what I love. To have the girl of my dreams in my lap, who's now wearing my ring.

I let out a satisfied sigh and take a swig of beer.

"Okay," Emmett says, clapping once to get everyone's attention. "We need to get a new bet going for old time's sake. All you married old fogies are borrrring." He fake-snores.

"Hey!" several people protest in unison.

Em walks over to the closet in the corner and opens the door, poking his head inside. "Ohhhh, shit. Yes," he says, covering his mouth and practically giggling. "It's time, ladies and gents."

Bella stiffens in my lap when he turns around with the Twister box in his hands, and a couple of 'oooo's sound around the room. "Fuck you, Emmett McCarty," B spits, and I kiss the top of her head, stifling my laughter.

She still gets embarrassed any time someone brings up that video.

I try to contain myself, but of course I fucking love that video.

"Aw, c'mon. Where's my Killer B?" Emmett goads.

He's trying hard to get her to smile, but Bella seems to be trying to murder him with her eyes.

"I bet you twenty bucks I can beat you at drunken Twister, and hey—even if you start er, singing again, we've all heard it already, so there's no harm in it, right?"

"Nope," she says, shaking her head. "Not happening."

"But you're the reigning champ, B. Group rules. I can't challenge someone else." Face scrunched and pleading, he drops his head back on his shoulders before straightening back up. "Come. Onnnnn. It'll be fun. Please?"

As Bella sits in stony silence, his smile falls, his shoulders deflate, and he drops the box to his side, lowering his eyes but glancing up at her every couple of seconds to see if there's any sign of her changing her mind.

"Aw, shit," I say, jostling her in my lap. "I can't take that kicked-puppy look on his face anymore. Have pity on the big guy for once."

Bella turns her glare on me, but I just give her a winning smile.

"Ugh, I hate you. I'm so not bendy enough for this anymore."

She starts to get up, but I squeeze her hips and drop my mouth to her ear, thinking of exactly how bendy she can be in bed.

I go instantly half-hard in my jeans, and B shivers in my lap as my next word comes out in a whispered rush of air against her skin...

"Liar."

The End

Thank you so much for reading! I had so much fun writing this, and I hope you enjoyed! I unexpectedly ended up doing hours of research on minor league baseball, because it's much more complicated than I realized, lol, so hopefully, I didn't mess anything up there. All mistakes are mine.

Eternal thanks to my awesome prereader friends! You guys help me so much, and I can never thank you enough.

Until next time, lovelies. xo