On The Rebound (Steinbeck U #1) - L.A. Cotton Page 0,126
part of him as much as it had been a part of Declan. Things weren’t perfect. He and his dad still butted heads. Their relationship was still strained. But the Messiahs were healing. Slowly, they were finding their way. A new way. We had dinner with them every other week and I loved listen to his mom and dad tell stories about Declan and Zach as small boys. And then, after we left, I would love Zach with my body and words, reminding him that he was worthy. That to me, he would always be the most important person in the world.
He was my sun and I always wanted to be in his light. And when things got hard, when the pain or grief or self-doubt became too much to bear, I would be his star, lighting the way.
“I love you, Zachary Messiah,” I whispered against his ear. “I loved you then, I love you now, and I’ll love you to the end.”
“The end?” He slid his finger under my jaw and angled my face to his, staring into my eyes. “That sounds a lot like forever.”
I pressed my lips together, suppressing a smile.
“Say it, sweet pea.” He ghosted his lips over mine, not caring that we were surrounded by our friends and families. We were done letting other people dictate our relationship.
I loved Zach.
And he loved me.
“Use your words, Calli. Say it.”
It was a game we played. A game of who would break first. But there was no hesitation this time when I curled my arm around his shoulder and kissed him.
“Forever, Zach. I want forever.”
Zach
I’d spent a long time angry at the world. Angry at my dad, my brother… the people around me who only ever saw him. His achievements, his potential. I’d spent my entire childhood in Declan’s shadow. But as I stood there, under the harsh glare of the lights in the State Farm Stadium, I didn’t feel angry. I felt determined. This game wasn’t only for me, or the guys, or Coach and the fans, it was for Declan.
And I’d made my peace with that.
We were tied at the end of the second half with twenty seconds left on the clock. It had been a grueling forty minutes. Purdue scored, we scored right back. Back and forth. Back and forth. My legs and arms ached, and my lungs burned. But we had time for one last play.
I pulled up my jersey and wiped the sweat from my face. “We’ve got this,” I mouthed to my teammates.
Brad was on the baseline, ready to run the play. My body hummed with awareness as I slowed my breathing, waiting for the whistle. The second it sounded, I jogged into place. Brad threw the ball to Devin who cut around the defense with precision and power, looking up for his receiving player. It all happened so fast. One second, I was watching the play unfold, the next I was cradling the ball in my hand and leaping into the air, my wrist snapping. The ball flew… sailing clean through the hoop.
The buzzer sounded and the crowd went wild.
Before I could realize what was happening, my team swarmed me, chanting my name. Not Messiah.
Zach.
Zach. Zach. Zach.
It rang loud in my ears as adrenaline raced through me.
We’d done it.
We’d won the championship, and I’d scored the winning point.
I closed my eyes, tilting my head to the ceiling. We did it, Dec. We did it. Emotion lodged in my throat as my teammates jostled me, all high on the win. But when my eyes opened, I only saw one person.
Calli ran onto the court wearing my jersey, my fucking number, tears clinging to her long lashes. The guys parted like the sea, giving her a clear path to leap into my arms. “You did it,” she breathed, burying her face into the crook of my shoulder. “You did it.”
My hand went to the back of her neck, holding her there as I tried to rein in my emotions. She knew. Calli knew what this meant to me, what if meant to my family. She’d been there every step of the way. The ups, the downs, and the downright ugly, she’d been there.
“I love you, sweet pea.”
She lifted her head and took a shuddering breath. “I love you too, so much. And I’m so proud of you, Zach. So, so proud.”
“Yo, Zach, put your girl down,” Brad yelled over the noise. “We’ve got plenty of celebrating to do before you leave.”
I flipped him off over my shoulder, striding towards the tunnel that led to the locker rooms. “Uh, Zach, what are you doing?” Calli’s brows pinched. “You can’t just abandon the team.”
“Watch me.”
“Seriously, you can’t—”
“Listen to me, Calli, and listen good.” I touched my head to hers, marching her through the crowd that had swarmed the court. “Nothing, nothing will ever mean more to me than you. The team got what they wanted, we won. We fucking won, babe. But now… now I get what I want.”
“Yeah?” Love and lust glittered in her eyes. “And what do you want, Zachary Messiah?”
My lips fixed over hers as we stumbled into the wall, our laughter vibrating between us. “You, Calliope James,” I said the words with total conviction. “I want you.”
Calli was my anchor. She always had been. When I’d lost her, the sea had gotten stormy for a while. Like a ship without its sail, I’d veered off course and hit rocky ground. But she was back, and she was mine.
And I was never letting her go again.
Not for anything.
Thanks for reading On the Rebound.
If you’re curious about Maverick Prince, you can read his story in Wicked Bay. Start the series here.
You Broke Me First – Tate McRae
Favorite Ex – Maisie Peters
Stuck with U – Ariana Grande ft. Justin Bieber
Graveyard – Halsey
Walk Me Home – P!nk
Make Me Cry – Noah Cyrus ft. Labyrinth
Missed – Ella Henderson
I Don’t Want You Back – AJ Mitchell
Between the Wars – Allman Brown
Half A Man – Dean Lewis
What We Had – Sody
That Way – Tate McRae
You Were Good to Me – Jeremy Zucker, Chelsea Cutler
No Right to Love You – Rhys Lewis
I Can’t Stay Away – The Veronicas
Anitdote – Faith Marie
8 Letters – Why Don’t We
Worthy of You – Plested
Tell Me That You Love Me – James Smith
Somebody Else – Jonny Brenns
I Still Love You – Josh Jenkins
Say - Ruel
What a year it’s been. Calli and Zach were never part of the plan. Zach first appeared in Wicked Forever, the final book of the Wicked Bay series, and he definitely caught my attention. I wanted to know what secrets the quiet reluctant basketball player had lurking behind his eyes. So when the chance to write a short Halloween story presented itself, I knew exactly who I wanted to write about.
But I wouldn’t have gotten to this point without a few mentions. Andie, my editor and bestie, thank you for holding my hand through this one. My beta team—Annissia, Heather, and Amanda—I appreciate your input and ideas. Ginelle, thank you for being there to proofread at the drop of a hat. Tracy, Anna, Nina, for continuing to be my people. To Candi at Candi Kane PR for handling all my promo, and to all the bloggers and bookstagrammers who helped spread the word. THANK YOU! This is book number 50 or something and it never ever gets any easier (in fact, I’m pretty sure it gets harder).
I hope you enjoyed Calli and Zach’s story.
Until next time,
L A xo
ANGSTY. EDGY. ADDICTIVE. ROMANCE
Author of mature young adult and new adult novels, L A is happiest writing the kind of books she loves to read: addictive stories full of teenage angst, tension, twists and turns.
Home is a small town in the middle of England where she currently juggles being a full-time writer with being a mother/referee to two little people. In her spare time (and when she’s not camped out in front of the laptop) you’ll most likely find L A immersed in a book, escaping the chaos that is life.
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