Page 63

CALLI

Once again, when I wake, I’m alone.

But this time, there’s no panic or fear. Just happiness and contentment.

Alex knowing and accepting what’s between Daemon and me is a massive weight off my shoulders, one I didn’t even realise was pressing down on me until it lifted.

I roll onto Daemon’s side, drowning in his scent as I drift in and out of sleep and memories of the night before.

But just like when I fell asleep, there’s one part my mind keeps getting stuck on.

Daemon’s words about this not being able to continue once real life returns rips me in two.

There’s no way I’m letting him go when we get back. I refuse to allow my parents, my brother, to control my life anymore.

It was fine—to a point—when I didn’t know what I wanted. But all of that is different now. I know what I want. And it’s him.

Somehow, we need to find a way to show them that we want this, that we’re serious, and that it’s right. Because it is. I feel it in my heart and right down to my soul.

They might have an image of how they want my life to look, what my husband should be like, but fuck that. It’s not their life. It’s mine. And I’ll fight for what I want, what I need.

There has to be a way. There just does.

My need to go and find my devil boy quickly gets the better of me, and I swing my legs out of bed and pad toward the bathroom to get ready for the day.

Dressed in a vest and shorts, and my face free of make-up, I head out on my search.

The sun is already burning bright, the warmth of it seeping through the huge windows that lead toward the beach.

I spot movement beyond the glass, but I refuse to let myself look until I’ve made myself a coffee. Then, I head out.

My smile widens as the view becomes clear and I silently walk across the decking and sit on the stairs, just like I did last night.

Grunts and groans of pain mix with the crash of the waves and the squawking from the gulls overhead as they do synchronised burpees on the sand.

I lower to my arse, my eyes darting between the two of them. They’re both shirtless—something that makes me smile because it shows just how comfortable Daemon is right now—and shorts that hang low on their waist. Their muscles ripple and flex as they move.

Placing my mug down beside me, I focus on Daemon, watching every movement of his body as he pushes it to the max.

I’ve watched him work out every morning since we’ve been here. Hell, I’ve been standing next to him for most of it as he’s pushed me right alongside him. But seeing him competing with Alex just brings a whole new level of hotness to the situation.

The sun quickly begins to burn my skin as I sit here unnoticed, but I don’t do anything about it. I’m enjoying myself too much, keeping count with them as they continue.

Their stamina astounds me, but I guess it shouldn’t really. They’ve probably been training like this together for as long as they remember. And I know for a fact that Daemon won’t stop trying to come out on top until he passes out. His desire to banish the image that he’s the weak one is something I’m not sure he’s ever going to be able to shake.

Eventually, and unsurprisingly, it’s Alex whose body caves first. His arms give out on a push up and he quickly finds himself eating sand while Daemon continues to make a show of beating him.

Smug fucker.

“You’re a fucking pussy, Bro. You been skiving off training?”

With a loud groan, Alex flips onto his back, throwing his arm over his face.

“Fuck you, Iron Man. We can’t all be numb to pain.”

“Trust me, that ain’t fucking true.”

Daemon drops to the sand beside Alex, his back still to me.