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Chapter twenty-two

Silas

Woof, woof!

~ Christmas Eve ~

It’s the day before Christmas, and I’m excited. We were lucky this year with our game schedule to have five days off before our next game, and I’m all for it since it means more time with my woman.

Tomorrow we’re spending the entire day with my family, and later today we’re having a team dinner at Burkley’s.

So, I thought this afternoon would be a good time for her first gift, which is why I’m excited and extremely nervous.

This could go either way. Either she’ll love it, or she’ll hate it, and it could cause a big fight.

Which I’m really not looking forward to.

On top of that, tonight will be the first time we’re both around Greyson again. He and I have talked it out. It was a cold few days, but we got it all out of our systems. I know him hiding the truth from me wasn’t out of malice.

He knew I would eventually find out, but he was afraid that by bringing it up out of the blue, I’d think he was trying to brag about it. But since that night had no real meaning to him, he didn’t see the use in mentioning it. I get his point because that’s probably how I would’ve taken it, too.

Cecilia knows he’s going to be present tonight, and she doesn’t seem bothered by it, which I’m glad for.

In the end, I’d like them to be friends.

He is, after all, one of my best friends.

Just maybe not have them as close as her and Clay have gotten.

Which, if I’m being honest, has started to freak me out.

They’ve been texting and calling each other from time to time. Just last night, she called him to ask how to cook the chicken the same way Morgan makes it. Why didn’t she just call Morg? I don’t know. Well, okay, yes, I do. Morgan was working. But still!

She could have just asked me, I was literally right there. And when I questioned why she’d rather call my best friend instead of me for help, she simply stated that he was married to an amazing cook and that she was not.

It felt like a challenge, now all I’m thinking about is taking cooking lessons and putting a ring on it. Maybe after the playoffs... for the cooking lessons. The ring is already hidden inside my watch drawer in the walk-in, but Cecilia doesn’t know that yet.

It’s only going to make three months that we’re dating, and feels a little quick, but I’ve never been surer of anything. Cecilia is the woman I want to spend the rest of my life with. She’s the one for me. My one.

It’s a little past one, and we’re getting ready to head out. I told Minnie I had a few last minute things I needed to do before we come back home to get ready for the Christmas dinner and asked her to join me.

She isn’t too thrilled about doing last minute shopping on Christmas Eve and has been nagging me all morning, telling me that I should have tackled my gifts earlier in the month. I did, but I couldn’t exactly tell her the truth about what we’re doing since it’s a surprise.

As we make our way to our destination, Cecilia receives multiple texts and smiles fondly at every one of them.

“What’s got you all smiling?” I ask intrigued.

She rushes her phone to her chest as if she has something to hide.

Hmm, weird. “Oh, nothing, just Emma being her usual self. She sent me pictures of what she’s planning on wearing tonight and asked if the twins would be there.

” Her cheeks turn rosy as she speaks. Okay, now she’s really acting strangely.

“The twins?”

“Yeah, Noah and Gabe. Apparently, they’re extremely in sync when it comes to the bedroom, enough to be considered twins.

A fact I really did not need to know,” she says with a point of her finger in my direction, and I laugh.

I heard all about their sordid night after Halloween, it seems Em isn’t the only one who likes to overshare.

“Yeah, I got all the details on that too, wish I hadn’t. And to answer her question, yes, they’ll be there,” I say, looking at the road as I turn toward Clay and Morgan’s neighborhood.

“Why are we here? I thought you said it was later tonight?” She looks at me with confusion, then peers out the window as we pass Clay’s house and continue down the road.

“It is, but I have something I need to take care of down here first,” I tell her with a smile as I park my car behind a silver Mercedes in the driveway. “Come on, baby. Up we go.” I open my door and step out .

Hers opens a beat later, standing between the car and the open door, she looks up to the gigantic home in front of us. “Silas, who lives here?”

When she turns my way, I offer her a blinding smile and walk over to her. Grabbing her hand, I pull her away from the car and toward the front door of the house. “A friend,” is the only answer I give her as I ring the doorbell.

Seconds later, it swings open, and one of Morgan’s friends, Violet, stands in the threshold. “Silas! You’re right on time.”

She offers me a friendly hug and quickly pulls away to look at my girl, taking her into a hug as well.

“You must be Cecilia, it’s nice to meet you.

I really hope you like it.” She then steps away and heads back into the home, leaving the door open for us to enter.

Cecilia stares at her disappearing form, completely dumbstruck as I pull on our locked hands, guiding her in.

Once the door is closed, I remove my shoes, Cecilia mimicking my movements on autopilot, then begin to walk her through the house. It takes her a few minutes to catch up when she finally shakes her head and grounds her heels.

“Wait, Silas. Just... wait. What are we doing here?”

“Looking at the house,” I answer.

“Why?”

“Because it’s ours.” I give her a timid smile, my heart jackhammering inside my chest, ears ringing, and hands sweating. I wipe my free one along my jeans as I try to play it cool. Not at all losing my mind on what could be going through hers as I admit why I brought her here.

Her eyes grow in size, mouth parting slightly. Her hand falls from mine as she takes a step back. No... not this. She was supposed to be happy. “W-what... what do you mean... ours?” The words are choked, I can’t tell how she’s feeling right now.

I take a step in, needing to be closer, to comfort her. I bring my hands up, cupping the sides of her face and angling her head up while I lower mine, bringing our noses an inch away. “I bought it for us.”

“But why?” Her eyes become misty. I’m learning with each day that Cecilia gets emotional easily, she feels everything so strongly. It’s beautiful and I love it.

“Because you said something not too long ago that stuck with me, something I never wanted you to think or feel again. Something I knew I could fix,” I say quietly, still remembering how hearing her say it broke my heart.

“What was it?” she asks on a trembling breath.

I rub my thumb back and forth along her cheekbone.

“That you didn’t have a home, and I hated that for you.

It’s why I bought this place the second Morgan told me her friend was selling.

I want you to have a home, Minnie. I want us to have a home.

And now we do, one where we’ll be able to grow our own little family and make memories together. ” I kiss her lips softly.

The tears are coming down now at rapid speed. “But it’s only been three months.” Her body trembles within my grasp, the emotions running wildly through it.

“And I plan to spend hundreds more by your side. So why wait? This is what I want, Cecilia. A lifetime with you.”

“Oh, Silas!” she exclaims, then jumps into my arms and cries against the crook of my neck, legs going around my waist. She pulls back, mascara smudged under her eyes. Even when a mess, she’s still the most beautiful to me. “I love you, Silas! I love you so, so much.”

Her mouth descends on mine as I reciprocate the words. “I love you too, Minnie. So, so much.”

After what feels like an eternity, we pull apart. I thread my fingers through her hair and wipe the smudges of makeup away. “Please don’t ever leave me,” I beg. If after three months I can’t imagine life without her, I know I’d never survive losing her.

“Never,” she breathes over my lips.

“Promise?”

“I promise.” She seals her words with a kiss.

A few hours later, we’re seated at the huge dining table Morgan and Clay set up in a separate dining room they have for bigger occasions. And when I say huge, I mean MASSIVE .

There’s thirty of us in all, players, and some spouses, as well as a few friends. The whole team isn’t here since some went home to be with their families, but all those that didn’t have plans tonight are here with us.

We’re near one end of the table, with Cecilia seated to my right and Emma beside her. Clay is to my left at the head of the table, and Morgan is in the seat facing mine. Greyson is facing Cecilia, and by the looks he keeps shooting me, I can tell he’s a bit nervous with this arrangement.

But it’s okay, I’m fine with having him there. My girlfriend and I just bought our first home together, nothing can upset me at this moment.

“So, how did it go?” Morgan asks with a warm smile.

I’m pretty sure she can tell how well it went by the smile on both mine and Cecilia’s faces. My girl is radiating with joy beside me. I can’t stop myself from staring, completely enchanted by her.

She put on a dazzling red dress that sparkles every time the light hits it. Thin spaghetti straps hold up the top, looking like they might burst with the weight of her breasts that are beautifully pushed up by the tightness of the fabric, no bra needed.

The whole dress is form-fitting, hugging all those sexy curves that I love to lick.

The end hits her knees with a slit along the left leg, exposing her flawless, milky smooth thigh to me.

But my favorite part is her hair. Those beautiful soft curls.

I can never get enough of her hair. It’s become an obsession.

“It went better than I had planned, the house is truly beautiful,” I finally answer.