Cameron
I've had the world's longest, most miserable fucking day there ever could be. First, I had to say goodbye to the two girls who mean the entire world to me, and then when I landed in LA, I had to go straight to practice, and the first warm-up for the season was utter hell. Coach could tell that I hadn't been working out like I should have.
I'm groaning in agony as I ride the elevator up to my penthouse, my muscles aching from head to toe as I rest the back of my head against the wall.
It's only been six hours, and I already feel like a piece of my soul is missing. I kept it together for her, but deep down, I wanted to break down and lose it, too. Saying goodbye was one of the hardest things I've ever done.
But this will be good for her, and I told myself I wouldn't hold her back. She needs this; if I begged her to stay, she might hold it against me later in life. This will all be worth it in the long run.
I just have to keep telling myself that until I actually believe it.
The doors to the elevator finally open, and I wander into the kitchen to set my duffel bag down on the counter. It's not until I catch a faint whiff of tomato sauce that I see a lasagna freshly made sitting on top of the oven.
What the hell?
I set my keys down, cautiously looking over my shoulder to see if there's some surprisingly nice intruder that wanted to cook me a meal, but it's just me alone in the kitchen, not a single sound to be heard.
Is it a crazed fan hiding somewhere? I know I shouldn't be thinking that, but I glance down at myself and see I'm just wearing a pair of workout shorts, cleats, and no shirt. I should have showered right after practice. I should have put more clothes on.
I start my search for a crazy woman, looking behind the couches and chairs in the living room before I head down the hallway. I open up the utility closet, then I check behind the shower curtain in the bathroom; both come up empty.
I didn't make a lasagna, did I?
I'm beginning to question everything I've ever known until I see a light on in my bedroom. I don't have anything to protect myself, but if it truly is some crazed fan, I'm confident I'll be able to handle myself.
Letting out a deep breath, I open the door, freezing dead in my tracks when I see the sight before me.
Maddie is sprawled out on my bed in nothing but my high school jersey, erupting into a fit of giggles when she sees the immediate grin plastered onto my face.
"Wait," she pleads as I inch closer. "Let me explain, okay?"
She better talk fast because I'm two seconds away from tackling her onto this bed. I don't think I've ever been so relieved or happy. Did her flight get canceled?
"You deserve a wife that treats you with the same respect you show me as a husband," she starts, twirling her fingers around her lap from being so nervous. "I used to think it would make me less of a woman to pick a man over my career, but when you left today, and I saw that photo album you put together, I just..." She sighs and wipes away a tear, her bottom lip trembling. "You are a dream of mine too, Cameron, and we just got married. I have my entire life to go on a study abroad program, but I don't have that kind of time to build this foundation correctly for us. As much as I want the experience, I want you more, and the truth is that my home is wherever you and Izzy are. You were talking about there never being perfect timing for us, Cam, but this is it. This is our perfect timing, and I won't fuck it up. Not this time."
I take another step closer, but she holds a finger up to stop me. Out of all the ways I thought this conversation would go, this isn't it. Maddie deserves to have everything she's ever wanted. She's worked so hard to get here. She can't throw away her dream of the study abroad program. Not for me.
"It's only fair that I meet you in the middle. Marriage isn't about giving up your happiness all for someone else. It's about compromise, and that's why I'm here to tell you that you were right about everything."
I arch a brow up. "Everything?"
"You can't leave LA, Cam. You're stuck here. And yes, finishing my time with the clinic would be ideal, but I realized that I didn't even try to meet you in the middle, and that's not what marriage is about."
"Mads..." Letting out a sigh, I sit beside her and pull her into my lap. Tears are brimming in the backs of her eyes as she quickly tries to blink them away. I know her better than anyone, and she's battling with her heart and her mind.
"I want to live here with you," she whispers. "I talked to my boss and said she can find me a job here without a problem."
My heart soars in my chest. "And that's really what you want? To live here with me?"
She nods. "More than anything. My biggest fear is losing you. I don't want to screw this up again, and if I leave for this study abroad program, things are bound to go wrong between us. They always do."
When tears pour down her cheeks, I swipe them away with my thumb and say, "You have no idea how happy it makes me that you're willing to move here, Mads, but giving up the study abroad program? It's all you've ever worked for. You say you can go at any time, but if you don't go now, it's only going to get harder. What happens when we have more kids? Or when Iz gets older? It won't be as easy to leave." I squeeze her hands when her bottom lip starts to tremble. "You deserve this, and I'll be here with open arms waiting for you when you return. I made a vow to you when we married and fully intend to keep it. You have nothing to worry about."
"B-but what if we don't make it?" She stumbles.
"We will," I reassure. "We'll talk every single day. As selfish as I want to be to ask you to stay, going on this study abroad program is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. You need to take it, Mads. It'll make you a better doctor."
She falls apart in my arms, sobbing into my chest. I continue stroking her hair and repeatedly kissing her head until she takes a deep breath and says, "You're the best husband in the world. You know that, right?"
"I try," I manage with a smug grin. "Now, let's book you another flight to Germany."
"Okay," she says, biting on her thumbnail. "I meant what I said about moving here when I get back. I just... I couldn't leave without telling you what an idiot I was on our honeymoon. It's the obvious decision that I should live here, and I'm sorry for taking so long to realize it."
My lips twitch, threatening a smile. "Communication is really working well for us, it seems. Where's Iz?"
Maddie grabs the baby monitor from the nightstand. My baby girl is sleeping in a pack-and-play with her butt in the air, and the sight causes my heart to constrict. I'll miss these two more than anything, but deep down, I know this is what's supposed to happen. It'll suck for the next year, but then I'll have my family together again. If Maddie and I have gotten through this much shit over the years, we can survive a study abroad program.
We can survive anything.
"Before I look for flights..." Moving my hand down to my old jersey on her, I push my fingertips underneath the material, scraping her smooth, delicious skin. "What am I going to do with you in this little number, Mads?"
Blinking her blue eyes up at me, filled with nothing but seduction, it's an effort not to cave. I'm seconds from tackling her right on this damn mattress. "What do you want to do to me?"
"I have about five positions in my mind at the moment," I reply, my voice strained as I watch her twirl the edge of my damn jersey. "Still unsure which one to pick."
She giggles, falling onto her back and taking me with her. "Why not all? And make them count, Holden. Don't let me fly across the country without a decent memory to hold onto."