Page 61 of Game Over

“Oh yeah? Anything else you love?” He dragged the back of his hand over my shoulders, and I could practically hear the smirk in his voice. That ego sometimes. He rinsed my hair again and then squeezed all the water out of it before grabbing the conditioner.

“Hmm, let me think… You have a pretty nice ass for a guy. I can’t even lie. And your legs and back? Would put any woman on their knees.” He laughed as he worked the coconut conditioner through my hair.

Having someone take care of me for once was nice. I know my mom did her best, but sometimes I needed someone to see my needs and not ask what to do, but to act and help. It was fucking exhausting always being the person everyone went to. The one everyone relied on for everything, but I could never tell them no. Even if it did drain me at times.

Spencer’s fingers were gentle with my hair, carefully detangling any stubborn spots, and then working the water through. After it was all rinsed out, he grabbed my loofah and body wash, squeezing a generous amount onto it, and lathered it up before starting to wash my back.

Despite the hot water, goosebumps formed on my skin from his gentle touch. He moved to my shoulders, down to my legs, before turning me around and moving so slowly around my chest. There was nothing sexual about it, just pure gentleness and the need to care for me as he worked down my body. Standing back up, he gently walked us under the water to rinse.

“I don’t have any manly scents per se, but you’re welcome to use what I have.” I motioned to the bottles as I moved to the built-in shelf to get my face wash. “I also have this here, too, that you can use.”

“Works for me, thank you.” He set to work cleaning himself as I washed my face and stepped in quickly to rinse it out. Once I was all clean, I sat on the bench, soaking in the sight of him. Those damn tree trunk thighs, his strong back, and those beautiful dark brown curls. He was perfect and beautiful, and I hope he knew that too. Every part of him had me in a perpetual chokehold, and I never wanted to be free. I would spend the rest of my life loving him and never growing tired of his presence.

Fuck. I was in love with him. Part of me already knew it, but it still scared the shit out of me. I was totally and completely in love with Spencer James Parker.

“Man, that feels so much better. Showers really fix everything.” He said as he turned around, giving me even more to admire. I swallowed to try to clear the lump that formed in my throat from my sudden realization.

“That’s what I always say! The perfect cure-all if you ask me.” We stepped out of the shower, and I wrapped myself in one of my giant, fluffy towels, quickly grabbing one for him. After I dried off, I did my skin care, threw on some lotion, and got changed into a pair of comfy boy shorts and a T-shirt from the top of my mountain of laundry I desperately needed to fold. Out of all the chores, laundry was my least favorite to do. It was so tedious that I put it off until it was overflowing. Then, because I had a mountain of laundry, the house felt cluttered and made me anxious. Which in turn made me irritable until I finally put it away. It was a vicious cycle. I turned around, and Spencer was drinking me in from head to toe.

“I don’t know how my old school shirt ended up here, but I’m not complaining one damn bit. It looks much better on you anyway.” Looking down, I noticed it was, in fact, an old UTK shirt that I must’ve stolen from his place at some point. The Vols’ gaudy orange wasn’t my usual color, but I liked that it was his. “Come here, baby girl.” I hopped into bed with him, and he pulled me on top of his lap, brushing my damp hair out of my face.

“I don’t know how I got so lucky to call you mine, Allie. A day doesn’t go by that I’m not in utter disbelief at it. You have been the one constant in my life that shows up time and time again, and I will never take that for granted. Not one bit, Allie Roberts.” His breath hitched on the last words, and he pulled my face down and kissed me so gently that it made my heart break. In the back of my mind, I could hear the last of the walls crumble down around me.

The need for love and acceptance, the want for stability and a home, powering that kiss. I kissed him back harder, my fingers tangling in his hair at the base of his neck, hoping and praying that he felt all the love I had to give to him pour into it. I would do anything in my power to make sure this kind-hearted and loving man knew how special he was to me, and that I would never take for granted that love. I would replace any negative memory he had of Maplewood and his past with ones he would look back on and cherish. I leaned back, cupping his face in my hands and staring into those sapphire eyes.

“I love you, Allie Grace Roberts. More than you will ever know. Without you, my existence wouldn’t be the same,” he whispered into the quietness of the room, letting the moment, those three little words, settle around us, everything clicking into place.

“I love you with every ounce and fiber of my being, Spencer James Parker.” My heart hurt with how much I loved this man already.

It was as if every heartache, every mistake we made, every fucking ounce of hurt we had to endure in our lives, bound us together so we’d cross paths. There was a part of me that knew he was the one. There was never going to be anyone else again for me. I would bet all I had on that fact. I knew people would call me crazy, say this was too quick, that I let my walls fall too fast, and left myself unguarded.

Fuck maybe I was crazy, and I should slow down, but this felt like nothing I’ve ever felt before. There was a connection between us that only a few people are lucky enough to ever experience. Down to my very core, I knew that I was made to love Spencer.

CHAPTER 26

Never On Your Own

The next morning, I woke up feeling lighter than ever before. Having her bare-faced, wearing my shirt, and in my lap, while I told her I loved her, will be a memory that plays on repeat. The gentle caress of her words as they wrapped around my fractured heart, smoothing the edges that she never broke.

She healed the different parts of me broken by the ones who were supposed to love me the most and help me grow. That scared little boy who didn’t know where his mom and dad went for days at a time, that angry teenager who acted out because any attention was better than no attention in his mind, and that lonely adult who wanted someone to finally give a damn. Seeing her love so deeply for those close to her, and always making sure everyone around her was taken care of. Allie may have walls built to protect herself, but once you earned the privilege of being let in, she loved fiercely.

How I ever got lucky enough to have a woman as amazing as she is, I will never understand, but I will spend my life showing her how grateful I am for her and her heart. Because if there was one thing I knew to my very core, is that she was going to be Mrs. Allie Grace Parker one day.

I grabbed my phone to check my socials for the month. I didn’t share much, but she was the one thing I wanted to show off. She stirred next to me, wrapping herself around me and pressing her feet against my legs.

“Jesus Christ, woman, why are your toes like icicles?” I let out a yelp as I tried to pry them off me, but she wasn’t having it.

“Nooo, you’re so toasty, let me stay.” She was a dramatic little thing.

“You’re lucky I love you because you’re so cold it hurts.”

“Mmm, say it again,” she said as she tilted her head up to me, eyes still closed, but a smile gracing her beautiful pink lips.

“I love you, Allie Grace.” She finally cracked open those mesmerizing forest eyes, and a lazy smile spread across her face.

“I love you, Spencer James.” She pressed her lips to mine and ran her fingers through my hair. Damn, that felt good to hear. Knowing this amazing woman opened her fortress around her heart for me, I’d protect it no matter what and show up for her every day.

“Can I be honest?” I could feel her body stiffen under me. I’m sure her brain was already going through the worst scenarios. “Relax, sweetheart, it's nothing bad.”