Without You

chapter fourty three

CALISTA 

FRIDAY NIGHTS used to be fight nights and I used to go religiously, for the past few years anyway.

Even after all this time, I'm still not too sure how I feel about them. On one hand I have the horrible memories, the pain, the fear, the abuse. But on the other, I have the chance to meet the love of my life.

Some things have stayed the same, during the week I work as a nurse at one of the local hospitals but now on the weekends I spend my time doing whatever I want to do, be it lunch with the girls or date night with my boyfriend.

My life is finally mine.

When I think back to how Zane and I met I cringe a little. Everything has changed since then, so much has changed that it almost feels like we were different people back then. I feel as though I certainly was. But yet we still managed to fall in love with each other throughout everything, throughout all of the change and the growth we moved towards each other instead of away.

Nothing went to plan, at all. I was just supposed to be living in his apartment while I got back on my feet but here I am, years later in the same apartment- still living with him.

Obviously it wasn't as smooth sailing as that, but we've gone full circle and ended up at the beginning. I think it's cute but Zane hates to think about how we meet.

I know he feels guilty, but he should feel the opposite. If it wasn't for him and Mikey, I don't know what my life would have been like. I don't like to dwell on that thought but it's the truth. They saved my life.

I like to think though, that we would've met eventually. That even if I was never with Wyatt and if he never boxed, that we would've found our way together. Because it feels right to be together, almost as if the universe would place us in each others lives no matter the circumstances- either the universe or my meddling friends.

ZANE

I never thought I'd fall in love.

When I first met Callie, I was sure that I'd never get a girlfriend or fall in love and have a family. It just wasn't something I was interested in because of my childhood but then I met her, and everything changed.

I used to hate it when people didn't mind their business and stay out of other people's lives but now, I feel differently. Because if I'd never have gotten myself involved, Callie would've struggled to get out of the relationship, and I never would've had the privilege of falling in love with her.

Every single day that I wake up and see the beauty lying next to me I'm grateful for being nosy. And when I think back to the time I tried to convince myself that we could just be friends I laugh, because Callie and I could never just be friends. It was always gonna be more than that, I was just an idiot.

Calista showed me that I could change, that I could grow and that I didn't have to lock myself in my comfort zone. And throughout the time we spent together, apart and then together again I did just that; I grew, I changed and I'm still trying to push myself out of my comfort zone.

I'm trying to learn how to communicate better and how not to let my fears stop me from doing what I want to do. I'm trying so hard to show Callie that she's worth the earth and more- I'd pick every star from the sky for her, and she wouldn't even have to ask.

I want to bring light to her life like how she did to mine, I want to be there with her on her good days, share her best moments and celebrate all of her achievements, no matter how small. And when she has a bad day the only thing I want to do is be there for her, in whichever way she needs, be it space or comfort.

She's always so focused on how I impacted her life but sometimes I want to stop her and explain all of the ways that she's changed mine, that she's changed me. From the moment I laid eyes on her I knew she'd be someone of significance in my life- and boy is that an understatement now.

In the simplest way possible, Callie is an angel on earth and I'm the lucky fucker allowed to fall in love with her and have her love me right back.

My angel.

—

Thank you so much for reading Without You! 

I hope you enjoyed reading as much as I did writing and I hope you fell in love with Callie and Zane just as much as I did. I think they are actually the sweetest. 

Is the ending too soon in your opinion? I'd love to hear any feedback just not anything too harsh because I am a very sensitive person and will probably cry. 

I know this ending chapter was short but I just wanted to close off with their final thoughts on their relationship. Almost a reflection on the book from each of their povs. 

I don't tend to end my books with marriage and kids because I like to explore their relationships in their rawest forms without any complications, I prefer to focus on their dynamic instead of a family one. 

Also not everyone ends up getting married or having kids and I think that relationships are still beautiful and fulfilling without any extra stuff and I like to portray that in my endings. 

For the last time thank you so much for reading, apologies for the waffle. 

:)