A Touch Of Sin [BxB] - Chapter 44: Chapter 44

Callum's POV:
Strips of sunlight bleed between the blinds, causing golden stripes to flare across the skin of Jake, who lays on his side next to me. My eyes roam over his freckled shoulders, sharp bones and smooth skin. I can't resist any longer. I reach out and gently run my fingers down his back.
He lets out a sluggish moan, rolling so that we're facing. His eyes are droopy as he blinks awake.
"Morning boyfriend," I say quietly, my thumb caressing his lower lip.
"G'morning," he mumbles.
"I've missed this."
"What?" he yawns.
"Waking up beside my best friend."
"You used to wake up beside Grant?" Jake jokes.
I roll my eyes. "Wow."
"What are we going to do today?" he asks.
"I have a plan."
"What is it?" he asks.
"It's a surprise. Close your eyes."
"Why?"
"Because the plan starts now," I grin, crawling over the top of him and pinning his arms over his head.
"Eyes are closing," he smirks as they flutter shut.
"Sit back and relax," I whisper, kissing the tip of his nose. "Our day is just beginning."
***
Turns out, Jake actually had a plan.
We cruise along one of the old country back roads where the bumps in the road almost make you hit your head on the roof and weeds are breaking through the cracks. The humid air is pouring through the wound-down windows. I settle back into the passenger seat, admiring Jake. I'm not quite sure how I survived almost a year without him.
"Where are we going?" I ask again.
"Quit it," he dismisses me.
I reach out and touch my hand to his thigh gently. He removes a hand from the steering wheel to place it over mine. It calms me.
I push my questions to the back of my mind and let myself relax. I inch the volume up and let myself enjoy this moment. Here, with Jake, back home.
We drive for another hour before we turn off the road and head down several sharp and winding roads. Roads with no lines down the sides or middle. After a series of steep hills roads so narrow, I thought we might actually come over the edge, we manage to make it to the destination.
"Here," he announces, pulling over to a rough patch of grass and turning the engine off. I climb out of the car and get blasted with the crisp air of being higher in the world than usual. I run my hand through my hair as I peer out at the mass of trees and rocks.
"This is cool," I say rather understatedly.
Jake appears at my side holding socks and my runners. I arch a questioning brow and take them. We silently remove our thongs and replace them with something a little sturdier.
I push my sunglasses up my nose and follow Jake down a red-dirt trail. We walk for a long time in a comfortable silence. I spend the time letting my eyes drink in the incredible landscape surrounding us.
We walk for a long time. Jake points numerous locations out to me, saying some unusual fact about it. It amazes me, really. I had no idea he had this side to him.
"You've done this walk a few times before?" I ask.
"Haze used to take me here when things got too much at home," he explains.
"Really?" I ask in surprise.
"Yeah, we used to pack lunch and spend the whole day out here. He's really into fitness. I used to sleep for almost three days sometimes after he'd take me out here. He's a freak."
A laugh escapes me. "You two are seriously a never-ending bag of surprises."
"We're the gift that keeps on giving," he jokes.
We keep walking until we reach an incline of huge, jagged rocks.
"And now we climb," he states, withdrawing some chalk-looking thing from his pocket and lathering both his hands and mine.
"Climb?" I echo, staring down at my hands.
"Yep!"
He lurches forward, grips the rock and hoists himself up. I stare in slight disbelief as he expertly begins to move his body up the rocks.
"Damn," I mutter, before slapping my hands together and surging after him.
The surface of the rock bites into my hands as I begin to climb.
"How're you going?" he calls after a few minutes.
"Fine," I pant back.
I desperately want to wipe my brow but fear losing my grip. I continue scaling across. Jake is much further ahead of me. I try to increase my pace, but decide I'd rather not die.
I'm not definite on the timing but I believe the climbing took about forty-five minutes. I collapse onto the ground when I reach the top, my heart slamming inside my chest, my shirt sticking to my skin.
"That's my cardio workout done for, like, the entire year," I groan.
"It's such a good feeling, though," Jake grins down at me, offering his hand.
I allow him to pull me up. He throws his arm around me as we walk to the edge.
"Woah," I breathe, my eyes widening as I stare before me.
"Worth it, right?"
"So worth it," I agree.
The view is completely breath-taking. We stand in silence for a long moment, both appreciating what is in front of our eyes.
The wind is fresh and cool up here, rustling my air and soothing my heated skin. Jake sits on the edge of the cliff, dangling his legs dangerously over the edge. I follow suit, feeling tired but oddly energised and rejuvenated.
"You're the only person in the world I would take here," Jake tells me. "I love you."
"I love you," I say back, gathering his hand in mine and kissing the non-chalked side of it.
"We're going to leave this place and all the shit behind us, okay? No more drama."
My throat feels tight as I nod. I need to tell him...
Regret pinches ever fibre in my body as I sit there. I drag my eyes from his and stare out at the view.
"No matter what, you're it for me. You know that, yeah?" I say to him.
"Yeah," he says softly, pressing his finger into the side of my face so that I'm looking back at him. "Because you're it for me, too."