Deals (Calum Hood)

Chapter 4

The car ride was silent, but it was a bearable silence. I rested my head against the window of my passenger seat side of the car, closing my eyes. It seemed like we had been driving for hours, alas, when I checked my phone it had only been thirty minutes.

I kept questioning Calum of our destination but every time he refused to answer. He was determined to surprise me. I didn't really like surprises. But he didn't know that so I'd let it slide. I guess. Note to self: Tell Calum I don't like surprises.

"We're here!" Calum sang as the car came to a stop.

I glanced out the window and it seemed as though we were in the middle of nowhere. But I had to trust him. He seemed excited so I should be excited as well.

Calum opened my door for me, helping me out of the car. I looked around at my surroundings; in one direction I saw tall buildings and a foggy sky and in the other I saw trees and a light blue yet still foggy sky. I tried to guess which way Calum would drag me.

"What are we doing here?" I asked.

"Walking." He closed the car door, slipping his keys into his pocket.

"Walking?" I questioned, cocking my head.

"Walking." He repeated, looking at me.

He started going towards the trees and I followed him. "Walking? That's your idea of a date?" Gravel shifted under my feet as I followed him down a winding pathway.

"Dates don't always have to be extravagant, Allison." I heard a slight trace of hurt in his voice.

I regretted my statement, realizing how shallow it was of me to say that. "Well are we just walking?"

"No. We're walking to a place. You'll see."

I caught up to him and we walked side by side. We bumped shoulders every once in a while, since we both swayed a little when we walked. I stared down at my feet and Calum's as I walked, then looked around. We were surrounded by tall green trees. They seemed to be in the prime of their season.

"Do your feet hurt?" He asked, breaking the silence we had built up.

"No, I'm good." I looked up at him smiling.

"Good, we're here." He breathed out, stopping in his tracks. A smiled grew on his face as he scanned across the scenery in front of us.

I admired it with him. From first glance you would think we were in the mountains. There was an abundance of green trees around us that didn't seem like they would be accustomed to the hot Australian weather. They reminded me a lot of North New York; a place a frequented because of my mom's family. But if you listened closer, you'd hear the faint sound of waves and even voices.

"Come here," Calum said as he took my hand in his. I was taken back by his gesture until I realized it was just a safety precaution. He led me closer towards a cliff and I felt my stomach toss. I had a great fear of heights.

"Calum," I said quietly.

He looked back at me, a sympathetic look on his face. "It's okay. It's safe. I'm not going to push you off or anything." He chuckled, a faint smirk grew on his face.

We stood at the very edge of the cliff, our feet inches away from the edge. I squeezed his hand harder, trying to admire the beauty he was showing me.

"Isn't this cool?" He said, not taking his eyes off the scenery below us.

I took a few steps back, releasing my hand from his. "It is, but I think I can enjoy it from right here." I laughed, leaning against a tree. I looked up at the tree I was against, admiring it's American qualities. "I didn't know they had these types of trees here."