Afraid // Calum Hood

Chapter 24 // Marinara

Adelaide's Point of View

"You really don't have to do this," Calum insisted, lifting his fingertips up to the bags clinging beneath his eyeballs and absorbing the last bit of lingering tears. "I'm more than happy just eating some crappy cereal, baby."

I shook my head rapidly, placing my palms against his broad shoulders and pressing him back into the chair at the table, adding a delicate kiss on his chubby cheeks. "No way, I want to cook for you. It's the least I can do."

All of the ingredients were scattered across my counter as I began preparing the famous spaghetti that my grandmother has been making my entire life. I had the entire recipe memorized backwards and forwards and since the best way to a man's heart was through his stomach, I figured the meal would be the nicest gesture I could offer.

The string-like noodles were already in a pot on the stove, simmering in the almost-boiling waters. I stirred through them with a spoon before turning back to the red sauce.

Calum got out of his seat again and sauntered over towards me, leaning against the kitchen island with a smug grin on his face and his arms lightly folded across his chest. I tried my best to ignore his stare and continue working, but the feeling of his gaze burning a hole into the side of my face suddenly made me feel self-conscious. "You know I'm fine now, right? I've gotten over everything. I don't need you to pity me or anything."

I sighed, setting the spoon aside and rotating my body to get a better view of him. "I'm not pitying you, Cal. I do feel really bad that you had to endure all of that, but I honestly admire your strength. I don't know how I could get over all of that. I'm just trying to spoil my boyfriend to make him feel better. Accept my spaghetti or Grandma Winters will kick your butt."

He chuckled, his hands extending out to grasp my hips and pull my body against him. This was his famous move, and everytime he did it, butterflies would flutter throughout my chest. "It's insane how much I love you, Addy."

"Pretty sure I love you more," I stated playfully, leaning up on my tippy-toes to connect our lips together.

Calum scoffed as we pulled away. "That's not true. I love you more than you love me. I win."

I rolled my eyes at him. "No, I win. I love you more than anything in the world."

He raised his eyebrows at me. "Well I love you more than anything in the universe. So, there! Besides, do you love me more than Oreos?"

My teeth dug into my lip as I pretended to contemplate over his question. Calum gasped, releasing his grip on me and swiftly picking up a chunk of marinara sauce in his large hands, throwing it directly into my face. I shrieked as the cold sauce made contact with my face. I got my own ammunition of tomato sauce and lunged it towards him, but he dodged it, making my cabinet stain with red.

Calum chased after me as I attempted to shuffle away from him and not get hit with any of the flying marinara. He finally got ahold of me again and his fingers instantly attacked my sides with tickles, making me squirm and chuckle all at once. My flailing body hit the tomato sauce-covered floor with a thud and he gently sat on my stomach, preventing me from moving any further as he tickled my armpits, making our laughter and my screams increase even more in volume.