WRONG NUMBER / CH

chptr 38

Calum knocked solemnly on the door, tapping his foot against the soft carpeted floor nervously. He heard muted music on the other side, followed by footsteps and low, feminine voices.

The door swung open. "Calum," Kar said, obviously surprised. "What's up?"

Kar gestured that he could come in, so Calum entered without another word and plopped himself comfortably on their couch like he lived there. Jewel came out of her room to see who would be visiting them at this time. She waved when she saw Calum, who offered her a small smile.

The two girls sat across Calum with questioning looks on their faces. He looked like he had a difficult equation to solve-furrowed eyebrows, mouth turned down, creases appearing in his forehead. For a moment both girls thought something bad had happened to him or to Luke, and was here for some neighborly help.

But his phone buzzed and he jumped slightly, which made them remember. This wasn't some neighbor thing. No, this was a love thing.

"You met Leia, right?" Jewel asked. Luke had told them about Leia moving to Sydney and meeting Calum recently. They were both happy to hear that. They thought all Calum's problems would be over once he met her, but looking at him now it seems as if they doubled.

Calum didn't look surprised that they knew. "Yeah, I did. And she's great. She's amazing. And I'm pretty sure I'm falling for her even more now that I know her." He sighed like he was the most stressed-out person in the world.

Kar was getting impatient. "So what's the problem?"

"Should I tell her?"

His words were vague but the girls understood. They could see the desperation in his eyes and how much he wanted to solve his predicament. They heard the longing and the way he cherishes her from the way he spoke. Like she was the most precious thing in the world, and he feared that he was hurting her by keeping her in the dark of what's really happening.

They didn't speak since Calum was in a rush to get all the words out of his system. "I want things to be okay between us. I want to be honest with her. I want clean, fresh air between us, if that makes sense." He stared at his clasped hands in front of him, trembling slightly. "I know she doesn't have to know, but what if one day she finds out? Isn't it better if I tell her myself than get caught and end up driving her away from me?"

He was heaving like he had waited months to say those words and the relief was flooding his system overwhelmingly. He was talking fast, toppling over his own words in a frenzy of fire and emotions. But he grew quiet. "I'm so afraid of losing her," he says softly.

It was strange to see a buff, six foot tall teenage boy with ink-laced skin and ripped jeans sitting in front of them, talking about a girl and looking so heartbreakingly vulnerable.

"Do you love her?" Jewel said softly, already knowing the answer but looking for ways to place her words delicately.

Calum looked up. His eyes never looked so sure in his life. "Yes."

"Then tell her, Calum. Don't keep any secrets. Be the kind of guy she knows everything about. Be the kind of guy she learns to trust. I know we told you before that it's not a big deal, and that you shouldn't worry over these things. But looking at you now, we know this isn't some shallow, petty thing to you. She's important to you. And if you think telling her is the right choice, then tell her. Even if you end up breaking your own heart."

Things were getting too real, too deep, in an alarming span of time.

"What if she ends up hating me?" His voice cracks in the end, revealing just how choked up he was of the thought of not having her in his life.

Everyone was silent after that. But obviously Calum looked lost and weak and hopeless, so Kar bit her lip and tried to settle this. "What if she doesn't?"

It was philosophical enough to calm him down, because she was right. All this was just a bunch of what-ifs. He could tell her. He should tell her. He loved her too much to keep living a lie and keep her on the thread. And he loved her too much that the idea of ever hurting her made him sick to the core.

His heart jumped in his throat at the thought of Leia if he tells her everything. Sure, it would be hard, but when was love ever easy? Love without pain isn't love.

Sitting on the couch of his next-door neighbors, Calum had made up his mind. But even though things seemed clear to him now, he was at war with himself more than ever.

a/n: everything's so mushy and grossly romantic. here's the return of kar nd jewel mwa :* also its 4 am and im up illegally downloading bmth's new album lol