human ↦ calum hood {au}

eleven: stay

CHAPTER ELEVEN:

| lynette’s pov |

To actually expect what he answered was a thought that never occurred to me. I see Calum as a hard nut to crack, yet he was a nut that was partially open.

It was complicated, and I didn’t know how that made sense, but I understood it. 

He drank from his coffee– black coffee– without even blowing it. Now that was something I didn’t expect. 

Something as bitter as black coffee and something as hot as that, I’d be sure to ask for ice, no matter how odd that sounded. You just can’t do that. It was inhuman.

He noticed me giving him a skeptical look, and he laughs. “Sorry, I love black coffee, and you know, I'm used to it.”

“Oh,” was all I let out. I hated it; I was more of a tea person. 

It was typical for someone like me to love tea. I was boring, much like tea.

“You hate coffee?” He pouted, placing his cup onto the saucer.

“Well, not coffee in general. I just hate black coffee,” I answered, gesturing to it. 

He nodded, seeming to understand what I meant. “Why’s that, then? It’s amazing, Lynette. You should try it sometimes.”

I shrugged, not really liking the thought but not wanting to tell it to him straight. “It’s just too bitter, you know?”

I can’t remember exactly when I drank it, but I know what it tastes like. It was strong and bitter. I spit it right out. The reason why I actually drank it in the first place, that’s what I couldn’t recall. Whoever convinced me to drink it would probably be someone I was close to. Not even my parents got me to drink plain coffee.

“Life’s like black coffee,” he suddenly said. “It’s tragic.” 

I found him so contrasting; like there were two sides to him. “But I thought you like black coffee?”

“I do, but sometimes, it makes me feel weak.”

“What do you mean? I don't understand."

“No, nothing. It’s nothing. I’ve just been listening to heartbroken people all day. There are a lot of lonely people in the hospital, in case you didn’t know.” 

He grinned, changing the mood to a lighter one. I was still hung up over what he was talking about, but I was scared of returning to such a sullen topic.

There were countless things I wanted to ask about, but I was unsure if I should throw one at him. 

But there was one question that felt like the right one, though it was stupid.

Scratch that, it was an extremely dumb question, but I'll ask it anyway.

“Why’d you stay?”