Tangled Strings (sequel to Red Strings)

Chapter 23

Calum bites his lip and says "Well I was gonna say me."  I pause for a moment.  "Cal how are you supposed to be bothering me?" I joke and he then replies "Well cause I'm your ex.  And we hooked up." "Yeah your my ex, but when did we even hookup?" I'm lying now, and I hate it, but I know I should do it for both of our sakes.

"Natalie, last night.  Last night." Calum says gripping onto my shoulders.  I swallow and say "Cal, I remember that you were in the bottom bunk but nothing else happened.  You were drunk, don't forget that." I say looking him in the eye.  Calum shakes his head and chokes out "Nat you had a couple drinks too, maybe you were too drunk to forget...." "Calum, you have no idea how drunk you were.  It was probably just a dream." I say, feeling my voice crack.  

"Nat....I would never forget the way it was like kissing you.  And I sure as hell was kissing you last night, and yeah, I was pissed drunk but I could remember this." Calum states and he suddenly leans in and kisses me, grabbing the back of my neck.  

I instantly find myself kissing back but my conscious is actually around this time.  I push on his chest, and when I get his lips off our foreheads are still pressed together.  "Calum we can't do this." I whisper closing my eyes.  

"Natalie-" "Cal you need to move on. Just find someone else please." I whispered and he replied "Nat....darling....." "Calum I'm not gonna do this, you have so much more then just to sit around here with me.  There are thousands of girls who would jump up to the chance to even come near you." "But those girls aren't you." 

I look away and get off the bed and immediately am about to walk out the door before Cal says "I was always scared ya know." "Of what?" I said turning around confused.  Calum swallowed and choked out "That you'd do this.  Move on, stay so strong.  Be so stubborn about your decision." 

"Well I'm sorry that I'm not up to anyone right now." I said stepping out the door and slamming it behind me. I walked by Michael's room where I can see that he's playing COD.

He looks out the door and he sees that I'm leaning against the doorframe.  "Hey Nat." he said and he patted the spot to him next to him on the bed, so I sit down beside him, sighing a little.  "I'm just gonna assume you're not ok." Michael said pausing his game.  

I shrugged and Michael looked at me and said "Was it something Cal did?" I shuffle a little in my spot and then say "A bit." "Only a bit?" Michael questions snorting a little.  "I don't even know anymore." I sigh putting my head in my hands.  

"Come on, you two love each other too much you'll find some way back." Mikey said turning off the xbox and I bit my lip.  "That's the point though." "What's the point?" 

"Michael yeah MAYBE I love Cal but I don't wanna be the girl who just goes back to someone who actually treated her a bit like shit near the end of the relationship." "But that's why you two broke up in the first place." Michael pointed out and I laid down on the bed and twirled a piece of hair around my finger.  

"You're just scared it's not ever gonna be the same aren't you?" Michael said laying down beside me. "A bit.  Maybe if it weren't the whole go-around-the-world-and-become-a-rock-star it would be a bit better." 

There's a silence before I suddenly say "Maybe I need some time." "Time?" "Maybe I should move onto campus!" I say sitting up straight.  "Natalie what's the problem with here though?" Michael asks and I look at him and say "Duh Calums here idiot.  So obviously neither of us are ever gonna move on like this!"

"Natalie you don't need to move out, I can figure out a way to get Calum to keep himself together." Michael said and I then turn to Michael and say "He may be the problem but if I can stay on campus why not?"

"God, I need to get Skyler for this she's better at this heart to heart thing." Micheal groans and we both get up and walk down the stairs and suddenly I get blasted with cold water.  

"WHAT THE FUCK?!" Michael yells and I squeal and suddenly I see that Skyler and Luke are holding water guns.  "Why did you spray us?" I ask as I suddenly get squirted with more water.

"We got bored waiting for Calum to come down, so we figured we'd spray the first person who came down the stairs.  And since Natalie was the first one...." Ashton said and suddenly I get tossed over his shoulder and I yell "Ashton don't you dare....."

Ashton carries me outside and Skyler and Luke follow close behind, water guns in hand.  "What did I do to deserve this?" I yell and Michael replies "Well maybe you shouldn't leave!"

I cast Michael a glare and suddenly Luke looks at me and asks "You're leaving?" "No!  Don't listen to Michael it'll take some explaining and all but-" "Natalie why the hell would you wanna leave this!?" Ashton yells and suddenly we're spinning.

God, I wanted to tell them so badly why I wanted to leave but I just shrugged, silent.  "You're leaving?" I hear a different voice join in and I see Calum is at the door and he tenses.

"Natalie why....wait never mind, I know why you're leaving." "Cal, no please you don't understand-" "It's me isn't it?!" he asks angrily and I swallow.  Everyone else is silent.  "Cal please I never even said I was leaving I just said-" "Don't lie to me Natalie.  Don't you dare lie to me."  Calum has stepped outside and he's standing right behind Ashton who is smart enough to set me down and take a couple steps back.  

"Calum I wouldn't lie to you-" "You lied about not remembering the hookup last night." he states bluntly and suddenly I feel my hand reel back and I smack Calum, right in cheek.  Calum doesn't even retaliate.  He just stands there, and I suddenly realize what I've done.  

"How can you be like this?  Just burying all this emotion?" he whispers and I feel tears well up in my eyes.  "You're not only lying to me love.....you're lying to yourself." Calum states and suddenly he turns on his feet and disappears back into the house.