Roommates || Calum Hood

Chapter 28 // Wanna Be Yours

•Cassidy

"Why didn't you just call the police?"

I sighed heavily, shrugging my shoulders in a nonchalant response. Calum's head was propped up on the pillow beside me, making his sharp jawline protrude even further. He had a small little smile tugging on his lips, but I think that is just because he is excited that I let him sleepover.

"That would have taken so long. If I just stepped in to do something this innocent man wouldn't have gotten murdered. I don't need a few hundred dollars, so why not help someone out?" I responded, turning on my side to get a better look at him.

His hair was messy and fell over his forehead in random patterns, the ends of each lock of hair curling up at the end and hiding his tan skin like a curtain. He was taking long blinks to rejuvenate his tired eyes, making his long eyelashes flutter against the small, little bags underneath his eyes. He is so gorgeous, even in this dark bedroom in the very early part of the morning.

Calum's plump lips grinned at me as his hand crept underneath the blankets and picked up my hand, intertwining our fingers together. "You always have had this moral obligation to be kind to people who don't really deserve it, Cass. It's adorable. But don't do something like that ever again."

"No promises," I whispered, suddenly realizing that we were talking incredibly loudly when my parents were just down the hall.

He groaned, scooting closer to me so our faces were almost directly in front of each other. I hope my breath doesn't stink.

"Please, Cassidy," Calum pleaded, his beautiful brown eyes locking on mine. "You scared the living crap out of me. And I'm scared that there will come a day when I won't be there to protect you, so please just protect yourself."

I nodded, understanding that I didn't make the best decisions regarding my own safety tonight, but it felt right in the moment to help that guy. "Thank you for getting me out of there, by the way. We'll have to go pick up my car tomorrow."

"Anything for my girlfriend," Calum stated proudly, kissing the top of my nose. Then he sunk backwards, his eyes widening with realization at what he had just called me.

I gulped. I hated the conversation that was brewing.

Calum licked his lips before he spoke, a deep exhale escaping his mouth. "Cass. What are we?"

There it is. The dreaded three words.

I truthfully didn't know. Obviously I liked him; I liked him so much that I was terrified. Obviously I wanted to be with him and listen to him call me baby and bake him cookies when he's sad and cuddle with him at all hours of the day. But there was still a hint of nerves for getting my heart completely shattered to pieces again, and I was incredibly worried that the day would come again.

"I don't know."

He rolled his eyes at me. "Don't give me that shit, Cassidy. We're a couple. Do you really think I would have drove down to the diner for someone else just to make sure they were okay? Do you really think I would have punched some guy for anyone else? No, I only do this for you. I'm not going to hurt you. I'm crazy about you."

"You're just crazy in general," I tried to tease, but my smile diminished when he didn't even react to my attempt at messing around with him. He looked genuinely ticked off.

"Shut up. You're making this so difficult," Calum grunted, shaking his head at me. "I realize I was an asshole before. But that's the thing. Before. I'm not anymore. Why can't you see that I've changed?"

I placed my hand on his bicep. I felt an ounce of guilt strike through me. "Of course I see you've changed, Cal," I insisted, stroking my hand over his smooth skin. "I just- putting a label on things is stupid. I don't know. I'm just scared."