Tangled Strings (sequel to Red Strings)

Chapter 34

I keep stretched out on the couch watching Sponge Bob, when I hear Ashton and Sylvana giggling walking down the stairs, I watch them holding hands when they reach the bottom of the steps Ashton pulls her into him and kisses her "Ashton!" she squeals "what?" "we are in the open" she reminds him. 

Ashton kisses her neck "I can't help it you're so fucking sexy" he mumbles and I cover mouth to stop from laughing "you are such a dork" Sylvana replies "you love me" he whispers and I put my other hand in front of my mouth "I-I guess I do yeah, I love you" Ashton stops kissing her and stares at her.  Was that the first time she's said that to him? 

"Good, because I love you too ya dork," he replies connecting their lips. Before I know it, I'm crying I'm crying.  "Skyler?" Ashton says clearly confused. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." "I thought you were out with Luke and Liz?" Sylvana says sitting down next to me.  

"Yeah, I guess I would be if we didn't break up." "You guys broke up!" Sylvana shouts I cry harder. "Yes.. well I don't know….don't be I don't even know why I'm crying," I confess.  "You have every right to cry!" Sylvana replies shooing Ashton off before I can stop her.  "I'm calling Nat we are all going to hang out it had been way to long."

Natalie's POV

I shuffle a little as Calum is gently tracing with his index finger across my shoulder blades.  "Hey wakie wake beautiful." he whispers, before pressing a kiss on my shoulder and I groan before I open my eyes up, and realize I'm with Calum.  

"God, why do I always feel the need to fuck you?" I ask rubbing my eyes as Calum smirks before coming over top of me, his arms on either side of my body.  "Well at least we're both on the same page on that.  And we both somehow remember the condom," Calum replies as I bite my lip before I sit up a bit and say "I was surprised ya know." "Hm?" he asks as he's lazily pecking at my neck before just putting his chin on my shoulder. 

"I didn't think you would wanna take it slow.  Make love and all that shit," I laugh a little pushing back some of my hair before Calum pulls away and whispers, "Making love only happens when there's enough chemistry between two people." "You mean when two people love each other enough that they'll take it slow like that?" I joke and Calum looks at me again, and I can sense there's something on the tip of his tongue that's he's dying to tell me.

"Is there something wrong?" I ask and he shuffles a little and then says "Natalie, please don't tell me we're gonna be friends with benefits, none of that bullshit.....are we?"  I feel my stomach churn.  God, why did this have to happen now, when I was hungover and when I had literally had another amazing night with him.

"Calum....I wanna get back together, really I do, but I'm....I'm....." "What's holding you back darling?" he asks and I feel tears well up in my eyes and I look away from Calum, and I'm about to try and get up to run off before Calum grabs my hand and whispers "Natalie, you have to tell me."  I can feel a lump grow in my throat and I whisper "I don't want it to end.  I don't want all that bullshit to come back at us again, to have to put up with it.  I'm so goddamn scared Calum, especially after what happened last time!  What if your management won't let us be together?  What if we decide to not come out to the fans and I have to put up with all that faking?  Calum, I'm not wasting my time, or my heart.  Hell, I'm scared there's someone else on your mind." 

Calum turns me to face him and whispers "I'm scared too Nat.  God, everytime you were kissing me, hugging me....LOVING me, I kept telling myself I was gonna wake up, it was all just some dream.  But it's not, I know it's real.  And I remember you said that we didn't need a break, we needed a break up.  And we did break up, I know we did, but.... I think I might love you more than ever." 

I look at him and then say, "It's not that I don't believe that you love me, trust me, I know you do.  But I don't want history to repeat itself just promise me if we get back together-" "Um, change that to when!" Calum jokes bumping shoulders and I sigh a little, before continuing.  "Alright.  Promise me that WHEN we get back together that we're not gonna have that whole thing again?" I ask, and he holds up his pinky finger and I hold up mine before we lock them tightly and he whispers "I promise."

I grin and then Calum says "Well it's sorta the morning and I don't know how exactly we should stage this....what do you think?"  I sit and remember that we're still in the studio and heaven knows if one of the boys walked in right now, let alone Mali or Liz.  

"Um maybe we should put clothes on, I mean, I think that should be a start-" "C'mon you know I practically wander around naked!" "Well that's not gonna do well on my part because if the others see us come out together, me in last night's clothes and you in the nude, they'll figure out we fucked....again." "And what you don't want them to know that?" Calum jokes and I blush a little.

"I'm kidding, I'm kidding," Calum reassures me and I smile at him before pushing back some of my disheveled hair before slipping back into the dress and sitting down on the chair again, spinning around in it playfully.  "You're gonna be dizzy from that," Calum mentions and I roll my eyes at him and said "I'm a kid at heart."  

Of course I make the mistake of standing up immediately afterwards, and I wobble a little, and Calum smirks and I grip onto his arm and bite my lip to try to not laugh.  He rolls his eyes a little but gives me a quick peck and I smile at him before heading out.

We slip into the house quickly and I see that it's nearing 11, and I glance at Calum and he heads in to make me some coffee, and I head off to do a quick change.  Thankfully I get into my old shared room with Sky undetected and I quickly grab a pair of shorts from her, before seeing my overnight bag which has an extra plaid shirt, which I wear over my black tank top.

I head down the stairs, throwing my hair into a bun, before reaching the kitchen, the smell of coffee reaching my nose.  I walk in and Calum turns around immediately and smiles at me before sliding a mug over and I grab it in perfect timing.  We smile at our little routine before suddenly Sylvana bursts in.  

"THERE YOU ARE NATALIE!  JESUS CHRIST WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN!?" Sylvana asks me, and I hold up a finger, indicating for her to wait while I drink a bit of my coffee.  Risky-type questions like the one Sylvana had just asked me were never to be discussed before coffee.  At least that was my rule.

"After I saw that Skyler was asleep, I went to the studio just to be away from everyone.  I fell asleep in there." I stated, sipping at my coffee again.  Sylvana then glances at Calum and asks "So where the hell were you then?"  Calum coughs a little and says "Went out early before everyone else was up.  I was gonna write something this morning and turns out this one decided to practically slober all over the board."

I glare at him and smack him and he breaks out laughing and Sylvana looks between the two of us and then shrugs before saying "Anyways I was thinking of maybe taking Skyler out.  A ladies day." "And do WHAT?" I ask and Sylvana rolls her eyes and replies "It's goddamn LOS ANGELES we'll find SOMETHING!"  I laugh a little and she glares at me and I say "Alright alright I'm coming." 

"See you later yeah?" I say and Calum nods and quickly gives me a peck and I leave, and Sylvana shoots me a look and I blush as Skyler comes down the stairs.  "Hey..." I say pulling her into a side hug.  She tries to muster a smile, but I can tell she's not up for it.  I squeeze her shoulder before I say "You ready for an adventure?"  

Skyler rolls her eyes and says "An adventure?" "Of course!" I reply, trying to desperately cheer her up.  She laughs at my ridiculousness and says "Alright, what's the worse that can happen?"