Who's Gonna Love You Like Me? [Brother's Best Friend!Calum AU]

Part 2

Even if the heat of their bodies seeped through their clothes and settled in their skin.

Was it all in his head? Calum downed a small glass of whiskey, letting the dull burn get caught in his throat when Josie shifted closer to him, bare thigh pressing into his jean clad one. He could feel her warm skin his through the thick material of the denim. Whether Josie was aware of it or not, she didn't show, and it only had Calum reaching for the whiskey bottle to refill his glass, hoping the warmth of liquor would overpower the warmth of her body.

Soon enough, everyone was in the mood to get lost in the buzzing dance floor after someone dropped a comment about the DJ playing tracks that were too good not to dance to. Calum would've much rather remained seated on the couch, but the entire group they were with had gotten up, save for a couple he wasn't familiar with. It didn't help that Luke pulled him off the couch and said, "Come on, let's get more drinks." Their table was running empty, and apparently Luke wasn't patient enough to wait for more bottles to be brought out.

They made their way towards the bar, and how had Calum missed Josie being right with them? He watched her lean forward on the bar, diagonal of him, Luke on his other side as she allowed for her gaze to lock with Calum's. In the flashing lights of the club, he couldn't quite get a read on her face, wasn't too sure what she was thinking—how could he be, when his own thoughts were jumbled? There was a twisting in his stomach, being in the presence of both her and Luke, and Calum wondered if Josie felt as alarmed as he did. Wondered if she also felt that if Luke looked at them a bit too long, he would figure it out.

Drinking probably wouldn't help his paranoia, yet Calum didn't protest when Luke ordered a round of Fireball shots from the bartender.

"Oh, absolutely not," Josie instantly denied, shaking her head vigorously as a grimace replaced her soft features. Her hand waved in the opposite direction as her head, her dancing earrings bobbing from side to side. She stared pointedly at her brother as she raised her glass to finish off the drink she already had. "I can't drink that—it fucks me up."

It was when her guilt ridden eyes met his, if only for a split second, that it clicked in Calum's head. He recalled the last time he had ordered that particular drink. The bitter cinnamon taste that burned his throat that had become a catalyst that night. Cinnamon with a hint of strawberry on his tongue when he—Suddenly he felt his own skin prick with goosebumps at the vivid memory, and despite his racing heart, scoffed with a wicked smirk, "I agree."

He hadn't meant to sound patronizing when he said it, and frankly, Calum figured he'd done a good job in covering it up because Luke merely laughed and didn't bother canceling the order. But Calum's gaze flickered up to Josie, who definitely heard the implication in the two words he'd spoken, if the way she'd all but choked on her sip was anything to go by.

Josie coughed, back of her hand covering her mouth as from the other side of Calum, Luke's eyebrows shot up as he asked, "Jesus—you good?"

Calum fought the urge to reach over and rub Josie's back as she coughed, nodding reassuringly at her brother as she answered, "Yeah." Her voice was just barely lost over the music playing. She gestured towards her throat, lamely adding, "Went down the wrong way."

Luke nodded once he was convinced she wasn't about to choke to death, leaning closer to listen to what Ashton was telling him. Calum, though, caught Josie's eyes narrowing into a glare at him, a silent annoyance because of his not-so-innocent answer. No one else may have picked up on it, but it was loud and clear to Josie. Just like Calum had hoped. Why he decided to fuck with her just then, he didn't know. Probably because it served as a minor distraction to the anxieties that swirled in his head.

She wasn't too happy about it. Calum didn't entirely care.

The round of shots were placed in front of them, and despite poking fun at Josie's reaction at the drink of choice, Calum felt a cold sweat drip down his spine as he beheld the all too familiar liquor being lined up in front of him. The memories revolving around this drink of choice had been the same memories that were currently plaguing his mind. Calum noted Josie's hesitance as she reached for a glass with a slight shakiness of her hand, eyes meeting his. The flashing lights did little to hide the gulp she swallowed, wariness settling into her features.