The Set- Up || 5SOS ||

Chapter Twenty Three

"Aren't you cold?" I asked, taking into account her battered flip flops. 

"Oh, uh." Bree attempted a smile, "I was in a bit of a rush so," she looked down at her feet as we made our way through the tangerine coloured shapes under us. "I just put on anything." she answered. 

I nodded at the rest of her outfit, assuming that it was just a case of bad timing. "This?" She pulled at the top of her clothing. "Actually, I haven't changed in like- I can't even put a date on it. My head's just been, Y'know." she made circular motions with her index finger on the side of her head while she whistled. "I haven't been able to think, lately. Like, I can but- I've been thinking- and, ugh!" She laughed at herself nervously. 

"I also clearly can't string together a single damn sentence." She stopped in her tracks. I stopped too, watching her as she stared down at the decaying pavement. She rubbed her temples with her two fingers. "Why didn't you just rat me out, Sophie?"

"What do you mean?"

"You know what I mean." she frowned, her voice accelerating. "There was your chance- you almost took it." she continued, a confused anger present in her voice. "But you didn't." she swallowed. "And now everything's screwed up."

"Things had screwed up way before then, trust me." I forced out a chuckle. 

"I just understand why you come clean- you almost did." she spoke with her hands, clenching her fists. "Why didn't you finish it?"

I lifted me shoulders, "I couldn't." I said simply, turning on my heels and continuing down the road. Bree followed.

"Why not?" I pleaded. "You could've put the blame on the person who deserved it."

"And who's that? You?" I raised my eyebrows, irching forward.

"Well," she quietened down. "Yeah."

"See, that's where you're wrong." I interrupted, hooking my thumbs into my pockets. "I knew that this was a risky thing to go ahead with- did I do it? Yes. So, already, the fault is already partially on me."

"But it was my idea."

"But Calum went along with it too. It's against his contract to do what he did, and he still did it. The press published a story that invaded people privacy so, technically, they're at fault as well." I gave Bree a reassured look. "See?"

"But Sophie." She retaliated, looking me dead in the eyes. "If I didn't think of it none of this would've happened!"

I sighed as we arrived at the back of the hotel. The ever so familiar double doors sitting parallel from where I stood, Bree still ranting behind my back. My head drooped down to my left, a place where an intoxicated Calum had slept- or so I thought at the time. A little further down it around the edge had once held a teary eyed Ani and opposite that was a car parking space, tucked away from the public- the home of  black BMW.

"Alright!" I snapped, shutting her up. I smiled, pitifully. "Is this what you want, huh?" I bellowed. I wasn't mad, nor the least bit even angry- I just needed her reaction.

"Is this what you expected?" I shouted, slightly less gruff. She nodded timidly.

 I softened my voice. "Why?"

"I don't know." Her lip trembled as she shrugged limply. "I don't know." she pushed her hair back. "I didn't know what to expect, I just thought you shouting was inevitable so that's what I prepared for- I knew it was coming." her voice strained as it became noticeable weaker. "And I like that, okay? I'm always in control and that's how it was supposed to go. And I figured, if you got angry at me I would have a reason to dislike you just as much as you probably hate me right now."