***Tate’s POV***
“Hey boyfriend,” I said, grinning and slapping Callum’s booty.
Callum jumped and stood up. He sighed and pulled me into his arms. His strong, muscular arms. Mmm, my boyfriend.
“If I ask you politely, will you stop touching my butt?”
“Nope.”
“If I threaten you, will you stop touching my butt?”
“N-O-P-E.”
Callum sighed again, releasing me. “I can’t stand you.”
“That’s okay, because we’re dating,” I said, beyond joyful to say that. It was hard to believe that I was finally dating Callum Cook, a boy who had been so closed off from society when I had first met him.
When I had first met Callum, he had seemed like some pathetic anti-social weirdo who was going to grow old and live with 30 frogs or something. OH GOD WHAT IF CALLUM HAD BECOME A CAT LADY.
“It’s okay, you have me now,” I said, patting his head reassuringly.
“Huh?” He asked in confusion.
“You won’t have to be a lonely cat lady Callum,” I said sympathetically. “Tate’s here for you. Wait, why did I just talk in the third person? Hm, I scare myself sometimes.”
“I don’t know what you’re talking about,” He said with a sigh, taking my hand in his. “Do you need to go to your locker?”
“Yes sir!” I said, dragging him down the hallway to my locker.
I put in my combination and pulled it open, digging around for my books. I straightened up and shut my locker, jumping back in shock.
“Hey Tate,” Brandon said, grinning.
“Go away,” Callum growled immediately. Aw, how cute! My boyfriend was like a vicious little guard dog!
“Yeah, go away Brandon. Do you see this?” I gestured at Callum. “This is my boyfriend. Boyfriend. Callum, not you. So buh-bye, you perverted asshole.”
“Perverted asshole whose father just saved your ass,” he said, his grin getting wider.
I froze. “What?”
“Did you forget that my dad is a cop, Tate? He arrested Eric, Tabitha, and Rupert. He went through Tabitha’s phone and found that video of Ashley. And yes, he told me everything. He wanted to know if I knew if they had done anything else to you. He said he misses when we were dating, Tate. I miss it too,” he said, stepping closer to me.
Callum put a protective arm around me. “Okay, so your dad arrested them,” he said, his voice tight. “That’s good. Thank you for telling us. Goodbye.”
Brandon shook his head. “I told my dad that they always give you trouble, Tate. I’m also the one who told him he could find the three of them together at the park after school.”
“Why are you telling me this?” I demanded.
“Because I helped my dad find them so he could arrest them. I think the least you could do is pay me back.” His grin was eating up his face.
“Thank you,” I said flatly. “There, I paid you back.”
He shook his head. “That’s not what I meant. You know how to pay me back.”
I gulped. My mind wandered back to when we were still dating.
“Brandon,” I said in a sing-song voice.
“What do you want?” he asked, rolling over on his bed to face me.
“You want to give me the last of your milkshake, right?” I asked innocently.
He looked at it and sighed, holding it out to me. I took it and cheered, basically chugging it down. God, his dad made the best milkshakes.
“You could at least pay me back for giving you my milkshake,” he said, laughing as he watched me chug it.
“How?” I asked, setting the empty cup on his nightstand.
“Take a guess,” he said, smirking.
I gripped his shirt, pulling him close and kissing him deeply. He kissed me back, cupping my face in his hands.
We broke apart. “Happy?” I asked, smiling.
“You know, if you really wanted to pay me back…” He rolled over so that he was on top of me, his body a familiar weight on mine. “I can think of another way.”
I grinned and pecked his lips. “That was almost a full milkshake. I guess I do owe you big time,” I said mischievously.
Snapping out of my thoughts, I narrowed my eyes at him. I pointed my finger at him threateningly.
“You sir, are dirty,” I said flatly.
“You owe me big time,” he said, apparently remembering the same thing I was.
I grit my teeth. “Not happening Brandon,” I said, my voice sharp. “Leave me alone. We’re not dating anymore. I’m done with you. Get that through your thick head.”
“Aw Tate, you didn’t mind paying me back with a few kisses and some sex when we were dating,” he said, laughing.
I glanced at Callum, who was pale faced. He gripped my hand, dragging me away from Brandon without another word.
He pulled me out of the hallway and over to a set of benches. We sat down together and he clenched his fists tightly.
“Easy big guy,” I said, gently placing my hand over his fist. “You know I’m done with Brandon for good.”
“You were his before you were mine,” he grumbled, dropping his gaze.
“Oh my…are you jealous?” I couldn’t help but laugh a little.
“It’s not funny Tate!” he snapped.
I forced him to meet my eyes. “You are mine, and I am yours. I’m not his. I don’t want Brandon. I don’t want anyone but you, Callum Cook. You and your lame last name,” I said, offering him a small smile.
“Promise?” He asked, looking so scared and cute.
“Aw! You’re adorable! Yes, I promise,” I said, pulling him close and kissing him. “Brandon is 100% in the past. You’re the present and the future. I’m cliché, but I’m completely okay with that.”
He smiled softly. “I just don’t want anyone else to have you Tate. You’re my boyfriend,” he said, wrapping his arms around me.
I rested my head on his shoulder. “Yours and yours only,” I assured him.
We sat together comfortably until the bell rang, the educational system ruining our sweet moment. We got up and made our way to class.
When it was lunch time, I sat with Callum. He smiled and I scooted my chair closer to him as we started to eat.
“Callum.”
We looked up, both startled. Natalie kept her eyes on Callum, probably pretending I didn’t even exist.
She sat down at the table. “I’m sittin’ here. This is my damn table too.”
“Natalie,” Callum said in shock. “I thought you hated me forever.”
“You big fool. You been my best friend for too long,” she said.
“I forgot about her. She scares me,” I whispered.
“I heard that!” She snapped and I shrank against Callum. She was going to shank me in a dark alley. Dear god.
“Don’t snap at him Natalie. Tate and I are dating now. I asked him out,” Callum said calmly, holding my hand and squeezing it reassuringly.
“Well we all knew that was gonna happen,” she said, rolling her eyes. “So I’m gonna take a guess and say you’re over Mike now?”
Callum’s face paled and he fidgeted nervously. “I don’t know if I’ll ever get over what happened to Mike,” he said slowly. “I don’t think I can ever forgive myself for what I did to him. But I’m trying to move on. I have Tate now, and I’m not going to screw up with him.”
“Too. Damn. Cute,” I groaned, pulling him down so I could kiss him. Either I needed to have a growth spurt, or he needed to shrink.
“Dumbass,” Natalie said to Callum. But there was affection in the word, and Callum smiled lightly.
“We’re just one big happy family,” I grumbled, rolling my eyes.
“I still don’t like you, ya scrawny moron,” Natalie said, this time with no affection.
I pouted and Callum laughed and kissed me. I smiled up at him. Sure, Brandon was going to keep harassing me for his “payment”, but I had Callum around to make sure he didn’t do anything. And I could see in Callum’s eyes that with me and Natalie with him, he was finally happy.