"Babe, wake up!" Strong hands shook me by the shoulders "Gia, babe, I'm here"
I shot my eyes open to see fascinating chocolate ones staring back at me. It takes me a minute to understand it was all just a dream, more like a nightmare actually. Scanning the room, I make sure my mind isn't playing tricks on me this time. The first thing I notice is his suitcase laying open on the floor, waiting for Cal's personal hygiene itens. Next to the TV, I can see his wallet and the still sealed pack of cigarettes, a proof of his effort to stop smoking. My eyes move to the door, where his black and white vans is placed next to my yellow converse.
"Are you okay?" His raspy and yet smooth voice calls my attention back to his face "You were squirming and kept saying No, no, no"
There's a hint of concern surrounding his features and I want to tell him it's okay, that I'm fine now because he's here. Calum's here. He didn't leave without saying goodbye. Lacing my arms around his neck, I throw myself into his embrace hoping to make the frown between his brows disappear.
"You're here" I stupidly mumble into his neck. Of course he's here, Georgia. You're hugging the living shit out of him "I had a dream, that you left without saying goodbye"
I feel his chest vibrate against my skin but still his arms wrap tighter around me followed by his beautiful laughter. I can't begin to express how relieved I am right now so I don't even care if he's going to mock me. Which I'm sure is what he's going to do next.
"Isn't that a good idea?" He jokes "Wish I had thought about it sooner"
I laugh. Not because I think it's funny, if anything this is a pretty obvious joke, one I could certainly see coming but because I love the way he likes to tease me. God, how I'm gonna miss it.
"Too late. What time is it anyway?" I ask, looking at the bedside table where his phone is
"4:37 in the morning" Cal says with a yawn as if he had just realized how early it is "Time for pancakes. What do you say?"
My smile widens at his suggestion. Not because I'm hungry and the thought of eating his pancakes pleases my appetite but because I would call it one of our traditions. One of many we managed to create in a spam of not much more than 2 months.
"I say, you're now officially, the only person to make me smile in such early hours" I reply with a kiss on the tip of his nose "Whatever is fine with me, I'm not really hungry"
A clever hand delineates the side of my body, stopping just bellow the curve of my left boob. I can almost hear the dirty thoughts circuling his mind as a shiver runs down my spine. His signature smirk appears on the side of his mouth making me wish I could take pictures with my eyes. Calum looks inhumanly hot with his messy hair complimenting the cuttest sleepy face I've ever seen. And don't even get me started on his raspy morning voice.
"I could always make you" He bites my bottom lip before kissing me
Unfortunately, I'm forced to break the kiss not long after it's started. It takes me everything to pull away but we know it's not a good idea for us to get carried away right now. Even though the possibility of Calum ditching his ride to the airport so we could spend more time together has crossed my mind.
"We both know 20 minutes is not even near enough for us" I say with an amused smile
We had our fair share of fun last night after dinner. Cal asked help to pack his suitcase and of course, I demanded he left me with a few of his T-shirts so I could still feel him sleeping with me somehow. Of course he mocked me otherwise it wouldn't be Calum, but in order to give me his clothes, he imposed a condition. That I tried all of them on. One by one.
"You're not wrong" Cal agrees with a boyish grin "I'm gonna take a shower now. You're welcomed to join me"
I laugh while thinking to myself that he had to offer, he simply had to. It's stronger than him. Knowing that I wouldn't hop on the shower with him, Calum gave me one last peck before leaving me alone in bed. He leaves the bathroom door open to make sure I can see him stripping down off his sweatpants. Fucking tease. Once I hear the shower running, I join him in the bathroom, taking my seat on the toilet to keep him company. Please don't go by Mike Posner is my song of choice for the occasion and I can't be prouder of it when Calum rewards me with his loud laughter.
"Suitable" He says in between laughs
I don't even let the song come to its end before pressing play on the next one, Please don't leave me by P!nk. Cal laughs even harder this time and wipes the steam off the bathroom box glass so he can look at me when he asks:
"We have a 'goodbye' playlist now, I guess" His smile lets me know he's hinting back to our conversation about playlists, one we had months ago, the very first time he let me choose a song in his car
Instead of replying, I put on the next song on the list which happens to be Stay by Rihanna. I wouldn't call it a coincidence even because I don't believe in them. Before I realize, Calum has his naked torso off the bathroom box to pull me to him, and into the shower. I try to protest calling out his name and making the most silly threats while he holds me tightly against him under the running water. Our laughter mix in a beautiful simphony as I struggle to get rid of his embrace even though its useless now once I'm already soaked. I pretend to be mad but the truth is I can't stop laughing.
"I wasn't planning on taking a shower this early" I tell him in between giggles
Calum wipes the water off his eyes and forehead before kissing my lips. I am very much aware of his current nakedness but there isn't a single ounce of malice in neither of us right now. And the fact that we can go from sexually arousing each other in bed to just playing in the water like teenagers, makes me love us even more.
"You're gonna be late" I warn him when Cal doesn't stop kissing me
"Let's just thank that it's not your period"
It's not the first time he tells me this particular joke but I laugh anyway. My mind can't help but going back to the occasion on which he told those same words.
Flashback //
"You drove here?" He asks as we make our way to the club's back exit
"No, I came with Lis"
"I will finally give you a ride then" Calum says with humor in his voice
"It's 2 weeks late tho" I tease
"Lucky that's not your period then" He fires back making me laugh really loud
Flashback //
"Why do you love this joke so much?" I ask in an half annoyed tone
Calum shakes his head with a charming smile on his face. Even though I can tell by his looks that he's about to say something that will make my knees go weak, I can never prepare myself enough for it.
"It's not the joke, it's the way it makes you laugh"
I thought it was humanly impossible to blush under the running water, but I just proved myself wrong seeing that my cheeks have turned bright red. It makes Calum chuckle before he steps out of the shower and hands me a towel. I dry my hair and change into new comfortable clothes, as Cal does the same, the only difference is that he plans on leaving the house, unlike me. He finishes packing last minute items while I watch him from the bed. His phone vibrates on my lap, indicating a new text from 'Mikey'.
"Michael texted you" I inform him, but Calum doesn't even stop what he's doing to tell me to read it "They'll be here in 5"
I try to hide the sadness in my voice, telling myself over and over again that we knew this moment would come. It's his job. He'll be back.
"Which means they'll be here in 15" He says with a laugh "Mike doesn't fool us anymore"
I laugh when Duke tries to get in his suitcase while Cal tries to close it. It's insanely cute but also extremely relatable. I grab his phone, wallet and backpack as Calum carries the two bigger bags downstairs.
"I made you a daily planner" He says leading me to the kitchen where he points a printed calendar hanging on the fridge's door "You don't need to follow it, I just thought it could help you"
"I'm surprised you don't have an app for this" I joke but in my mind I'm thinking how incredibly thoughtful of him to do something like that
"I do" He chuckles "But this is for you"
Then Calum spends the next 10 minutes telling me everything I need to know to stay here for 3 months. And also how much of work a house as big as this one is. Not to mention expensive, obviously. Cal insists once again that I use the car as much as I need/want before he tells me about Matty. Matty is the 14 year old boy that comes every Wednesday to clean the pool. There's also Ruby, the nice lady that comes twice a month to do the gardening. And Lopez, the tech guy that cleans his instruments in the studio, but I'm instructed to only let Lopez in when Roy is also here for some reason. Calum gives me all the codes and teaches me how to work his security system - after he taught me how to turn on the backyard lights. Apparently, the condominium security team - which is formed by Tony, JP, Brody and Alex - has already been informed about me and if anything happens, I shouldn't hesitate to call them.
"I know it's a lot" He laughs, after seeing my desperate expression I assume "But I wrote down everything I could remember you'd might need. And you can always call me"
Calum forwards me everyone's numbers and says that Roy will show up eventually to check on me and see if I need something. He really did plan this whole thing and I can't help but feel like this is his way of taking care of me while he's away.
"Thanks for doing this" Cal says at last "Seriously"
I was more than happy to help him when I offered but at this very moment, I'm actually afraid I'll do something wrong and fuck things up. This is a massive act of trust, leaving me to take care of his dog and look after his house, and the last thing I want is to disappoint Calum.
"You don't need to thank me" I tell him honestly before pecking his lips
In the middle of the kiss, his phone rings, indicating the car's arrival. We both know that's what it means but Cal still takes a little longer to pull away, enjoying the most of our last moments together. Standing in the middle of the kitchen, listening to his annoying ringtone, I hug him tighter than I ever did.
"Take care of yourself" I say with as much meaning as if he was going to war. God, why am I so dramatic?
"You too" He places a gentle kiss on my forehead "Take care of yourself for me, okay?"
I was determined not to cry but Calum is really making it hard on me.
"Have a little fun as well, alright?" He says with a smile "Invite your friends over, throw a party or whatever"
"I'm not gonna throw a party at your house while you're away" I tell him in a obvious tone because it really is obvious
"Just don't let anyone sleep in my bed" Calum asks ans his tone makes me laugh "Except from you, of course"
I offer him a comic smile before kissing his lips once again. As if on cue, his phone starts ringing making both of us groan in the kiss. He has to go. Calum breaks the kiss to turn of his phone and gives me the most meaningful look of all. "I have to go", his eyes say what I already know. "I know", if eyes could sigh that's what mine would do right now. "Don't be sad", Cal asks with a look. "I'm not exactly happy", I stare back at him with a pained smile "but I'll be fine".
"I'm going to miss you" He finally says "Possibly all the time"
I try to crack a smile at the same time I tell myself not to cry. I bet I don't look too good right now, but that's far from being a concern of mine.
"I'll try to remember your name" I joke as an attempt to lighten the mood
I think it works because Calum laughs. We pull out of each other's embrace and take the bags to the door. I have to look away when Cal kneels down to say goodbye to Duke or else I would tear up in a heartbeat. I pull the front door open to be face with Ashton, who I bet was about to bury his finger on the doorbell.
"Oh, hi Georgia" Ash greets me with an awkward hug "Or more like bye, right?"
"Yeah" I smile at him without knowing what to say
Ashton is quick to tease Calum about taking forever to say goodbye to a dog while I walk over to the car parked in front of the house to greet Luke and Michael. The sun hasn't risen yet, making it still dark outside. It's not raining, but I wish it was because it seems wrong to be a beautiful sunny day today. Again, why so dramatic? I wonder if the next times will be easier. If someday I'll continue to sleep while Calum wakes up to leave for tour. Maybe then I'll be able to talk about it like a normal person. Next, it all happens very fast. Calum puts his bags in the trunk while I say goodbye to the boys. Luke encourages me to throw parties in the house and Mike says I can call Crystal to hang out. Ashton mocks me saying that I can have a highschool reunion here, since they're the only friends I have. I'm laughing when Calum positions himself in front of me. My hands rest on his chest and his arms lace my waist.
"I'll see you in 3 months" He says looking deep into my eyes "This is not goodbye, babe"
And I believe him.
I wasn't wrong. I mean, it's not raining but it's also not a beautiful sunny day outside. It's cloudy, something like how I feel today. Stop it Georgia, today is going to be a great day. I've been telling myself that ever since Calum left. I couldn't go back to sleep so I took Duke for a walk, watched the news on TV while texting Cal - who was already at the airport - and spent 2 hours getting ready to go back to work. I'm ready, I feel ready. I took a week off and it was more than pleasant but I need to keep myself busy. I'm ready to go back.
"Hey Makayla" I greet my receptionist friend
"Hey Georg- Oh man, what happened?" She asks me with a pout "I thought you'd come back killing it after 2 weeks in Europe but... What happened?"
Now I don't feel so ready anymore. Taking the busy elevator, I reach my floor and am quickly welcomed by Liam. He doesn't say anything about my appearance and seems glad to see me, so I tell myself to stick to him.
"So, how was the trip?" He excitedly asks making me want to sigh
Scratch that, I'm not ready at all.
"It was nice" I tell him with a weak smile while we walk over to my desk
"Did you get it?" Liam has expectant eyes on me and even though I don't know what he expects, I already know I'm going to disappoint him "You did, didn't you?"
"Get what?"
"Your promotion" He says like it's obivous
We stop by my desk but there's already another person sitting there. Anne now sits at my desk making me notice my belongings are also not there.
"Hey Georgia, welcome back" She smiles at me but I look from Liam to her, clearly confused
"Where are my things?" I ask nobody in particular
"I took them to your new desk" Liam tells me with a big grin "Here, it's this way"
I follow his lead to the other side of the floor, where apparently my new desk is. Not only is in the opposite side of where I used to sit, but it's also in the middle of the Documentation department. They're clearly shutting my out, just like Mrs Moore warned me they would try to do. They'll take me off the cases and will stop forwarding me new ones, important information will no longer be told me, until eventually I'll be useless here. They will send me out to buy their coffees and manifold trivial reports. They're trying to make me give up. If I still had any doubts in my mind, they're long gone now.
"Do you like it?" Liam is so clueless that its almost cute "I was going to bring a cake to celebrate your promotion, but Anne said we sh-"
"It's okay, Liam. I didn't get a promotion" I blurt out "What is Anne doing at my desk?"
"She was given your position. What do you mean, you didn't get a promotion?" I almost feel sorry for Liam, he is being really nice to me
Anne, on the other side, is showing herself as an awful friend. I genuinely thought we were friends. We'd have lunch together almost everyday and I even helped her develop some skills needed when she asked me. But I guess that wouldn't stop her from taking my position the first chance she got, right?
"I'll be here at my desk in case you need me, Liam" I finally say "Thanks for bringing my things here, it was very sweet of you"
And once again, I wasn't wrong. Not a single demand was thrown my way the entire day. Trish and Anne didn't invite to lunch but instead I went out with Liam, who proved to be a great company. I walked past my boss in the hall, who simply nodded at me and said a cold "Welcome back, Georgia". Clark smiled and mouthed something I couldn't quite comprehend but looked like a "sorry". I just shruged, not really minding.
After this eventful day, all I wanted was to get home and cuddle with Calum on the couch. I wanted us to talk about our days while watching TV, I'd have my feet on his lap and he'd give me a terrific foot massage. Then maybe Calum would cook us dinner or we'd order something, I don't really care. Whatever would be fine with me but I know I'm driving to an empty house, he won't be there. I park the car in the garage and check twice to see if I locked it - another habit I got from Calum. Walking up the front steps, I come across with a small bouquet of three orange tulips waiting for me in the doormat with a note. I immediately recognize the messy handwriting, thinking that the last time I saw it was in my dream.
A tulip for a month I'll be away. Don't miss me too much.
Thinking of you
Love, Calum