Chapter 36

"Waking up Sunday morning was one of the first mornings I'd ever felt at ease. I had met with Amy the day before and had told her everything. I told her about Lina, about Matt, and even about Callum. She wasn't very happy about that one and wasn't very happy that she wasn't told sooner, but she was still supportive.

She told me Cel had broken up with Jameson, and I felt an ungodly sense of relief. I did not want him to be involved in our lives anymore and the fewer connections he had to me, the better.

Callum had hinted over text messages that he wanted to see me today, so I got up and headed to the shower. After showering, I threw on some leggings and an oversized sweater.

The ringing of my phone came shortly after.

"Hello," I said quickly while slightly out of breath from sprinting to grab it from the shower.

"Why do you sound like you just got thoroughly fucked?" Came Callum's snarky reply. Shaking my head at his always crude remarks, I answered.

"You're the worst." I laughed.

"No, I'm the best. And I'm outside your apartment. I want to take you somewhere." He said quickly.

"Okay, I'll be down soon." And with that, I quickly hung up. Gathering my things, I made sure to turn off all the lights and lock the door before heading downstairs to meet Callum outside.

When I approached the car, I noticed again there was no driver, just Callum behind the wheel, which had been a consistent appearance lately.

"Hi," I said smiling while sliding into the passenger seat. I was instantly met with the smell of his mouthwatering cologne and his bright smile. He wore a more casual outfit than usual with a long-sleeved grey shirt and jeans. He had a navy blue coat on as well and somehow made the whole outfit look like that of a magazine ad.

"Hello," he said back. He slowly leaned over, his eyes falling to my lips. I smiled as his soft lips met mine. It was a quick peck but was enough to make my heart flip.

"Where are we going?" I asked while buckling up my seat belt.

He put the car in drive and turned down the radio.

"Just somewhere I'd like to show you." Was his answer. He looked content as he drove, and I wondered if his weekend at home had helped him relax.

We drove in comfortable silence for about an hour. I was on the edge of my seat the entire time. Biting my tongue to prevent myself from asking where we were going or if we were almost there a million times.

We approached what appeared to be an old middle school in an upstate New York town. It was Sunday, so there were no kids, just an empty lot and a large brick building.

"This is where Callie and I went to school," He whispered, keeping his head and eyes trained to the window as he studied the familiar surroundings.

I looked at him, almost surprised. He was showing me a part of him. A part of his past, and because of that, a wide smile spread across my face.

"What was she like?" I asked carefully. He turned so he was looking at me, and I scanned his face for any sign of hesitation or discomfort. There was none.

"Smart, witty... she always knew what to say. We were young but yet she always held herself like a young lady." He smiled at the memory, and for the first time in weeks, we were talking about his past without arguing.

"I would've loved to meet her." I said with a soft smile. He just nodded back to me and then returned his gaze to the school outside of his window.

"I'm guessing this is where you grew up?" I broke the silence.

Shaking his head, he answered, "no. I grew up in a few towns over. This was the school we attended together at a very young age. Not long after we moved into the new house and town did the accident happen." He explained.

I could tell this was hard for him. And even though he may think this isn't a big deal, to me it is. Because for the first time since I've met him I'm finally starting to see the real Callum.

He started the car again, and I just enjoyed the silence and the ride. He had placed his right hand on my thigh shortly after starting the drive again, and I smiled, laying my own over it. We drove for about another 20 minutes before approaching another town. I didn't recognize the name, but I'm guessing he did because as soon as we passed the sign, his grip on my leg tightened.

He pulled the car over on the side of a side road we had just turned onto. I looked at him, reading his face. Now he looked tense and upset.

"Everything okay?" I whispered.

He kept his head straight and nodded to the view in front of him. And as soon as I turned to see what he was looking at, my heart dropped. There, in front of the pulled-over car, tucked away on a tree trunk, was a small cross.

I bit the inside of my cheek and tightened my hold on his hand.

"This is where it happened," his voice thick with sadness. He cleared his throat and continued again.

"It was late. Drunk driver. Mom was driving, but with how everything happened, Lily's side took the brute force. The car flipped, and we landed upside down. A lot of it is a blur, but all I remember is watching everything happen in slow motion. The part that I could never forget is watching my younger sister fall. It happened so fast." He stopped, taking a breath.

I unbuckled my seatbelt and leaned my body toward his own. Grabbing his arm, I rested my head against his shoulder.

"You don't have to tell me more." I whispered into his sleeve.

To be honest, I was trying to keep it together myself. I couldn't imagine the pain, and my heart broke for him.

"She seemed to fall in slow motion from the seatbelt that was supposed to secure her." He choked, taking the arm free of my grasp and wiping the small tears that threatened to spill from his eyes. He clenched his jaw and looked down.

"She was falling, and there was nothing I could do." He said finally.

Pulling his arm from my grasp, I moved my body back and watched as he flipped his hand over. He ran his eyes over the black ink embedded in the space between his thumb and forefinger.

"I got this as soon as I turned 18. It was the hand I tried to grab her with. So every time I look down at it, I'd be reminded of how I fucked up." He seethed out, eyes clouded with unshed tears.

Shaking my head, I gripped his face and directed his stare to me.

"It was an accident, Callum, you cannot and will not blame yourself for it." I said sternly. He should not be blaming himself for this.

He looked into my eyes. Face like stone as he tried to keep his composure.

"There are a lot of things in life you can control, but this? This wasn't one of them. Don't blame yourself for this." I whispered, holding back my tears.

He just studied me for a moment. The silence was deafening. Dragging his hands up my sides, they stopped their own trail below my neck, holding gently.

"I don't deserve your words of reassurance, or kindness." He spoke softly, eyes furrowed in pain as they scanned my face.

I just shook my head and leaned into his ear.

"You deserve to relieve yourself of a burden that was never yours." I said softly.

He gripped my face again and brought my lips to his in a quick motion.

It was passionate and feverish. Emotions spilled through as our mouths mended the hurt that presented itself in this very car. His hands gripped my face and my own gathered at the base of his neck. I smiled into his mouth and pulled away slightly.

"I like you too, Callum," I whispered. We were inches apart, and his sad eyes grew a bit brighter at my words. They seemed to change colors as he scanned my face and neck, his mind going somewhere else.

"Let's get you home," he said with a smirk. The mood suddenly changed and drifted somewhere a lot less dreadful. With new secrets in the open and new revelations, he put the car in drive and headed back to the city.

"Ouch," I yipped. My back slamming up against my bedroom door. Callum's body quickly pressed up against mine, mouth spreading wide in a smile against my own. The car ride was full of tension and anticipation. The moment he parked the car was the moment his hands found my body.

Callum's deep laugh pulled me back to the present.

His lips descended to my neck and with an extended arm, he found the doorknob to my room, twisting it open. He was quick to scoop me up, large hands guiding my legs around his waist. I descended my mouth back to him.

We reached my bed in a rush, Callum laying me flat on the mattress, chest pushing against my own as he leaned over me. Mouths locked and hands flying, time seemed to pause on this moment and this moment only. He broke the kiss and stood to his full height again. I leaned up so I was on my elbows watching as he stripped off his jacket and shirt.

My eyes scanned his hard chest, rippled with muscle, and heat instantly pooled to my lower stomach.

He took slow steps to the edge of the bed. With two hands, he separated my legs. I rolled my head to the back of the mattress at the sight of him getting to his knees in front of me. Fuck.

The touch of his hands pulling my pants down caused my attention to return to him. I watched as he slowly ran the pants down my legs. Wasting no time, he reached for my underwear as well, this time yanking them down instead of ripping them.

I smiled in anticipation, and I could feel the heat between my legs.

"I want to hear you," was all he said.

He brought his fingers to my waist, yanking my body close to his face. I felt his breath on my bare core and squeezed the sheets between my fingers. Without warning, his lips latched onto the bundle of nerves between my thighs. I shuddered, squeezing my eyes closed and let out a breathy moan.

"Fuck," I whispered. My mind only focusing on his mouth and his tongue at the moment. The pleasure built with each of his movements. Reaching a hand down to his head, I gripped his hair tightly.

I felt him smirk between my legs, and I thought I'd come at just the movement. The pit continued to grow, but before any release could happen, he quickly detached his mouth from me. Standing, he shed his pants in a rush, erection springing free.

I smiled at his clear lust and sat up quickly to remove my reaining layer of clothing. As soon as the shirt was pulled from my body, it was replaced with his hard chest. He climbed atop of me, a condom packet between his teeth as he pushed us into the middle of the bed.

Taking my hands out from under us, I gripped the packet, ripping it open. I shot one hand down gipping his erection and the other removing the condom. I watched him as I worked the latex onto him, his jaw tight.

Once it was on, his lips immediately rushed to my own. Wasting no time I wrapped my legs around his waist giving him a nod of my head. He nodded back and brought himself to my entrance.

He slowly rocked into me, our lips attached and bodies close together. His rhythm was slow and our kiss was deep and passionate. The pit in my stomach was still there and grew with every thrust. This felt so different and more intimate, which made this whole experience more pleasurable.

I felt his breaths grow heavier and felt my own pleasure pool for release. Bodies smashed together, my hands on his back and his in my hair we rode out our highs. He stilled when he felt my own climax ripple through me. I detached my lips, throwing my head back and just seconds later felt himself come undone as well.

Catching our breaths for a moment I just looked up at the man atop me. He had a satisfied smile on his face and looked carefree. Sweat dribbled along his forehead.

He pulled out of me, rolling to the side to discard the latex in my trash bin.

He watched me with a smile as I got up, heading to the bathroom to pee. I splashed my face with water when I was done and ran back to the bed.

He opened his arms, comforter opening with them, and I laughed jumping into the open spot next to him. Both of us still naked, I slid into the covers curling up to his chest.

No words were said but none needed to be. And as his arm circled around my waist, and as I traced the black ink on his hand I smiled to myself.

I was falling for him.

I was falling in love.