This Love

38

A/N you're gonna hate me for this one babes 😅

New Year's Eve comes around a few days later and I'm back in Barrie. Dan decided to spend the days leading up to 2020 with me in Canada. I wake up on the 31st needing to go into the office for a few hours to make sure tomorrow's game marketing is ready. As I get out of bed quietly, I bite my lip tiptoeing to my dresser to grab some clothes. When I've gotten dressed I go back to the bed smiling at my sleeping boyfriend. I lean over the race car driver to kiss his forehead softly, walking out of the room silently to go make a quick breakfast.

I'm humming softly I'm the kitchen when arms come around me, "Dan" I say peering up at him, "morning Cal" I place a hand on his arm, "you didn't need to wake up" he shrugs sleep still clouding his features as he places his chin on my shoulder "I missed you" I giggle at the man. "Go back to bed handsome, I'll be back from the arena before you know it" he kisses my neck gently and unwinds his arms from around me, "okay have a good few hours there" I smile, "will do" he shuffles out of the kitchen going back towards my room.

——

Three hours pass by in the blink of an eye. I gather my belongings quickly putting everything into my bag standing up to leave. My phone chimes with a notification, I lift the device to see a message request from someone on Instagram. I furrow my brows in confusion as I open the app and go to my messages tab selecting the request.

UserName256
Hi, you don't know me or anything but my friend showed me this photo from when she was in the UK a few months ago. I thought you should see it before anything got out. You don't need to believe me but just take a look, if he told you about this great, if he didn't I'm really sorry to be the one to tell you. Girls protecting girls right?

My eyes widen at the message before I click on the photo that is attached zooming in on the couple that is too occupied with each other to notice that a camera caught them. I gasp at the familiar head of hair seeing the tattoos that I have gotten to know very well on the hand that is holding the slim woman at the waist. My hand covers my mouth feeling my heart hurting as I place a hand on my desk to steady myself as I accept the message request.

callieandrews96
Thank you for bringing this to my attention, I appreciate your concern.

I send the message quickly before putting my phone away before leaving my office and then the arena knowing that I have to confront Dan about the picture when I get back to the house.

__

Once I've parked the car in our driveway I take a second resting my forehead on the steering wheel. I feel my eyes welling up with tears the photo now living in my head. My thoughts tell me to be strong so I straighten up taking a deep breath before stepping out of the car. My feet take me to the front door where I unlock it quickly and push it open letting the warmth of the house envelope me. My bag drops to the floor with a thump and I kick off my sneakers, I hear footsteps approaching before Dan walks into view smiling.

He reaches out to me but I take a step back avoiding the embrace, his smile dims, "what's wrong?" He asks concerned, I hold up my finger taking out my phone. Once I have found the photo in my messages I turn the device to him, "please tell me that i'm hallucinating when I look at this" I plead, he takes the phone closer and his eyes widen while his jaw clenches, "where did you-" I take the phone back while cutting him off, "one of your fans thought that I should see it, not knowing if you told me about what happened after the British Grand Prix". Dan looks at me his gaze apologetic, "no you wouldn't" I mumble stepping further away from the race car driver, "I went out with some of the guys I had too much to drink, she looked like you" I scoff and then I see the guilt on his face.

After a few seconds of silence I ask him the game changing question "did you sleep with her?" he hangs his head making me let out a sound between a laugh and a cry, "you let me confess my feelings to you days later in Germany, you let me fall in love with you these last five months without any mention of this" the Australian steps towards me bringing a hand up, "DON'T touch me Daniel" I exclaim loudly, I hear footsteps coming our way before my two friends walk into the room. "I love you so much Cal, it was a huge mistake" he pleads I shake my head at him, "if you cared about me in any way you would've told me when I got to Germany" I explain a tear rolling down my cheek as I look into the pair of brown eyes that have gotten me through so many things these past few months.

"I'm so sorry, I can fix this Cal" my bottom lip trembles slightly watching the desperation on Daniel's face, "it's too late, it was too late when you decided that I didn't need to know that you cheated on me, and now you've not only lost my trust but you've also lost me" my heart breaks as I say those words, "no please don't do this" he exclaims, "I have to, I'm worth more than this, i'm not some side piece that you can parade around between women Daniel" he opens his mouth to defend himself, "please just go" he shuts his mouth at the finality of my voice. My gaze lowers to my feet and I hear the race car driver leave the house, shutting the door behind him, I let out a sob before sinking to the ground the dam holding my tears finally breaking. I feel my friends' arms come around me seconds later, reassuring words being thrown my way as I bury my face into my knees not caring that the pants i'm wearing are getting tear stained.

Hours later i've somewhat come to terms with what happened, my face still a little puffy from crying as I stand in my bathroom post-shower. I've thrown on some shorts and a Barrie Colts t-shirt and I stare at myself in the mirror wondering if there was anything that could've prevented this. Before I can go down that dark hole of what ifs I shake my head my eyes catching on the dark ink of the tattoo on my wrist, my index finger traces the heart but I immediately stop, reaching for my concealer and makeup sponge, loading the product onto the sponge before dabbing at the ink watching it disappear as if it was never there to begin with, at least temporarily with the fear that I'll burst into tears whenever I look at it too long. Once i've finished I walk out of the bathroom to join my friends in the living room where they have sleeping bags on the floor for a girls night, in hopes of taking my mind off of this day, I can't help but be thankful no knowing if I would've been able to sleep in my own bed considering all of the memories i've shared on it with Daniel.

A/N two chapter left I'm not ready