Darkling

20| Desmond

Chapter 20: Desmond (Callum's POV)

"It's like I'm living it again. I hate it," she groaned, running a hand through her hair. 

"Don't think so much about it, Clara." 

She chuckled dryly, shaking her head. 

"Hey." I grabbed her arm and pulled her closer, spinning her around to look at me. 

She blinked, her body crashing against mine while she tilted her head up to look at me. 

"You're here for a new life. I know you can't ever really completely move on from it. But you can try. And just because she isn't here physically, doesn't mean she isn't here and she doesn't love you." 

"I try so hard to move on from it, Callum. But it was very scary," she said softly. "I was going to die. How does someone recover from that?" 

"I know it's hard, but—" 

"Have you lost someone?" 

I stared at her in silence for a minute. "No," I responded. 

"Then let's not talk about this." 

"But—" 

"Please?" 

"Fine," I sighed in defeat. 

She moved to take a step back but I grabbed her waist, pulling her closer. "What?" she asked. 

"You have a wish," I said, brushing it off her cheek and placing it on the back of her hand before letting her go. 

She turned to the view, stared at it for a minute, and then blew the wish away. 

"What did you wish for?" 

"You know wishes don't come true if you tell them, right?" She shot me a pointed look. "But what I asked for can't come true anyway," she sighed. "I asked for my mom." 

We stayed in silence for a little while. 

"Clara?" 

"Yes?" 

"Have you really only had one boyfriend before?" 

"Yeah, why?" 

"It just... doesn't seem like that would be the case." 

"Excuse me? What is that supposed to mean?" 

I cringed at the way that came out. "It's supposed to mean you're pretty. I'm convinced more than one guy asked you out." 

"Well, I could say the same thing about you. Looking at you, you would think girls fall at your feet. They do, actually. They're just too scared to do anything about it," she chuckled. "I never had time for a relationship. Until I was fifteen, I was not very social. I had my friend group and that was it. And then at fifteen, I got with my ex-boyfriend and we only broke up right after the accident." 

"So, you were really with a douchebag like him for two years?" 

"He wasn't that bad with me. Or maybe he was and I never realized it. I don't know," she shrugged. "But how is it that you've only had one girlfriend?" 

"I've only liked that one girl." 

"Oh, picky aren't ya?" she laughed. 

Does she know that a picky guy like me actually likes her? 

"Has a girl ever asked you out?" 

"Yeah, once or twice since then. I always say no." 

"Why? Even if they have potential?"