lonely heart || cth [slowly written]

Chapter 22.

I took out my phone, stopping the music. It was a pretty hot day in Los Angeles. My body was wet with sweat, my skin glistened as the sun's rays fell on it. 

It was late afternoon, I didn't usually run that late. I was usually doing it in the morning. But I must admit that today I didn't want to get up with the sunrise. 

Breathing hard, I tried to soothe my pounding heart. Hot wind brushed my damp skin and the locks of hair was stucking to my shoulders and neck. Walking up the driveway towards the front door of the house in which I currently lived, I unzipped the zipper on my sweatpants pocket and then took the keys out. In the last five days, I had only saw two apartments so far, but neither of them were suitable. But we'll come back to that later.

I checked, the door was closed. He was gone. 

I unlocked the door. As I walked inside I tossed a set of spare keys - which Calum had given me a few days ago - on the table by the main entrance of the house.

I went into the kitchen, leaving my phone and headphones on the kitchen counter. I opened the refrigerator and took out a bottle of water. In the meantime I looked at the clock on the wall it was almost 4 pm. I had to take a shower, but I had enough time to do it. I relaxed as I sipped the cool liquid.

My phone rang. I walked over to the device, looking at the screen. It was facetime call from Ruth. I answered greeting my aunt with a smile.

"Hey what's up?" I placed my forearms against the kitchen top, leaning over it.

"Hey Caitlin. Hope I'm not disturbing you"

"No. I just got back from running"

"Anyway. I started cleaning your mother's house. Honestly, I don't know what to do with it and with all the stuff. I mean, you're an adult and it's your family's house, so you should make the final decision."

I didn't even think about it. About my childhood home, the house I hated so much. I didn't want to live there anymore, if I go back to Australia in the future, I would definitely not go to this house. I wanted to start a new life here in the states in Los Angeles, so apart from selling the property, nothing else was an option.

"I didn't think about it, but I don't want to keep it. If you want, you can take it, and if not, let's just sell it."

From my aunt's expression I could tell that this wasn't what she expected. 

She frowned as she thought for a moment.

"Are you sure? Think about it. You grew up in this house, you made your first steps there, you said your firsts words there. Does it mean nothing to you?"

I wasn't attached to things, I wasn't a sentimental type. It's true that I spent most of my life in this house. I had a lot of memories related to it, mostly negative, but there were also a few positive ones. But if you think about it, is just a building.

When my aunt started to make more arguments for me to think it over, I heard the door slam shut. It was too soon. What was he doing home so early? Hearing his footsteps in the hallway, I turned my attention back to the phone screen when Ruth said my name.

"Caitlin, will you think it over?"

After a while, my eyes went to the entrance to the kitchen, where a dark-haired boy stood.

"I'll call you tomorrow. I have to go" before my aunt could answer, I hung up.

"Who were you talking to?" He took off his sunglasses as he passed me, making his way to the refrigerator.