Fake | c.h.

Chapter twenty four

That evening, when Jamie returned to her apartment, she was astonished to find that it her cousin Catherine Levine was gone. Jamie's apartment was completely deserted, Catherine's suitcases had been cleared from her bedroom, and it was almost as if Catherine had never been there in the first place. There was no note or anything indicating why she had left, and when Jamie tried to text her cousin, the message had just bounced back.
Her phone must be dead, Jamie had hypothesized. Or she turned it off. But why? None of this makes sense.
Is there something going on that I don't know about?

Two months later

It was Christmas eve, and Jamie and Lindsey had just arrived at Luke's house for his (apparently) annual Christmas party.
"They take turns hosting it," Lindsey had explained to Jamie while she had done her hair. "Ash told me last year it was at his house, and the year before it was at C-" Lindsey made sure to stop herself before uttering his name. The word had become taboo amongst the five friends, because they knew saying it would only upset Jamie, no matter how much she denied this accusation.
"Anyway, you get the picture." Lindsey had said.
"Come on in, guys," Luke smiled when he saw the two of them at the door. "Merry Christmas."
"You too." Jamie nodded. Lindsey was already making her way towards Ashton, and they shared a quick kiss before disappearing into the living room.
Jamie slowly pulled off her boots, ignoring Luke's eyes on her. When she stood up, he met her eyes.
"Are you...okay?" He asked hesitantly.
"Yeah, why wouldn't I be?" Jamie asked, even though she definitely knew the reason Luke was concerned.
"You know..." Luke shrugged as they stopped in front of the living room door. "It's been about two months since...that happened, and you still don't seem the same."
"I loved him, Luke," Jamie's eyes flashed with annoyance, and Luke looked a little hurt. "You expect me to just forget the whole thing happened?"
Luke's face seemed to crumple, and she remembered how upset he had been. How upset he still must be.
"I'm sorry, Luke," Jamie's eyes softened. "I know it was really hard for you too. I'm just...sensitive."
Luke nodded and turned the knob, pushing open the door and stepping into the room. Jamie followed him, hoping he wasn't angry at her.
Lindsey and Ashton were sitting on a the couch, his arm around Lindsey's shoulders as he chatted with her, and Michael was already deep in conversation with Luke over in a corner. Something about the way Michael glanced at her when she entered the room let her know they had been talking about her.
Samantha, Michael's girlfriend, was standing in the centre of the room, talking with a petite blonde Jamie didn't recognize. Jamie approached them hesitantly, and Samantha's eyes lit up when she saw her.
"Hi, J-J!" Samantha bubbled, using the nickname she was quite fond of but that Jamie herself didn't really care for. "Have you met Ally?" She gestured to the blonde who, up close, Jamie could see had bright green eyes, like the colour of fresh spring leaves.
"Um...no." Jamie smiled at Ally, who returned the gesture, flashing her pearly-whites.
"Oh!" Samantha smiled. "Well Ally, this is Jamie, and Jamie, this is Ally, Luke's girlfriend."
"We're not officially boyfriend and girlfriend yet," Ally interjected. "We just met a few days ago."
"Oh." Jamie wasn't quite sure what to say. She was surprise that Luke hasn't told her he'd met someone. The two had grown almost as close as Jamie was with Lindsey over the last couple months.
"Well, you two should totally get to know each other better!" Samantha twisted a strand of her rusty coloured hair around her finger. "I'll be over there." She walked over to Michael in that ballet-ish, graceful style she always had and planted a kiss on his cheek before hanging off of his arm in a loving manner.
Jamie turned back to Ally, who smiled shyly. Jamie noticed that when she smiled with her mouth closed she had a dimple on her right cheek.
"Sooo..." Ally giggled a little.
Before she could continue there was a knock at the door, and Luke turned away from Michael.
"I wonder who that is?" Luke muttered to himself, making his way across the room and pushing open the living room door.
Jamie had a bad feeling, and she followed Luke.
When he opened the front door, Jamie was absolutely shocked at who stood behind it.
Calum looked exactly the same as he always had and her heart did a little flip-flop, despite everything, just at the sight of him, and then her blood began to boil.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Luke demanded.
"I...I just came because I knew Jamie would be here," he swallowed. "And...I wanted to talk to her."
"What the hell makes you think you deserve that?" Luke's left hand clenched into a tight fist, and his left one held the door with a white-knuckle grip.
"I don't," Calum shook his head. "I know I don't. But-"
"But nothing!" Luke interrupted him. "I knocked you out once! Wasn't once enough?!"
"Please," Calum's voice sounded weak. "Please, Luke. Let me talk to her."
Jamie placed a hand on Luke's arm in case he lunged for Calum and she had to pull him back. The rest of the party had now entered the front room, Ashton, Michael and Lindsey staring at Calum with looks of anger and hurt, and Samantha and Ally looking confused.
"No! Why should you?" Luke asked angrily.
"How do I know you're not just going to lie to me again?" Jamie asked quietly. She didn't trust herself not to burst into tears. Seeing Calum after two months was bringing up all the bad feelings from when he had so savagely broken her heart.
"That's the thing," Calum pleaded. "I'm here to tell the truth."
"How can I trust you, though?" Jamie's voice began to raise. "How do I know that you've even told me, or your friends-" she gestured around the room at Luke, Michael, Ashton and Lindsey "-a single thing that was true?"
Calum swallowed, trying to blink away the tears that were filling his eyes.
"I'm sorry." He said silently.
"Well, sorry isn't good enough!" Luke cried. "You think you can just say sorry and everything will be better? After you broke her heart and betrayed everybody who loved you? You've got some damn nerve even turning up here after what you did."
Calum took a deep, shuddery breath.
"I know-" he had to stop for a moment and swallow down his tears. "I know I don't deserve...anything, but...would you please let me just say something? Would you let me tell the truth, what actually happened?"
Luke opened his mouth to say something, but Jamie beat him to it. "Calum, if we let you explain yourself, then will you leave?
Calum nodded.
"Okay..." Jamie took a breath. "Fine, then go ahead."
Calum suddenly had a memory, Catherine's finger on the trigger of her gun.
"I need you to do something for me," she had said. "I need you to break Jamie's heart."
"What happens if I don't?" He had asked, pushing his luck.
"Then all your little friends, Ashton and Michael and Luke, and especially Jamie-" Catherine smiled devilishly. "-will suffer the consequences of your actions."
Calum didn't need to ask what the "consequences" would be.
Calum swallowed, took a deep breath and told them everything. He told them about Catherine's gun, and how she had threatened him and instructed him to break Jamie's heart.
"They were all lies," Calum looked directly into Jamie's eyes. "Jamie, I would never use you-or anybody for sex. I loved you. I still love you."
"Bull," Luke growled. "Bullshit."
"I'm not lying, I promise." Calum gave up, and a tear spilled over and slid down his left cheek.
"He's not lying." Jamie said, almost to herself. It all made sense now. Catherine's sudden disappearance, her suspicious actions, and Calum's nervous face when the two had returned from the bathroom that day.
"He's not lying." Jamie said again, louder this time.
Calum's eyes sparked with hope at these words, and their lacklustre look disappeared.
The final puzzle piece slid into place. Jamie's mind flashed back to the call she had received from her mother days before.
"Your cousin Catherine was arrested," Mrs. Levine had informed. "She plead guilty in court to theft, insurance fraud and many other charges. It was a shock to all of us."
She was a terrible person, and an amazing actor, Jamie thought.
"It makes sense," She said. "Didn't anybody notice how long Catherine was gone after checking on Calum, and how nervous he looked when they came back?"
Jamie glanced over at the opposite wall, which Michael, Ashton and all of the others stood against. Ashton's brows were knit tightly together and Michaels mouth was open slightly, as of he couldn't believe what he was hearing. Samantha and Ally shared the same confused look, and Lindsey still looked ready to murder Calum.
"I'm so sorry." Calum was looking directly at Jamie when she turned back around.
"I know I can't prove it. All I have is my story, but I love you, Jamie," Calum's eyes were red, tears cascading down his tan cheeks. "I never stopped loving you, and I don't think I ever will. Every second I spent away from you was like torture, and I don't know if I can live the rest of my life like that." Jamie could see the raw emotion in his eyes, hear it in his voice, and some part of her suddenly knew that he wasn't lying. She could just tell.
She couldn't restrain herself anymore, and she took a step forward, wrapping her arms around him and pressing her cheek against his chest, inhaling his familiar scent.
"I love you." She whispered, her tears soaking into the fabric of his winter jacket.
"I love you too." Calum whispered back, his heart stopping for a moment and then starting up again, going a million miles an hour. He wasn't sure how he had survive two months without being able to hold her in his arms like this. There was an undeniable relief that came with being able to do so, because he knew that while she was in his arms, no harm could possibly come to her.
After what seemed like forever, Jamie took a step back, and a little piece of Calum's heart went with her.
He smiled a little, and then looked at Luke. His face was stony.
"Can we talk...in another room?" Calum asked. Luke hesitated for a moment and then nodded.
A minute later they were entering Luke's room and sitting on his bed. In an effort to calm himself, Calum laced his fingers together and then pulled them apart repeatedly.
"So," Luke said after a moment, his voice flat and hard. "What are you going to say that you're convinced will make me forgive you?"
"You don't believe me, do you?" Calum asked sadly.
"Of course I don't believe you." Luke gave a hollow laugh.
"Why not?"
"Because I trusted you once, and look where it got me!"
"Luke..." Calum thought for a while, choosing his words carefully. "Luke, just like I can't live without Jamie, I can't live without you. We're best friends, Luke...or at least, we were. I love you, and I need you."
Luke swallowed, keeping his eyes fixed firmly on the ground.
"You betrayed me, Calum," he finally spoke, his voice an echo of what it had been moments before. "I love you too, and I so badly want to believe you-"
"Then do!"
"But," Luke shook his head. "I don't know if I can. I just...don't know." Luke tried as hard as he could to swallow the lump in his throat.
"Please, Luke," Calum pleaded. "What do you want me to do? I'll do anything!"
Luke buried his face in his palms and didn't reply.
There was a moment during which all was silent except for their soft breathing, and the Calum sighed. "I just don't understand why Jamie belives me and you can't."
"Because, Calum!" Luke looked up, his eyes full of pain and frustration. "Because you've known Jamie about three months. You were dating for a couple of weeks before you did...what you did. But we've known each other for years! For as long as I can remember! I built up years and years of trust in you, and then, all at once, you broke it. Something like that can't just be forgiven!"
"But I'm telling the truth!" Calum cried.
"Another thing is that damn fake relationship!" Luke continued, ignoring Calum's words." How could you lie to me like that? Jamie told me it was your idea!"
"Luke, that was a long time ago!" Calum exclaimed. "Are you seriously bringing that up now?"
Luke's fists clenched, his jaw tightening. "I can't believe I ever trusted you! I can't even believe this, Calum Thomas Hood."
Calum flinched at the sound of his full name, so rarely used.
"Luke, please!" Calum wiped away his tears, but they just kept coming. "It wasn't my fault! I never meant for this to happen!"
Luke slowly shook his head. "You're so full of shit, with your damn stories."
"Luke, I-" Calum instinctively reached out and placed a hand on Luke's upper arm, but Luke angrily shook him off.
"Just leave me alone," Luke's voice was filled with anguish. "Get out of my house, and don't you dare come back here ever again!"
Calum swallowed and stood up. He couldn't bring himself to look back at Luke as he left the room.

Awww, Lukey and Cal-Cal are fighting D':
So, the idea is that Catherine was so messed up by her childhood-she was constantly seeking love and attention from her parents, but she never got it, that she just became a really bad person. And this actually happens a lot. Like, your childhood impacts so much of your life that a bad one can just cause you to have so much hate in your later life, and that's a reason that lots of criminals became who they are, because of something that happened in their childhood.
Anyway, Catherine was convinced that Jamie was the reason for her parents lack of love, so she told herself she had to get revenge, but Jamie actually wasn't a bad person or anything like that as a kid, Catherine just had to find someone to blame.
Hope you guys like this story (:
Love you all!

Loser_Luke