What is Love?

~ Chapter 8 ~

~ Four Years Earlier ~

I've finally turned eighteen! I graduated high school a few months ago and in a month's time Naomi and I are moving to Boston for college! Obviously, I'm going to be sad that I won't be seeing Calum anymore but a fresh start in Boston is what I need.

Naomi and I already had our eighteenth birthday celebrations a week prior to my birthday so I just stayed at home for my eighteenth. My mother had already started packing up all of her stuff in the house seeing as once I move out she has nothing else tying her down in Dallas. It's horrible to think that she classifies her daughter as someone tying her down.

I hear my bedroom window slide up and Calum appears in front of me. I was sitting in the dark browsing apartments in Boston for Naomi and me. I reach over and turn on my lamp and Calum comes over and plants a kiss on my forehead. He jumps into the bed beside me and leans against my headboard.

''Whacha doing?'' He takes the Ipad from me and starts skimming through what I was looking at. ''Apartments for Naomi and me.'' He lets out a big sigh and sinks down on my bed until he's laying down. He places the Ipad on the side table and I cuddle with him. ''What can I do to convince you to stay here with me, Nix?'' He starts stroking up and down my arm. I can feel his heart beating beneath my head. ''What can I do to convince you to move to Boston with us, Cal?''

I've tried getting Calum to agree to move with us but we both know why he can't. And we both know why I can't stay here. ''I don't want us to end, Phoenix.'' It's as if I can feel his heartbreak beneath me knowing that I'm the reason it's aching. ''I don't either, Calum.'' Calum sits up and sits me up with him. He slides off the bed and stands up. ''We're not going to sit around and mope about you leaving on the night of your eighteenth. Go put some clothes on and meet me at the end of the road in thirty minutes.''

I can't even protest with him because he's already out the window. I don't know where we're going so I just stick on a T-shirt and jeans. I slip into my runners and walk out my bedroom door. My mother is standing in the hall as if she was waiting for me to come out and face her. ''How long has Calum Calvin been sneaking into your bedroom at night?'' She doesn't ask, she demands to know.

''Don't act like you care, mother.'' I walk right by her to head towards the front door but she grips my arm and stops me. ''I'm your mother and if there's a boy sneaking into my daughter's room at night, I damn well have every right to care.'' I yank my arm out of her grip and turn around to look her in the eye. ''You haven't been a mother at all to me. Did you finally wake up and remember your daughter's birthday today? I can't remember the last time you remembered my birthday. I'm leaving, so don't try and stop me.''

I hear her trying to reason with me but I just walk out the door and head to the end of the road. Calum's range rover is parked nicely waiting for me. I jump into the passenger seat and Calum smiles at me. I don't know what comes over me but I snap. I completely break down and start crying into my hands. ''Hey, what's wrong?'' I feel Calum's hand on my hand trying to console me.

''Just my mother again. Same old, same old.'' I wipe my tears and let out a breath. ''Where are we going?'' I don't want to talk about my mother much more on my birthday. Calum knows that I don't talk about her as much as I use to when I was younger. ''It's a surprise.'' He flashes me his famous half-smirk and starts the car up.

We pull up outside a twenty-four-hour tattoo parlor. ''We're getting a tattoo?'' I say excitedly, I almost forgot that with turning eighteen I can legally get a tattoo! Calum nods and runs around to my car door. ''We have arrived at your destination, madam Parker.'' Calum extends his hand out to help me out and for the first time he's done this I accept his hand.