ʟᴀᴄᴇᴅ ᴡɪᴛʜ ʜɪᴍ- ᴄ.ʜ

Vol 15: Cocky Instruments

The chirping birds rattled Lacey's brain awake as her eyes fluttered open, staring at the ceiling. She realised that instead of her bedroom ceiling being pearl white, it was an off-white yellow. She forcefully managed managed to lean on her elbows. The girl noticed she was not in her baby pink sheets and instead in plaid blue and white. Her vision met a black dresser in front of the foot of the bed with a bass guitar leaned on the side along with its case; and then she realised where she woke up.

Her mind suddenly raced a million miles as she realised she woke up or fell asleep on Calum's bed. But how could of she managed to fall asleep on his bed, all she remembered was falling asleep on the floor, she thought. She went through multiple scenarios in her head like how maybe Calum picked her up, maybe she sleep walked, maybe she forgot she climbed in the bed. Whatever the outcome was, Lacey was still racing with fuming anxiety. How could she fall asleep on Calum's bed? She wasn't even that close with him! Would it be weird to face him after this?! Was he sleeping next to her? Lacey couldn't stop thinking. What the hell happened?! What the hell would Luke think if he found out?!

Lacey was so overwhelmed by all of these thoughts that she couldn't help but push them down and force herself to forget about them. This was the case most of the time anyway.

She suddenly lifted up the sheets to see if her clothes were still there; obviously they were- Lacey just had a tendency to overthink every single little situation.

As Lacey stretched out of the bed; Calum's bed, that is- she tried to locate her phone which was found charged on the dresser in front of her. She found some messages from Luke saying how Calum was gonna drop her off in the morning and wondering if she's okay as she never just falls asleep like that.

There was another message, but from Eli. But before Lacey could open it she heard light strumming like sounds coming from outside the bedroom door, possibly from the balcony or living room. It sounded like an acoustic guitar, she thought.

Lacey curiously made her way into the hallway and into the living room. The living room was filled with cool morning air, yet Calum was no where to be seen. Lacey noticed the wide balcony doors open and spotted Calum in the corner of the small opening. He slouched over with what it looked like an acoustic guitar- the notes were simple but angelic. That wasn't the only thing that caught Lacey off guard, Calum was shirtless; only wearing grey sweatpants.

Some spikes of nervousness emerged from the pit of Lacey's stomach. She didn't know why, she's seen him shirtless before. Like that time their family went away to the beach together when she was 16. But this felt.. different. She couldn't even stare at him without turning away a second later.

As Lacey approached the boy she also saw that he had a coffee mug sat on the floor next to the legs of the chair. Calum looked as though he didn't want to be disturbed, well; she wouldn't want to be disturbed if it were her. Should she just leave? She thought.

As Lacey was caught up in her own thoughts, Calum turned his head towards the girl with raised eyebrows- like he was surprised she was awake already. As Lacey's eyes fell on his, she couldn't help but be taken aback at how she was mentally unprepared to see his face- and she had no idea the fuck why.

Calum slowly put the guitar down as he cleared his throat and as Lacey slowly walked next to where he was perched.

"I'm sorry- that I fell asleep. I'm sorry I was in your bed too- the couch doesn't seem so.. comfortable." She couldn't help but dart her eyes to the couch with the used blanket and a pillow. She was tripping in her words, why?

Calum looked at what caught the girls eye and shook his head.

"Oh- no, it's fine. I didn't want to wake you up.. you seemed pretty tired." His charismatic attention diverted back to Lacey as he noticed her red puffy eyes. She was still wearing her jean shorts and Billie Eilish t-shirt from the day before and now felt the cold breeze of the morning air set into the skin of her arms and legs as she shivered.