Breaking Point

13. Choice

I groggily woke up to the sound of my phone ringing. My eyes fluttered open as I grabbed my phone and pressed it to pick up.
"Good afternoon Gwen! I'm a little worried about Calum.. I'm left him a note that I was leaving for work and I didn't want to wake him up. But he should've called me and it's nearly 12.. Would you mind going over to check on him because he looked a little shaken last night.." I glanced at the clock in shock. It's that late?! I cleared my voice and smiled.
"No problem Joy, no need to worry. I'm sure he's ok"
"Ok thank you hun. I'll call you later!"
"Ok bye!" I hung up the shone and rolled off of my bed. I flopped to the floor with a groan and crawled to my bathroom. I my hair looked like a birds nest and my makeup was everywhere. I sighed and pulled out my favorite outfit of a loose shirt and sweatpants. I quickly touched up my makeup and out my hair in a messy bun before running out the door to Calum's house. My mind was going crazy going conclusion to conclusion of why he didn't answer. Did Michael come back? Did is phone just die? Or was he hurt? I took a deep breath and pulled up to his driveway and made my way to the front door. I knocked three times with no answer. Then I knocked again... No answer. I pushed the door and it opened. Why didn't he lock it? I looked around and closed the door behind me as I walked around, looking for him. I found him nowhere downstairs so I made my way up. "Calum?" I yelled, with silence in response. I walked through his halls and looked through bathrooms as I made my way to his room. "Cal, you're scaring me.." I made my way to his room but I stopped at a sound coming from the room next to his. Suddenly there was a loud crash and I threw the door open. I sighed in relief when I saw Calum's familiar back. But something was wrong.. Definitely wrong. He was hunched over with his back to me, with a small teddy bear in his hands. And it was stained with something... Blood? I looked down and there were shards of glass everywhere. I took a step closer to him cautiously and put my hand on his shoulder. "Calum?" He shook his head slightly and grasped the teddy bear and turned farther away.
"Get away from me" was all he whispered before hugging the teddy bear closer.
"No. What happened?" He didn't say anything for a long second.
"I'm a monster" he raised his voice and started crying and was muffled by the teddy bear.
"No you're not." I walked around him to see his face again. He was a wreck. His eyes were bloodshot, hair tousled, and his face stained with tears. It broke my heart to see him like this..
"Yes I am. You don't know what I did." He looked down at the teddy bear as another tear slipped down his face. What could be so bad that would make him think he's a monster?
"Tell me... Tell me what happened"

Calum had told me everything. I had no idea what had happened to him. Just last year, his little sister Lily was turning 9 and he was pretty sure she was big enough to sit in the from seat. So he took her to her favorite ice cream shop. But on the way there a truck came speeding into them out of nowhere. And before he could react, Lily was gone.
"She flew right through the windshield and died on impact." He said not looking at me, and was staring at the teddy bear.
"I'm sorry.... I didn't know" I whispered and sat next to him.
"Don't be sorry. It was all my fault anyways. And the funny part was that she died with this thing still in her arms" he laughed and picked up the teddy bear.
"Stop. I won't let you think that all of this was your fault. Because it wasn't. It's a freak accident Calum.. It's not your fault"
"Yes it is Gwen!!!!! Everyone tells me that but it's not true! I could've put her in the backseat, I could've brought her ice cream at home, I could've saved her! But I didn't!"
"Exactly Cal. You could've. It happened and now it's gone. She's gone. There's nothing to change and nothing to make it change. Don't beat yourself up over this." I turned to him but his eyes were still down.
"Don't you see? I can't love you. I can't do anything. Or I'll hurt you.. Or worse. I can make that little mistake just like I did with Lily. And I'll never forgive myself." Now he looked at me and I looked at his face up and down.
"I'll forgive you. Because I know you aren't like this. I know you're better than you make yourself be. And I don't care if you hurt me, cause you already have. It hurts me when you hurt. So don't. I just care about you too much so don't destroy yourself over this." There was a long silence as I stared at him. "Please." His lip quivered the slightest bit but he looked at me again.
"Gwen... Thank you. I mean it. Thank YOU. Nobody has ever listened to me and understood me that ways you do." I felt butterflies again and I smiled lightly.
"Well I'm a good listener then" I laughed and he did too.
"Exceptional" he was smiling normal now and I was happy to see it again. He had been through so much but he never did let it show. I could never do it. We were siting in a comfortable silence until he spoke up. "I have to take a shower, so can leave if you want" he paused for a second. "Or you can join me." I pushed him off and laughed.
"There's the Calum I know! I'll wait here" he laughed and headed out of the room, setting the teddy bear down on the dresser. I was just leaning on the wall and looking around he room when I heard a phone go off. It wasn't mine but it was Calum's. I glanced over an it said Michael. I picked it up in my hand as my finger hovered over the answer button. Suddenly the door opened and Calum was reaching for his phone. He only had a towel wrapped around his waist with wet floppy hair sticking to his forehead. I swatted his hand away and he made a disapproving look. "I need to talk to him."
"No." I ignored him and pressed answer and held the phone to my ear. Calum stepped forward but I put my hand into his bare chest to hold him back.
"Hello?" I asked, as Calum groaned and smacked his head into his hand.
"Hey Gwen." I heard Michael laughing and I rolled my eyes.
"Be quiet. I just got here."
"Where's your boy?"
"Shut up. And he's in the shower"
"Why? You didn't join him this time?" He asked in a girly voice.
"No" I said bitterly.
"I bet you were thinking about me when you guys were doing it last night." I practically gaged.
"Uh, no. And we weren't doing anything last night fyi."
"Nice to know. You know he isn't going to treat you the way I would. He'll hurt you. Just like the last time he loves someone."
"What the fuck is wrong with you Michael?! You know, you're so low."
"I know. It's my specialty. I'm just speaking the truth."
"What made you all of a sudden act this way?" I saw Calum stiffen a little but I ignored him.
"Well I thought it was obvious honey. You're just to stupid to see it."
"What the hell is that supposed to mean?!" I yelled into the phone.
"You chose him. But now you have the choice. Me or him. Have fun, and call me when you make up you're mind." And with that he hung up on me before I could get anything out. I put Calum's phone down slowly and turned back to him. That's when I realized that I pulled them apart. That I'm pulling them apart. My eyes watered a little at the thought but Calum noticed immediately. He suddenly took me into his arms and hugged me. I was surprised but I hugged back.
"Since when have you become so protective of me?" I looked up and he looked back down at me.
"Since the moment I first saw you scared" I nodded as I flashed back to last night and shivered.
"You know, it's not fair how tall you are" I looked up and he bursted out laughing. "It's true though!!!" I got on my tippy toes and stretched out my neck so I could be just his height. "Ah, ha!!!"
"You're adorable" he laughed and pulled me closer. There was a silence as we just looked into each other's eyes in silence. And then he kissed me. No scripts, no force, no pressure. Just kissed me. I felt the fireworks go off inside of me and the butterflies exploded into my stomach as he wrapped his muscular arms around my waists and kept kissing me. I wrapped my arms around his neck and placed them inside of his damp hair as we kissed again and again. He pulled back a little and I did too. I blushed, and he smiled as we stared at each other.
"Just so you know.... I chose you."

AUTHORS NOTE: The first real and non scripted kiss!!! AWWWWW but I seriously need a ship name! HELP MEEE