Finding 4

Chapter 17

I didnt mention this because I honestly forgot, but Marley and her family have southern accents :)

Marley

I've never been more angry in my life. I can't even feel sad or unhappy, just angry.

I don't know how to make it go away.

And I'm being an asshole to everyone around me.

It's been two weeks since I saw that video with Mason and Emily. The three of us have exchanged some words, and I've said some not so nice things. Towards them, I don't care. I hope they both contract aids or something. However, towards my family and real friends, I've found myself taking my anger out on them too.

Especially Callum.

He's the last person who deserves it. He walked me home that night, he gave me his hoodie when I was cold, hell he even made sure I didn't see any more of that video than I did.

Mason never did that.

These past few weeks I've had a lot of time to think in between the skipping school, and the bed rotting. Most of that time has been spent thinking about mine and Masons relationship.

All of the good.

All of the bad.

All of the things he did.

All of the things I didn't want to do.

The things he made me do anyway.

I can hear the front door open downstairs, and people talking. I know those voices. It's the voices of two people who have become quite close with my dad since living here in Ireland.

The sound of footsteps walking up the stairs, and towards my door can be heard. Even when my door creaks open, and the footsteps walk over to my bed, I don't move. I just keep my back to whoever it is standing in my room.

When my mattress sinks down next to me, and that familiar smell fills my nose, I know who it is.

That's the same smell on Callum's hoodie. The same hoodie that's strewn at the foot of my bed.

I find myself rolling to my back to look at him, and not once does the thought of how I look go through my mind.

With Mason that's all I worried about.

Was my hair neat enough? Was my outfit cute enough? Were my shoes clean enough? Did my face look pretty enough?

"Hey," he says softly, looking down at me.

"Hey," I whisper back.

For what feels like forever we just sit there and stare at each other. After a moment, he lifts his hand and brings it to the side of my face, pushing a piece of hair out of my face and tucking it behind my ear. His hand lingers on my face, his thumb rubbing over my cheekbone.

Even when I've been an absolute monster to him these past two weeks, he's still here. Checking on me.

"Callum?" I say.

"Yeah?" He mumbles, bringing his hand back to his side.

"I still hate you."

He smiles, and those stupid dimples of his show up as his stupid pretty white teeth show. "Yeah okay."

I find myself smiling too, for the first time in weeks. The room goes silent again for a second before I speak up again.

"Hey uh...thanks for the other night." I sit up and lean my back against the head rest of my bed frame. "You know with walking me home and all."

"It's not a problem," he shrugs.

I look at him for another moment. "You know you kind of are a nice guy."

He laughs "So I'm not a douchebag?"

"Well," I scrunch my nose "sometimes you are. Others you're...you're the Callum I hear about."

"The Callum you hear about?"

"Yeah," I nod. "The one who checks on Sammy Orion when he's throwing up so much he can't walk. Or the one who walks girls who just got cheated on home."

He smiles softly at me, his eyes looking way too good for me to hate them. Once again we end up staring at each other. His eyes flutter around my face, and I can't help but look down at his lips. When I notice his eyes falling to my lips, my breath hitches and I feel my body heat up.

"You know my families over." He stands up and runs a hand through his hair, his back to me. "Here for dinner."

"I...uhm...yeah. Dad mentioned it earlier." I rub my cheek with my hand.

"I'm uh..." he rubs the back of his neck and turns to face me again. "I'm gonna go back downstairs."

I nod "Yeah."

Shit.