The Best Days - c.h

Chapter 18

"Because you didn't chase after me, Cal."

Ava's P.O.V

In a way, I wanted Calum to follow me on my walk so I was pleased when I heard him following behind me.

Now sure, I had absolutely no idea what I wanted to say to him - or if I even wanted to say anything yet - but I missed him so much. Seeing him standing in the doorway as I pulled up, watching him watch me show everyone pictures of my trip, just being around him again it was evident that I flat out missed the guy. It didn't matter how much I liked him still, which was evident as well, all that mattered was I really did miss my friendship with Calum.

I told him I needed time so it was my fault we hadn't spoken. I let it go for an entire year. It was time to begin to let him in again. I didn't know what this would entail but I had to talk to Calum again...that was the only way we'd get anywhere.

We were quiet for the first ten minutes of the walk. We literally just walked along the water in the moonlight without a single word exchanged.

"I missed it here." I finally spoke up.

"Yea. I felt the same way. Once we came back a few weeks ago, I realized I really did miss it. It's nice to be back."

"I agree. It's nice that we were all able to get back here."

"& it feels complete now that you're here as well, Ava."

"I'm glad I was able to make it."

"Do you want to go sit up there?" Calum pointed to a rock wall a little bit up the sand. I didn't answer, I just started walking towards it as he trailed behind & then it was quiet again.

"Ava. Can we just talk? I mean really talk? Like let's not hold anything back or lie or whatever, let's just talk."

"Sure." I was too anxious to make the move about having this sort of conversation but apparently Calum wasn't."

"I really did miss you."

"I missed you too, Cal."

"You know, we never were able to talk about what happened last time we were on this beach together a year ago."

"I know." I answered quietly as I began spinning the hair tie I had around my wrist.

"Do you want to?"

"Do you?" I asked him back.

"Yea." Calum quickly answered me. "I do, I really do. I honestly wish you didn't run off right away after everything happened. You left like hours afterwards & I was stuck here with no idea what to do next."

"I had to go home though."

"But why?"

"I didn't want to talk to you. That was the main reason. I didn't want to have to face you. I was too nervous to know what you'd say about the whole thing & I was so mad at Michael too. I didn't feel like I was safe here, like I wasn't happy. I just had to get out of here."

"Why were you so nervous to know what I'd say? I was going to talk to you right when it happened but you cut me off & then you ran."

"Because you just found out that your best friend of basically your entire life fell for you, I was fucking crazy about you & I figured you didn't feel the same. I saw your expression to it all unfolding & it didn't look like you were into me at all. I didn't want to have to face you rejecting me. More so, I didn't want you to have to reject me & then feel like a piece of shit for doing so to me. So I left. I ran away. I had to."