A single bullet // M.C

40

"Why?" I had spoken to Calum on the phone demanding that he come over to Luke's, alone and we talk about what actually happened when he was punch. He owes me that as least. He owes me answers to one of the main questions that has been running wild in my mind. "Calum?" I whispered as he still hadn't looked up at me.

He had arrived at Luke's an hour ago just muttering a hi and a bye to Luke as he left leaving us alone, the floor was his entertainment.

"If you're just going to stare at the floor you may as well go," I muttered, if I wanted silence on the subject I would have gone to Michael.

"Shut the fuck up Nicky," he hissed finally looking up making me push my lips together and nod tucking a stray piece of hair behind my ear.

"Yes dad," I scoffed before pulling my bottom lip into my mouth "ew gross no," Calum cracked a small smile at that before sighing.

"Why what?" I then remembered I had never actually told him why I want him over, just more demanded with no answers to the questions he was throwing back at me.

"You punched Michael Calum," I simply spoke watching as his posture stiffened up before relaxing, hands linked firming together over his lap.

"No I didn't," he instantly spoke leaning forward and glaring at me.

"You fucking did," I snapped back in disbelief he still had the nerve to lie to me about this. "Kensie told me so don't bullshit me over it."

"Kensie don't know what she's on about, she weren't there Nicky," he brushed her off rolling his eyes making me slam my hand off Luke's coffee table,

"Do not talk bad about her," I sneered. She had been with me through thick and thin in my life and I'll be damned if he starts to drag her name through mud. "She was called by Michael Calum. She witnessed it."

"More like paint me as the bad guy," he leant back into the plush pillows, his slightly busted (mostly healed) lip shining in the dull ceiling lights. "Want to know how I got this?" He pointed at his lip rolling his eyes "she can throw a mean old punch."

"Haha, stop with the jokes," all I wanted was a simple answer, not to be playing this stupid back and forth games with him.

"It's true. You know what? Yes I was beating Michael up because he shot at you! That's a pretty valid reason I would say," he didn't move a muscle as he spoke with no emotion in his tone and his eyes harsh remembering the day. "I just saw red at him and went for him, he did let me just do it but got a few of his own hits in," his hand gripped at the neck of his shirt pulling it down and away from his skin, a gnarly bruise on his collarbone "thought he broke it." He shifted his body again "the only reason I stopped that day was because Kensie came over and punched me in the face it snapped me out of whatever trance I had found myself in."

I hadn't dared to react to his words and actions scared it would ruin his flow and snap him right out of it.

"She said Michael did that,"

"He might of started it busting but she finished it. Luke has to drag her away before she climbed on me and kept going." He laughed softly closing his eyes, "that was it after that I went, Luke healed you up and Michael swore to stay in his guest room. I didn't want to lie to you about the story I just couldn't have you viewing me as the bad guy in that. Michael..."

"Weren't the bad guy," I interrupted shaking my head. "Don't lie to me about shit like this Calum, not now." The side of Michael I had seen before I discovered his secret was different to what I have previously seen. All his walls and bridges were down letting me seeing the Michael the boys are lucky to know and see, he trusted me with his vulnerability and I'm not about to ruin that.

"Whatever you say Nic," he put his hands up in mock surrender making me roll my own eyes at him now.

"Look Calum I don't want you to fight them if they do something to me."

It's the one thing I wanted to stop before it got too bad. The defending me from each other. They were a group before I got dragged into it, pulled into the dynamic they have and I quickly learnt who was who. I didn't want to ruin the leader order and any goals the four (five including Kensie) have. I didn't want them turning against each other because I have an argument with one of them but I also didn't want them to gang up on me either, but that was still the preferred of the two.

"You guys are a family and I'm not included in that," I weren't their family, I weren't really a friend to most of them. I was just... there. "I don't want to mess with what you have with each other because it's needed." Me and Alex use to be the same until he got the job he's currently got and we just drifted. He was always doing late shifts with Morgan that I never got to see him and spend time with him as I worked days. I would walk in, he would walk out. He missed so much, breakups, job offers, leaving jobs, I missed my brother but he didn't care. Work got in the way for him. I don't want to be that thing for these boys.

"I'm here for good now since Michael won't let me go unharmed. If I'm not here in this gang then I'm dead... so please don't let me ruin anything. You have to apologise to Michael."

"He needs to apologise to you." He replied making me nod softly. In ways he has already looking after me when my stitches broke until I set him off, something I need to learn not to do. Not that I can tell Calum that.

"I'm sure he will but you have to make the first move. Deal?"

"Deal."

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