Choices || Calum Hood

Broken Home

"I'm here alone inside of this broken home..."

My eyes spring open as I sit straight up in the bed, my heart hammers at my ribs. I wipe the sweat off of my palms and onto the white bed sheets before I feel my tears hit my cheeks. Damn, I am so sick of crying. The images from my nightmare flash into my vision as I feel bile creep up my throat, threatening to spill out and empty the minute contents of my stomach, but then he walks into the room and it all seizes. Like a thief caught in the act.

"Hey, hey, hey..." He coos as soon as he sees the state I'm in. I stay silent as I allow him to wrap his arms around me. His thin black shirt comfortably rubbing against my cheek as he rocks us back and forth. The minty sent of his aftershave engulfs my nostrils. Summer stop, I command as he whispers into my ear while slowly stroking my hair.

I finally muster up the self-control to slowly pull back, and he does the same. His hand remains at the small of my back, drawing small circles with his palm as the last of my tears fell.

"You okay?" he asks with a concerned expression morphing his beautiful facial features.

"Yeah." I breathe."Just a nightmare." His smile is so comforting I have to physically turn my head to tear my eyes from him.

The sun sitting so low in the sky causes my stomach to drop. "Shit, shit, shit." I curse, jumping off the bed. I instantly start patting at my thighs desperately looking for my phone or something to tell me that it's not as late as I think it is.

"What? What's wrong Summer?"Cal quickly asks as he copies my actions.

"What time is it?" I finally ask, ignoring his question. The frightened look on his shows that my panic is clearly taking a toll on him. He looks up at the wall behind me, and I turn to realize there is a black and white clock hung up right over me head.

"Shit" I squea, as I realize its quarter past four. I thought it was late, but Goddamn I didn't think it was this late. I rush to the door, were my shoes have been neatly placed, and flop on the floor to slip my them on.

"What's going on?" Calum pleads, begging me to fill him in.

"I'm late."Is all I give him. He reaches out his hands for me and I clasp onto them as he pulls me up, I can't help but watch the way his arms flex as his muscles strain under my weight. Even in dire situations like this, I can't keep him off my mind.

"Late for what?" He asks as his hand stays clasped onto mine, calming my nerves.

"Bella and Mase are- are still waiting f-for me and I had t-to be there like an hour and half ago." I say as the stress from before starts rising again, causing me to fumble my words. I try to slip my hand out of his grip, but to no avail.

I watch as his eyebrows scrunch up in horror. "No way in hell am I going to let you go back to that house again." He states, his grip on my hand noticeable tightening and his other hand finding its way onto my waist.

"No, no" I assure him. "I'm not going to go there. I'm just going to pick them up from school".

He pulls me forward with his hand on my waist and kisses me on the forehead. "Don't take too long," he whispers, his hot breath fanning on my as I feel goosebumps erupt down the whole vicinity of my body. My heart literally swoons.

I have to tear myself away from him, but then I'm out the door and jumping into one of the boy's SUV and driving straight to their school. It doesn't take me ten minutes, and I instantly see Bella sitting on a bench swinging her legs back and forth, with a peculiar expression on her face as Mason performs an intricate dance for her. I sigh with relief to see they're physically okay.