Clean ⇔ Cashton ✓

Swear I'd Never Put You Down

ASHTON

I'd like to think that Calum's newfound happy attitude has to do with our recently blossomed relationship, but I'm pretty sure it's just because of the dog.

Over the past week, he has grown immensely, growing too big to carry out and much too big to be considered a lap dog, however Calum dismisses that idea completely. That dog practically lives on Calum's lap, happily soaking up the boy's attention without a second thought.

I've never seen Calum love something as much as he loves that dog, and as much as it annoys me that the dog has stolen all of my boyfriend's attention, I do love seeing him happy.

Calum has developed a love for walking his dog in the morning, claiming he likes the early morning sun on his skin. He says it feels refreshing, and I'm definitely not one to argue.

This morning, we both wake up bright and early, getting dressed lazily in the early sun's shadow and making a quick breakfast before heading out for our walk. Calum dresses in a sleeveless t-shirt, advertises a band on the front, and leaving both his arms bare. The bruises there have faded into practically nothing, only a few dark shadows lingering. The more they disappear, the more Calum seems to become himself again. He hasn't touched any of the clothes that we brought back from Luke's, and I don't have to ask to know the answer why.

Calum hooks a leash onto the dog's collar. "Ready, Ash?"

I grab my phone and stuff it into my pocket before smiling at him, planting a kiss on the top of his head. "Ready."

We leave the house, and I lock the door behind us while Calum crosses the yard. I catch up with them once they reach the street, and we walk in silence, listening to the birds sing to each other in the trees, the faint click of the dog's paws trotting across the pavement.

I reach for his hand while we walk down the neighborhood road, intertwining his fingers with mine. Luke never was much of a hand holder, according to Calum, so I'm always making sure to hold his every once in awhile. I know it makes him happy, just a small reminder that I'm still here.

I'll never know some of the things Calum experienced with Luke, the things he endured while he was with him. Calum was blind to the things Luke did while they were together, but now that they are separated Calum can see how toxic their relationship was. Luke was like poison in Calum's veins, swimming through his blood straight up to his brain and messing with his mind, making him cower defenseless, hopelessly in love with the man who he thought cared for him.

Calum knows better now. He knows just how horrible and manipulative Luke was to him, and most of the times, Calum doesn't talk about it. He'll see something and it will remind him of something bad, and he'll freeze up into a figure of stone. He still has occasional nightmares, and I can see him flinch every so often at loud noises and sudden movements. Even words affect him sometimes. I used the pet name "baby" for him one morning, not realizing that was the same one Luke had used, and Calum nearly started crying. I still feel guilty for it.

I decided to call him "peach" instead. Calum likes it.

We walk away from the neighborhood roads, nearer to the busier part of town. Early morning shops are open, streets crowded with people trying to get to work on time. This is one of my favorite times of the day, although I'm usually not awake for it. Calum and the dog walk happily through the grass of the park, mostly empty apart from a few kids and parents.

We are stopping to let the dog take a drink of water at the fountain when we hear a voice.

"Calum?"

The voice is so familiar, and I spin around to see Luke Hemmings standing a few feet away, a water bottle held in his left hand, his right hand hanging limply at his side. His blue eyes are wide, lips parted, the ring that usually is caught on his lower lip gone. He's dressed in a plain grey t-shirt and jogging shorts. His face falls into relief, and he takes a step forward. "Calum!"