KATE
Calum's words hang in the freezing, stale air, lingering there because no one knows how to claim them. The room is deadly silent, but alive with a dangerous electricity as we all wait for Michael to ask the inevitable questions. He just stares at Ashton, looking more lost than I've ever seen him, and I want nothing more than to just take his hand and drag him out of this place. Away from this building, this town, this world. If I had the power, I would give him every answer he's ever wanted and then I would erase the questions.
Michael doesn't seem to want to speak, or maybe he doesn't remember how. And suddenly I don't give a damn about our current relationship status; in this moment, I feel his pain and his confusion so strongly that I ask his question, stealing the words right from his collapsed lungs. "What?" I ask, directing my question at Calum and shattering the tense silence. "What do you mean?"
"You tell them," Calum encourages Ashton again.
"I...I can't," Ashton says. "I don't know, I don't think I can."
"Tell me what?" Michael snarls. His voice and stance are suddenly deadly, he looks ready to pounce. I cautiously regain my footing and cross the tiny room to stand next to Michael, and to my immense relief, he lets me. Both of his hands wrap around one of my arms and he pulls me closer, leaning on me.
Calum sighs. "Look, Michael. I'm sorry."
"Sorry about what?" Michael snaps.
"This," Calum says, offhand.
"Can you stop it?" I hiss at Calum. "For Christ's sake Calum. Stop being an asshole for ten seconds and just fucking explain yourself."
"Sorry," Calum says, hanging his head. "Yeah, sorry. Well...what happened... it's complicated, okay? And you're not going to like it."
"Calum," Michael growls. His body is physically shaking with anger, the waves rolling off of him and filling the room with tension. "You have three seconds to start talking before I call the police and have them arrest you for trespassing. And that's if I don't kill you before they get here."
"It was my idea," Ashton says suddenly, shoving away from the wall where he was leaning. "I'm sorry, Michael. When you decided that you didn't want to look into your past anymore, I... I couldn't let it go. You involved me, you know? I'm sorry, but I couldn't just walk away. It wasn't just about you anymore."
"So he called me," Calum interrupts. "And we did more investigating... it was easier when there was just two of us looking. The answers came faster, the puzzle pieces fit together. Ashton was the missing link, Michael, he was right in front of us this whole time."
Calum's eyes are sparkling and I wonder what makes him this way. He is so smart, so driven. Obsessed with solving a mystery that has nothing to do with him.
I expect Michael to ask questions, but he doesn't. He remains silent; chest heaving up and down and arms shaking, his fingers clutching to me like a lifeline.
"What did you find?" I ask softly. I didn't intend to speak the question aloud, but Calum is clearly waiting for someone to. Michael stiffens, and it suddenly dawns on me that maybe he still doesn't want to know.
My eyes fly to his face apologetically, searching for some sort of resistance. Michael finally looks down at me and his eyes soften as he releases his grip on my arm and snakes his arm around my waist, pulling me to his side.
"It's okay," he whispers in my ear, acknowledging my silent apology. Michael looks up and nods at Ashton, who takes a shaky breath before answering.
