the photographer [c.h.]

twenty-four

"Calum," I whispered and he hummed, tightening his grip on my waist. "Can I tell you something?"

"Yeah," He mumbled and I sighed a little.

"You've helped me more in the past few years than anyone else in my whole life." I said quietly and turned around in his hold. I stared at the tattoo on his chest and fumbled with my fingers. "When my mom died, I completely shut myself down. I drank every weekend just to feel something other than pain. After Sophie was born, I assumed that my life was over since I had a kid. Going on that tour was the best thing that's ever happened to me."

"Really?" Calum asked and I nodded, finally looking up at him.

"When we first started to not hate each other, I had a reason for being so distant. I figured that everything good has to end at some point. I was so scared of getting hurt again."

Calum ducked his head and pressed a kiss to my forehead. I closed my eyes at his touch and after a minute, he stood up from the bed. Calum tugged on his boxers and handed me his t-shirt as I pulled on my underwear. He helped me up and turned on his phone, scrolling through something.

"C'mon, I want to have our first dance like a real wedding." He smiled, taking my hands in his.

Calum wrapped his arms around my waist and I put mine around his neck, letting him sway us back and forth. Kiss Me played from his phone and I smiled a little, looking up at him. Calum leaned down and pressed his lips to mine, stopping our movements. I held onto his bare shoulders and Calum tugged me closer, deepening the kiss.

"I love you." I mumbled and pulled away from the kiss, resting my forehead against his.

"I love you, too." He whispered with a smile and I leaned my head on his shoulder as he wrapped his arms around my lower back.

~~~~~~~~

"Hey, how was the trip?" I asked Leah, sitting down across from her and Peri at the small Mexican restaurant.

"Really good, it was nice to get away." She smiled and Peri did too, looking over at me.

I fiddled with the ring on my left hand in my lap and smiled at them, looking over the menu. We all ordered and I leaned back in the booth, continuing my conversation with Leah. She told us about the Caribbean and how much fun her and Ashton had.

"So, are you and Calum back together?" Leah asked as our food arrived and I nodded, taking a bite of my rice.

"Yeah, there's actually something I need to tell you guys." I bit my lip and Peri cocked an eyebrow at me and I finally pulled my hand out from under the table, holding it out.

"Excuse my language, but no fucking way." Leah gasped, taking my hand in hers. Her and Peri examined the ring and Peri looked over at me.

"When's the wedding gonna be?" Peri asked and I nervously laughed.

"Um, that's the thing I needed to tell you about." I spoke awkwardly. "We actually went to the courthouse last week."

"Katie Marie Drake! How dare you not invite me to your wedding!" Leah gasped and I took a bite of the burrito on the plate in front of me. "When did he ask you?"

"After your wedding." I said and she laughed. I looked over at Peri and she was frowning a bit.

"Are you completely sure you made the right decision?" Peri asked and I nodded.

"I know it was a brash decision, but I'm really happy that we did it." I smiled a little and Peri nodded, slowly taking in the information. "Are you guys mad?"

"I'm just mad that I will never be your maid of honor." Leah smiled and I looked over at Peri expectantly.

"I will support you, but I want you two to be careful." She said and I nodded, letting out a relieved sigh.

We finished up with lunch and I hugged them goodbye, making my way back to the photography studio. I parked and went inside, smiling at Jenn who was at the reception desk. I went to the dark room to check on my pictures and noticed that they were finished. I took them down from the rack and almost jumped out of my skin when two arms wrapped around my waist. I looked down, seeing the familiar tattoos and turned around to see Calum smiling at me.

"What are you doing here?" I asked and turned back around to finish getting my pictures.

"I just finished talking with my mom." He said and I waited nervously for what she said. "She said she wants to come up."

"Was she mad?" I asked, turning back to face him and he shook his head.

"No, actually really happy that I finally did it." Calum laughed. "What did Leah say?"

"She's just mad that she couldn't be my maid of honor." I laughed and he followed me to my desk, sitting down on the small table, facing me.

"So, I was looking at some houses today." Calum slowly said and I looked at him in shock. "I just figured we could move into a bigger place so Sophie can have her own room and if we ever try for a baby. It's just a thought, though. We don't have to do anything." I kissed him to make him stop talking and smiled, sitting back down.

"How about we look together this weekend?" I said quietly and he nodded, smiling.

Calum picked up my camera and I worked on tweaking a picture that was on my computer. Suddenly, I saw a flash in my peripheral vision and I casted my gaze upwards to see him pulling the camera from his face. Calum shrugged when I cocked an eyebrow at him and I continued working, trying not to get distracted.

"I'm cooking dinner tonight." Calum announced and I snorted, shutting down my computer.

"You can't cook for shit." I laughed and he pouted when I stood up. "I have to go do senior pictures but I will be home by six."

"I'll pick Sophie up from school." Calum said, giving me a quick kiss.

Calum left the studio and I put my camera in my bag, grabbing my other equipment to go take pictures. I went to the front and Jenn smirked at me, pointing to her neck. I reached up and winced. Shit. I felt my cheeks heat up so I quickly left, hearing her laugh behind me. I loaded up my jeep and started driving to the park to take pictures.