Salty Skin ☾cake au

epilogue

the ending of this book was eating me alive and i felt really bad so...

-•-•-

Forgetting was hard but that was all Calum had left to do: forget. He had to forget about the only friend he ever had, his first love, the one who took his virginity. Luke. Luke. Luke. He spent days, which turned into weeks, which turned into months, mourning the loss of the mysterious golden haired soul who's name felt like poison on Calum's tongue now as if the perfect blonde's heart stopped beating, which it might as well have. He was gone so quick, he almost seemed like an allusion or a dream, one that leaves you on the verge of tears and screams when you're met with the harsh reality of reality itself because what a perfect dream.

It's been more than a year and somehow, Calum's life was able to change, dramatically, for the better in those sixteen months. Fortunately for him, high school is a thing of the past, him having graduated many months ago. He likes attending a  University. He hasn't been sad since he left home, since he started living on his own, since he met Ian.

The two aren't anything exclusive, yet, but Calum sees his problems cripple away in Ian's eyes. He makes Calum feel like he doesn't have anything to be afraid of and that's all Calum could ever ask for. Ian is all Calum could ever ask for.

"There's so much to fear... so much that scares the shit out of me," Calum would say and Ian would reply with comfort in his words. "You don't have to fear anything when you're with me." And somehow, hearing those words were enough for Calum, he believed them so quickly and presented himself to Ian with his heart open and he trusted him.

It could be called a date, what the two boys are doing, neither of them would ever call it that, though. They know what they have but they never acknowledge it, never take it further, but both are happy with just being together and not thinking about anything.

Ian drove Calum to a place nearly on the beach where rows and rows of tall white lampposts inhabits the concrete in a giant square. It looks like a maze with gold and silver lights to fall on anyone wandering inside the checkerboard of tall street lamps.

"It's almost ten at night. C'mon, Calum, you have an exam in the morning," Ian laughs but Calum loves getting lost within the tall pearl polls. A few turns and no one can find him. He loves it.

"Just a few more minutes," Calum calls from a place on the 'checkerboard' that Ian can't see.

A vibration of thunder erupts in the sky. "You stay in there and get wet then, weirdo. I'm gonna go get an umbrella from the car." Ian laughs that laugh again, a sound Calum has become accustomed to using as therapy, and walks off to the far parking lot that's now empty.

Calum roams deeper into the maze of lampposts until he almost can't see the area outside. Droplets of water start falling from the sky and Calum moves between the giant pillars, spinning around them with his hand, swimming in the shimmering light surrounding him.

He closes his eyes, letting his head hang back and the drops of rain fall on his rosy cheeks, his olive forehead, his pink lips, as he hums a song, singing the lyrics in his head.

The rain begins falling harder, now, but Calum couldn't be more unbothered. He only basks in the blurry wetness and spins through and around the poles mindlessly in his own little universe while his song plays in his head.

Coming up for air. Coming up for air.

"Tender we fall, quiet and alone," a smooth voice chimes but it's like an echo, drowning out every other sound around.

Calum lifts his head up and opens his eyes. He knows the voice. He begins to think he's losing his mind because, why is he hearing that voice?

He looks around for the source of the sound but sees nothing but the rows and rows of ceramic lampposts.