difficult | calum hood

07

The next day, we decide to head down to the beach, inviting Lauren and Harry too. It's a nice day, definitely a day for the beach. 

"Are you coming in the water Zo?" Ashton calls up to me from the sea, where him and our other siblings are already splashing around. Luke is running down the sand to join them, and Michael and Calum are hanging around sunbathing behind me. 

"In a minute!" I shout towards my brother and lay my towel on the hot sand beside Michael. I slip off my shorts and top, before sitting down in just my bikini. 

Michael and Calum start talking about something, but I stay quiet, rubbing sun cream up and down my arms and legs. "Mikey! Come help me?" Luke shouts over to us, waving over Michael and grinning at me. I watch as Michael brings himself to his feet and runs over to Luke, leaving me and Calum alone. 

We sit in silence for a minute or so, before I realise I need to apologise to him for the day before yesterday. "Calum, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have shouted at you like that, it wasn't fair." I say, turning on my towel to face him. 

He replies to my words with a shy smile, letting his eyes meet mine. "A lot of stuff isn't fair." 

I find myself nodding and staring at him. He is truly, adorably, beautiful. His lips just look so freaking kissable, and his gorgeously sculpted cheeks are just waiting to be covered with soft, gentle kisses. And wow, that stunningly muscular chest and torso, and his strong powerful arms. 

I guess he's right, it's not fair that I can't have him. 

"You're cute." I blurt, instantly regretting it and blushing like mad. The heat rushes up to my cheeks and I face away from him, giggling nervously. "Sorry, I-" I don't know how to finish my sentence, since there isn't really an explanation. 

I feel hands on my shoulders, pulling me backwards. My shoulder blades collide with Calum's chest and he chuckles into my ear, sending shivers down my spine. "Don't worry, you're cute too." He says quietly, and my heart almost stops. "Oh hell, I shouldn't have said that, should I?" 

His nerves aren't even hidden a tiny bit, and I can tell he regrets saying that almost as quickly as I did. 

"Don't worry Calum, I won't tell." I giggle and pout, wriggling out of his grasp before my shoulders explode with the sparks his fingers were shooting across my skin. He nods and juts his bottom lip out slightly, making him so irresistibly adorable. I could literally jump on him and hug him forever. "I don't know how I ever hated you." I whisper, crossing my legs and leaning back, placing my hands on the sand beside me to prop myself up. 

He seems shocked, his eyes locking with mine. "You hated me?" 

"Well, I certainly didn't like you. But hate is a strong word, and I guess it's just, you know, your friend hates someone - you dislike someone." I say shyly, looking down. "I'm so sorry." 

"Don't be. What I did was wrong, I know. But there's a lot you don't know about me and Hollie's relationship." He pauses and looks down. "We had been fighting for months, we both knew it was coming. I choose the wrong night to do it, but I was just trying to get back at her." He pauses again and sighs, shaking his head. "She had been sending nudes to other guys, luckily one of them told me and apologised for receiving it. You don't have to believe me, but it is the truth. I hope that one day, you'll forgive me for breaking her heart. But you see, she broke mine too..." He looks so sad, it breaks my heart as well. "We could've been good friends, if I didn't mess up." 

His dark eyelashes are rested on his lower eyelids as he looks down, casting soft shadows down his tanned cheeks. His lips are pouty and soft-looking, parting slightly to exhale. 

"Calum, we can still be friends." I say, ducking my head down so my eyes meet his. 

His brown eyes light up and he beams at me. "Really?" 

"Really." This time I pause, then smile at him and blush. "You are so cute." 

He giggles and tilts his head so his ear brushes against his shoulder, his eyes crinkling up at the corners. 

Oh my god, he doesn't even need to try, does he? 

"C'mon- lets go swimming." He chuckles, jumping to his feet and picking me in his strong arms, throwing me over one of his shoulders and running towards the ocean. I scream and clutch his torso, kicking my legs in the air. 

I'm thrown into the warm water, pulling Calum down with me. He pushes himself to the surface and gasps, just as I push him under again, running my fingers through my now-wet hair. When he resurfaces, he looks drop-dead gorgeous. The warm water is running down his face, sticking his dark hair to his head and leaving droplets in his eyelashes. 

"You're an idiot." I chuckle, shaking my head at him. 

"Yeah, a cute one," he teases, winking at me and shaking out his hair.