December

5

"It's only a two bedroom apartment, so Michael, you're going to have to sleep in my room, and Calum, you're going to have to sleep in Rachel's room, if that's okay." Chelsea explained.

I snapped my neck to look at her.

"What!?" I spluttered, almost choking on the water I was sipping on.

Chelsea laughed uncomfortably, looking to the boys as they stood opposite us at the kitchen counter.

"Excuse us." She grabbed my arm and hauled me into her bedroom, shutting the door after I took a seat on her bed.

"There must be something seriously wrong with you if you think I'm letting a stranger sleep in my room." I crossed my arms.

"Look, Rach, I know this isn't an ideal situation to be in right now, but we have to make this work. You've got a sofa bed in your room, which Calum can sleep on. It's not like you're going to be sharing a bed." Chelsea reasoned.

"Why can't he just use the regular couch in the living room?" I asked.

"You want our guest to sleep on our crusty old leather couch? Gross, no. He's sleeping in your room, Rach. It won't be so bad."

"Why can't he sleep in your room and Michael can sleep in mine?"

Chelsea walked to the door as I was still whining on her bed. She opened the door slowly, registering the question I'd asked her.

"Ew, no." She chuckled before exiting the room, leaving me alone so I couldn't argue about the matter any longer.

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All four of us were sitting on the floor in my room, since it was the largest room in the entire apartment. It was hitting around 12:00am, and we were still somewhat hyper from the party we'd left an hour ago.

"We should play truth or dare!" Michael had the sudden idea.

"Oh my god, yes! I'll go get the jar..." Chelsea scrambled off her feet, and scurried away into the living room to fetch our jar of truths and dares that we have, for when we throw parties.

When Chels entered the room with the jar in her hand, she plopped down to my right, with Calum to my left and Mikey across from me.

Since Chelsea was so eager, she opened the jar and quickly pulled out a piece of paper.

"Dare: swap clothes with the person to your right." She read allowed, looking over at Michael.

"I guess we're swapping clothes." He shrugged to her, and she giggled, looking down at her outfit which consisted of a skimpy crop top, and some highwaisted shorts. Michael frowned.

-------

It was Calum's go to read his truth/dare, which I had been waiting for desperately.

"Dare: Kiss the person on your right's cheek, tell them you love them, and tell them they're sexy." Calum chuckled nervously.

I mentally swore a thousand times. I knew this was going to happen. I always have the worst luck in this game. Why couldn't we just swap clothes like Chelsea and Michael; that would have been okay. Calum's flannel did look extra soft as well, I wondered what it was made of and how it felt. He must have been super cozy in this cold weather, unlike me, I was freezing.

As I distracted myself with the thoughts of Sydney winters, I was suddenly brought down to earth when I felt a pair soft lips on my jawline. I closed my eyes, embracing the sudden warmth of Calum's lips on my supple skin. A buzz of electricity rushed through my body, making my stomach flutter.

Before I knew it, Calum's lips moved from my jawline to the shell of my ear, his hot breath fanning the skin.

"I love you," he whispered huskily. "And you are so, so sexy." His voice rasped at the end, before he bit down softly on my earlobe (hiding that last action from Mikey and Chels).

Warmth had flooded my whole body and I was now in a state of bliss. How could a few simple actions like that, do so much to me?