Be Your Everything

n i n e

She's Not Afraid: o n e
Someone Like You: The Only Thing That Matters

I held up my hand to knock on Luke's door before pulling it right back down to my side. For the past few minutes, I had been repeating this process and giving myself unconvincing pep talks in between. I opened my notes on my phone and went over mine and Luke's cover story as to how we met and our secret relationship that we'd supposedly been having for the past month. The story was that we had met in April while we were both in London. Luke promised he would make up most of the details so all I had to do was agree with what he told his friends.

I hated that we had to lie to our friends about this whole thing. Ian claimed that it was only to reduce the risk of the truth being leaked, but the worst part was that Calum had to be kept in the dark. I didn't know how I was going to explain everything to him, and I prayed that Luke would come up with something good that would make sense. I had been ghosting Calum since yesterday, and was now going to have to give a false explanation for my actions.

The door next to Luke's opens before I had a chance to knock, revealing the person I was most nervous to see. Calum steps into the hallway in a pair of black basketball shorts and nothing else. He's clearly just gotten out of the shower from the towel in his hands and the moisture that is lingering in his dark hair. I have to remind myself not to stare before he can catch me in the act.

"Hey gorgeous, just couldn't stay away?" Calum beams at me, and I immediately forget the context of our reunion. "I would say I'm not surprised, but I actually had no clue you'd be here." He furrows his brows in confusion, but his delighted smile never falters.

"It's nice to see you too," I giggle, but then quickly remember why I'm really here. "I'm actually here to see Luke."

"Oh good, you can help us get rid of the onion shirt." He does his best to pretend to be serious, but I find his little dig at Luke's beloved tee shirt hilarious. "I have some whiskey in my bag. You think you can work with that?" I roll my eyes at his reference to my first encounter with Luke.

Calum's charm is not making this any easier. I'm supposed to be shutting him down, not flirting with him, but I can't resist.

"Well, that depends. I don't waste a good whiskey." My dad taught me better than that, I add in my mind.

"Fireball," Calum answers with confidence. I scrunch my nose in disgust, surprised that he would actually drink something as gross as fake-cinnamon whiskey.

"Oh, I'm definitely using that. I'll be doing you a favor by getting rid of that disgusting whiskey." I playfully shove his shoulder while Calum rolls his eyes. He reaches up and catches my hand in his before I can retract it, lacing his fingers in mine effortlessly.

"If you're done criticizing my choice of liquor, would you like to tell me why you're here?" He takes a step closer to me, and I can smell the mint from his toothpaste with how close he is. I want to relish in having him smiling at me the way that he is, but I'm annoyingly reminded by my conscience that I didn't come here for Calum.

"It's um, it's kind of complicated." I squeak as my nerves build up inside of me. Telling him that I was 'dating' his best friend is going to suck.

"How so?" Calum takes a small step closer to me.

"I, well, I don't think we can keep talking the way we have been anymore..." I avert my eyes to the floor, unable to look into his rich brown ones when I break the news. Calum takes my chin between his fingers and lifts my face to look at him.

"Why's that?" His eyes are filled with a mixture of skepticism and concern. I know he can tell that there is more than I'm letting him onto, but I have no idea how to phrase what needs to be said.