Turn Away | c.h

Chapter 24 - The Only Thing That Matters

I glanced up at Calum, my fingers tracing patterns on his chest as we laid in silence.

He looked down at me, brown eyes sparkling under the light of my lamp. I traced my fingers up to his neck, running my thumb across a faded scar that had marked his skin. It was faded, but nonetheless, I knew it held an interesting story. I was positive that every mark on his body was created by unusual circumstances.

"What's that from?" I quietly asked, finally breaking the silence between us. Calum only shrugged in response.

"Don't remember."

"What about that one." I asked, poking the scar on his eyebrow. Calum softly smiled.

"That one... I got in a fight a couple years ago, turned out the guy was a state champion boxer. No one bothered to tell me that until he knocked me out cold."

"Oh god, Cal." I softly laughed, running my fingers through his hair before running my hand back down to his chest. Calum quietly chuckled, giving another soft shrug.

"I put up a good fight though."

"I bet you did." I smiled, feeling his hand run down my side. He softly laughed, pressing a kiss on my forehead.

"Hey Cal can I ask you something?" I said, causing him to nod his head, hand gently pressing into my hip.

"It's a weird question." I softly said, looking up at him.

"That's okay."

"How old are you actually?"

Calum's eyebrows furrowed, his movements ceasing on my body. I watched as his lips parted.

"What do you mean?" He softly said. "I'm nineteen."

"Wait- what? How'd you get in to the school if you're nineteen?" I asked, watching as he shrugged again, looking down at me.

"Fake birth certificate, it says I'm seventeen."

"Wait- okay so you're nineteen, but how old are you actually?" I asked.

"You mean how many years have I lived on this earth?"

"Yeah." I softly nodded.

"Nineteen." He chuckled, raising his eyebrows. I sat up slightly, my hair falling to my face. Calum looked up at me, watching my every movement.

"I don't get it." I frowned.

"Alright, I'll explain." He said, a smile on his lips as he sat up. I nodded, crossing my legs and facing him. Calum leant against the bed frame, my folded legs between his open ones as I looked up at him. He amusedly smiled at me, his fingers running across the back of my hand.

"Alright, so I was born a vampire. Nineteen years ago, I was born in to a chain of elders-"

"You're born from a chain of elders?" I asked, watching as Calum tilted his head slightly, eyebrows furrowed.

"Yeah..? You know about all that stuff?"

"I may... Have done a bit of reading." I quietly admitted, feeling my cheeks flush. Calum only smiled, nodding his head.

"Alright, so you understand what I am for the most part?"

"I guess." I mumbled, glancing down at my hands. "You've got two hearts." I said, looking up at him. Calum looked in to my eyes, watching as mine faltered. I still found his gaze intimidating. But I'd never show it.

Calum reached out, taking my hands in his and placing them both on his chest. I looked up at him as I felt the two pulses under my hands. Holy crap... There was a slow beat under both of my hands. He had two whole hearts in one chest. This was absolutely insane.