Calum takes me into his room and locks the door behind us, leaving us alone to finally face everything that we've been dodging since the trip started.
"So..." I say awkwardly, not really knowing where or how to start this conversation. I've said so many things and made so many choices out of anger towards him that he didn't deserve. I just want to find a way to fix things between us.
"Yeah," he chuckles apathetically.
"I don't even know where to start," I admit.
"Let me," he guides me by the small of my back to sit on the edge of his bed. "I've been meaning to tell you something."
Calum goes to his suitcase and pulls what looks like a stack of cards from the top zipper before rejoining me at the edge of the bed. He looks so unsure of himself and it catches me off guard.
Who is this nervous boy and where is the smug, cocky guy that I've come to know?
"Elle, I told you that I don't know exactly how many girls I've slept with, and that's true. But here's a few things that I do know:"
Calum hands me one of the cards and it turns out to be a photograph: a Polaroid picture of me sitting in the dressing room at one of their shows. I had no idea he had snuck a picture of me that day, but the thought brings a smile to my face as he talks.
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"I know that I met the most amazing, lively, beautiful girl two months ago. I got to kiss her for the first time that night, and I'm pretty sure I've never wanted to kiss anyone so bad. Somehow, her lipstick didn't smudge but she's quite talented with makeup. I could watch her do it for days if she'd let me."
I look up at him in bewilderment, but he just smiles and hands me a second Polaroid, this one of me laying on my bed in my apartment.
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"She fell asleep in my arms less than two weeks later, and I was just happy holding her like that. She'll never admit it, but she snores a little, and it's pretty damn cute. She loves to put her cold feet on me in the middle of the night, but I don't really mind. She's a great little spoon aside from that."
