Let's Forget Everything (Michael Clifford)

Chapter 24

I was laying on Sam's bed, cramped in between Sam and Callie.

"Okay it's time to play catch up, you go first Sam." Callie instructed while she held my hair in her hands, trying to practice her french braiding.

About an hour later we were all back on track with each other's lives; back to normal.

Sam admitted that she liked Calum, but he hadn't made a move. She didn't think he felt the same way about her, which secretly killed me.

Callie explained her fight with Luke, telling us that he later admitted he was just scared of commitment and serious relationships after his parents got divorced. But they made up, and he told her he loved her for the first time. I couldn't help but think of Michael when Callie explained how Luke had cupped her face in his hands as he said those three words.

Then I explained everything with Bradley. How he had treated me the whole time we were together, what happened at Calum's party. How me and Michael got in a fight when he found out that I lied about it, how Michael said he was going to kill Bradley for touching me.

"I can't believe you hid everything that was going on with Bradley from us the whole time you two were together. I mean I knew he was a dick but I didn't know....." Callie trailed off, clearly feeling bad that she was the one to set me up with Bradley in the first place.

I was quiet as Sam pulled me in for a hug.

"I'm so sorry," Sam said and Callie echoed.

We were all quiet for a long time, Callie even let a few tears fall from her pretty green eyes.

After what felt like the longest moment of silence, I spoke up.

"I don't regret anything, because if it wasn't for Bradley I would have never met Michael."

Driving home from Sam's house I got lost in my thoughts, absentmindedly listening to my Bad Suns CD. Just as I started singing the chorus of We Move Like The Ocean, my phone started to vibrate and light up the dark car signalling I was getting a call.

I have my phone's bluetooth connected to my car, so I clicked the 'answer call' button on my steering wheel without looking at who was calling. I figured it was either my mom or Michael.

"Hey I'm driving home." I tried to say loud enough for the person to hear me over the music.

But the voice that came through the speakers in my car was neither my mom or Michael. The voice that said, "Hey Jessie....Thanks for picking up," was a voice I had never wanted to hear again.

My heart stopped when I heard him sighing on the other end, "Look I just wanted to say..." I cut him off before he had the chance to finish.

"Bradley why are you calling me?" I clenched the steering wheel to contain my anger....and my fear.

"What? I mean I...Why did you answer?" He asked, sounding confused. There he goes, already trying to spin it and somehow turn it on me, even though I was the one that had asked a question.

"I didn't look at who was calling me, I never would have thought you would be the one on the other end." I was trying to keep my cool to show him I wasn't scared. Even though I was, I was really scared.

"Look Jessie, I just wanted to talk about what happened at that party. I was just so drunk...And you went in that bathroom with me I mean I thought you wanted the same thing I did..." His words hit me hard, as if he came through the phone and punched me in the chest, knocking the wind out of me.

"What?? Bradley you said you wanted to 'talk' and led me into the bathroom. I thought you wanted to go somewhere private to actually talk, not to...." I didn't finish my thought and instead just left the sentence hanging. I didn't want to say outloud what I was thinking, instead I pushed it deeper into my mind, willing myself to forget.