The boy next door

"I lost you"

I put the cigarette to my lips and inhaled the smoke into my lungs as I looked at the stars. I exhaled the smoke, breathing it into the black sky before letting out a sigh.
"Mind if I join you?" I whipped around to see Calum leaning against the doorway of the balcony in his suit and tie.
"Jesus, I thought you were Ricky." I breathed a sigh of relief.
"He doesn't know you smoke?" He asked as he took the cigarette from my fingers and put it in between his lips.
"He thinks I quit." I muttered. He nodded before looking at me.
"Why are you here?" I asked.
"I thought you might like some company-"
"No, Calum, why are you here? At my engagement party?" I asked. He sighed as he looked down, breathing out the smoke.
"I came to tell you I'm still in love with you." He admitted. My eyes widened.
"Calum, how can you say that? We're outside my engagement party for fucks sake, which is celebrating my engagement to another man-"
"Look, I know you still love me too." He cut me off.
"I saw the way you were looking at me in there." He shrugged, looking back at me.
"Calum..." I muttered.
"Why him?" He asked.
"What?" I choked.
"You said no. You said no to me. So why him? Why does he get to spend the rest of his life with you and I don't?" He choked, tears pooling in his eyes. I sighed as I let a tear roll down my cheek.
"We were young, Calum. I was only twenty, you were only twenty one, that's too young to get married, I wanted to travel, you wanted to settle down and start a family, we wanted different things." I cried.
"Yeah but...what would you say if I asked you now? Right on this spot?" He asked, looking at me with begging eyes. I just stared at him as tears rolled down my cheeks.
"I would say-"
"Baby?" I turned to see Ricky stood at the doors of the balcony. Calum quickly turned away, wiping his eyes.
"You okay?" He asked.
"Yeah." I nodded before going to him. He headed back inside but I stopped, turning to Calum. He looked at me, looking so heartbroken.
"Don't come to my wedding, Calum." I spoke. He looked at me.
"Why would I? I'm not watching you promise your life to another man." He choked. I returned it as I bit my lip, trying to suppress more tears.
"Goodbye Calum." I choked.

I walked through the shopping centre. Suddenly, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I dug it out and sighed as it was Ricky.
"For fucks sake." I mumbled. Suddenly, I bumped into someone.
"I am so sorry-" my eyes widened as I looked at them.
"Hey." Calum gave me a small smile.
"Hey." I gulped.
"How...how have you been?" He stuttered, shoving his hands in his jean pockets.
"Um, good, good, yeah, what about you?" I asked.
"Nothing much has changed, I'm still single. How are you and Ricky?" He asked.
"Good, um, yeah." I nodded as I leant up and tucked a piece of hair behind my ear. Calum's eyes drifted to my wrist and his smile quickly faded.
"You sure about that?" He asked. I looked at my bruised wrist before quickly covering it.
"Did he do that to you?" He asked, narrowing his eyes at me.
"No, Calum, it's fine." I insisted.
"It doesn't look it, Y/N." He scoffed.
"Really, Calum, I'm fine." I sighed. He took my wrist in his hand.
"Please just let me-"
"I said I'm fine." I snapped as I ripped my wrist out of his grip. He looked at me in shock. I sighed.
"I'm sorry, it's just not a good time right now." I mumbled.
"It was nice seeing you." I gave him a small smile before starting to walk away.
"How about we meet up for a coffee or something? Catch up on the years we've missed?" Calum suggested.
"No, I don't think so, Ricky wouldn't like that." I shook my head.
"Come on, Y/N, you're loyal, he'll know that it's just as friends." He smiled.
"I'm sorry, Calum, I can't." I insisted. His smile faded again.
"Right. Well I'll see you around then." He mumbled.
"Bye Calum." I sighed before walking off. Tears pricked my eyes as I walked away. I'd have to tell him eventually, my life may depend on it.

"Shut the fuck up!" Ricky yelled as his hand landed on my cheek again and I fell to the ground.
"Ricky please!" I cried, holding my hands in front of me in a weak attempt to soften the blows.
"How did I end up marrying such a fucking useless person?" He spat as he kicked me in the stomach, winding me.
"Ricky!" I gasped for air.
"Shut the fuck up, Y/N! Begging is so fucking pathetic, just like you!" He yelled.
"Please!" I cried. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair and started to pace the floor.
"I'm going out. When I get back in, that blood better be gone and my dinner better be on the table, or so help me god, I might just kill you." He threatened before walking out the door. The tears started to flow as I lay on the ground, holding my stomach. I lay there for what felt like hours. I flinched when I heard the door open again and I heard footsteps rush to me.
"Please don't, I'm sorry!" I cried, assuming it was Ricky.
"Oh my god, Y/N!" Calum gasped as he knelt down beside me. I flinched and quickly moved back.
"Hey, hey, it's okay, it's me, I'm not going to hurt you." He reassured as he gently wrapped his arms around my broken body.
"What happened?" He asked as he carried me to the sofa and gently placed me down.
"Ricky. He got mad again and took it out on me." I choked.
"Wait, Ricky did this?" He spat. I nodded weakly.
"Oh my god. Wait, you said again. Has this happened before?" He asked. I nodded again.
"Jesus Christ. Okay, one second." He spoke before quickly rushing off. A moment later, he came back in with a ice pack and a soaked flannel. He gently placed the flannel on my head and the ice pack on my stomach as I hissed at the pain.
"Jesus Y/N. I'm so sorry I didn't get here quicker." He muttered.
"What are you doing here?" I asked. He sighed.
"Well after our encounter at the shopping centre, I got worried about what Ricky might be doing to you. Also, I found your favourite top at the back of my wardrobe this morning and I thought I'd return it." He spoke.
"After all this time." He chuckled but it was only half hearted, if that. I nodded in agreement.
"Okay, Y/N, I'm packing your things up, you're staying with me." Calum decided as he stood up.
"No it's okay, he'll be in a better mood when he gets home." I shook my head. Calum looked down at me.
"Y/N, what he did to you was not right and I'm willing to bet he's going to do it again." He scoffed.
"It was my fault anyway." I insisted. Suddenly, Calum knelt down again and gently took my face, making me look at him.
"Hey. Don't ever say that. Nothing you do should result in your husband, a man who's meant to protect you, beating you." He choked. I looked at him. He sighed before standing up again.
"I'm going to pack your bags, okay?" He asked.
"Okay." I nodded. He gave me a small smile before leaving the room. Ten minutes later, Calum came into the room with all my bags on his arms.
"I'm just going to put these in the car." He spoke before opening the door and walking out. He came back in and came to me.
"You ready to go?" He asked. I nodded as I slowly sat up.
"Careful now." Calum muttered as he helped me stand up. I sighed as we walked to the front door.
"Wait." I said, causing Calum to stop in his tracks as he looked at me expectantly. I looked down at my wedding ring. I took a deep breath before pulling it off. I looked back at Calum to see him smiling gently at me.
"I've wanted to do that for a long time." I admitted before placing the wedding ring on the table by the door.
"Let's go." I smiled.