Afraid // Calum Hood

Chapter 21 // Crush

Adelaide's Point of View

Calum trotted down the stairs in only his boxers, his hair wet from the shower he had just taken after we had proved to each other that we truly did love each other, by participating in the act of love-making itself. His swollen lips curled into a smile as he saw me slide over a plate of pancakes for him to eat for lunch.

"How was your shower?" I asked, setting down a bottle of syrup as well, which he gratefully took.

"Good," He stated blandly. "I think you might need to take one too. You stink."

I chuckled at his teasing, watching intently as his knife cut into the fluffy pancakes, shaving off the edges to make the short-stack form the shape of a heart. My heart pounded against my chest as I came to the realization of how adorable my boyfriend was. Calum grinned at me, spinning the plate around to put the heart on full display, then giggled to himself.

"You are literally the cutest thing," I cooed, reaching over to pinch his cheeks.

"You just did the deed with me and then you're going to call me cute? I don't think this is how it works," Calum complained, folding his lips over in a pout.

I laughed, stealing a bit of the remaining edges of the pancake from him as he drizzled the syrup across it in a zig-zag motion. "Well you just made my normal circular pancakes into a heart. That is definitely cute-worthy."

"I can't help that I'm in love!" Calum said in an exasperated tone, which only made the butterflies in my stomach flutter faster. My heartbeat always quickened when the words 'love' or 'baby' escaped from his lips. Calum shook his head repeatedly. "I haven't been in love in so long, Ad."

I haven't been in love ever before Calum, so the whole process was thoroughly exciting and unprecedented. I couldn't help but feel slightly nervous about it though. The fear of getting my heartbroken consumed my brain everyday, and I was praying that it never happened. "Are you afraid?"

"No," Calum firmly declared, shoving another forkful of pancakes into his mouth. He swallowed it down with a swig of orange juice, which made the meal seem more like a brunch than anything. "I'm only afraid of you leaving me."

"I won't," I promised, glancing into his eyes with as much as sincerity as possible.

Calum glimpsed behind me and leaped from his chair, his half-nude body flailing around my kitchen. "Crap! I forgot to bring the medicine to my mum! I have to get over there!"

I raced up the stairs behind him, helping him gather his clothing as he hopped on one foot as he wiggled into those black skinny jeans he always wore and as he tugged his shirt over his head. I ran my hands through his dark hair, trying to ruffle it up a bit and make it more natural.

"I can't believe I forgot! You're so distracting, Addy," Calum whined, snatching the orange pill container off of my kitchen counter and dashing towards my front door.

"I'm sorry! I hope she feels better, though!"