A Walk In The Park

12 - Rescue Me

We wait and make sure Luke catches a Lyft safely and start the trek to the parking lot. Our walk to the car is much different than the walk from the car earlier. We're both quiet. I don't know what's bothering Calum, but I know my head is spinning and I have to concentrate to walk straight. I thought I'd be sobering up a little by now.

It's only a short drive back to my house, but I don't like the silence between us. I feel like something is wrong and ask Calum about it.

"Hey, are you okay? You're kind of quiet."

Calum clears his throat and answers, "Yeah, I'm fine. I'm just tired. Sorry I was a bore tonight. I'm usually a little more entertaining."

"No, you're fine. I just thought something might be bothering you."

Calum sighs and navigates the turn into my neighborhood, then says, "I'm sorry about Brooke, too. She's such a bitch sometimes. I let her get me in a bad mood, and I shouldn't have."

"No need to apologize for her."

"Well, she was rude. And it pissed me off. I hope she didn't ruin the night for you."

"Not at all."

Well, not too much. I wonder if it pissed him off because she was rude, or because she was rude to me specifically. Not that it matters.

"Next time I'll make sure she's not invited. I didn't expect her to be there tonight."

I'm totally confused now. I assumed she was there because Calum wanted her there. "But you seemed a little cozy with her."

Calum pulls into the driveway and puts the car in park and turns off the engine before acknowledging my observation. He looks at me with a sad smile. "Yeah, but it's not like that. Not really. We're kind of friends -barely- with occasional benefits. Nothing serious."

Ugh. I figured, but it's still hard to hear him say it. And I'm wondering why in the world he'd need a "friend" like that when he has Mali? I don't understand. But whatevs.

He doesn't offer any further explanation, and I don't dig for more information. I know all I need to know anyway. Plus, he doesn't seem too comfortable talking about it.

"Well, thanks for inviting me tonight, Cal. I had a really great time. Your friends are pretty cool."

Calum raises an eyebrow and calls me out. "You don't have to lie, MJ." I'm pretty sure by the look he's giving me that he's referring to Megan.

I laugh but tell him, "No, seriously. Excluding Brooke, they were all okay. Even Megan. She's... interesting."

"That's a nice way to put it."

I feel like conversation has come to an end so I tell him, "Thanks again, Calum. I better get in here and take care of Harley. I'll see you Monday."

Calum tells me goodbye, and I exit the car. I dig the keys out of my pocket, and as soon as I do, I drop them on the ground. "Fuck."

Before I know it, Calum is at my side, helping me look for my keys in the dark. He finds them right away. I hold out my hand for them and he says, "I got this." He walks to the door and I follow him.

I wonder to myself why I didn't invite him inside in the first place. Duh.

He unlocks the door and holds it open for me to enter first. He hands me the keys, then he's just standing there, presumably waiting to be invited in. But when I invite him, he's hesitant, until he hears Harley bark.

"Harley!" I whisper shout. "Hush! You're going to wake up the neighbors."

"Mind if I let him out?" Calum asks.

"Be my guest." I gesture toward the stairs, and Calum hurries up them, two at a time, and in those tight jeans. How? I follow closely behind, but can't keep up. And halfway to the top, I trip myself. Who the fuck falls up stairs? Me.

"Dude, are you okay?" Calum snickers from the top of the stairs.

I'm pretty sure I'm going to have bruised shins, but I try to not let my pain show. I stand as quickly as I can and exclaim, "I'm good!" And just as I say it, I stagger backwards, but catch myself with the handrail. Good God. I'm not that drunk, I swear.

We're both laughing hard, and when he can breathe again, Calum comes down and holds onto my arm to help me up the remainder of the stairs before I kill myself. I could honestly make it just fine by myself. I just had a moment. But I'll let him rescue me if he wants. Especially if it means getting him in my bedroom. Just saying.