Hold Me Tight (ManxMan)

Chapter Twenty

Walking into my home, something felt off the moment I stepped over the thresh hold.

Frowning, I shut the door quietly behind me before following Sparkles into the living room area. Something is telling me not to call out and see if Callum is here and my stomach is twisting into a knot as I set the keys onto the table. Filling up Sparkles water bowl, I then notice two wine glasses sitting on the coffee table. 

"What on earth..." I say softly, trailing off as I come closer to inspect them. 

Callumns phone and keys are sitting there beside the glasses but as I round the sofa, it's the suit case that catches my eyes and my frown deepens, that feeling in my stomach getting worse with every passing moment. 

Sparkles yipps playful but I hush her, the sound of voices now catching my atttention. Gripping my keys and the puppys lead in my hand still, I creep towards the bedroom and the muffled sounds coming from the room make my pulse leap and my heart drop. 

Opening the door, it swings open and bounces off the wall. The room is dark, the curtains shut but the smell of sex lingers in the air. I don't need to look to see what's going on but I can't stop my hand shooting out to flick the lights on. 

In my bed, is Callum and someone I've never met before, both looking wide eyed and slightly pale. Callum rolls over and scrambles out of the bed, naked. I stare at them both, surprised at this but also surprised by the way anger licks hot and heavy in my stomach, the urge to beat the crap out of the pair of them is nearly overwhelming. 

"Baby!" Callum begins, "I didn't think you were going to be back for a while." 

"Well you thought wrong." I mutter, my gaze sliding to the male who looks slightly irritated. 

Callum notices my stare and he turns to the mysterious guy. "Oh, Raven, this is-"

"Sam. I remember..." My eyes scanned over the male who is lying in bed with a raised eyebrow, I can't help but notice the gold band round his finger. "Sleeping with a married man? Callum, even that's low for you."

The male chuckles and Callum and Sam share a look full of secrets.

I don't like it.

"What's going on here? You do realise that Callum is with me right?" My voice is suppose to sound angry yet it comes out in monotone, defeated as the sense of dread starts to fill me.

He shakes his head, holding up his left hand and dread suddenly fills me. "He's married, to me."

"What?"

The male has the audacity to grin whilst lounging in my bed, his eyes shining. "You heard me little boy, Callum is mine, always has been."

Instant regret runs through my body, rendering me stiff before I go numb. "Why?"

Callum turns to me then, the smallest of smirks on his plump, swollen lips. "I've always liked you Raven," he takes a small step towards me, expression dark, "You've always been the one that got away, I was merely checking you off my list of things to do." 

The sudden realization of what's happened hits me like a ton of bricks and my throat begins to close. So choked up on emotion and sudden rage, I stalk foward and swing, landing a direct hit on Callums face. The male clutches his eye whilst Sam scrambles from the bed with a crazy look in his gaze but I ignore them both, stalking back out the room, pulse leaping. 

Sparkles yips and jumps up at me, her tail wagging like crazy. So oblivious, I briefly muse, picking up the little cutie and holding her against my chest as I snatch up my keys and her lead once more before slamming the front door behind me.

Where do I go now? I think, thoughts scattered. 

After little deliberation, I take off for my sister's house, heart thumping painfully against my ribcage whilst I try desperately to fight back the overwhelming urge to break down and cry where I stand. Placing the little hyper pup on the floor, I clipped her lead on before picking up my pace. 

Was that really Callums plan all along? Fear gripped my chest in its iron claws. If it was true, which it seemed to be, then that means I jepordised everything with Drake for no reason what so ever, that I broke his heart just becuase I believed Callums dirty lies.

That's what hurts the most, the harsh reality of the situation Callum has put me in, all because he wanted to check me off some bloody list. 

Rage sears through my veins and I see red, is this what it was like for Drake whenever he saw me with Callum? I hate to think what he must have gone through. Fighting back the anger, the impulse to go back there and beat both males till they were black and blue runs through my head but I quickly shake the thought away. 

I'm not a violent person, I tell myself, I'm a lover not a fighter. 

It doesn't take me long to get to my sisters house and I don't bother to knock. If I wasn't so wrapped up in my turmoil thoughts and consumed by regret, I would have seen the two dark sleek cars parked outside her house. 

As I entered, I dropped the lead and let Sparkles dash off down the hall, yipping in excitement as she began to sniff and explore my sisters home. We hadn't been here much, only once or twice since Callum and Ella didn't get on well- not that I blame her. 

Callum is a nasty piece of work, I just wish I had seen it sooner...

"Hello?"

My sister's voice brings me back to the present and I blink, forcing myself to swallow as I shut the front door and make my way down the hall to the living room where I can hear soft chatter. As I enter and my gaze lands on my sister, tears spring forward, threatening to spill down my cheeks. 

The room goes quiet but I don't care, I can't believe what's happened, I can't believe I let that bastard destory the happiness I once had... The happiness I'll never have again. 

"Raven?" Ella rises from her seat with grace, smoothing out her dress before coming closer, "What's wrong?"

I shake my head, throat constricting with emotion. 

The look she gives me has my heart thumping widly in my chest and I tear my gaze away from her long enough to let my eyes flicker round the other faces. Brian is watching with weary eyes and a grim expression on his face, there are two females sitting there giving me uninterested looks. 

The thing that really gets to me though, is the way the last person is looking at me. I didn't notice they were there until they stepped in from the garden. It hasn't been long since I last saw him yet it seems like forever.

I greedily take in his tanned, muscular body clad in dark clothes and the way his eyes glint in the sunlight. I miss you, I want to say but I keep my mouth shut, afraid of what will come out of it when i'm in such a state. 

Drake gives me a look that is mixed between concern and understanding. Of course he knows how I'm feeling right now, he's been there, more than once. 

"Raven," 

I reluctantly turn my gaze back to my sister, "I-It's Callum..."

Ella's expression darkens, "What's he done now? I swear if he's hurt you, I'm going to go over there and-"

"He's married."

I feel as if I can break down right where I stand as I notice from the corner of my eye, the bystanders in the room cringe at my words. I felt like cringing and a whole lot more. 

"What?"

My gaze slides to the floor, unable to stop the first tear that escapes my eye and slowly runs down my cheek. "Yeah, I came home to find him in bed with his husband, you know what makes it worse?"

Silence was my only response so I continued. 

"The fact that I was nothing but a conquest, Callum was never interested in me, he just wanted to fuck and be on his way," A sob racks my frame, "I've lost everything over that bastard and now I don't know what to do."

Arms are around me then, pulling me close but it's not the small feminine arms that I crave for and we both know it. Ella hushes me whilst walking us out the room and down the hallway to the guest room. 

"Here," I sit on the bed and she pulls off my trainers, it makes me feel like a little boy all over again, if only... 

"You can stop here for as long as you like," her voice is soft as she pulls back the covers, "I can stay with you if you like? Brian and I were just discussing the wedding but it can wait if you want to vent."

I shake my head vigeriously, "No, no, I'll be okay I'm just emotionally hurt," I manage to lean up to press my lips to my sisters forehead briefly. "Go on, I'll probably just try and get some rest, sleep off the worst of this."

She nods slowly as if trying to believe my words but I don't have the energy to say much more. Exhaustion and emotional turmoil was already beginning to set in as I follow her to the door, "Oh, Sparkles is here somewhere."

"I heard, I'll find her don't worry," She smiles softly, "I love you."

I can't bring myself to say those words back so instead, I smile though it seems to come out more of a grimace. Ella doesn't comment on it though and instead, smiles back before shutting the door. I press my head against the cold wood, listening to her pad bare feet back down the hallway. 

After a moment or two, the sound of chatter reaches my ears once more and I clench my jaw hard to stop a loud sob escaping my throat. Why did this have to happen to me? I think briefly, going to the middle of the room to start undressing. 

I need sleep. I need him. 

Tears spill down my tears silently whilst my heart hurts with every beat, regret swells inside me so much that I'm worried I'll choke on it if I think about everything that's happened for too long. 
to the carpeted floor and sob into my hands. It hurts, is all that runs through my head over and over again whilst Callums satisfied smirk flashes through my mind. 

I get as far as pulling off my T-shirt and angrily throwing it at the mirror before I collapse on
Just thinking about him makes me want to cry and punch something at the same time, it's a very odd feeling. 

When I glance up, I see the tear tracks on my flushed skin, the dark rings under my eyes that seem to look more noticable now and my quivering lip. Is this what Drake went through with me? I bite down on my lower lip to stop a strangled cry leaving my throat.

I can feel my phone going off in my back pocket but I don't make any attempts to answer it, I feel numb apart from the pain and betrayal that's gripped my heart in an iron fist. My skin feels too hot, my pulse erratic as I curl up on the floor, inhaling the dust as I stare at the door. 

My legs are stiff and my pulse has slowed slightly when part of a shadow meets my eye. From my position on the floor, I can see someone lingering outside the room. On instinct, I assume it's my sister. 

"Ella, I'm fine." I hate how raspy my voice sounds right now, "Go keep your guests company, I..."

The door opens then and I look up to find dark eyes meeting my own. Just looking at him makes everything come rushing forward once more. Why did I have to go and believe all Callum's lies?! My lower lip wobbles as I can't tear my gaze away from his. 

"W-What are you doing here?"

He looks at me for a long moment before stepping over the thresh hold and closing the door softly behind him. 

"How many times?"

My mind races as I struggle to stay awake, the start of a headache forming as I slowly sit up. "Pardon?"

"How many times have you and Callum..."

I suddenly feel sick to my stomach. "No more than a couple of times," I notice the way his eyes glint in the light and my pulse leaps all over again, "Drake, I never meant for this-"

"I know..." He gives me the smallest of smiles, "I've been there, remember?"

Swallowing down guilt, I rise unsteadily to my feet. Drake is so close now, to the point where I can reach out and touch him if I wasn't so afraid of rejection, rejection which I truely deserve after everything I've done. 

"Drake," My voice is no more than a whisper as I shuffle forward, "I'm so sorry, I can't explain how I feel right now, knowing that I was nothing more than a fuck to him... I-"

"Everything's going to be okay," 

I shake my head, the tears capturing me yet again, I take a breath to reassure myself yet it does nothing but make the pain worse. I've screwed up, I let Callum into my head, I let him hurt me like this. 

I'm such an idiot!

Able to feel his eyes on me, I force myself to swallow. "You know what sucks the most about all this?"

He raises an eyebrow, a habit of his that has always been something I loved about him.

"I lost you."

The look in his eye only confirmed my worst fears, he's moved on, of course he has, I'm such a fool. Without another word, I move to the bed and let the sobs rack my frame to the point where I'm curling up and my chest is hurting from the force of my crying. 

My head is pounding and my thoughts are scattered. "You should go, I don't even know why you're in here right now."

Silence answers me yet again and I bite my lower lip, burrying my head into the plush pillow beneath it. 

All of a sudden, the mattress dips and I brave myself enough peak out to find Drake looking at me, his eyes smouldering and his skin glowing from the sun behind him. He slowly, as if unsure of himself, gets behind me and tentively places an arm around my middle. 

Feeling his arm against my bare skin is my final undoing and before I can stop myself, I grab his arm and pull him closer, his chest to my back. As I cry and whimper for my huge fuck up, Drake holds me and quietly comforts me. 

With the love of my life's arm around me, his scent intoxicating my senses and his body flush against mine, I find my eyes closing despite my efforts to keep them open and with a soft sigh, the last thing I see is Drake before the world goes black. 

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Sorry for not uploading in ages, been really busy. 
Will try to upload more often, thanks for the patience.