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My pillow feels different when I wake up and I realize it's because my head is resting on top of Calum's chest. He's on his back, his left hand buried in my hair and I tilt my head up to study his face. Small puffs of air escape his plump lips that are parted as he breathes and he looks at peace.
"You're staring." His eyes are closed as he speaks and a blush creeps up my face. He opens his eyes and pulls me up to his level. "Good morning."
"Morning," I smile back and he leans forward and presses a kiss to my lips. "I hope your immune system is strong."
"I don't care if you're sick," he says planting a kiss on my left cheek. "I'm gonna kiss you," right cheek, "However much I want to."
He attaches his lips to mine again and I'm pulled onto his lap straddling him. "Thank you for last night."
"Don't mention it," he shrugs, desperate to feel my lips against his again. I pull back before he can close the space between us completely. "What's wrong?"
"What's your catch?" I wonder out loud and he looks at me in confusion. "I can't find a single fault in you, so what's the catch?"
"There's no catch," he tells me, his voice equally as soft as mine as he speaks. His fingers push the small bit of hair which has escaped my hair tie behind my ear. His hand lingers and his thumb ghosts over my cheek. "I just want you."
"Are you sure?"
"Can I tell you something?" I nod. "I think you leave guys when you've found the first best excuse not because they necessarily do something significantly bad to you, but I think you do it because you're afraid that they will find something they don't like about you and that scares you. You're scared someone will leave you, like the guys who left your mom."
I bite into my lower lip, my eyes dropping to Calum's chest. He tilts my head up to lock our gazes.
"Hey, it's all right," he tells me. "Look at us, we've been on a handful of dates. We're here to stay a while."
"Calum Hood," I start, holding his face in both my hands. "Where have you been all my life?"
...
"What's up?" is the first thing Calum says once my call is connected. I hurriedly lock the apartment door behind me as I speak into the phone.
"Were you serious about me being able to come to the restaurant to get food whenever?"
"Yeah, pretty serious." I rush down the stairs since I know the elevator will take forever. "You need some?"
"I have to go in to work for a while because since I was out sick for a while I need to make sure everything is ready for the next issue. It has to be done by tomorrow."
"How does pasta sound?"
"Sounds like heaven." The second I step out onto the busy city streets my ears swim in the noise of people and cars. "I'll be there in twenty."
"See you then." As I hang up I wave in a taxi and soon I am scurrying inside Calum's workplace.
"Hey, Scotty," Luke greets me once I enter. He looks incredibly bored with his job.
"Hey, Luke."
"Calum's in the kitchen."
"Thanks." I hurry past him and slip into the kitchen without drawing to much attention to myself. I see him transferring a creamy looking pasta dish into a to go box. I walk up and place my hands to cover his eyes. "Guess who."
"Luke?" he gushes. "Your voice sounds so different."
He turns around and presses his lips to mine quickly. "Hey."
"Feels like I haven't seen you in forever."
"It's only been a week."
"That's a week too long," he says and pulls me closer to him by placing his hands at my waist. "I want to see you tomorrow."
"I'll text you when I'm free," I tell him. "I have Poppy's cake tasting tomorrow."
"I happen to enjoy cake quite a lot myself."
"I bet you do," I smile. "I would love to stay but I gotta get to the office."
"Yeah yeah." He lets go of me. "Go earn those dollars."
"Yes, Sir." Calum turns to place a lid over the box of food and he places it in a paper bag like the one he'd brought when I was sick. "I'll bring you back some cake."
"I'm counting on it," he tells me and I stand up on my toes to peck his lips.
"Bye."
...
The fact that the boys call Luke the breadstick honestly gives me life
