Imagines

end | part 01 | c.h.

"Mornin'"

You simply nodded, not daring to look him in those warm brown eyes for fear of breaking down again. You could barely be in the same room without wanting to ask a billion questions and cry into his warm, kind arms like you always did. You wanted him to dry your tears and kiss your head and tell you everything was alright and that he loved you more than there were stars in the sky.

But, this was different. This time, it was serious. And this time could very well be the end.

The threat of a split over something so meager and small had you twisting your ring anxiously. You knew it was your fault for pushing and you couldn't help but accept the fate you knew you deserved. You felt your stomach lurch as he brushed past you to get the coffee creamer out of the fridge and decided against staying in the same room any longer.

You worked in 5 hours but it was so hard to breathe and you needed to escape and distract yourself. Knowing work would keep your mind off of things, you decided to shower and head out. You glanced at him over your shoulder as you turned the kitchen corner into the hall and met his eyes. Images flashed through your mind like a zoetrope, forming before you.

-

You stormed into the house, keys gripped in your hand and angry tears building in your eyes. Your husband, Calum, trailed behind you, silent as usual and refusing to give in to your temper tantrum. He sighed as you angrily begun taking off your heels and rubbed his temples with his fingers.

"Babe, can we just talk, please?"

You turned your head and crossed your arms over your chest, defensively. Nothing could calm you down at this point, seething with a rage you knew you would later find unjustified and regret with every ounce of your being. But, in your 4 hour fueled rage, you couldn't find a single shit to give as you closed the space between the two of you and jabbed him in the chest.

"Talk? What the fuck could there be to possibly talk about? I have fucking eyes, Calum."

He pinched the bridge of nose in frustration and started to speak. You cut him off, holding a hand up to signal you weren't done with him yet. He complied, knowing better than to fight your anger.

"I saw the way you looked at her. I saw the way you smiled and the way you laughed and how you didn't mind her touching your shoulders as if SHE were your wife instead. I have fucking eyes and I saw that and forced myself to sit through it all fucking night until I just couldn't handle it anymore."

Calum scoffed and shook his head, disbelievingly.

"She's a coworker, nothing more, nothing less. There's nothing going on between us because you're my wife. You're being completely irrational.."

He stopped himself, cursing at his simple mistake as flames seemed to start up in your body. Your anger was no longer a small flame, with one sentence it had grown into a damn forest fire and you were determined to burn him to the ground. You wanted him to hurt like you did.

"Im being irrational? Because I care that there's a fucking woman in your office who has no goddamn respect for the fact you're married and flirts openly in front. Of. Your. Wife? She fucking put her hands on you every time she laughed. She found any goddamn chance she could to touch you and I had to sit by and watch so I wouldn't be seen as crazy and yet you couldn't even have the decency to do something- anything- to show her I was more important. You just sat there and giggled like a fucking schoolgirl at her jokes and smiled at her like she was better than me. It's not fucking fair."

You paused, deciding to take it up a notch, needing to get in the last word. The dam that was Calum Hood was cracking and you needed it to break. You wanted him to show you that you were wanted and that he couldn't stand to lose you.

"I should've took Ashton up on that offer for a movie instead. It would have been much more worth my while to spend it with someone who would treat me like I was actually fucking important to them.."

The dam broke. Calum, normally calm and in control slammed his fist into the wall next to the door, drywall and paint flecks and blood falling to the floor. You gasped and finally let your brain catch up to what you had said, to how far you had gone. You wanted to make him feel something but you had hurt him in the process. You made a move to grab his fucked up hand in yours but he smacked your arm aside, no longer willing to lay down and listen. He stomped closer, backing you into the kitchen island. Fiery eyes met watery ones and for once, you realized just how fucked you made the situation.

"I love you with every fucking piece of me and I refuse to have that all thrown in my face when all I wanted was to have a good night and show you off to my coworkers. You're the most fucking important thing to me but you're so worried about all the other women around me that you cant even fucking see it, no matter how much I try to show you how perfect you are and how much I love you. You fucking talk about Ashton again and we're done. No talking about it, no fighting, nothing. I will pack my stuff and I will leave. Im done fighting over the same shit all the goddamn time, Baylee. Im fucking tired. Im so fucking tired.."

He rubbed his hands down his face, the anger still there but slowly dying down after letting it all out. He turned towards the guest bedroom, waving a hand without making eye contact, and began to walk to it.

"I cant fucking- Im going to bed. I need to sleep. I need to think and be by myself."

You let him go.

Feeling a tear slip down your face, you let the shock fade as the regret and depression began settling in, your chest hurting as the tears fell faster. Soon, you were curled up by the island, knees by your chin and sobs wracking your tired body.

That night, you slept alone with only your thoughts and tissues to keep you company.

-

You shut the door to the bathroom behind you as you came out in new clothes and a fresh face of makeup. You passed the kitchen and the living room as you walked towards the door, determined to make it out before he even realized you're gone. A soft cough startled you and made you stop by the door, hand on your bag and keys. Slowly turning around, you looked up into the watery eyes of your husband and your heart started aching all over again.

Calum grabbed you and pulled you into a hug, holding onto you like he's scared of losing you- and this time, he is.

"I'm sorry.."

He cut you off by shushing you and holding you closer. You let him, wrapping your shaking arms around him as you both embrace by the doorway.

You felt his tears on your cheek and knowing he must feel yours on his naked chest, you think that just maybe with a bit of work, maybe everything will be okay. Maybe the end isn't quite the end after all. Maybe it was just what you need fo realize what you had had all along.