REMEMBER // Calum Hood

Fifty nine // cutie

"I'm ready" I announce, showing up at the bottom of the stairs

Calum is in his usual spot on the couch, playing on his phone with one hand and petting Duke with the other. His eyes scan over my figure when he hears my voice and a charming smile compliments me in silence. Cal wouldn't even need to say anything because his expression says enough but he would never miss a chance of making me blush. I looked in the mirror before coming downstairs and felt confident about my look, but now, seeing the way Calum is looking at me, I feel powerful.

"Hell yeah" He vigorously nods displaying a cheeky grin "The movies should let the lights on so everyone could see you"

I laugh at his comment while Calum stands up from the couch and joins me in the corridor, only after he said goodbye to Duke and promised not to take too long. We are going to the movies, by the way. Tonight is the night we are finally watching a horror movie together and it's cute to see Calum excited over something as simple as this.

"The movies should give us a private room because I don't know how I'm gonna keep my hands to myself for 2 hours" I fire back at him, smiling to myself when Calum throws his head back in laughter

He's looking extra hot tonight dressed in a black and gray stripped pants, black T-shirt and his signature leather jacket. I stop in my tracks, standing in the middle of the hallway to look at him waiting for me, holding the front door open and spinning the car keys on his index finger. Calum lets out a chuckle when he catches me checking him out.

"What?"

I shake my head, silently saying "nothing" and offering a small smile as I walk past him and towards the car parked in the driveway. We hop in and Calum hands me his phone at the same time he turns on the ignition. I scroll through his Spotify playlist and decide for a new artist Cal has been praising ever since he came back. Once he recognizes the song, a side smile creeps its way to his lips and he glances at me with a smug expression, making me dramatically roll my eyes.

"Your birthday is in 4 days" I vaguely comment after a moment of silence "Are you excited?"

"You seem more excited than I am, to be honest" He laughs, quickly looking at me sideways

His right hand rests on my thigh as if showing me some support.

"It's a big day, it's your 21st birthday, Calum" I reason with him

Maybe Calum is one of those people that don't like to celebrate birthdays. I never pictured him as one of them but maybe he is. I never spent a birthday with him to know how he acts. Maybe he thinks it's just another day, like any other.

"Nothing is really gonna change, G"

He's not wrong. Nothing ever changes overnight. We don't feel older or wiser just because the calendar says we are aging. I know that. But I love birthdays. I love having a whole day to celebrate my life and to feel loved by people around me.

"Let's go somewhere" Cal excitedly suggests, making me frown

"We are... We are going to the movies" I say, wondering if he's suddenly forgot about our plans

"No, I mean... Spend the weekend somewhere else, just the two of us" He tells me, looking at the road ahead "That's how I'd like to spend my birthday"

Well, fuck me if this guy isn't romantic. I'm throwing him a surprise party for a hundred people and enough booze to send us all to alcoholic coma while Cal says that the perfect celebration would be just the two of us spending some time away from here. He can't be real.

"Like a romantic getaway?" I ask him, with a teasing smile

How did I not think about it sooner? This is the perfect birthday present. I could ask Jason if his parents country house is available for the weekend since there's no way I can afford a fancy five stars hotel – which I'm sure is what Calum is used to. We could drive there Friday after I get off work and even bring Duke with us.