Calum and Darby have history.
A lot of it, in the form of their one year old Ava Kai.
When life pushes them back together they work to identify what really went wrong between them.
They love each other. But do they love each other in the same way.
...
Sierra is waiting for me by the door when I arrive, her arms immediately surrounding me.
"What happened?" She asks. "I thought you were going to hang out with Cal and Aves, settle in for the night."
"Yeah, well. You know Calum, always finding new ways to hurt me." I sigh, wiping away the tears running down my face. "I really don't want to talk or even think about it. Let's just go out and have a good time."
She nods and moves from the doorway allowing me inside.
"I brought a few outfit options and some makeup but can you help me in the hair and makeup department? I don't know if I even remember how to do my own at this point. I couldn't tell you the last time I went out."
"Sure. No problem. Crystal and KayKay are going to just meet us here and I'll make Luke be our designated driver."
"That sounds good."
"Come on, Darby. Don't let whatever the asshole did get you down. I love him like a brother but he isn't the best decision maker. He's had his heart so set on making things up to you though, I'm sure whatever it was he didn't set out to intentionally hurt you." She says softly as we head up the floating stairs to the second floor of she and Luke's house.
"Here." I say shoving my phone with the article into her hands so she can see for herself.
She grows quiet as she simultaneously walks and reads. We reach their bedroom and I greet Luke who is splayed across their bed watching television.
"Hey, Darby. I thought you were hanging with Cal tonight?" He asks.
"He's a dick." I say quickly.
His eyes raise in surprise and he looks over to Sierra who hands him my phone.
"You know anything about this?" She asks him and he furrows his eyebrows as he takes the device, his eyes scanning over the article before he sighs heavily.
"I dunno anything about the zoo, but that one where it says he was on a double date with Ash and Kay, Ash conned him into it. He told Cal they were going to dinner to just talk because Cal got all pissy when you came to get Aves and turned him down. Calum went and Ash had KayKay and the girl there."
I frown, that matches Cal's story which makes me feel a tingle of remorse for how I'd stalked out the house but he'd still sat through it and then gotten drunk and showed up at my door, failing to mention he'd been out with another woman.
"Doesn't matter. Our trust is broken and every time I think about dealing with it he pulls some shit to hurt me again. Even if I wouldn't have seen this it would have been something else. He's taking me in while whatever this mess is is going on but after it's over and I figure out my job situation I'm getting out of his house."
"I can't tell you what to do." Luke says sitting up and handing me back my phone, "But I still really think you'd be surprised at what you found if you gave him a real shot. He's a different guy now."
"Everyone keeps fucking saying that but stuff like this," I hold my phone up, "keeps giving me dejavu and making me feel like fool for even considering it."
My shoulders slump and I trudge into Sierra's closet that also holds her hair and makeup vanity.
"Sit." She says softly gesturing to the stool and I follow her instructions, her hands running through my hair.
"What'd you bring to wear?"
"Some leather shorts, a sheer square neck top and Chelsea boots. It's all black."
"Just make my hair look less greasy and my eyes less puffy. Just for one night I'd like to feel like my old self."
She quirks her eyebrow in response but says nothing as she hits my hair with some dry shampoo. I stare straight ahead, my thoughts wandering back to the Calum I'd first met.
The man who loved life and fun and who had made me feel so alive, so wanted. He'd given me the highest highs and the lowest lows of my life and I was still trying to figure out if there was a way to find somewhere along the middle in a relationship that had consistently turned turbulent.
Female voices carry up the stairs an hour later signaling that Crystal and KayKay have arrived. Perfect timing as Sierra sets the makeup brushes she's been using aside and spritzes my face with setting spray.
"Hi!" Crystals airy voice calls into the empty room, Luke disappearing after we had gotten started getting ready.
"Damnnn Darbs!" Kay says with a laugh and I can't help but smile.
"I don't even know if I could tell you the last time I wore makeup that wasn't for work." I say honestly.
"Well if the goal is to make Cal feel like an idiot, I think it's going to work." Crystal says.
"He's not gonna be jealous of anything. He's so used to just treating me however he wants, then I get angry and we fight and then he says a few sweet words, basically snaps his fingers and I come running. It's not fair to me and I don't want to do it anymore."
"What do you mean?" Sierra asks confused. "I thought you guys had figured out a friendship."
"Well, yeah, we had. Right after we broke up it was a bunch of him calling me up and he'd come over to fight, then we'd fuck, then he'd lay out all of these excuses for everything he'd done. He never apologized nor took any type of responsibility. I finally brought that to a stop and we settled into this, routine, almost of friendship. But then after her birthday party it just started feeling like more again and I didn't want that so I pulled away. That night you and Ash took him on a date or set him up whatever it was..." I say waving my hand to gesture to Kay.
"For the record I had nothing to do with that and Ashton was reprimanded when we got home for it."
I shrug it off.
"After he left the bar that night he showed up at my house drunk and we had sex. He didn't say anything about having been on a date beforehand. So this shit comes out tonight and he denies that he's been around any girls, other than you guys obviously."
I'm not aware of when a wine glass was placed in my hand but now it's already empty and Sierra refills it before I take a long, slow sip.
"I just never know what to believe. There's so much there. It's so much history and pain..."
I hesitate to say the last bit, the words coming out as more of a whisper.
"But even after everything he's done, I think I still love him."
•
My eyes blink open and the red lights on the alarm clock tell me it's after three in the morning. I grab my phone and unlock it, sitting up when I see there are no text or call notifications from Darby. Only an Instagram post from earlier in the night. I bite my lip as I look at it, she's gorgeous.
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Liked by calumhood, BenCarter and 3,595 others DarbyCarter I should've learned by now
I like the post and try not to read too much into the caption.
I exit my bed quietly and pad down the hall, stopping in to check on Ava who sleeps silently in her crib, her lovey tucked safely under her arm.
I shut her door and continue down to the guest room, pushing open the door quietly and feeling a hint of fear creep in as I see that Darby's bed is empty.
An: Where is Darby?
She's obviously confused about Cal. Do you blame her?
