Close As Strangers // c.h.

8

*Calum's POV*

We finally wake up around 5 pm. I was shocked when I climbed out of bed at that hour but not surprised when I found that I was the first one up. I got up and stretched my arms in an attempt to shake the morning haze that I am feeling.

I groggily walk over to Luke's guitar and start strumming the first few chords to make sure I still remembered. Thankfully Luke was such a heavy sleeper that he me playing didn't even phase him.

Before I knew it, it was six o'clock and Ashton was knocking on my door. He is knocking pretty hard so it must be urgent. I jog over to the door and open it.

"Hey Ash, what do you need?" I was a little irritated because I was working on the song but he seemed in a good mood so I tried to match that.

"I got a text from Gabby, and I think you really to watch it." He then walks right around me to enter the room.

"We have to be quiet though because little baby Lukey is still sleeping," Ash giggled at that and plopped down on my bed, preparing his phone for what he is going to show me.

"Okay so what is it that you want to show me, Ash? Is Ren alright?"

"She's just fine, great actually. But this does have to do with her, so come and sit down so I can show you!"

I sat down cautiously looking at his phone. I see Ren sitting in her room with the guitar I gave her last Christmas. Ash turned up the volume so I could hear her, she was singing beside you.

It was great to hear her beautiful voice again.

I really wished she wasn't so shy, she would really go somewhere with her talent.

I listen closely taking in every note and every line.

"She sleeps alone,

My heart wants to go home,

I wish I was, I wish I was,

Beside You,

I lie awake,

I'm trying to find the words to say,

I wish I was, I wish I was

Beside You."

She closes out the song and little do I know that I am crying. She said something about having a surprise for me when I got home, but that was over 4 months ago. This must've been what she was preparing for me. I now feel terrible that I missed it, knowing that she was crushed when I told her I was staying in the States longer.

"Are you okay, bro? I thought this would make you feel better, not make you cry! And why are you crying, you never cry, not even when you are missing your family."

A soft shut up Ash, was the only thing that I could get out of my mouth right now. I was absolutely crushed.

This is probably one of the worst feelings in the world. Knowing that she learned a song that you wrote just for her, makes my heart swell, but it also makes me furious with myself realizing I can't be there to give her a hug and a kiss like usual.

"You said that she sent you this a few hours ago?" I looked at Ashton with hopeful eyes, really truly hoping that this wasn't a few months ago.

"Yeah, this was today, just look at her hair. Gabby said that she died it again,"

I looked back at the picture on the phone and then it hits me. It's not the fact that she looks bad or anything, she actually looks amazing and beautiful, it's the fact that she changed it from when it was matching my hair. It used to be a really dark brown with blonde highlights like mine.