Meet You There | Calum Hood

34

I'm off today and don't have sound check tomorrow until four. Come over after practice, I'll send you the address. Stay with me? Please? I think we need to talk. I love you.

Holland read and reread Calum's text as her guilt weighed heavy on her mind. She'd replied with a simple "okay" earlier but as she packed her bags following yet another abysmal practice she felt anything but.

She knew she had hurt him this morning but she had known that if she talked with him before her practices she would be completely out of the headspace necessary for it and with her coach already breathing down her neck about commitment she couldn't afford to lack focus.

She asked her Uber to make a stop by his favorite Thai restaurant and picked up dinner for them, hoping that her arrival bearing his favorite dish would at least show that she was trying.

As she made the long journey from the Uber to his front door after being buzzed through his gate though, she began to doubt herself.

The door opened before she could knock, Calum stood there silently, staring at her, his jaw set as she approached.

His anger loomed just beneath the surface of his calm facade, his hands in fist at his sides and his eyes deepened to an almost black shade of brown.

She stopped a few paces away from him, just at the top of the porch stairs, their eyes locked in a silent stand off until he dropped his gaze to the bag of styrofoam takeout trays she held in her hand.

"What's that?" He asked.

"A truce?" She replied softly.

He sighed and flipped his gaze from the trays of food, to her, and back again before stepping back to allow her inside.

"Your car looks better by the way. I saw it when I came in. Glad they got it fixed while you've been gone, hope it wasn't too expensive."

"Yeah, well, I'm just hoping the crazy girl who hit me was worth all the trouble." He said softly as he popped open the container of his meal and began to eat.

She followed suit and they ate in silence, neither knowing how to bridge the conversation they needed to have. Calum was apprehensive, he wasn't sure what had happened that morning and he didn't want to risk setting her off, or worse.

Holland finished off her dinner, what she was eating of it anyways, and cleared away the plates, tossing them into his garbage and rejoining him on the couch. It was her first opportunity to take in his home, it had been a while since their movie date here. In true bachelor pad fashion it was a bit messy but the rooms she could see with the mostly open floor plan, had loads of personal touches of he and his roommate Roy.

"Where Duke?" She asked him, remembering the small canine she'd met before.

"Oh, yeah. He's in the room with Roy right now. I thought there might be enough tension between us as it is, didn't think we needed to add any distractions."

She grimaced at his words, hating that she'd made things between them so awkward but she couldn't help it. She was in total defense mode but he seemed to sense it and that frightened her.

"Let's go to my room." He told her and she followed after him down a hallway until he opened a door to the right and led her into a surprisingly tidy bedroom. It was decorated in a grayscale and looked practically unlived in, though considering his lifestyle she supposed that for the most part it was.

"So I guess I owe you an apology." She started, knowing that her words were the truth. "This morning I just really needed to be focused on gymnastics and I knew you were coming to yell at me or freak out on me and if we had gotten into it I would have been even more unfocused and Coach is already all over me right now. So I am sorry for how I reacted. It's so, so, good to see you, Cal." She said, lifting her chin to meet his eyes.

He didn't say anything, just leaned forward and softly pressed his lips to hers. Her hand massaged his shoulder as they kissed, long and slow and sweet.

"All's forgiven. I just wanted to see you." He told her. "Was a bit scared you were gonna call the whole thing off on me if I'm being honest." He told her.

"Calum, I'm not breaking up with you." She told him, her voice surprised that his thoughts had drifted there, but now that he'd voiced them she could see his line of reasoning. "Not going anywhere, Cal. I'll stay as long as you let me." She said earnestly, kissing him once more for good measure.

"Then what's been going on Holls? And tell me the truth because I know you've been lying to me and I want to hear the whole truth and I want to hear it from you." His voice grew a bit hard but he needed to be stern with her, she couldn't continue to lie to him. It wasn't fair and would only dismantle the trust he had in her.

Her eyes showed her panic, she was caught, though she didn't know the depth of which he knew her secrets.

She swallowed and dropped her gaze.

"I've just been having some issues with strength training lately and—"

"Cut the bullshit." He snapped and she jumped, startled from his outburst.

"But-"

"But nothing, Holland. Lexi told me. I know. I know why you fell and hurt your hand. I know why you didn't want to go to dinner with me that first night. I know why we really only eat at "diet friendly" places and I know why you always only eat half of your food or less. I know Holland. So for fuck's sake stop lying to me."

Her mouth hung open as they locked eyes with each other. She didn't know what to say and everything he had wanted to had spewed from his mouth like word vomit. His shoulder rose and fell unevenly, still spurred on by the adrenaline that lashing out like that had sent darting through his bloodstream.

"I—I don't know what to say." She stuttered out.

"The truth, Holland. Please." He pleaded with her.

"You want me to say it?" She asked, forcing herself to swallow as her throat tightened.

He nodded.

"I have an eating disorder." She whispered, a tear sliding down her cheek.

Calum wasted no time in moving closer to her and pulling her against his chest. He peppered light kisses across her forehead and into her hair as she slumped against his chest, her eyes squinted as her tears fell, the weight of keeping her secret from him gone.

"I'm sorry for trying to hide it from you. It's embarrassing."

"You haven't got anything to be embarrassed by Holls. I just want to help. I want to take care of you. I want to help you get better but you have to let me in. You've got to promise me you won't lie to me anymore." He told her, tilting her head up so she was looking at him.

"Promise?" He asked her and she nodded as she sniffles.

"I love you, Holland. I want to do whatever I can for you. I want you to be strong, and healthy, and an Olympian. All things I know you want too, right?"

She nodded and wiped at her eyes with a mumbled, "I love you, too."

Calum held her against his chest and wondered what if anything he could feasibly do for her. He wasn't sure there was much beside be there to support her but he would damn sure give it his best go.

An: so most of you were clued into Holland's struggles by now. How do you think her diagnosis plays into the rest of the story?

The next chapter will involve Thanksgiving and Cal meeting her family. How do you see that going?

Next update will most likely be Monday
as I have a crazy busy weekend. Remember updates are only guaranteed every other day right now!

Thank you for reading!
I love and appreciate you all so much
Sav 🖤