Who's Gonna Love You Like Me? [Brother's Best Friend!Calum AU]

Part 2

Somehow, his eyes always found her. Even in the dark of the club, colored strobe lights flickering to the beat of the deafening music, Calum easily recognized Josie's approaching figure as she walked up with her arm linked with Luke's. Calum paused with the glass of his whiskey halfway to his mouth, eyes drinking in the sight of her and the baby pink dress that clung to her skin and left little to the imagination due to the deep V cut down the chest. His grip on the glass tightened, throat drying as he watched the smile light up Josie's face as she greeted the group they were with, blonde hair falling in loose waves around her shoulders, looking soft enough to make him want to run his fingers through.

Calum's eyes caught on her legs and lingered, finding it physically painful to not make a guttural sound of enjoyment. He would have allowed himself to stare for a moment longer, to take in her smooth cream colored legs if it hadn't been for Luke approaching. Shaking away his distracting thoughts, Calum stood up and clasped his hand on Luke's back, greeting him. The smile he had mustered up probably looked more like a grimace. He knew it to be true because his eyes had already shifted back to Josie and his face fell slightly. Why did he keep staring at her? Her entire presence was magnetic, always tugging him closer.

How could he possibly look away when the gold choker so daintily wrapped around her neck the way he—No. Nope. He would not think about this. He refused to think about this. He refused to think about her, or the way her dress exposed those collarbones and sternum, or how her soft skin seemed to glitter under the rays of blue and purple lights and—Fuck. Why was this so damn difficult? Why couldn't he just stop?

He had to, especially when Luke sat down on the available seat diagonal of him and would pick up on the way Calum couldn't seem to stop staring at his sister. Suddenly, his emptying glass of whiskey was more interesting, allowing himself another sip.

"Hey, sorry we're late," Josie apologized, and Calum blinked as he looked up at her. He hadn't noticed that she'd moved to stand right over him on the couch, but her attention was on Crystal, who sat to Calum's right. He bit the inside of his lips when Josie leaned over his seated figure to grab Crystal's hand, pursing his mouth as he purposefully dropped his gaze to his glass once more in order to avert from looking in the exposed cut of her dress. It was too tempting. "I had to stay until after closing."

"It's fine," Crystal laughed and Calum clenched his jaw when she scooted away from him, creating some space as she patted it, grinning up at Josie. "Sit! I'll pour you a drink."

Calum looked down at the empty space before his gaze flashed up, eyes instantly meeting Josie's. She pursed her lips, chest sinking with a silent breath she expelled before forcing the awkward smile back on her face, one which Calum swallowed down the lump in his throat to return just as awkwardly, as she reluctantly sat down. It wasn't too tight of a fit, but it still meant for them to be pressed together, and Calum's stomach churned at the feel of her side pressed into his.

He straightened where he sat, suddenly feeling as though his leather jacket was a bit too tight. He forced his nerves to calm, but was fruitless when his nose caught a whiff of a familiar strawberry scent. The same strawberry scent that had been on his tongue... Fuck. Shit, damn it. Stop thinking about it.

Calum's throat tightened as Josie took the glass Crystal offered her after pouring her a drink. He snapped his head in Ashton's direction, who had been sitting to his left, and figured that whatever conversation he was having with Crystal's mutual friends would be better to tune into. He wasn't familiar with either of them, but he decided that the subject of The Bachelorette would be a better distraction than Josie's warm thigh pressed up against his, and the fact that she was still annoyed with him.

He hadn't missed the way she didn't greet him, playing it off as accidentally forgetting to do so in the chaotic atmosphere of the bustling club. He wanted to roll his eyes, despite knowing he was somewhat at fault. He contemplated whether or not he should say something. But Calum thought against it, trying not to think of the way their heads were turned away from one another, purposefully keeping conversations with others as a way of keeping their distance.