No Shame

Twenty-Three

"I got Chinese." Calum calls as he lets himself into the house, Duke meeting him at the door and running out onto the drive before bolting back past his ankles into the house.

"Yes! I have been wanting that shrimp dish for weeks." CiCi grins, coming down the stairs now in a hoodie of Calum's, he must have forgotten it here at some point.

"You did send me out for it half an hour ago, did you expect me to not get it for you?" He laughs, setting the bags on the coffee table.

"Floor, Cal, sit on the floor." She laughs, as he goes to sit on the couch.

"You could just order a new couch you know? Why do you and your dad hold on to the one that literally sounds like a fart machine any time it's touched and feels like sitting on leather wrapped rocks." He chuckles, pulling a pillow from the couch and placing it on the floor before sitting on it.

"It's the last piece of furniture mom bought. It showed up a couple days after she died. She'd have hated it and sent it back immediately, but to us it was like a small uncomfortable gift from her in our worst days following losing her. I broke my back basically, sleeping on it for like a month, before dad and the chiropractor he sent me to see told me to stop." She smiles sadly, joining him between the sofa and the coffee table.

"Lia... I'm so sorry." He frowns, pulling her into his chest.

"It's okay, it really doesn't make sense, keeping it all this time. We can't even use it, but neither of us have been strong enough to get rid of it either."

"That's okay." He presses a kiss to her forehead before she pulls away, grabbing for the containers in the bag and opening them as Calum finds a movie to watch on the TV.

"MMMHHH." CiCi groans as she sets a crispy shrimp in her mouth, leaning her head back dramatically.

"Easy there tiger." Calum laughs, swallowing hard as his eyes follow her neck tendons as they move. "I can't be buying you that shrimp if you're going to make noises like that."

"You jealous shrimp can make me moan and you haven't in over a month." She smirks over at him, danger dancing in her eyes.

"I could make you moan louder, but we are just friends, remember?" He chuckles, grabbing the container of the noodle and veggie dish he loves.

"Have you seen the comments and hysteria online that says otherwise? Your fans don't even know for sure it's you in the photo, but they sure as hell think it is, and they definitely think we are more than just friends." She laughs.

"That's for them to speculate and be wrong about, Lia. You've got things to keep figuring out first."

"First? Meaning when I'm not a fucking mess maybe I can get another chance?" She laughs.

"We are focusing on healing and helping you, Lia. Nothing else right now." He rolls his eyes.

"I don't think that was where your focus was when you kissed me passionately on that cliffside last week." She pushes back easily.

"You did your little thing." he pouts.

"My little thing?" She cocks an eyebrow at him.

"Ya, that stupid little irresistible thing you do where you say shit that is so raw and adorable and meaningful and I can not want to kiss you and it makes my chest all bubbly and warm. It's like a fuckily magic trick where you just switch on the machine that fills my chest with all those butterflies." He shrugs.

"I have that big of an effect on you with only my words?" She looks shocked at the knowledge.

"Do you not see it? It's scary the effect you have on me, Lia, I don't know how to handle it, and I'm honestly shocked we've kept it as civil as we have since the day I came to tell you we couldn't be anything but friends while you focused on you." He swallows slightly, "If I'm being honest I mean."