close as strangers | calum hood

twenty three

Jaden

Paris was beautiful, don't get me wrong. But I would have enjoyed it more if I didn't spend the entire trip alone. I had done sight-seeing by myself, went to the museum by myself, and tried amazing restaurants by myself. To top it off, Calum hadn't texted or called me in 2 consecutive days.

I was nearing the end of my trip, waking up to the bright sun on the second-last day of my trip. I sighed, feeling a little down.

I forced myself out of bed, swinging my legs off the comfy mattress and onto the cold floor. I would stay in bed all day if I could, but I do that at home. I won't allow myself to do it in Paris. I dragged my feet along the laminate floors beneath me, and headed for the kitchen. I had purchased a dozen buttered croissants from Gabriel the other day, so I paired the pastries with some eggs and a bowl of fruit.

As I sat at my breakfast bar, my phone caught my attention. The ringing of the incoming call filled the silent room. I looked over at my phone to see that Calum was calling.

"Good morning." I answered in a slightly sour tone. I was upset that Calum hadn't updated me in 2 days.

"Hello beautiful. Sorry I didn't call you in a few days." Calum apologized.

I sighed, "It's whatever."

"Baby, could you remind me what hotel room you're in?" He asked. My heart skipped a beat. Why would he be asking?

"Five fourteen." I confirmed without question. I was on the fifth floor of the hotel, which allowed an amazing view of the Eiffel Tower.

"Great. Why don't you take a peek outside your door?" Calum suggested.

"Calum-" I breathed as I stood out of my seat, and began walking to the door. "You better not be lying."

"Just check." He chuckled. I reached for the doorknob eagerly, and swung open the door in a quick motion. Standing before me, was my boy. He looked tired, but excited at the same time. He was dressed in dark jeans and a trench coat due to the winter weather. In his gloved hands was a bouquet of bright red roses.

Without any thought, I lunged forwards and wrapped my arms around the tall boy, almost sobbing. His beautiful laughter filled my ears, and he returned the embrace.

"Calum, I can't believe you're here." I managed to choke out.

He pulled away from the hug so we could meet, eye-to-eye. With a smile, he said "Well, believe it, baby."

Eagerly, I climbed onto my tip toes, cupped Calum's cheeks, and softly placed my lips upon his. I hadn't felt butterflies in a long time, but here they were. Calum kissed me back softly and slowly. It felt like time around us had paused.

"What are you doing here?" I asked, after we separated.

"I came here to surprise you. We played in Italy last night and had 2 days between our shows. So, I got on a last minute flight here." He smiled.

I almost teared up, "I can't believe you."

"Get ready, cause we're gonna go out."

-

I wore a casual pair of jeans, plain lilac sweatshirt, ankle boots, and a trench coat for the Paris winter weather. Along with the outfit, I paired a black purse and scarf. It was a good thing I dressed warm, because Calum took us up the Eiffel Tower.

As we climbed many stairs, he asked, "Did you come up here?"

"No," I replied, "I didn't want to come up alone. So I stayed on the ground when I did my sight-seeing. But I'm glad you're coming up with me."