jailbird ☍ cth

☍ two

Let's get this straight. Bexley was my one and only.

I couldn't imagine myself getting so hung over anyone else in the world. She was the prettiest, sweetest, most perfect human being in the entire universe, and the thought of another girl taking her place made my blood boil. That brought us to an unfortunate Sunday, in which Bex and I got in a huge fight, because she questioned me of the one thing I could assure you was sacred. My loyalty.

"Huh, Calum? Are you seeing another girl? Is that who you meet up with when you should be here with me, your fucking girlfriend?" she cried, her face red and stained with tears. I tried to hold her, but she ripped herself from my grasp. "Is that what it is?" That time her voice softened, her eyes meeting mine.

I shook my head. "Never," I whispered. "I would never."

Bexley clawed at her eyes, trying to rid herself of the tears. She hated crying in front of me, though she'd never admit it. "Then what? You always come home so late, and I just-" Of course, she didn't want to finish the sentence, and I didn't blame her.

"I can't tell you," I choked out, making her eyes turn downward to the floor. "Please, believe me. Bexley, please. No girl in the world could compare to you." She backed up until she was leaning against the counter, her face buried into her hands. "You don't believe me, do you?" My heart raced as I watched her. I watched her shake her head, I watched her look away, I watched her wait for me to show myself out. I knew her too well.

God, I couldn't tell her the real reason I didn't come home on time, it'd ruin the surprise.

But losing her would be a million times worse than ruining this stupid fucking surprise that I had planned, because breaking her heart would break mine more. She was my life. So I jumped on the thought of losing her, and threw it away. "Bex," I whispered, not daring to speak because if I did my voice would crack. "Can you take my hand, baby girl?"

She looked up, her eyes wavering from my hand to my eyes. I could see the battle she was having with herself. "Why?" Bexley whispered, and I shook my head, and she took my hand anyway. No matter how much I hurt her, no matter if I pushed her or spat the cruelest things to her you could imagine, she stayed. Maybe that was why I lost her so easily in the end.

I lead her to the bedroom, where she stood by as I fell to my knees, crouching down to peer under the bed. There was the box that held the secret of why I was missing, and why she thought I was cheating, and why our relationship almost ended that day. I sat down on the bed and with zero hesitation, she sat down next to me. Our legs touched, and God, if I wanted to, I could turn my head and kiss her. But not now. Right now I needed to fix things.

"Don't freak out," I said, before I opened the box. Bex gasped, her eyes widening as she covered her mouth. Inside, was tons of money. I'm talking thousands of dollars in wadded up, folded, even stacked bills. "I've been working extra, taking on extra jobs, even fighting for cash, because I'm saving, Bex."

"I asked you not to fight anymore," she said quietly, and it was like that's all she worried about. But she was right, she had asked me not to fight anymore, and I hadn't, until I realized I was flat broke. "I don't understand. Why couldn't you just tell me?"

My hands found her cheeks as I pressed my lips to hers in a kiss, and she kissed back without a second thought, her hands placed atop of mine. This was how it was with us, we fought, we kissed, we were okay. Our love overpowered everything. Everything. Fuck. Anyways, we kissed for a while, until she pulled off, breathing heavy. I loved that sound. I loved when I could make her feel like that.

"I was saving it because I wanted to ask you to marry me," I finally said, and Bexley gasped for the second time that night. "But I only wanted to do it when I was able to support you and afford a wedding and a fuckin' ring, because you're special, and I want this to be special."