publicity + cth

twenty six: temptations

I quietly got into Calum's car, leaned back against the seat as he followed in, closing the door behind him. he's still got that smile he had back in the restaurant.

But as soon as he noticed the sad, tense look on my face, his smile dropped, a confused, worried on replacing it. "What's wrong?" he softly asked, but I just shot him a sad smile. I was tired, I didn't wanna talk. "Something's bothering you, what is it?" Calum asks, once again. I could see him from the corner of my eye, I didn't wanna look at him. I didn't wanna look at the person I fell in love with eight years ago because for some reason, it hurt. It hurt just looking at him right now. I could see Calum looking down at my hand as he gently grabbed it and pressed a light kiss on the back of my hand. I might have felt something.

There was no way he was doing this for publicity.

He's probably just doing this to make me feel at ease.

"Why are you doing this?" It was my turn to ask him, turning to him with a puzzled look on my face. I was confused. "Why am I doing what, Les?" It was his turn to ask me questions, at this point we were basically just exchanging questions. "This, Calum. The little gestures. There aren't any cameras around." I say, as I furrowed my brows. "I'm doing this cause I still care about you, Les. You're my friend. I still remember all the things you used to like and dislike. I still remember all the small details about you." I got a bit taken aback by the word 'friend'. 

"Friend? Calum we're basically forced to date for the cameras, you can stop acting like you care about me.  And didn't something happen between us lately? Jee, I'm sure that's how friends act. Jesus, Cal, what the hell are we even doing here?" I rumbled on, I was so confused at the moment. I hated how all my feelings for Calum got all mixed up. 

I didn't know what came over me but I decided to hit him with the question I've always wanted to ask him but wasn't able to because we cut off all communication with each other after we broke up.

"Do you even remember why we broke up?" I asked him, my body now turning towards him as he looked at me the same way I was looking at him. It was just all so blurry, the night we broke up. 

He was hesitant at first, like he knew the answer but didn't want to open up about it until his mouth opened to speak. 

"Yes," He starts. "I remember." he adds.

And with that, I stared at him, pursing my lips together before leaning back against the seat again. I didn't wanna argue or say anything else. I was tired.

"I'd like you to take me back to my apartment, Cal." I said, softly. Calum stared at me for a while, probably waiting for me to tell him to take me somewhere else other than my apartment, hoping that I'd wanna still spend more time with him but as much as I wanted to go on joyrides with Calum, I was not in the mood to. Then, Calum turned on the engine and drove away.

It got quiet for a bit, nothing but the sound of his playlist playing faintly on the radio, I could still Calum look at me every minute, trying to somehow read me. "Calum, stop." I broke the silence, turning to him to find that he was already looking at me before looking back at the road. "No." was his response. 

"What do you mean, 'no'?" I said, furrowing my eyebrows. "I know you're upset and I'm sorry."

"Sorry for what?"

"For confusing you."

"It's fine, Cal, just a moment of weakness." I said, hopefully he was just gonna drop it.

"You think you can fool me with that phrase? Winters, I know you so well, you only say that when you wanna drop shit." Okay, I underestimated Calum a little bit. 

"That was the Celestia Winters you knew eight years ago, a lot can happen to a person in years." I say, but that phrase has stuck with me still. And Calum was right, he knew me too well. It's surprising how this man hasn't forgotten a single thing about me even after eight years. And I haven't forgotten anything about him either, especially our little moments together.

"Hey, Les, can I ask you something?"

"Suddenly we're playing twenty-one questions? you're amazing, Cal." I joked. 

"Hey, I'm serious!" He says, with furrowed brows. "Okay, sorry, shoot." 

"Have you like I don't know, ever been with someone after our break up?" He asks, okay, this dude was serious serious. "Uhm I don't know, honestly. Just a few flings. Why?"

"No reason, just asking." He says, so I decided to shoot the question back at him. "What about you? any little girlfriends?" I teased, suddenly, I was curious to know if he had any girlfriends which was obviously possible especially with the life he has right now, who wouldn't have a crush on Calum, he was literally every girl's dream.

"Just a few flings." He mocked, as I lightly punched him, letting out a light laugh. "Most of them were just for publicity though." Yeah, like us.

"Well, have you fallen for any of them?" I don't know what came over me to ask this question but now I regret it. Calum looks at me, giving me a questionable look, giving himself time to process the question, until he shrugged and jutted out his lower lip. "Nah." was all he said, and the fact that he looked so casual saying it was enough to know that he was telling the truth. 

And then, we pulled up at my driveway. "This is me," I said, as I shot him a small smile. "This is you." then we went quiet for a bit. 

Invite him inside. 

There was no fucking way my mind just said this to me right now and there was no way I almost convinced myself to listen to my subconscious. Invite him in, Les, just for the night. Oh, hell no.

But, the way Calum sat in his seat, his hair sat in messy curls, lips plumped as usual black shirt hugging his masculine frame, his tattoos exposed and painted across his skin, fingers tapping against his thigh, this dude was already telling me to invite him in without asking me to.

"Wanna come in?" and there it was, Celestia Winters, wrapped around Calum Hood's finger once again.

a/n: HI HELLO THANK YOU ALL FOR THE SUPPORT! I LOVE YALL SO MUCHHH!!! 

yall should read my story 'why we broke up' if you're into that sad romantic shiii promise you wont regret it!

anyways thannk you all sooo muchh waaah!!