Loner City // a.u Calum Hood

Thirty eight

Songs to listen to:
Stay with me - Sam Smith
Say something - A great big world & Christina Aguilera

//

I walk in the front door and am immediately greeted by 3 hostesses and 4 waiters.
"Miss Albright! Thank goodness, there's a man in the back who would like to see you. I'll take you to him."
One of my waitresses whispers and takes my arm, leading me to the back.
"He was getting impatient, none of the waiters wanted to walk by..."
She points to a small booth. I take a deep breath. I was still utterly confused by who wanted to see me. I walk over and take a seat in the booth across the the man.
Calum smiles at me.
"Julia! You look almost as beautiful as I remember."
My heart drops. I don't say anything in reply. I just sit and stare at him.
"J? You good? I'm sorry to spring on you like this I just... I needed to see you."
I slowly nod and take a deep and shaky breath. We sit in a long and awkward silence before he speaks again.
"Okay, you're not talking. That's cool. We'll you can just listen then. I'm sorry. I'm sorry. And that's all I can say because that's all I feel. I feel regret and I feel awful that I did that to you. That I just up and left like that and then came back. And I'm sorry that I left yet again. You told me to leave and that's what I did but I couldn't stop thinking about you and I still can't and-"
I put my hand up.
"You stop right there." I growl.
Calum leans back in his seat.
"You. No. Stop. You can't march in here and demand to see me two years after you messed up and broke my heart. You can't. And you can't tell me how hurt you are by what happened. This is hurting you? Have you even stopped to think how I feel about this? It's not all about how you feel it's about how I feel too. And if you think we're getting back together... I can't. I'm with Eli now. I love Eli now. I live with Eli. I trust Eli."
A tear slips from my eyes and falls down my cheek. I take a shaky breath again and sit back.
"I'm sorry. Your right, this was selfish of me. But you can't sit here and say you love him more than you ever loved me. Because I'm still in love with you. And I want to make things right. I know somewhere deep inside you feel the same way."
Calum says slowly.
"If you love me you'll leave." I mutter.
"What?" Calums face falls.
"I said, if you love me you'll leave me alone. I didn't ask you to come back here." I snap glaring at him. My heart ached.
Calum takes a deep breath.
"And that's what you want? That's what you really want?" He asks. I just nod.
"You want me to leave? And never come back?"
He asks again.
"Yes." I say quietly.
"No. You need to say it. Out loud." He says stubbornly.
"I... I want you... I want you to..." I stammer.
"Julia, I want to stay. The question is, do you want me to stay?"
I stare at Calums face for a long time.
"Yes."
"Yes?"
"Yeah."
Calum grins at me but notices I'm not smiling back at him.
"Why are you crying?"
"Because I don't know what to do. How do I know you won't leave me again? What about Eli?" I cry and put my head in my hands.
Calum slides into the booth next to me. He wraps an arm around me.
"Hey, hey. I've made that mistake once. I'm not leaving you again."
We sit there as I cry into his shoulder.
I finally stop blubbering and look into Calums eyes.
"Hey. How ever long it takes for you to figure things out with Eli and whatever else you need to do, I'm here." I just nod.
"I need to go." I say quietly.
"Okay, just call me... When you figure things out. I'll be here. You know the number."
I nod and Calum gets up to let me out.
I don't give him a hug. I don't say goodbye or see ya later I just get up and walk out of my restaurant with a heavy weight on my shoulders.