Push Me Away : Book 2 of the Teeth Series

15

Fallon's apartment was a disaster. Sometime during the night, a pipe had burst in her bathroom leaving nearly the entirety of her apartment floor covered in water. She was overwhelmed and at a complete loss as to what to do.

She had called her landlord, a real gem of a man. Hah! He had told her how to shut the main water supply in her apartment off to stop the leaks but had warned that though he would get her floors cleaned that day and call a plumber, they were usually backed up at least a few days and with the lockdown going into effect it would be at least a few weeks before her water could be turned on again. The best thing to do, he said, was to stay with a friend until everything could be fixed.

And there lay the rub.

What friend did she have left to stay with?

Wes was loved up with her girlfriend Constance. Chayse's place was tiny and Erin still wasn't speaking to her. Who was she supposed to ask?

The universe apparently had an answer for her as her phone began to ring. Pulling it from her pocket she let out a humorless laugh. Of course.

Calum.

"Hello?" She answered, a voice unsure as her mind raced to try and decide if she could really ask him to stay. His place was certainly big enough. Plus, she'd stayed there regularly before.

"Hey! Is everything okay over there? Just wanted to check in since you said you'd call me back and I didn't hear from you."

"Oh shit, I forgot. I'm sorry Cal." Fallon reached up and pinched the bridge of her nose releasing a long breath.

"It's fine, Fal." He said gently. "Is everything okay?"

"Yeah.." She sniffled—why the fuck was she crying? "I'm just a bit overwhelmed. My whole apartment is flooded. The landlord said he'll get the water up today but that with the shutdown my water probably won't be fixed for a few weeks so I have to find somewhere to stay."

"You'll stay here." He said firmly.

"Cal—"

"I won't force you, Fallon. But if you need a place to stay... you're welcome here."

"We're still not on the best of terms Cal and with the current state of things if I were to accept your offer and then things only got worse it would make things uncomfortable for everyone."

"Where else are you going to go, Fal?"

The truth of Calum's statement weighed heavily on Fallon because he was right. Just prior to Calum's call she had been fretting over the people she felt she could rely on in this situation and the list was short, practically nonexistent.

"Look.." Calum said, snapping her back to the matter at hand. "If things hit the fan here, Michael and Crystal are taking in a bunch of friends at their place but keeping it below the ten person maximum. If you aren't comfortable here I'm sure they would love to have you."

He took a beat to collect himself then added, "I'd prefer that be your backup though. I'd really like it if you at least tried things out here, Fal. What we've been doing has helped us but I think this could force us to face things head on and move forward once and for all."

"Or it could finally break us." She whispered, almost irritated with herself for being so pessimistic but she was just trying to be honest, both with Calum and herself.

"With all we've been through Fallon...I'm not sure that there is anything that could truly destroy us forever."

"Do we really want to tempt fate?"

"Fallon...we can either do this or run scared. I don't know about you but I'm tired of being in limbo. I've offered you my forgiveness and I mean that wholeheartedly. A clean slate for us. I think this could be what we need but you have to be willing to meet me halfway and try it out."

A long and tense moment passed before Fallon huffed out a breath. "You swear I won't be putting you out? Did you even clear this with Roy?"

"Have you met Roy? He'll be stoked to have someone else's brain around to pick. And Fallon, you could never put me out. Get your things together, pack for at least a few weeks. If your stuff is wet we can wash it when you get here. Do you want some help or are you good to get it all yourself?"

"I'll manage. Thanks though."

"It's not a problem Fallon."

"Not just for offering to help me pack...for everything."

Her voice was thick and laced with emotion that she hadn't expected their conversation to pull up. How could she not get choked up when in her life she had often felt undesirable and yet Calum continued to choose her. Even when it was unbelievably hard for him.

"I'll see you in a bit, Fallon. Drive safe."

*

Calum padded through his house, the sound of tiny tapping paws following close behind him as he searched the house for his roommate Roy. He found him in his bedroom, knocking lightly twice on the door and stepping in once he had been waved forward.

"What's up?"

Tilting his head, Calum tried to think of the best way to explain that they would be adding another roommate for at least a few weeks. After a moment of contemplation he decided that the band-aid method would be best.

"Fal's water in her apartment burst."

"Oh shit. Is she okay? Did her stuff get wrecked?"

"From what I got from her it sounded like most of her stuff was alright but the floor of her whole apartment was pretty much covered. The landlord thought he would be able to get the water up today but with the shutdown he said it would be a few weeks before the pipe could be fixed."

Roy's eyebrows raised a few millimeters. "So she needs a place to stay?"

Calum could feel his cheeks as they turned a shade of crimson and Roy gave him a knowing smile.

"Yeah, I told her she could stay with us for a bit. I didn't think you would mind. I hope I haven't overstepped."

Roy chuckled. "Nah man it's all good. When the universe gives you that kind of an opportunity it has to be taken."

"I'm hoping for a positive outcome." Cal smiled as he began to back away from the door.

"Manifest and it will come." Roy yelled out behind him.

"I hear ya buddy!"

AN: Oh no! Fallon's apartment flooded and now she is off to stay with Cal! 

How will that go?

Will it make things better or worse?

COVID-19 is also settling in. How will being forced into such close proximity for a long period of time influence their relationship?

Let me know your thoughts!

ILY,

Sav