Push Me Away : Book 2 of the Teeth Series

20

"You know, you and I never actually sorted out all the shit you said about Fallon. Last time we talked you were sick and I didn't bring it up " Calum said before clearing his throat as he spoke through a computer screen to his supposed best friend.

"Yeah man, umm..." Ashton reached up and scratched at his forehead as he leaned back in his computer chair and blew out a large breath. "Look, I was out of line."

"Clearly." Calum interrupted.

"Let me finish." Ashton prompted, his palms running down the side of his face as he sighed. "I was out of line for trying to stand between you and the woman you obviously love. Being in quarantine I've had loads of time to think about how I acted and I am sorry. If I'm being honest I don't think it really had anything to do with the two of you."

"How does that make any sense, Ash? You were irate about how toxic we are and whatever else it was you went on about."

"In my head though I wasn't really going after the two of you. The way you guys have been, the way you two were acting it all just dragged up memories of my childhood and the men my mother would date. It scared me. With all the self reflection I've been doing I've realized that there are a lot of stories that have been on my heart and mind, weighing me down for a lot longer than I realized. If this thing goes for a while I don't know, maybe I'll take this gift of time that I never expected and find a way to tell those stories."

"I'm sorry that we were a trigger for you but Ash, you have to realized that the reason Fallon and I have been at each other's throats, the reason we fight so hard is because at the core of it all, I think she and I both know what we have is meant to last forever. I'm willing to do whatever it takes to find my way back to the relationship she and I used to have. And I need my best friend to be accepting and supportive of that."

Calum didn't mean for his tone to turn threatening but he couldn't really help it. When it came to Fallon it was like his entire body went into a mode of protection he didn't know that he was capable of.

"That won't be a problem Cal. And again, I'm sorry."

"Well, thanks for that."

"So the album then." Ashton said, switching gears and directing their conversation to the topic that their video chat was meant to be about: their album that was set to drop in less than two hours.

"Ah, yeah. So I was talking to Luke earlier and he gave me the rundown on how this Instagram thing is going to go."
"You think it'll do the numbers?"

"I dunno. We've done what we can, played the game like we're supposed to. So far it's always worked out for us. And if this is the time it doesn't...well, at least we've made something we're proud of. I don't have any regrets about it."

"I'm stressed about it but trying not to be. Once we get off the phone I might see if Roy is home and willing to do a bit of yoga with me."

"Well, I'm not trying to discourage the yoga. You of all people know that I'm a big believer in the power of connecting with oneself in that way and the benefits it provides. But are you sure your stress is really in regards to the album?"

Calum's lips parted and he started to ask Ashton if the man had even heard a word he had said in the previous conversation but he was stopped when Ash held up his hands, palms facing Calum, eyes wide. "Woah, woah, woah. Don't jump off a cliff, I'm just asking if maybe you aren't going through a bit of a stressful transition adding an extra person into your home. Especially since that person is a former girlfriend in which the lines between you two are a bit muddled."

Slowly, Calum pressed his lips together, the pink flesh thinned out as his eyebrows creased in concentration and he considered the question. "I mean, I wouldn't say that it's been stressful per say. Surely anytime you add a new person to a living arrangement a bit of an adjustment period is to be expected, right? Even so, things have been surprisingly...calm, as far as Fallon is concerned."