My Girl

27 | together

AN:
Hi guys, Chapter 26-28 are triple updates, so please make sure that you've read the previous one :)

***

I step out of the bathroom and find Cal throwing the used condom into the trashcan. He lies down on the bed and pulls me into his arms again, our bare skin pressed against each other.

I close my eyes and sigh, resting my head on his chest while he combs my hair with his fingers. I feel tired after the mind-blowing sex we just had, but every time I'm with Cal, I just want to treasure every moment, like every second with him is precious.

When I open my eyes again, my gaze darts on his guitar lying in the corner of his room.

"Cal," I whisper.

"Hm?" He plants a soft kiss on my forehead.

"Have you ever thought about what you would do with music years from now?" I ask, my eyes still not leaving his guitar.

Silence falls between us, and I know that it's not an easy question. I can sense that he's still figuring out what's best for him and Jasmine.

"I'm not planning to be in the band forever, but..." he falters. "I guess I have to find a better place first."

Cal doesn't tell me how much he earns from performing with the band regularly, but judging by the look of it, it must be sufficient enough that he hasn't left them yet.

"Have you ever thought about trying something out of the box?" I ask.

"Like what?" he asks back curiously.

"I don't know." I shrug. "Like... Hollywood?" It just popped up in my mind.

Cal doesn't say anything for a few seconds, but then he bursts out laughing. Like, really laughing his ass off. I frown, staring at him. I've never seen him laughing this hard.

After he can compose himself, he stares at me with utter amusement. "You're asking me if I want to pursue a music career in LA?"

I bite my lower lip. "What's wrong with that?"

He shakes his head in disbelief. "That's..." He's trying his best to not laugh again. "That's really out of the box."

I squint at him while he bites his smile.

"I'm not joking, you know."

He tilts my chin up playfully. "You, my darlin', are funny. And crazy."

I look away, pretending that I'm hurt. "You're not even taking this conversation seriously."

He lets out a deep chuckle. Gosh, even just the sound of him chuckling is so good in my ears. Maybe he's right. Maybe I'm crazy.

But then, when I think about it again, I'm actually not crazy. At all. Cal's talent is no less than those of famous singers whose songs stay on the Billboard Hot 100 Chart.

After noticing the pout that has been staying on my face for a while, Cal finally gives in. He rolls on his side so that we're now facing each other on the bed, our noses almost touching.

"Fine." He chuckles. "You're right. Maybe I should think about it."

I squint at him again. "You still don't believe it, do you?"

"You look cute when you pout. Don't you know that?" he teases.

I scrunch my nose, still not over the fact that he doesn't believe in my idea. He has the right to decide whatever he wants to do with his talent, but it frustrates me if he doesn't even believe in himself.

"Alright, pretty girl. I'll go to Hollywood, or LA. Same thing." He smirks, but the look in his eyes is so loving that my heart flutters. "But you're going to the college of your dreams too, in LA."

My eyebrows rise. He remembers that.

"What about that?" He smiles. "We're going to make the most of our passion there. Together. You and me."

My heart thuds. The thought of us pursuing our dreams together is enough to make my heart feel like bursting out of my chest.

"That sounds perfect." I smile softly, and he cups my cheeks before our lips meet.

I get out of my car, slinging my backpack across my shoulder as I walk toward the porch of my house. Since I've spent the night in Cal's apartment, I've decided to spend Sunday with my family, because I've already felt bad for lying to them.

It's almost lunchtime, so it's just the perfect time for me to arrive.

When I close the door behind me, I'm surprised to find that both Mom and Dad are sitting in the living room.

"That's okay. There's no need to cover up for her. I'll talk to her." Dad finishes talking with someone on the phone. He looks devastated, while Mom's face is as pale as white paper.

They snap their heads toward me as soon as they notice me, and a horrible feeling stirs inside me. Goosebumps appear on my skin as fear starts to engulf me.

It can't be...

I don't think that I want to ask about the person Dad was calling, because deep down, I know who it was.

"So, you were with Cal?" Dad's icy voice echoes in the living room, and I can feel my hand shaking when I hold the strap of my backpack.

"Dad--"

"I made the right choice when I decided to check on Keisha." His voice is laced with anger. "Something is suspicious. The information didn't match. Your friend seemed to be clueless about someone's birthday party. She couldn't even answer whose birthday it was."

I want to curse myself for being bloody stupid.

I was too occupied with preparing all the surprises and celebrating with Jasmine and Cal that I forgot to tell Keisha. I fucking forgot to tell her about everything.

I'm fucking doomed.

My phone vibrates inside my jeans pocket, and when I take it out, Keisha's number appears on the screen. She must be panicking too right now.

Too late.

"Why would you do that?" My voice comes out very weak, and I hate that. "You could have just reached out to me and--"

"And had you lied to us again?" Dad booms, his loud voice echoing throughout the entire house that I almost jump in fear.

He has already shot to his feet now. Mom stands up too, worry skating all over her face as she witnesses what's about to happen. We've never seen him this angry.

***
AN:
You can proceed to the next chapter now. I just had to split it because it's so long.