“What are you doing up?”
Callum turned to Aliah who appeared behind the woods. “Thinking.”
“About?”
He gave a small grin. “I didn’t know I’m supposed to answer you on everything nowadays.”
“Sorry.” She stood next to him. “You and Amanda have been thinking a lot lately.”
He scoffed, “Business.”
“And me?” She turned to him.
“Partly.” He admitted
“Which one is it, tonight?”
“You.” He was open.
“Hhm!” she folded her arms on her chest. “I’m flattered.” She smirked.
He finally turned to look at her. “How are you calm... how have they not been able to break you even after all those months?”
“I am calm because this is the only time I get to spend time with the people I adore.” She turned to him, her hands flattened on his chest. “I am calm because, for the longest time, I’m back home. I don’t wanna give myself a chance to worry or be angry or sad. I already felt that before and I promised myself I wouldn’t if I managed to get my ass out of that shit hole they kept me in. I guess I don’t have a reason to be broken anymore.”
He held her by the waist. “So you wanna tell me you don’t feel traumatized at all?”
“There’s a reason why I like my presence being surrounded by you guys. I end up not thinking about it at that time.”
“Well, I think...” His arms enclosed on her waist, “...you shouldn't try to ignore it...”
She cut him off. “Let me guess, you want me to go to therapy... or a counseling group or whatever they call it.”
He was quiet.
“Amanda already suggested that.”
“What did you tell her?”
“That I’ll think about it.” Her arms go for his shoulders. “And that she should stop worrying too much.” She looked at him in the eye. “You should stop worrying too much.” He was almost saying something else but she goes on. “Instead, just... kiss me.”
He leaned in, “You are always looking for a way to escape this talk, aren’t you?” Their lips met.
“M-hmm...” She agreed as their lips move on each other.
The intensity of the kiss increased and they all melted into it, disappearing at their desire to have one another.
They lose themselves in the feel of it. His hands explored all of her and she let him, savoring his touch where she liked it.
Callum pulled away and Aliah looked at him in confusion. “What?”
“Maybe you should go get some sleep.” He put a little distance between them.
“Maybe?” She tilted her head and narrowed her eyes then scoffed.
“Aliah...” Callum started in defense.
“You keep telling me that I need time to process what happened to me, but apparently you are the one that needs it.”
“Aliah, that’s not it.” He tried to close the distance but she pushed herself back, away from him. “Aliah...” There was hurt on his face.
“What is it, Callum?” She wrapped her arms around herself consciously. “You can’t stand being with some... whore.” She bit the last word, bitterness sounding into it.
“No.” He retaliated really quickly. “No, you’re not a whore.” He moved towards her again but again, she pushed back. He ran a hand on his face in frustration. “You never wanted what happened to you to happen...”
“But it did.” She was calm but in pain, cutting him off.
“...it was never your wish. I don’t want you calling yourself a whore because you’re not. You are a survivor of the shithole they had put you into. So don’t ever put yourself in that low position.” He was almost scolding.
“But they still did what they did to me and you pushing away from me every time makes me feel worse enough, especially when I’m trying to bury it down.”
“Because every time I touch you, I can’t fathom what they did to you, how they treated you, and you’re here with us... with me... and all I want is to find them and make them pay.”
“All I want is to put it behind me.”
“See...” He insisted in frustration. “...sometimes I fail to know if they’ve hurt you too much to make you want to forget it that bad. I end up thinking that one day you’ll explode to the weight of it alone and I can’t stand it. And every time I touch you, I try to be careful with you, not to trigger anything that you’re burying... and I become afraid.”
This time she moved a step to shorten the distance between them. “I don’t want you to think about it or even worry about it, it already happened.”
“Then I don’t want you to bury it.” He pushed forward to lock the distance between them. “I want you to talk... whether it’s to Amanda, Brenda, or me...” He held her by the waist. “...we want to be there for you. I want to help you carry that weight. I want you to own it and become stronger.”
“I am strong. But I’m also afraid sometimes. And that move Amanda made to save me that day in that diner...” she released a shaky breath. “...I thought they were going to get to her and I thought of all the horrible things they were going to do to her and I...” She shook her head. “...There was no time to even think about me.”
“Well, I want to be the one to think about you.”
Her gaze melted in his. “Kiss me, Callum. Please.”
Callum held the back of her neck softly and kissed her gently. His hand shifted to the back of her head to control the kiss and she responded lovingly.
She spoke amidst it. “This time don’t hold back. Just think about me. Only me.”
And he deepened the kiss, snaking his tongue inside her mouth, having hers battle its way inside his. Tasting him. Tasting her.
He lifted her and her legs wrap around his torso. And he did what she had asked of him. to think about her and only her.
And he filled his thoughts with the feel of her. His thoughts of her controlled his lips on hers, his feet marched to his tent and before they knew it, his thoughts were making him close up the tent with them inside.
He whispered in the dark when his lips trail to her ears. “Amanda is going to kill me.”
She gave a small smirk. “We can be quiet, right?”
Callum moved his lips to her neck and she hums a low moan. “We’ll see.”
He proceeded with her, softly and gently. His kisses on her skin, rubbed off every bad memory about her body. And he took his time undressing her and worshipping every part of hers, resetting back her confidence.
And even as he went into her, she was sure she hadn’t made another mistake with him. and even as they both jumped that edge with each other, whether or not they kept down their voices, she wished she could thank him more for what he had done to her. For trying with her.
And maybe she did, several times that night.
But she was glad that she got to meet him even if the circumstances were off.
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Till next week.
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Tell The Difference
General Fiction* Usually this would be the time that Amanda would say, 'I told you so' and right now I would give anything for her to be here. Maybe she would scold me, but I would take it. Maybe she would scream at me the whole way home, but I would take it. And...
