Amnesia • Calum Hood

•Chapter Twenty-Nine•

Calum's POV

There were no words in the whole entirety of the English language that could describe how good it felt to wake up next to Joey.  No words would ever do justice the warmth I felt, the cocoon of safety created by our beating bodies underneath the same blanket.  This feeling, this indomitable energy that was casually flowing throughout the small space we were tucked in, was something no one else would ever feel.

I loved it.

The position we had slept in was odd, but in a way that worked for us.  Over the course of the night our bodies gravitated closer, until we were a comfortable pile.  She was sort of laying on top of me, half of my torso underneath her chest as her arm stretched out across me.  I was gingerly holding her hip, my other hand stroking up and down her back soothingly.  As much as I was doing it for her, I was also doing it for me.

It had been so long since I'd last held her.  Too long.  While I would never, ever be able to forget her body, parts of it had been starting to grow fuzzy.  There were the obvious parts, her chest and her subtle curves.  But then there were the more discreet, hidden spots only I was observant enough to notice.

The lines of her shoulder blades and back had always fascinated me.  I loved to drag my fingers up and down the skin, feeling the smooth surface and memorizing every single detail.  The freckle a few inches above the base of her spine, the flex in her muscle when she shifted ever so slightly.

Her eyelashes were beautiful as well.  When they were closed, I could see how long and soft they were, but my favorite time to look at them was when her eyes were open.  They framed her hazel orbs so perfectly, and when they fluttered up at me I felt a stirring in my soul.  Even if she was mad, even if the anger inside her eyes was so hot I felt it scorch my skin, I would never get tired of her looking at me.

From her lips to her hands to the tips of her toes, I loved every inch of this girl's body, both inside and out.  She was perfectly imperfect, her flaws lined with hope and weaknesses filled with quiet strength.  She had her faults, certain qualities that drove me crazy.  But at the end of the day, her crazy matched mine in such a way that I didn't just overlook it, I embraced it.

Thinking back to last night, I couldn't suppress a smile from splitting my face.  While the evening had started out rocky, it ended on an extraordinary high note.

The minute I saw Joey walk into that bar, attractive male accessory attached to her arm, I knew something would be happening.  For weeks I'd been a stewing pot of confusion and doubt, refusing a lot of my feelings as I ignored what I really wanted.  I was milking whatever angle I had, using Joey's past mistakes against her even though they'd occurred so long ago.  Yes, I was still angry about her leaving, but it was becoming more and more pathetic each time I brought it up.

Seeing her date ditch her was an interesting thing to witness.  I could see how much it hurt her, despite the attempted calm she was putting on her face.  Maybe the guy was a transparent tool, but Joey put her heart into everything she did, and it must've been painful to see him toss her aside.

How exactly our night ended up back here was somewhat of a mystery.  I wasn't entirely drunk, but the alcohol I had consumed gave me enough liquid courage to say the things that I did.  Blurting out that I loved her must have come as a massive shock, yet even after seeing her stunned expression and standing motionless on the street, I didn't regret it.

I would never regret telling her those words.

And then she'd touched my cheek, sending a white-hot spark of emotion through my heart.  At first, when she remained silent and didn't say anything, I was terrified that she would never say it back.  My confession would just fall to the ground, unanswered and alone, as it dwindled into nothing.