Buy The Stars // Book Two

Chapter Thirteen

July 1st, 2015

I knew things had changed from worse to, well, even worse after Calum came knocking on my front door with tears dripping down his cheeks. He had one of his hands glued to his thigh and the other one cupped over his mouth as he continued to choke out small sobs. I stood there watching, knowing something was obviously up and with someone deeply important to the both of us. Or maybe just him.

"Paige," he cried out and turned his hands into fists, yet the one didn't budge from over his mouth. "You gotta come with me." I followed him out the door like a lost puppy until we reached his backyard. Nothing was there, not even the old hammock we used to hang out on.

"Cal?" I murmured, looking around. "Where is everything? Is that what this is about? Are you moving?" He shook his head and I sighed with relief, but that scared me even more. He was sobbing because of something, or maybe even someone.

"Paige," Calum repeated and took a step towards me while wiping his eyes. "My grandma, Paige." Inside, I let out another small sigh of relief. I didn't know why I thought it was Luke, but I did.

"Calum," I whispered and instantly pulled him into my chest. For 7 months, his grandma had been battling ALS, I didn't imagine that it would end so soon.

"I called Luke today," my friend said, trying to change the subject from himself. "Um, I should probably tell you-" Calum wiped his eyes. "-he isn't doing well at all."

"Wha-what do you mean?" I managed to sputter out while trying to hold him still.

"It's like- well- think of it like a sickness. The day you two fought was the day he got diagnosed, and ever since then, it's been downhill. The sickness is like his depression, Paige, I don't know what to tell you. You have to do something about this," said Cal. "I think it's actually killing him."

"Has he left his room?" The brunet shook his head. Sighing, I ran my fingers through my hair and responded, "I don't know what to do."

"Paige," Calum choked out. "He's suicidal."

I dropped the tan boy's hands and backed away a few steps. There was no way, no fucking way. I shook my head.

"No," I breathed out. "Continue talking about your grandma, Calum, I don't want to-"

"My grandma is already dead, I don't want my best friend to be." He blinked out a few tears before wiping them again. "I'm sorry that this is so demanding, but, Pai, you need to go see him. I need you to realise that what you two had is much more than this and-"

"I do realise it, Cal," I mumbled, interrupting him. "I really do but it's been so hard because it does hurt that he did this. He told me three girls, he cheated on me with three girls."

"Paige," laughed Calum. "He hardly cheated on you with one. He didn't even know what happened the first time but he must've had lied about the others to make you mad or something."

"What?" My face dropped.

"Yeah, he's been telling me just... everything." The small grin on Calum's face told me enough. I needed to talk to Luke. "Because he doesn't have you, and he already knew he lost you once he did what he did. That's why Luke broke up with you, because he felt like shit."

"He-he- understood?" I whispered.

"Um, yeah," shrugged Cal. "Hurting you would be the last thing he'd purposely do."

"I'm gonna go," I said under my breath. "I feel so bad- I feel awful- I-"

"None of this is your fault." Calum rolled his eyes. "You just have to remember that." I nodded at him and swallowed the lump that was beginning to form in my throat. "Why do you feel so bad all of the sudden? Is it because I told you that he was suicidal?" I shook my head.