heartbreaker for hire 》 calum hood

Chapter 7: Confession

Calum stares at his phone for a few moments before he was snapped off his thoughts by three boys attacking him with questions. "Is this the Elena you've been hanging out with?" Ashton asks Calum. "You mean banging." Luke teases.

"I am not banging her, alright?" Calum snaps at Luke. "Not important. But this is her, right?" Michael asks, still staring at his phone. "Yes." Calum replies. "But, she has nothing to do with anything. She was just at the wrong place at the wrong time." Calum defends her. "Calum, Bailey caught you with her on your bed." Michael says. "Technically, she is the reason why you and Bailey broke up and why you and her are on the headlines." Michael says.

"This is my fault, alright! If I hadn't-"

"If what Cal? If you hadn't brought her to the hospital because she literally passed out on the dance floor? You are not to blame here! Media is messed up." Ashton cuts him off. "Are you defending the girl who is tarnishing Calum's name right now?" Michael questions Ashton. "All I'm saying is that what happened isn't what it seems. Calum was just being nice." Ashton says.

"Man, you need to fix this. Other headlines are starting to pop up." Luke says, scrolling down his phone. "I don't know how to fucking fix this!" Calum runs a hand through his hair stressfully. "You need to talk to Bailey, make her tell what really happened." Ashton says to him. "No, you need to call Bailey and tell her to stop messing with your life. Clearly this 'insider' is her." Michael says to him.

For minutes, the three has been bickering on what Calum should do, whilst Calum was still staring at his phone. Unknown of what to do, he searches Elena's name in his contacts and calls her. He brought his phone to his ear, waiting for the ringing to end.

"Cal, who are you calling?" Luke asks him. Calum shushes him when he hears the ringing end. "Hello?"

"We need to talk." Calum says, not even bothering to introduce himself or say a greeting. "Calum? What's going on?" Elena asks. "Are you home?" Calum starts to walk out. "Calum!" Ashton calls after him.

"Just got home. Calum, what's going on?" Elena asks again. "Just wait for me." Calum says, running to his car and hangs up the call. Ashton runs after him. "Calum, wait!"

"What?" Calum faces him. "What are you doing?" Ashton asks. "I'm going to talk to her. Elena. I'm not the only one being tarnished here. She is too, Ash." Calum says, getting inside the car. "I'm coming with you." Ashton says, getting inside the passenger seat. "Ash-"

"Calum. Do you even know what you are going to say to her?" Ashton asks him. Calum stares outside, blankly. "Let's go." Ashton says as Calum starts the engine and drives off to Elena's apartment.

Elena was weirded out by Calum's sudden call. But today, she got accepted into that modelling agency she applied to weeks ago. She was feeling all great until someone came to her door, demanding that they speak about a certain issue going around.

"We didn't do anything. I passed out, he took me to a hospital, he couldn't drive me back here. So he took me to his place. That's it." Elena clarified for what it feels like the tenth time. "Look, you're not the only one being tarnished here. Calum is too. So-"

A knock on the door startled both of them. Elena shakily walks to the door and opens it, revealing Calum and another friend of his. "We need to talk." Calum says to her. "Apparently we all do." A voice sounds from the back, Elena opens the door wider.

"Matt?" Calum and Ashton says in unison. "Calum, Ashton. What a surprise." Matt says monotonously.

Calum and Ashton look at each other before looking at Elena, who just looks as nervous as she is.