Close As Strangers // c.h.

3

*Calum's POV*

Just the thought of Ren made me break down inside. It has been 5 months too long since I got to see her. The time and distance kills me just as much I as it kills her, and I wonder if she knows that.

I pull out my phone to call her. It's 11 pm here in the U.S. which means its super early over in Sydney, but I don't care, I need to hear the sound of her voice. It has been way too long since I've heard it and it has been tearing out my insides.

Thankfully she picks up on the second ring.

"Hey Cal," I could hear the strain in her voice, almost as if she was holding back tears, just as I was on this side of the line.

"Hey, Love. I miss you so much and I'm sorry for calling so early. I needed to know that you were doing okay, and most of all I needed to hear your beautiful voice."

I would have thought that the line went dead if it weren't for the slight sniffles I was hearing from Ren.

"I love you too, Cal. But I can't talk right now, I have too much stuff to do before school starts today. I'm sorry, I'll call you when I can..."

Before I could say anything else, the line went dead and the only thing coming through the line was the beeping noise indicating that she hung up.

What am I doing wrong? I realize that I'm across the world from her, but I'm doing my best. Maybe that's just not enough.

At this moment in time I didn't know. I feel my cheeks start to turn a hot shade of red. I'm just so upset that I couldn't be there for her when she needs me most. I can't be there to give her a reassuring hug and a kiss on her forehead to tell her that she will get through this. No, I had to be here and there was nothing I could change about that. I was living my dream, but yet it made me feel sick that I couldn't share it with the love of my life.

I plop down on my bed and pull out my phone once again. I start to write a text to Ren...

To: Ren<3

Hey baby. I know that things are getting hard and that you are starting to give up on me, but please don't. You are everything, and being away from you hurts me just as much as it hurts you. I know that it is all my fault that I am here and not holding you in my arms but I promise you soon that I will be home soon...

Send.

Just as I send the text, I tear up and soon started full on crying. Luke who was sitting in the room the whole time that this was unfolding, looks over at me with empathetic eyes. The nice thing about Luke is that he is always there for me no matter what.

"Dude are you okay? What happened, tell me everything," he says the last part trying to mimic a teenage girl and I couldn't help not smiling at that. But that smile only appeared for a moment before it disappeared back into the straight line.

I sighed, "I'm losing her, and there's nothing I can do about it..."

He looks at me with the same empathetic eyes that he gave me earlier before standing up from his bed and walking over to my bag. He starts rummaging through it pulling out my entire wardrobe before finding what he was looking for.

He throws something at me and I defensively catch it in my hands. I figure out that it's my notebook. I rarely use it on tour, hence why it was in the bottom of my bag, but when I do, I'm writing song lyrics into it.

Luke looks at me, no longer with eyes of sorrow but with eyes of determination.

"Look Cal, we have one more show scheduled, and I know that we were planning on staying in LA for another month, but I don't care what Mike and Ash think, we're taking a break and going back to Australia on Sunday." He takes a well needed breath from that long ramble, but to my surprise he keeps talking: "I want you to write her a song, dude. Bring her back to you, because I have no doubt that she is missing you so much right now."

I look up at him making eye contact with him for the first time since throwing the book at me.

"Thanks, mate. And are you serious about going home this weekend?"

"Dead serious" he reassured.

"Oh my god, I have to tell her, she will be so happy!" I got up from my bed due to my excitement and pulled out my phone to shoot her a text, but Luke's hand reaches out and snatches my phone from my hand before I could do anything.

"What the hell, Luke?"

"You can't tell her!"

"Give me one good reason why I shouldn't. I'm serious Luke why can't I tell her?"

He sighed and gave me a smirk which usually indicated that he had a plan.

"Just think how excited she will be when you surprise her on Sunday! It's there first official day of break and I think that she will be more than happy to see you. Please just trust me on this one!"

I contemplate his proposition for a moment, and eventually agree to it. He hands me back my phone and my mind immediately starts wrapping itself around the idea that I actually get to go home and see my family and Ren.

I stand there staring into space imagining how great this weekend is going to be when Luke brings me back to reality,

"Um, Cal, if you want to finish that song before we get home on Sunday, I would start now."

He's right. I walk over to the little desk over in the corner and jot down one lyric which will be the basis of my entire song.

Close As Strangers

I then check my phone once more before putting it down to work on the song, and I look at my texts from Ren one last time to make sure that she didn't text me back. I only see one thing that has changed since the last time I checked, under the text that I sent her it read:

Read by Ren<3, 8 minutes ago

A/N

I love you all so much and I hope that you are enjoying it so far! Spread the word about it

P.S. The ship name I came up for, for Ren and Calum is Ralum... yes or no?

ANYWAY love y'all and I hope you have a great day/morning/night!!!

(Update 9/22 so the new 1D single infinity just came out and OMF its fucking amazing)