disconnected || calum hood

24 | Elizabeth

As we reached the door of my apartment, Luke turned to me with a concerned look. "Are you sure you're okay?" he asked, a hint of worry in his voice.

I sighed, feeling a heavy weight on my chest. "I don't know, Luke. It just feels like he hates me," I admitted, fumbling through my bag to find my keys.

Luke chuckled, "Hates you? Come on, he probably hates me more. Did you see the look on his face when I left with you?"

Last night became a blur after witnessing Calum making out with that girl while he caught me entering the party with Luke. The mixture of shock, hurt, and frustration drove me to seek solace in alcohol.

Calum and I had maintained a deafening silence throughout the entire night, expertly dodging any interaction while simultaneously attempting to spark jealousy in one another. We engaged in ridiculous games, such as dancing in plain sight, knowing the other could see, and Calum conversing with a girl who seemed determined to showcase her tits when I walked over to the bar.

The tension between us was palpable, and it didn't escape the notice of anyone in the room who knew us.

As the night drew to a close, I found myself drunk to the point where heading home alone was out of the question. Returning to the same place Calum was likely going was not an option either. So, Luke kindly offered to drive me home, and Sierra graciously let me stay the night at her place. I considered Sierra an absolute lifesaver.

Meanwhile, another friend of Calum's, a guy whose name I vaguely recalled as Alex, brought Calum back home in a similarly inebriated state.

Luke offered some words of comfort as he patted my back. "Don't worry, Liz. You'll be fine," he reassured me. With that, I opened the front door and stepped into the apartment, and Luke casually followed me, his hands tucked into his pockets. Duke came running to greet us as we entered, and I paused to give him a gentle pet and exchange a few words with him. "Hey boy," I murmured softly, and he responded with a friendly lick to my hand. Pushing aside my hangover, I straightened up.

Entering the living room, my eyes were immediately drawn to a familiar sight: Calum's unruly, dark curls. I couldn't help but bite my lip as he quickly sat up from the couch he had been lounging on and turned his gaze in our direction.

You're back he signed.

It was the first time he had said anything to me in a week.

I nodded and replied, "Yes, I am." I placed my bag on the kitchen table.

Calum glanced at Luke and then signed, and you brought company.

I followed his gaze to Luke, who pulled his hands out of his jeans pockets and held them up defensively. "I was just dropping her off, man. Don't worry, I'm leaving. See you tomorrow," Luke said to Calum. He flashed me one last smile before turning around and exiting the apartment, leaving me alone with Calum, who didn't appear to be in the best mood.

How was the sex? Calum signed, his face appearing even more agitated than before. I arched an eyebrow and responded, "I'm sorry?" He signed it again, and I retorted, "No, I know what that means, Calum. I didn't sleep with Luke." 

He rolled his eyes, signing something faster, and the confused expression on my face seemed to infuriate him even more. It wasn't my fault I wasn't yet fluent in sign language, and he tended to sign faster when he was angry.

As he stood up, his towering presence only added to his intimidating demeanor. I couldn't help but recall the image of him fiercely fighting in the underground fight club. What if I triggered his temper and he directed that aggression toward me? The thought sent shivers down my spine.