Who do you love?

30

This was it.

The day Calum had both looked forward to and dreaded was here. He could do this, it was only a few weeks more of pretending, just a means to an end until he could finally end this charade and be with the woman he wanted so badly his chest ached when he was apart from her.

It ached now, he hadn't seen her since the day before and he missed her. Fuck. He'd never been so whipped by a girl before, especially one who wasn't really even his.

His eyes scanned over the entire chaotic scene that was the set and he felt his lungs deflate a bit when he couldn't find her. He had wanted nothing more than to at least see her before he went to speak with his parents and sister. He gave one last desperately longing look before heading off towards the room they'd been assigned for the day.

He was glad that his family was going to be so close, he could use them as a distraction from the rest of the day's events. Maybe his excitement for seeing and spending time with his family would come off as excitement from picking a girl he didn't really care for.

He shuffled up the steps of the RV quickly and walked in to find his parents watching television as Mali fiddled with her phone.

"Oh Cal! Good morning." His mother said, standing and moving towards him to offer a hug.

"You guys are all bright eyed and bushy tailed for eight a.m." He said with a half chuckle, falling onto the couch beside his dad.

"We just wanted to make sure we were awake when you came by, we knew you probably wouldn't have much time today." His mother, Joy, said.

"You're right I don't have much time unfortunately but, your opinions are all so important to me. I need to know everything you're thinking."

"Jules and Ansley both seem like lovely women." His father starts, sharing a knowing glance with his mother.

"But?" He asked, sensing that something was being left unsaid and praying to the unknown that his family had the same thoughts he did, the same thoughts the boys had had when they had been introduced to Teal.

"But the woman that we think suits you best isn't one of those." His father continued finally.

"Teal?" He asked, his words coming out in a sharp exhale of breath. His eyes focused on his parents who both gave slight nods. He felt his whole body relax, now confident in his decision but there was still one thing left he needed to know.

He turned to his sister. "Now that you've met her, does what you said when I called you still stand?"

Mali looked at him with deep brown eyes that mirrored his own. Her lips were parted ever so slightly, her jaw taught as she debated her answer and every piece of him dared him to scream at her to spit it out already.

"I recant my previous statements about her." She said and Calum felt a weight lift from his chest.

"What previous statement?" His mother asked and he groaned. He should have thought this out a bit more.

"I called Mali a few weeks ago when I felt myself beginning to fall for her but things weren't as clear then and I didn't really know how Teal felt about me. Mal told me to put her behind me and focus on the other girls and I tried, I really tried but no matter what I did I couldn't stop myself from feeling the way I do."

"And how is that?" His mother asked but the tone of her voice told him that she already knew. If she didn't the look on his face confirmed her suspicions and a smile painted her face. "Have you told her?"

"No." He said, "I don't want to tell her until all of this is over."

He stayed with his family for a while longer, hoping that his time with them would help distract him until his call to set time came. He couldn't wait quite that long though, his shaky hands and racing heart made him desperate to see Teal, even if only for a moment.