If I was going to try harder on this date, I couldn’t fight against being in a car alone with him.
I knew what she was thinking, too. Maybe, if I was alone with him, my walls would crumble down and he and I would bond like we were unable to in the restaurant. I knew Calum wasn’t into me like that, so I knew that wouldn’t happen. Odds were this car ride would be the most terrible, awkward ride of my life, but at this point, it was what it was and there was no changing it. Best get it over with now, right?
I said nothing as I went around the car, to the passenger’s side. Calum unlocked doors, and we got in. He started up the car and had it backed out of the spot before I even had my seatbelt on. It would seem he wanted this car ride to be over with quickly, too.
As we drove away, I watched Kyle and Michelle grow smaller in the side mirror, knowing they made no hurried moves to get in Michelle’s car and follow us. Knowing her, she’d make them take their time in following us, which would mean Calum and I would be forced to spend more time together.
I know. Great. Just great. Tonight was never-ending where the greatness was concerned.
The radio in Calum’s car was turned down all the way. His attention was solely focused on the road, though when we arrived at a red light, he turned his eyes toward me as he asked, “What kind of music do you listen to?”
God, the small talk was horrible. If I could go the rest of my life without partaking in any sort of small talk again, I would be happy. Well, as happy as I could be, anyway, which wasn’t really happy at all.
I shrugged. “Any and all,” I whispered. “Besides country and rap.”
“I was going to say,” Calum deadpanned, stepping on the gas as the light turned green, “if your favorite kind of music was country, I was going to make you get out and walk to the theater.”
A hollow laugh left me. “You’d make me walk? You really hate country that much?”
“Yeah,” Calum muttered, running a hand down his face, keeping one hand on the wheel. “I, uh, just got out of a relationship. My ex loved country. I sucked it up and listened to it, went to concerts with her, but I can’t stand the twang.”
Ah. He just got out of a relationship. Maybe that’s why he seemed so distant, other than the fact he clearly had no interest in me. I was not the kind of girl anyone could rebound with, and I bet he knew that just by looking at me. There would be no sexy hookup, no sex without strings with me. This night was definitely a mistake.
Even though it was absolutely none of my business, I found myself asking, “What happened?”
Calum glanced at me, and I could see his Adam’s apple bobbing in his throat, like he was swallowing, unsure of what to say. Or maybe I surprised him by asking, I didn’t know. “I’d rather not talk about it,” he settled with saying.
I looked away, my gaze landing on the sidewalk beside the car as we drove along through the city. “I’m sorry,” I muttered, biting my bottom lip. “I shouldn’t have asked.”
He said nothing to that, and after another five minutes of driving, we pulled into the large parking lot filling the space in front of the movie theater. Calum pulled the car into a spot and turned her off, leaning back in his seat as he rested an arm on the windowsill of the door, looking pensive and brooding.
I couldn’t help myself. I stole a few glances in his direction. The more I looked at him, the cuter he became, and I wondered what happened. Clearly it was not a mutual breakup. Clearly he was still into her. Did she break things off with him? Did she cheat on him and basically force their relationship to end? Maybe it was wrong, but knowing he was still pining away for someone else made me feel better.
It meant he wasn’t acting like this because of me. It meant he had other baggage that took up the forefront of his mind and thoughts.
The silence in the car was heavy, and I felt vastly uncomfortable. Michelle better shut her mouth for the foreseeable