the jealousy in me had faded, replaced by something else. Confusion? Disbelief? I didn’t know.
All I knew was that I had to get that girl back, had to make her believe that I truly did care for her so damn much.
I loved her. I did. I really, really did. It had snuck up on me, but now, after hearing what she’d said, I felt hollow inside with the possibility she wouldn’t be in my life anymore. How could anyone want that?
That was why, after a few minutes of incredulous silence, I turned to look at the man standing beside me, at the man who wore an expression mirroring mine. I’d been jealous of Calum from the start, but…but Bree really did seem to care for him, to need him. When I’d arrived, I’d never seen her look so depressed.
“Hey,” I said, causing him to snap those blue eyes at me. He and I never really spoke much, but…maybe that should change. “Since you’re already in town, you want to come over and talk?” I glanced at the house, knowing Bree was in there, thinking she’d successfully pushed us both away.
I didn’t know why she was so adamant about it, but I intended to prove her wrong.
“This isn’t over,” I whispered, mostly to myself.
It wasn’t long before Calum said, “Yeah. Let’s go. It’s clear we can’t go on like this. I’ll follow you.” He said nothing else as he got into his car, and I headed for mine, not bothering to put the hoodie back on.
I drove us to my place, clutching the hoodie hard as I led him up to my door and let us in. Though it was late and I had an early class in the morning—psych with Bree—the last thing I wanted to do was sleep. Calum and I had to figure something out. We had to, for our sake, and for Bree’s.
“You want anything to drink?” I asked.
Calum had his hands in his jacket’s pockets, gazing around my place with a pensive expression. “No, I’m good.”
I nearly collapsed on the couch when I reached it, still holding onto the hoodie, refusing to let it go. Calum was slow to sit on the other end of the couch, leaving a whole cushion between us. He and I weren’t close; we weren’t even acquaintances, but for Bree…for Bree, maybe we could put everything else aside and just focus on her.
“So,” Calum started, running his palms along his knees, as if he was sweating.
“So,” I said, leaning back on the couch, wishing Bree was here with us. But she wasn’t, and that’s why we were here to begin with. “You like her?” I didn’t know why I asked; one look at his face, and anyone with eyes could tell he did. I just…I guess I needed to hear it for myself.
He replied without hesitation: “I do. What about you?”
“I like her so much I’m in love with her.”
Calum let out a sigh, and he ran a hand down his face, frowning to himself. “Me, too.”
“She won’t believe us.” I knew that without a doubt, and yet I still did not want to give up on this girl. To throw her away, to let the feelings I had for her dwindle and die—it was the last thing I wanted to do. “Neither of us, I’m assuming, are willing to walk away?” I spoke it like a question, but it was more of a statement than anything.
I loved her, Calum loved her; a man in love did not willingly walk away from his girl. Not unless this was the movies and he was trying to keep her safe for some stupid reason you only found out at the end about. This wasn’t a movie, though. This was life, and it was so messy—so messy I contemplated doing something I never imagined doing.
Officially dating a girl while she also dated someone else.
“I’m not going anywhere,” Calum remarked, shooting a look at me.
Yep, that’s what I figured.
I turned to face him, meeting his azure stare as I started, “We both know Bree isn’t like anyone else. I think…I think she needs us both.” That girl needed love, reassurance, and she needed a lot of it. If I couldn’t be with her twenty-four-seven…I’d at least know she was being taken care of if she was with Calum.
Would I get jealous? Hell yeah, but that was something I could work on for her. It was something I was willing to try.