ASHTON

I'd like to think that Calum's newfound happy attitude has to do with our recently blossomed relationship, but I'm pretty sure it's just because of the dog.

Over the past week, he has grown immensely, growing too big to carry out and much too big to be considered a lap dog, however Calum dismisses that idea completely. That dog practically lives on Calum's lap, happily soaking up the boy's attention without a second thought.

I've never seen Calum love something as much as he loves that dog, and as much as it annoys me that the dog has stolen all of my boyfriend's attention, I do love seeing him happy.

Calum has developed a love for walking his dog in the morning, claiming he likes the early morning sun on his skin. He says it feels refreshing, and I'm definitely not one to argue.

This morning, we both wake up bright and early, getting dressed lazily in the early sun's shadow and making a quick breakfast before heading out for our walk. Calum dresses in a sleeveless t-shirt, advertises a band on the front, and leaving both his arms bare. The bruises there have faded into practically nothing, only a few dark shadows lingering. The more they disappear, the more Calum seems to become himself again. He hasn't touched any of the clothes that we brought back from Luke's, and I don't have to ask to know the answer why.

Calum hooks a leash onto the dog's collar. "Ready, Ash?"

I grab my phone and stuff it into my pocket before smiling at him, planting a kiss on the top of his head. "Ready."

We leave the house, and I lock the door behind us while Calum crosses the yard. I catch up with them once they reach the street, and we walk in silence, listening to the birds sing to each other in the trees, the faint click of the dog's paws trotting across the pavement.

I reach for his hand while we walk down the neighborhood road, intertwining his fingers with mine. Luke never was much of a hand holder, according to Calum, so I'm always making sure to hold his every once in awhile. I know it makes him happy, just a small reminder that I'm still here.

I'll never know some of the things Calum experienced with Luke, the things he endured while he was with him. Calum was blind to the things Luke did while they were together, but now that they are separated Calum can see how toxic their relationship was. Luke was like poison in Calum's veins, swimming through his blood straight up to his brain and messing with his mind, making him cower defenseless, hopelessly in love with the man who he thought cared for him.

Calum knows better now. He knows just how horrible and manipulative Luke was to him, and most of the times, Calum doesn't talk about it. He'll see something and it will remind him of something bad, and he'll freeze up into a figure of stone. He still has occasional nightmares, and I can see him flinch every so often at loud noises and sudden movements. Even words affect him sometimes. I used the pet name "baby" for him one morning, not realizing that was the same one Luke had used, and Calum nearly started crying. I still feel guilty for it.

I decided to call him "peach" instead. Calum likes it.

We walk away from the neighborhood roads, nearer to the busier part of town. Early morning shops are open, streets crowded with people trying to get to work on time. This is one of my favorite times of the day, although I'm usually not awake for it. Calum and the dog walk happily through the grass of the park, mostly empty apart from a few kids and parents.

We are stopping to let the dog take a drink of water at the fountain when we hear a voice.

"Calum?"

The voice is so familiar, and I spin around to see Luke Hemmings standing a few feet away, a water bottle held in his left hand, his right hand hanging limply at his side. His blue eyes are wide, lips parted, the ring that usually is caught on his lower lip gone. He's dressed in a plain grey t-shirt and jogging shorts. His face falls into relief, and he takes a step forward. "Calum!"

I step in front of the brown eyed boy, blocking him from Luke's view. He's frozen behind me, staring at Luke with a guarded expression I can't decipher.

"Stay away, Luke," I warn, narrowing my eyes at the blonde. Seeing him makes my skin crawl, especially now that I see how happy and healthy Calum is when he's away from him.

Luke falters, the aggression that normally takes place in his stance gone completely. He tilts his head, trying to make eye contact with Calum behind me.

"Calum, please listen to me. I'm sorry," Luke says, his voice dropping into a slight plea. "I'm so sorry for everything. I promise you Calum, I promise I'm better now. I'm different."

There's a slight hesitation in the silence that follows, because Luke's words ring true in my ears. Maybe not completely, because I can still see the icy coldness in his eyes, can still see the scabs on his knuckles from how many times they hit Calum's cheeks. The aggression is gone, yes, and he looks like he'd rather crawl away on his hands and knees then threaten me into a fight, but there is no possible way that Luke's abusive personality could change, even after so long. Not in my mind.

"Go away, Luke," I say again. Luke looks back at me helplessly, still trying to get Calum's attention.

"Can't we go someplace and catch up, please?" Luke asks, his tone firm. He doesn't look like he'll be moving any time soon.

"No, Luke," I snap. "Leave."

"No, it's--" Calum touches my shoulder, stepping out from behind me, looking hesitant. "It's okay."

I blink at him as he looks up at Luke, his arms crossed. Luke looks a bit surprised at the clothes Calum is wearing, and I vaguely remember him telling me Luke only letting him wear certain clothes. His eyes flicker up to Calum's hair, taking in the shorter haircut before staring at Calum with a mix of emotions in his eyes, waiting for him to speak.

"We can go sit down somewhere. And talk," Calum says, looking at me. "Just for ten minutes or so. Not long."

I avoid Luke's eyes. "But, Calum--"

"I'm okay, Ashton," Calum interrupts, nodding in an effort to convince me. "I want to do this. I need... closure."

Calum's eyes are so honest and pure that I can't help but give in. I know he wouldn't do anything to put himself in an uncomfortable situation, but just seeing Luke makes me want to punch the shit out of him and give him what he deserves. He wasn't the one who helped mend Calum back together after Luke ripped him apart.

The three of us sit down at a table at a small café, at the side of the nearly empty sidewalk. I lean against the table, trying not to glare at Luke too much, but my hatred for him overpowers my politeness.

Luke looks at Calum awkwardly. "So... you and Ashton?"

Calum glances at me, a small genuine smile on his face. "Yep."

Luke swallows visibly, taking a deep breath. He looks like he's having trouble keeping to himself now that he's actually sitting across from the boy he once was engaged to.

Luke rubs his hands together, fidgeting a bit. "I've been living with Liz ever since..." Luke trails off. We both wait for him to continue, watching the blonde look so uncharacteristically uncomfortable. "I know how I treated you was wrong. I know that now. I-- I've gotten sessions with a psychiatrist too, and I promise I'm different now. I swear."

Calum blinks at him, taking this all in quietly. I want to tell Calum that there is no way someone as horrible as Luke could change, at least not as quick as he claims, but from the look on Calum's face, I can tell he's already thinking the same. Calum's smart, and he can tell the difference between a healthy relationship and an unhealthy relationship.

I have no idea if Calum were to go back and be with Luke again, if Luke would be abusive again, but I'm thinking he wouldn't be. Perhaps that part would be gone. Maybe he would tell him he loved him more and show affection more, but there will always be that part of Luke that gets angry way too fast and the part that feels the need to have complete control. I can't seem to imagine that going away.

Calum doesn't seem to know what to say in response, so he just asks, "Have you met our kid?"

Luke's face pales. "Kid?"

He looks so extremely shocked and drained that I can't help but interject.

"He's kidding, we don't have a kid. He's talking about our dog."

Calum pats his lap and the big dog props it's massive paws onto Calum's legs, licking his cheek happily. Luke slumps back in his seat once he realizes what Calum meant, looking immensely relieved.

We don't talk for much longer, mostly for the fact that there isn't much left to say. The longer I sit there, the more I realize how different the two boys are once they are separated. Luke has lost most of his confidence and aggression, not making any move towards neither Calum nor I. Calum without Luke is someone happy and radiant, a lot more confident than he was before. He wears shirts that exposes his arms and walks straighter, a smile on his face. Before, he would fiddle with his hands and avoid eye contact with everyone he passed, and it took me until now to realize that it was only because he was so beaten down into submission by Luke.

When we get up to leave, Luke stuffs his hands into his pockets and mumbles some sort of farewell that I'm not able to catch, getting one last glimpse of Calum before turning around and heading off in the opposite direction.

Once he's out of sight, I turn to Calum and touch his shoulders, catching his gaze. "Are you okay?" I ask, concerned.

Calum blinks at me, coming back into focus. "Yes, I'm good."

He says it with so much conviction that I can't help but believe him. I let go, taking his hand in mine instead. Calum grabs the leash for the dog and we begin walking back towards the park. Calum stays silent for a little while, clearly thinking through everything. I stay quiet.

We're halfway through the park when he speaks. "He's changed, at least a little bit," Calum tells me. "The old Luke wouldn't have been so distant. He couldn't have been, he couldn't help himself."

I chew on my bottom lip.

"But I think he still has a long way to go before anyone would be safe being in a relationship with him. I..." Calum trails off. I can hear the hesitation in his voice, and I squeeze his hand gently. Calum shakes his head, saying, "When I first saw him, I got really anxious. Like I was scared he was going to do something. But then he just stood there, and I felt-- I felt angry. I've never actually felt angry towards him before."

I rub circles over the back of his hand with my thumb. "You have every reason to be mad at him, peach."

Calum rests his head on my shoulder as we reach the neighborhood streets, his hair tickling my cheek. "I know."

"Do you feel any better? After seeing him again?"

Calum is quiet for a second. Then he says, "Yeah. It sounds weird but, I just feel like I can move on fully now. Like there are no strings attached anymore."

I smile happily, looking proudly down at him. I can't imagine how hard it must have been for him to see the man who he loved with all his heart, who abused him every day for years. It must have been so terrifying for him to face it head on and take a step forward into reaching conclusion instead of running away, and I couldn't be more happy.

Calum still has to heal from a lot of things that Luke put him through, my anger towards the man continues even after seeing him today. There will never be an excuse for abuse, and I feel no sympathy for the blonde. I know he must have treated Calum like he did because of how he was raised by Andy, by how he saw his father treat his mother, and I know he never saw real affection before, but it doesn't change my opinion of him in the slightest. It still doesn't excuse the scars he melted into Calum's skin.

The thought makes me frown, and I pull Calum to my chest hurriedly, wanting to feel him in my arms. Calum makes a sound in surprise but wraps his arms around me anyway. I press a kiss to the top of his head, holding him as tight as I can. I think after a moment Calum understands why I'm holding him so close and he relaxes into the embrace, holding me just as tight.

I made a promise to myself so many months ago, almost a year by now, when I met Calum at the restaurant. I promised to myself I would make sure Calum was really okay, that he was safe. I sensed something was wrong, and I was right. I couldn't be happier now, that the promise is fulfilled and the boy is safe and sound, free of worries and free of any unhealthy relationship. He's with me, secure and comfortable in his own skin and as lighthearted as possible.

He's safe and he's happy. I think deep down, that's all I've ever wanted.

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A/N: was this okay? i feel like my chapters are boring half the time lol the struggle

the next chapter is the epilogue can you believe? i cant

okay guys what grade are yall in?? im in 11th and college is stressing me out

thanks for reading guys! ya'll are awesome. i hope you enjoyed. i'm glad cashton is finally here lol it's been forever. people coming here expecting cashton and they get a shit ton of cake instead

anyway i love you to the moon!

bye