Chapter Sixteen; Not Edited

"Michael." I whispered and I felt him wrap his arms around my body pulling me into a warm embrace. I could feel the tears pouring down my pale face as he whispered comforting words into my ear. In the distance I heard sirens being sounded and a light was seen in front of us as paramedics and police officers ran to Ryder and lifted him up in a stretcher. My heart broke for him and I knew after this night we couldn't be together because of what happened to him.

"Hello, I'm Officer Bailey. I'm sorry to bother you two but we need to ask a couple of questions." I turned to see a police officer standing in front of us with a clipboard in hand as he waited for either Michael and I to talk about what happened. The redhead nudged me and I began to tell the officer on what happened while he wrote everything down. "Your friend has been taken to the hospital and will be looked at overnight."

"Thank you." I said as I wiped the tear stains off my pale face. The officer looked at me sympathetically before telling us that he will keep in touch. We both said thank you and watched them drive off into the distance. "Um, this might sound straightforward but do you want to stay at my place?" I turned to look at Michael who had a hopeful expression on his face.

"Are you sure you won't mind?" I asked hesitantly. I didn't want the redhead to feel like I need to be watched by him. I shuffled my feet awkwardly when I felt him examining me with his jade colored eyes. I felt fingers under my chin and it was raised for me to look into his eyes and I couldn't help but smile softly and he did the same.

"Calum, you mean the world to me." I was shocked to hear those words come out of his mouth and it took me by storm. "I don't mind you staying over and I know Ashton will want to see you after what happened." I rose one of my eyebrows on how his stepbrother would know already and the redhead coughed and showed me his phone. "I texted him already and he is about to mentally freak out so we should be going now." 

I nodded and followed Michael to a motorcycle and I raised my eyebrows because I didn't expect him to own one of those vehicles. "Um, my mom is rich." He said when he saw me looking at the bike with a shocked expression. I frowned because I could tell he was lying but I shrugged it off and smiled gratefully when he handed me a helmet for me to wear. I wrapped my arms around his waist and held on tight when we took off into the night. I loved the feeling of the wind in my hair and I couldn't help smile when the cold air hit my tan skin.

---

"Calum! Are you okay?"

I didn't have time to think before a flash of curls almost knocked me to the ground and I felt Ashton hugging me and asking multiple times if I was okay. "I'm fine Ash." I felt him smile against my shoulder when I called him by the nickname I made up for him.

"When I see Louis and Jack, I will show them a side they never seen before." Ashton threatened which made me roll my eyes in amusement and a scoff of annoyance left Michael's lips. "You're not going to do anything to them." The redhead said and I nodded in agreement because I would hate to see Ashton getting hurt.

"Fine." I heard Ashton sighed and I watched him give me a small smile before going back in his room and closing the door tightly behind him. "So, um there is something I want to ask you." He lead me to the couch and I took a seat by him. "What is the issue between you and Jack?" I dreaded being asked this question but he needed to know if we ever become more than friends.

"Jack and I used to be friends in the start of our Freshman year." I said as I looked down in my lap and continued to speak. "He had a crush on me and decided to tell me one day and I rejected him because I knew my old 'friend' Melanie liked him." I sighed when I got to the part I didn't like and I decided to toughen up and let him know the truth. "Jack was heartbroken but moved on and started dating my friend but he started to be rude to me and that's when I had enough and moved on from being his friend."

"What happened to Melanie and Jack's relationship?" I knew he was going to ask that and I started to tell him about the party that changed everything. "After that party, Jack and his friends were spreading rumors that I was seen with him and that didn't set well with Melanie and she broke up with him and dropped out of school. I haven't seen her since and Jack blames me even more now." I started to cry and I felt Michael wrap his arms around my waist, pulling me into a tight hug and he was saying comforting words to me.

"Shh, love. Please don't cry." I sniffled and just hearing those words calmed me down and soon enough I was happy again.  "Can I tell you something since we're being honest with each other?" I nodded my head and I heard him sigh deeply.  "Promise not to be mad at me when I tell you, Calum?" I looked up at him and smiled softly, hoping that would encourage him to speak and tell me what is on his mind.

"Calum, I think I'm falling for you."

_________________

Yes, I know they haven't really talked before but he can still fall for him.

- Kirsten & Claire.