g w e n:

I didn't know who to turn to but Calum. We couldn't go to the authorities - at least not yet. Fiora had the entire city of Sydney wired at his fingertips, plus he had enough money to disappear and hide any evidence that pin pointed him as a human trafficker. There was also the fact that Charlie's father knowingly took in a trafficked girl and had done nothing about it. My own stomach was a mess, but Charlie, Charlie was in complete shambles.

Getting her to calm down was the first thing I had to do, but I didn't blame her at all for having a breakdown. How was she supposed to feel in all of this? Her father - who she knows to be a loving, hard working man, had accepted a human being as a gift; as if Dara were a simple fruit basket. But she wasn't an inanimate object, a piece of trash to be thrown away. Dara was a living, breathing, beautiful girl who deserved a life much better.

"Who are you calling? Are you calling the cops? Don't call authorities, please!" Charlie spewed out her worries faster than she could think them, and I did my best to ease her mind.

"I'm not calling authorities," I assured, the cellphone still connected to my ear.

"Then who?" She asked.

"Calum," I simply answered, to which I received no response. Charlie understood, and she understood well that Calum was the right person to call under these circumstances. I could see it in her deep brown eyes, laced with fear, of the dangers that lie ahead. It was the same fear in her eyes that I had in my heart for Calum, and Charlie knew very well what his fate could look like if he took one wrong move.

Calum wasn't answering his phone, which was like him - unless it was my name and my photo flashing across his screen. I dialed his number again, biting my lips in agitation as I waited for him to pick up. But to my dismay, he didn't. I frowned as I stuffed the phone into my back pocket.

"What's wrong? What did Calum say?" Charlie questioned.

I shook my head, "he didn't answer."

Charlie looked almost defeated - as if the only way to solve this problem was in Calum's hands. But her disappointment only lasted for a moment, as a sudden spark emitted from her eyes. She jolted to a nearby side table, grabbing onto a ring of keys before dangling the object in the air.

"Show me where to go," Charlie declared, and it was those words that told me exactly what she meant.

I nodded in response, gently holding onto Dara as the two of us hurriedly sauntered out the front door. Charlie unlocked her car before we all climbed inside, and in a race against time, anxiety drove. I told Charlie where to turn, trying to remember the best routes to Calum's home from the main streets. We only spoke when it involved direction, but no other conversation was held.

I didn't know what was to come next. We'd arrive to Calum's house to find what? I wasn't even sure if he was home, and if he were, what was occupying him? But I was soon going to find out because once we made the right turn into the familiar subdivision, I braced myself for whatever was going to come next.

Charlie slowly pulled up to the quaint, two-story home I knew so well. Everything seemed perfectly fine; still almost. But it was that stillness that sparked something in my heart. Despite the quietness of the home before me, I knew that something was off - way off. It wasn't until Charlie drove closer to the house did my eyes land on something that made my entire body go numb. I didn't even wait for Charlie to bring the car to a full stop when I grasped the handle and opened the door.

"Gwen!" Charlie gasped, as she stomped on the brakes and the car coming to a sudden halt.

The momentum in my body kept going, as I stepped out of the car and I tripped against the curb. My body hurdled towards the soft grass of the front lawn, landing right next to a sprawled body.

"Baby," I breathed, reaching over to caress the bruised face of Calum. He lied motionless on the grass, his cut lip slightly agape, and I winced in pain for him.

"Let's get him inside," Charlie's voice filtered into my ears, and while I coherently heard her words, all I could think about was the boy before me and my insatiable desire for him to stop it all.

"I need this to end," I whimpered, gazing at Calum as I ran my fingers through his hair. "I-I-I can't handle any of this."

"You can handle anything, princess," the raspy, weakened voice took me by surprise. Calum had one eye open, staring at me as he forced a smile.

"Calum," I cried, leaning down fully to bury my face into the crook of his neck. "I don't like this - any of this. Please stop. I'm begging you."

"Hey baby," Calum cooed, and I could feel one of his arms wrap around my body. "Stop crying, you know I don't like it when you cry. I love you Gwen, shhh..."

"Come on Gwen," there was a tug on my arm and I looked up. Charlie was kneeled beside me with a hopeful smile on her face. "Let's take Calum inside."

I nodded in agreement, not uttering a single word. I slowly sat up, gently seizing Calum's arm as Charlie rounded to grab the other one. The two of us tugged onto Calum's arms as he slowly rose from the grass. He cringed from the pain, and I swore I could feel the pang too. His arms were draped around mine and Charlie's shoulders as we eased our way towards the front door.

I could hear Calum's heavy breath, each step he took only released more pain and I wanted so bad to stop it all. Every few moments I'd turn my head to glance at him, biting my lip in attempts to keep from crying. I had to be strong for Calum.

Once inside of the Hood household, Charlie and I started for the downstairs bathroom, but Calum insisted on going up the stairs. Even though he was in a great deal of pain, I admired his strength. It inspired me, and motivated me to be strong too. Calum always protected me and I will forever be grateful. But I was in love with that boy, and I wanted to protect him too.

"Do you have a first aid kit?" Charlie asked, as we helped Calum sit on the closed toilet seat.

He nodded and pointed to the cabinet beneath the sink, "should be in there."

As Charlie rummaged through the cabinet, I continued to hold Calum. He rested his head against my chest as I rubbed his back with care. When Charlie pulled out the first aid kit, I reached my arms for the white, plastic box.

"I got this," I told Charlie.

"You sure?"

"I'm sure," I nodded in assurance and Charlie knew what I meant. She handed me the kit, and gave me a small smile. Before turning her back on us, her eyes darted from Calum to me, and back to Calum again.

"Take care of her," Charlie's words seemed simple, but they hit Calum harder, sending a chill down his spine. Charlie sent me one last smile and before I knew it, she was gone - leaving just Calum and I.

I closed the bathroom door in silence, then sauntered over to the tub. I turned the knobs and secured the drain with the silver clasp. My back heated up, and not because of the warm water wafting from the tub, but because I knew Calum was watching my every move. He still had that affect on me, and I could never get used to it.

"Baby girl," Calum grabbed my arm and pulled me towards him. He reached up to touch my face, rubbing his thumb tenderly against my cheek. "I love you."

I didn't reply to him, and at the time I didn't know why. My heart electrified at his words, but my brain didn't have the words to reciprocate that. So instead, I just showed him how much I cared. I pulled away from his touch, grabbing the first aid kit and opening up the box. I looked through the neatly organized supplies, and picking up packs of ointments, cotton swabs, and bandaids.

I tore open an alcoholic pad, "this is going to sting," I warned Calum. When I pressed the cold, wet wipe against the wound on his temple, he cringed.

"Knew you'd be the only one that could hurt me," Calum joked, letting out a small chuckle. He was trying to lighten the mood, but I wasn't really feeling it.

I tired to follow the antibacterial pad with a wad of ointment but Calum grabbed ahold of my wrist before I could continue. His dark eyes looked into mind so deep, it was as if his soul were trying to read mine.

"Hey, you're okay, I'm okay," Calum tried to comfort me, but I continued to ignore him. His soft voice, and sweet words only wanted to make me cry, but I couldn't. I had to be a big girl.

I pulled my wrist from his grasp and headed for the tub. I turned off the faucet, dipping my fingers in the water to feel for temperature. It was at perfect temperature to sooth Calum's muscles, and as I turned around to tell him, I felt a strong pull. My body turned around and before I could even respond, I was suddenly sitting on Calum's lap.

With a shocked expression, I stared at Calum with eyes wide open. There were no exchanging of words before Calum gripped the back of my neck and pressed his lips against mine. His touch was the remedy I needed to let go of my senses, to let go of my worry, and more importantly to just let go. All that mattered in that moment was Calum and I, and I never wanted it to end.

"I love you," he spoke against my lips, his warm breath titillating my skin and pacifying the fear. He rubbed his nose against mine and tenderly left a feather-like peck on my lips that sent shivers through my body.

"I love you," I declared, resting my forehead against his and holding his neck with a gentle touch.

"So..." Calum smirked, an eyebrow raised with mischief. I furrowed my brows in wonderment.

"What?" I asked.

"Are you gonna get in the tub with me or what?" Calum wiggled his eyebrows in hope, as he bit his bottom lip - a gesture that almost caused me to rip the clothes off of his body.

"No," I scoffed, standing up but continuing to grin at the boy who made me ridiculously happy. "Buuut..."

"But what?" Calum laced our fingers together, looking up at me with a cheeky smirk.

"I won't get in the tub with you but," I unlaced our fingers and grasped the hem of his black shirt, "I can help you."

Calum's smirk switched to smooth, surprised lines on his tanned face as he watched my movements nervously. I lifted the shirt up his chiseled torso, holding my breath as I did so. When I gently pulled the shirt over his head, throwing the garment piece aside, I noticed more bruises peppering his chest. I pained me to see them, and I just wanted to make the pain go away.

So with a gentle touch, I rested my hands on his shoulders, using them to balance myself as I leaned down. With softness, I placed a kiss on each bruise that embellished his skin. I could hear Calum's breath deepen, and his heart to race as my lips touched his chest.

As I made my way from one bruise to the next, I noticed a scar that extended across his sternum. I gazed at it, running my fingers on the fading wound. When I looked up at Calum to ask about it, he was already sighing,

"Let me tell you about it, babe." 

//

It's been like 70 years since I've last updated and I'm greatly sorry for that! I feel so bad that I don't update as fast as I used to and it's cause school takes up all of my time. 16 units as a Bio major wasn't the greatest idea. I promise to not take so long to update the next chapter. Not making any promises, but I'll try to get the next chapter up in the next few days since I've already started writing it - it's going to be a good one! :)

Hoping you all liked this chapter. Thanks so much for sticking around, for reading, commenting and for voting. I appreciate it so much! Thank you, thank you!!