11 - the boy who cried 'callum'

KACEY'S HOME
los angeles, california
march 11, 2024
tuesday
8am

i slowly opened my eyes, squinting as the sunlight hit my face. i stretched my limbs, feeling the plush sheets and blankets surrounding me.

"oh yeah," i murmured to myself as i sat up, remembering that this was my first morning in my new home.

i glanced over at the clock on my bedside table, seeing that it was already 8am.

i climbed out of bed, feeling a pang of hunger in my stomach. i made my way out of my bedroom and into the kitchen, looking around at the beautiful house that was now mine.

i opened the fridge, searching for something to make for breakfast. after a few moments of searching, i decided on pancakes. i grabbed the ingredients and started mixing them together in a bowl.

i poured the batter onto the hot skillet, watching as it sizzled and started to cook. as i waited for the pancakes to cook, i couldn't help but think about the party and callum's incredible singing performance. "bennie and the jets" was now stuck in my head.

once the pancakes were cooked, i transferred them onto a plate and drizzled them with syrup. i grabbed a fork and started eating, savoring the sweet taste of the pancakes.

after finishing my breakfast, i made my way towards the back of the house, where the large deck was located. the early morning sun streamed in through the windows, casting a warm glow on the room. i grabbed a yoga mat from the corner and went out onto the deck.

the cool morning air hit my face as i stepped outside. i placed the yoga mat down on the deck and stretched my sore muscles.

the view from the deck was absolutely breathtaking. i could see the city skyline in the distance and the beautiful mountains surrounding the house.

i snapped out of my meditative state as my phone began ringing, interrupting the calm music that was playing. i sat up, grabbing my phone from next to me.

i looked at the screen, seeing that it was my callum calling. with raised eyebrows i answered the call.

"hello?" i said, not expecting to hear from him so early in the morning.

"hey," callum's warm british voice came through the phone. "did i wake you?"

"no, not at all," i replied. "what's up?"

"well," he said, a hint of excitement in his voice. "i was wondering if you wanted to hang out today. i'm free all day today if you're not busy."

i felt a flutter in my stomach at the thought of hanging out with him. "yeah, i'm not busy today," i replied, trying to keep my cool. "what did you have in mind?"

"how about we grab lunch and then play it by ear?" callum suggested. "it's a beautiful day, we should make the most of it."

"i'd love to." i responded.

callum chuckled softly, clearly pleased by my response. "great. i'll pick you up at noon, sound good?"

"noon sounds perfect," i said, unable to hide the hint of excitement in my voice.

"see you then," callum said before hanging up.

i sat there for a moment, feeling a mixture of excitement and nervousness but i was quickly reminded of where i was when my phone rang. this time it was kylie.

i answered the call, wondering why kylie was calling me so early. "hi kylie, what's up?"

"thank god you picked up." kylie's voice came through the phone, "i need a serious favor."

i sat up straight, immediately shifting into problem-solving mode. "what's going on? what do you need?"

kylie sighed heavily "could you watch aire and stormi today? their dad is on tour, i'm booked with meetings, their babysitter is sick with the flu and apparently no one else in our family can answer a damn call." she rambled.

i chuckled softly, feeling a pang of sympathy for kylie. "yeah, of course i can. what time should i pick them up?"

kylie let out a relieved breath. "thank you so much, you're a lifesaver. i'll drop them off around 9, is that alright?"

"yeah...i'll be here." i replied.

"you're the best." kylie said before hanging up.

i sat there for a moment, taking a deep breath. i had agreed to watch aire and stormi and i knew it would be a handful. "shit," i muttered as i remembered i had also agreed to spend the day with callum.

~~

MESSAGES

callum

kacey
so something came up
and i have to watch my
neice and nephew 😭
can we do a rain check?
so sorry

callum
no worries. i could come
over and help you out.
kids love me.

kacey
you'd willingly want
to help an infant and a
5 year old?

callum
yeah why not?
might get me some
brownie points too

kacey
brownie points for?

callum
brownie points with you

kacey
alright fine
come over at 10?

callum
see you then.

~~

°˖✧✿✧˖°

9am

as i waited for kylie and her kids to arrive, i tidied up the living room and made sure everything was babyproofed. just as i was putting away things i heard a knock on the door.

i walked over to the door and opened it to find kylie standing there, looking stressed with aire in her arms. stormi was standing next to her, clinging to kylie's leg.

"hey," i said, opening the door wider to let them in. "come on in."

kylie stepped inside, looking grateful for the invitation. "thank you so much for watching them, i know it's short notice but i don't know what i would've done if you weren't available."

"no worries, it's not a problem," i replied, taking a minute to look at kylie more closely. she looked exhausted, and stress was clearly written all over her face.

kylie sighed heavily and handed the two year old over to me. "here, he's all yours." aire looked up at me with big eyes, clearly excited to have a new person's attention.

i adjusted him in my arms, smiling at his wide-eyed expression. "hey there, little man," i said, making him giggle.

kylie smiled at the interaction before leaning down to talk to stormi. "stormi, sweetie, remember you're staying with kacey today, ok? mommy has to go to work."

stormi nodded, clearly understanding what was happening. "okay, mommy." she looked up at me, a hint of uncertainty in her eyes.

i crouched down to stormi's level, looking at her with a friendly smile. "hey there, stormi," i said, trying to put her at ease. "guess you're spending the day with me."

stormi looked up at me, her eyes wide and uncertain. she clutched her stuffed bunny tightly to her chest. kylie smiled apologetically, saying her goodbyes before hurrying out the door and leaving me alone with both children.

i looked down at aire in my arms, who was still happily babbling and giggling. i turned my attention back to stormi, who was now looking around the living room nervously.

"don't worry," i said, trying to reassure her. "we're going to have so much fun. what do you want to do first?"

stormi looked up at me with a small smile, her grip on her bunny loosening a bit. "can i watch tv?" she asked.

i nodded, grateful for something to keep her occupied. "of course! let's go pick out a movie." i said as i walked into the living room, aire still in my arms.

i settled onto the couch with aire in my lap, scrolling through the available options until stormi picked a disney movie. the opening scenes started, and stormi quietly sat down next to me, her eyes glued to the screen.

i let out a sigh of relief, grateful that she was being calm and quiet. i had heard about her infamous temper tantrums, but thankfully they hadn't made an appearance yet.

°˖✧✿✧˖°

10am

i looked at the clock, seeing that it was now 10am. i was still sitting on the couch, with aire in my lap and stormi engrossed in the movie when i heard a knock on the door.

i carefully shifted aire onto the couch, making sure he was comfortable before getting up to answer the door. as i opened it, i found callum standing on the other side, a smile on his face.

"hey," he said, his accent thick and charming.

"hi," i replied, trying to hide the fact that i was a little flustered from seeing him. "come on in."

he stepped inside, his tall stature making my foyer feel smaller. i closed the door behind him, "where are the kids?"

"they're in the living room," i said, leading him into the room where they were. stormi looked up as we entered, her eyes widening in curiosity.

callum looked down at her, his eyes softening slightly. "hey there, little lady." he said, crouching down to her level.

stormi looked at him with wide, curious eyes, clearly fascinated by this new person. aire, who was still sitting on the couch, let out a loud squeal as he reached out towards callum.

callum chuckled and picked up aire, bouncing him on his hip. "aren't you a little cutie." he said, tickling aire's stomach. stormi watched the interaction with a growing smile on her face.

as callum interacted with the kids, i couldn't help but notice how comfortable they both seemed around him. stormi was slowly losing her shyness, and aire was laughing and grabbing at callum's hair.

i stood off to the side, watching the scene unfold with surprise. i hadn't expected callum to be so good with kids, but he effortlessly interacted with them, making jokes and funny faces to keep them entertained.

callum had completely won over stormi and aire, and the three of them were now playing together on the floor. stormi was giggling uncontrollably, and aire was crawling around in between them, trying to grab anything in sight.

after a few minutes of goofing around with the kids, callum sat down on the couch and placed aire on his lap. i sat down next to him, feeling a strange sense of contentment watching him with stormi and aire.

"you're really good with them," i remarked, still a bit surprised at how well callum was handling the kids.

callum shrugged, a cheeky grin on his face. "what can i say? i'm a natural." he ruffled stormi's hair, causing her to giggle.

stormi then looked up at me, her eyes lighting up with excitement. "can we play outside?" she asked, already getting off the couch.

"how about the park?" i asked.

stormi's eyes widened with excitement. "yes! the park!" she exclaimed. she quickly retrieved her bunny and started running towards the door.

i chuckled and caught her before she got too far. "hang on, little miss," i said, grabbing her by the waist. "we have to wait for callum." i looked to callum, expecting to see some hesitation on his face, but he just smiled.

he stood up, cradling aire in his arms. "the park sounds great," he said. stormi tugged at his free hand, clearly impatient to get going.

i grabbed a few essentials for the kids and headed towards the front door. stormi led the way, bursting with energy. i followed after her, with callum bringing up the rear, holding aire.

i walked over to my range rover and started to put the car seats that kylie left with me inside.

as i struggled with the baby seat, i felt a presence behind me. i turned around to find callum standing there, a smirk on his face. "need some help?" he asked.

i huffed, still trying to get the damn thing strapped in. "yes, please. these things are a pain in the ass, " i grumbled as callum stepped in to help.

he chuckled, effortlessly attaching the seat. "you just have to know the right technique." he said, with a cocky smirk.

i rolled my eyes playfully, "yeah, sure, mr. expert. maybe you should teach a class on installing baby seats."

"maybe i should." he said, looking amused by my playful banter. once the seats were installed, i buckled in both kids.

"alright, let's head to the park," i said, climbing into the driver's seat.

callum sat in the passenger seat, while the kids were secured in the back. i started the car and pulled out of the driveway, heading towards the park.
stormi was bouncing in excitement in the back, and aire was babbling away in his babyseat.

the drive to the park was relatively short, and soon we were pulling into the parking lot. i parked the car and unbuckled my seatbelt, looking back at the kids. "alright, are we all ready?"

stormi was already unbuckling her seatbelt, anxious to get out of the car. she was clutching her bunny tightly, her eyes wide with excitement. aire was also looking a bit restless, clearly ready to stretch his legs.

we all got out of the car, and as soon as we were outside, stormi took off running towards the playground. "come on!" she yelled, her bunny bouncing in her arms.

i chuckled and started walking after her, calling out "wait up!" as she disappeared onto the playground. callum was right behind me, still holding aire who was now trying to grab at his face.

we made our way towards the playground, watching as stormi ran around, exploring everything in sight. there were other children playing nearby, but stormi's energy was unparalleled. she climbed onto the jungle gym, swinging across the monkey bars like a little gymnast.

callum and i sat down on a nearby bench, watching as stormi played. aire was happily sitting in callum's lap, content to watch the action as well.

"she's got a lot of energy, huh?" callum said, looking amused as he watched stormi's antics on the playground.

i chuckled, nodding my head. "she never seems to run out of it. it's exhausting." i sighed, watching as she swung from one bar to the next.

we sat there in silence for a few moments, watching stormi play. aire was now gnawing on one of callum's fingers, a happy little gurgle escaping his lips.

callum chuckled at aire's antics, gently pulling his finger away. "watch it, little man," he said, "these fingers are important."

°˖✧✿✧˖°

GRANVILLE
los angeles, california
1pm

after a few hours at the park, we decided to grab lunch. the kids were hungry, and honestly, so were we.

i led us to one of my favorite restaurants, granville. it was a cozy cafe with delicious food. we found a table and got settled in.

stormi was already looking through the menu, her eyes scanning the options. aire was in his high chair, gumming on a teething toy.

callum leaned back in his seat and looked at me with a smirk. "this place seems fancy," he noted.

i rolled my eyes and smiled. "it's not that fancy," i said, although i couldn't deny that granville was a bit pricier than your average cafe. "their food is delicious, though." i continued, still perusing the menu.

callum shrugged, clearly unbothered by the price. "as long as the food is good, i don't care how fancy it is," he said, looking at the kids. "what do the little ones want to eat?"

stormi looked up from her menu, her face scrunched up in concentration. "i want a chicken sandwich," she said with a firm nod.

aire just let out a loud squeal, completely oblivious to what we were discussing.

i chuckled at aire's response, before turning to callum. "and what about you?" i asked, trying not to stare at the way the sunlight was making his hair glow.

callum looked up from the menu, his eyes meeting mine. "hmm, i'm thinking i'll go with the burger," he said, his gaze holding mine for a beat longer than necessary.

i broke eye contact, feeling a flutter in my stomach. i turned my attention back to the kids, trying to ignore the effect he had on me.

i ordered for us all, and before long our food arrived. stormi dug into her chicken sandwich with gusto while aire started playing with his mashed potatoes.

callum took a bite out of his burger and nodded excessively. "this is delicious," he said, his eyes closing briefly in appreciation.

i couldn't help but smile at his reaction. he looked so boyish and carefree in that moment, eating his burger with such obvious enjoyment.

"told you it was good," i said, taking a bite of my own salad.

callum swallowed another bite and gave me a cocky smile. "well, i like when you're right," he said, taking a sip of his drink.

there was that cocky attitude again. i couldn't help but find it somewhat endearing, although i wouldn't admit it out loud. i laughed softly.

°˖✧✿✧˖°

KACEY'S HOUSE
los angeles, california
3pm

kylie had already picked up stormi and aire, so now callum was heading out. "thanks again for coming and helping." i said with a smile.

callum smiled back at me, leaning against the door frame in a casually hot way. "no worries," he said, his accent thicker and raspier than usual. "i had fun."

my heart skipped a beat, and i hoped that my face didn't show how flustered i was. "the kids seemed to like having you around," i said, trying to keep my voice steady.

"well, i'm pretty likeable," callum said, that cocky grin making a reappearance. he seemed to sense how flustered i was and was enjoying it a little too much.

i rolled my eyes, trying to keep my cool. "and humble, clearly," i retorted sarcastically.

callum laughed, that deep laugh that sent shivers down my spine. "i never claimed to be humble," he said, still smiling that infuriatingly attractive smile.

he took a step closer and my breath caught in my throat. he was now standing so close that i could smell his cologne. it was a subtle, slightly spicy scent that was driving me crazy.

"i should probably get going," he said, his voice lower and huskier than usual. his eyes were locked on mine, and i swear i could feel the tension crackling between us.

i managed to nod, my brain malfunctioning at the proximity of his body to mine. "yeah, um, good idea." i replied, cursing the way my voice cracked.

callum leaned in even closer, his lips only a few inches from my ear. i could feel his breath on my skin, warm and intoxicating. "i'll see you later, love," he whispered, his voice dripping with something that made my heart stutter and the nickname drove me even crazier.

we stood there for a few more beats, our proximity making my heart race and my mind foggy. callum was looking at me with an intense expression, his eyes drifting to my lips.

i couldn't help but notice how pink and plump his lips looked, so close i could almost feel them against mine. i started to lean closer to him.

callum must have sensed my movement, because he leaned in as well. the space between us grew smaller and smaller, the tension thick in the air.

and then his lips were on mine and fireworks exploded in my head. his mouth was hot and demanding, claiming my lips as if they were his. my hand came up to grip his shirt, pulling him even closer.

after a few more seconds of intense kissing, callum slowly pulled away, breaking the connection between us. my head was spinning and i was still gripping his shirt, trying to catch my breath.

he looked at me with a slightly dazed expression, his lips looking deliciously swollen from our kiss. "i really should go," he said, his voice raspy.

i nodded wordlessly, still reeling from the kiss. i released my grip on his shirt, my fingers feeling suddenly cold without the warmth of his body.

callum took a step back, his eyes lingering on me for a moment before he turned and walked away. i watched him go, my heart pounding and my lips still tingling from his touch.

as he made his way down the front walk, he turned back and shot me a cocky grin, calling out, "see you later, love."

i smiled weakly, my heart doing a little flip at the nickname. "bye callum," i replied, already looking forward to seeing him again.

~~

a/n

finally they had their first kiss 🙏

i have a new fic up!! it's a jess mariano one, 'call it fate or call it karma.' so please check it out if you'd like.