I Swear That She's the One
"I'm scared"
I held Callie’s small hand in my own as we walked through the nearly deserted mall aimlessly. She had just bought a few new things at Forever 21, and I was on a mission to find a new pair of shoes. As we stepped on the escalator, I couldn’t help but to look over at her and smile. Her dark hair was perfectly straight, and barely covering her tan cardigan and white tank top. She was taller than normal, due to her salmon colored sandals that matched her skirt, and for once passed my shoulders.
She noticed me smiling at her, and smiled back, giving my hand a light squeeze. We stepped off of the escalator and I followed her into Macy’s. She drug me to the shoe section, and helped me pick out pairs to try on, before giving me her opinions.
“That went way quicker than when I go alone,” I said as we walked away from the checkout counter, “Thanks babe.”
“Anytime,” she said grabbing my hand again, “How about some lunch? I’m starving.”
“Same here, let’s go,” I said as we walked towards the food court.
We both got hamburgers, and found a seat near the middle of the tables, before dropping our bags and digging in. We made small talk, mainly about the new record Brian, John and Josh were currently writing in Nashville, and ate rather slow. We were in the middle of a conversation about when I would leave for tour, when a voice interrupted us.
“Callie, is that you?” I heard a voice say from our left causing me to turn.
“Zach? What the hell are you doing here?” she said dropping her burger, and widening her eyes.
“Just here on business,” he said taking a glance at me, “I guess this is where you ended up when you left. I assume your reputation followed.”
“That I had an asshole of a boyfriend who cheated on me, and blamed me for my miscarriage?” she said fuming.
“This is the dick that did that to you?” I said earning a nod from Callie.
“And who are you? The sorry sap that knocked her up?” he said causing my blood to boil.
“Don’t you dare talk about her that way! You’re lucky I don’t teach you a lesson right now,” I said standing up, “Now, you better leave and never come back here, because I will hurt you if you do anything else to her.”
“Just wait until she tries to get you to marry her by saying she’s pregnant, and then all of the sudden she loses it,” he said with a glare, “Have fun with this worthless piece of shit.”
By time the words had left his mouth, I could see tears forming in her eyes, and it made me lose it. I brought my fist up, and hit him square in the face, something I had never done to anyone. He went to swing back, and hit my left eye before security came over and threatened to call the cops. We both gave each other nasty looks before he stormed off towards the exit. I glared at his retreating form, until it was out of sight, and sat back down across from Callie. Her eyes were red, from the tears she had held back, and I felt my gaze soften dramatically.
“Are you okay?” I asked grabbing her hand gently.
“Uhm, yeah,” she said trying to force a smile, “I think I’m done shopping though, let’s go home.”
I nodded, knowing she wasn’t okay like she said, and grabbed our trash so I could throw it away. I walked back to the table, and picked up our bags, before grabbing her hand and starting towards the exit. It remained silent between us, and from the look on her face, I could tell she was still trying not to cry. As soon as we were back at her apartment, she excused herself to the bathroom, and I sat her bags on her bed, running my hands through my hair.
From inside the bathroom, I heard a small thud, and walked towards the door to investigate. I could hear her muffled sobs coming from inside, and I tried the door, thankful it wasn’t locked. I saw Callie sitting on the floor, her knees to her chest, and crying into them, causing me to rush over to her.
“Callie, babe, it’s okay,” I said kneeling my her and rubbing her back.
“No, it’s not,” she said through her sobs, “I thought I’d never have to see him again, and if I did it wouldn’t hurt. But it still did, it hurt so much. I can still hear all of his insults ringing through my head from when we broke up, and then he didn’t even falter while insulting me today.
“Not to mention, he brought up my miscarriage and still blames me for it. What did I do so wrong? I didn’t want my life to be such a mess at that young age. And then I’m worried that you’ll believe him in thinking I faked everything, but I didn’t. I swear.”
“Callie, please just breathe,” I said as she started gasping for air, “I don’t believe a thing that comes out of his mouth, I know you wouldn’t lie to me like that. Plus, he’s the loser. You’ll go much farther than him, I know it. I’m here for you, forever.”
“I’m just scared,” she said looking up from her lap.
“Of what?”
“That you’ll find someone out there who isn’t such an insecure mess like me,” she said shaking her head, “Someone that doesn’t have such a fucked up past, and someone who won’t need you constantly when she’s down.”
“You aren’t an insecure mess, at all,” I said brushing more of her tears away, “And I want to be the person you can come to when things are rough, I want to be the person who helps you through everything. I just want to be there for you.”
“What about tour?” she asked making me bite my lip.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” I said standing up and pulling her up after me, “And I’m always just a text and phone call away, you know that.”
“I do,” she said nodding, “I’m sorry I ruined the afternoon.”
“You didn’t,” I said guiding her to the bed, “I get to cuddle with you, and be with you. I couldn’t ask for more.”
I watched as her cheeks flared red, and she kicked her shoes off while climbing under the blankets. I followed suit, and pulled her into me, resting my head onto top of hers. She toyed with the fabric of my shirt absentmindedly and I rubbed her back soothingly.
“Jackson’s birthday is next week, and he said that you had to be with us at dinner,” I said in an attempt to cheer her up.
“Tell him I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said looking up with a smile at me, “I miss that little guy.”
“He misses you too,” I said kissing her forehead, “It’s okay if you fall asleep, I’ll probably follow.”
“I’m barely tired,” she said yawning halfway through her sentence, “Okay, maybe I am. Let’s nap, and then I’ll make dinner when we wake up, sound good?”
“Sounds great,” I said kissing her lips softly.
She nuzzled her face into my neck, her eyelashes tickling my skin, and it wasn’t long until her breathing had slowed down, showing that she was asleep. I continued to rub her back, until my eyes were heavy, causing me fall asleep holding the girl of my dreams in my arms.
She noticed me smiling at her, and smiled back, giving my hand a light squeeze. We stepped off of the escalator and I followed her into Macy’s. She drug me to the shoe section, and helped me pick out pairs to try on, before giving me her opinions.
“That went way quicker than when I go alone,” I said as we walked away from the checkout counter, “Thanks babe.”
“Anytime,” she said grabbing my hand again, “How about some lunch? I’m starving.”
“Same here, let’s go,” I said as we walked towards the food court.
We both got hamburgers, and found a seat near the middle of the tables, before dropping our bags and digging in. We made small talk, mainly about the new record Brian, John and Josh were currently writing in Nashville, and ate rather slow. We were in the middle of a conversation about when I would leave for tour, when a voice interrupted us.
“Callie, is that you?” I heard a voice say from our left causing me to turn.
“Zach? What the hell are you doing here?” she said dropping her burger, and widening her eyes.
“Just here on business,” he said taking a glance at me, “I guess this is where you ended up when you left. I assume your reputation followed.”
“That I had an asshole of a boyfriend who cheated on me, and blamed me for my miscarriage?” she said fuming.
“This is the dick that did that to you?” I said earning a nod from Callie.
“And who are you? The sorry sap that knocked her up?” he said causing my blood to boil.
“Don’t you dare talk about her that way! You’re lucky I don’t teach you a lesson right now,” I said standing up, “Now, you better leave and never come back here, because I will hurt you if you do anything else to her.”
“Just wait until she tries to get you to marry her by saying she’s pregnant, and then all of the sudden she loses it,” he said with a glare, “Have fun with this worthless piece of shit.”
By time the words had left his mouth, I could see tears forming in her eyes, and it made me lose it. I brought my fist up, and hit him square in the face, something I had never done to anyone. He went to swing back, and hit my left eye before security came over and threatened to call the cops. We both gave each other nasty looks before he stormed off towards the exit. I glared at his retreating form, until it was out of sight, and sat back down across from Callie. Her eyes were red, from the tears she had held back, and I felt my gaze soften dramatically.
“Are you okay?” I asked grabbing her hand gently.
“Uhm, yeah,” she said trying to force a smile, “I think I’m done shopping though, let’s go home.”
I nodded, knowing she wasn’t okay like she said, and grabbed our trash so I could throw it away. I walked back to the table, and picked up our bags, before grabbing her hand and starting towards the exit. It remained silent between us, and from the look on her face, I could tell she was still trying not to cry. As soon as we were back at her apartment, she excused herself to the bathroom, and I sat her bags on her bed, running my hands through my hair.
From inside the bathroom, I heard a small thud, and walked towards the door to investigate. I could hear her muffled sobs coming from inside, and I tried the door, thankful it wasn’t locked. I saw Callie sitting on the floor, her knees to her chest, and crying into them, causing me to rush over to her.
“Callie, babe, it’s okay,” I said kneeling my her and rubbing her back.
“No, it’s not,” she said through her sobs, “I thought I’d never have to see him again, and if I did it wouldn’t hurt. But it still did, it hurt so much. I can still hear all of his insults ringing through my head from when we broke up, and then he didn’t even falter while insulting me today.
“Not to mention, he brought up my miscarriage and still blames me for it. What did I do so wrong? I didn’t want my life to be such a mess at that young age. And then I’m worried that you’ll believe him in thinking I faked everything, but I didn’t. I swear.”
“Callie, please just breathe,” I said as she started gasping for air, “I don’t believe a thing that comes out of his mouth, I know you wouldn’t lie to me like that. Plus, he’s the loser. You’ll go much farther than him, I know it. I’m here for you, forever.”
“I’m just scared,” she said looking up from her lap.
“Of what?”
“That you’ll find someone out there who isn’t such an insecure mess like me,” she said shaking her head, “Someone that doesn’t have such a fucked up past, and someone who won’t need you constantly when she’s down.”
“You aren’t an insecure mess, at all,” I said brushing more of her tears away, “And I want to be the person you can come to when things are rough, I want to be the person who helps you through everything. I just want to be there for you.”
“What about tour?” she asked making me bite my lip.
“We’ll cross that bridge when we come to it,” I said standing up and pulling her up after me, “And I’m always just a text and phone call away, you know that.”
“I do,” she said nodding, “I’m sorry I ruined the afternoon.”
“You didn’t,” I said guiding her to the bed, “I get to cuddle with you, and be with you. I couldn’t ask for more.”
I watched as her cheeks flared red, and she kicked her shoes off while climbing under the blankets. I followed suit, and pulled her into me, resting my head onto top of hers. She toyed with the fabric of my shirt absentmindedly and I rubbed her back soothingly.
“Jackson’s birthday is next week, and he said that you had to be with us at dinner,” I said in an attempt to cheer her up.
“Tell him I wouldn’t miss it for the world,” she said looking up with a smile at me, “I miss that little guy.”
“He misses you too,” I said kissing her forehead, “It’s okay if you fall asleep, I’ll probably follow.”
“I’m barely tired,” she said yawning halfway through her sentence, “Okay, maybe I am. Let’s nap, and then I’ll make dinner when we wake up, sound good?”
“Sounds great,” I said kissing her lips softly.
She nuzzled her face into my neck, her eyelashes tickling my skin, and it wasn’t long until her breathing had slowed down, showing that she was asleep. I continued to rub her back, until my eyes were heavy, causing me fall asleep holding the girl of my dreams in my arms.