Chapter 38: Mine (Callum's POV)

After we all had lunch, my parents and Mr. Desmond moved into the living area to talk for a while. "Callum, why don't you show Clara around?" my mom suggested. 

"Do you like to read still?" my dad asked her. 

"Oh, she still reads the same," her dad answered. 

"Show her the library. She probably doesn't remember it now, right, honey?" my mom questioned. 

Clara nodded with the same smile she's been giving my parents since she got here. 

"Come on." I grabbed her hand, pulling her with me while noticing my parents staring at our hands but choosing to ignore it. "I'll show you the library," I said, pulling her to the right and towards the giant oak doors. 

"What story were they talking about? What library incident?" she asked, looking around, her jaw slack. This place was huge. 

"Forget it. It's my story of you to keep now," I grinned, locking my hand with hers, tugging her closer. 

"Can we read?" she whispered. 

"I wonder what else we'd do in a library," I chuckled. 

"Pick whatever you'd like." 

She grabbed a copy of The Girl On The Train and I grabbed a copy of A Walk To Remember. When did we switch preferences? We both took a seat on the table sitting opposite each other and started reading in silence. 

After ten minutes or so, she looked up and found me staring at her. "What are you looking at?" she asked, closing the book and turning her attention to me. 

"You." 

She stood up, putting the book back. "Don't say things like that," she mumbled, walking around, looking at all the books on the shelves. She turned the corner and I was standing right there. It startled her a little. 

"Things like what?" I asked innocently. "There's no point keeping your thoughts in your head, I can read them," I reminded her. 

"Things that make my heart flutter," she said, walking past me, her arm intentionally brushing against mine, her hand almost holding mine but not quite. 

I grabbed her hand, pulling her back. "Did your heart flutter?" I asked. 

"No," she lied. 

I chuckled while she pulled herself out of my grasp and I let her. She strolled around the room and I trailed behind her, walking with my hands tucked away in my pockets. It's hard not to grab her or touch her constantly. 

"Do your parents know that you told me that you're a darkling?" she asked without stopping to look at me. 

"No," I answered. 

"And... do they know I like you?" She stopped walking, looking at the little carvings made into the very last shelf. It was just doodles. 

I pressed my chest against her back, standing right behind her. "No, but I'm sure they know that I like you." 

"Did you draw these?" she chuckled, tracing a doodle of a duck with her finger. 

"Yeah, as a kid," I admitted. 

She turned to look at me, leaning against the shelf. "Are you going to tell anyone else that I know?" 

"Just Wyatt." 

"And will you tell anyone that we like each other?" 

I scanned her face before shaking my head. "No." 

"Why not?" she frowned in confusion. 

"Because if people know then Atticus will know. If he knows, then you've got a target right on your back. He hates me, he'll do anything to try to hurt me the way he got hurt when Kiara died. And I don't want him coming anywhere near you for any reason. Including hurting me. Because if I like you and you get hurt, obviously that hurts me too," I explained. 

"But why does that—" 

I stuck my hand up, catching the book that was about to fall on her head. 

She ducked, looking up, her hand on her head. "You didn't even look up at it," she said in disbelief. 

I shrugged, putting it back on the shelf. 

She blinked, gathering her thoughts first. "Why does that get to decide what we do? He's not going to do anything to me, he'll get in trouble if he tries. Especially after what he did in the cafeteria that day." 

"He is an idiot who doesn't even know that he was being manipulated by Kiara for so long. He wasn't like this when he joined. I can't risk it. I can't risk something happening to you." 

"But I've got nothing to do with whatever happened between you and him. So, why would he do something to me?" she frowned in confusion. 

"If I like you, you mean something to me. If you mean something to me, you become my weakness. Why wouldn't he do something?" I retorted, raising my brows at her. 

She fell into thought. "Does it really matter what he tries?" 

"It matters what he's able to do. I can't let anything happen to you," I said, taking her hand and leading her to a different aisle. I glanced at her, then tapped into her thoughts. 

Why would Atticus do something to me? Wouldn't he know that Callum would retaliate? 

"I would kill him," I scoffed. 

She snapped out of it, realizing that I was reading her thoughts. She shot me a pointed look, chuckling softly. 

"I swear," I nodded. 

"On what?" she smirked. 

"I swear on us. Him or whichever one of his friends. You're my responsibility. On top of that, I really like you. I don't want to lose you. I haven't liked anyone like this," I said honestly. 

"Aw," she chuckled, linking her arm with mine. "How romantic." 

I rolled my eyes while smiling, both of us just strolling around the library. "I don't like when people touch what's mine," I said pointedly. 

"Who are you trying to remind? You keep saying the same thing. That I'm yours." 

"You are mine," I retorted. 

"Yeah, but why do you keep repeating it? To remind me or yourself?" 

"Neither. I just like saying it. And knowing it."

She chuckled softly, both of us stopped when we rounded back to the table. 

"Do you want me to pick you up later to get back to school? You can come with your dad if you want," I shrugged. 

"I think he has dinner with some clients to get to, actually. So, why don't you come pick me up, say at... seven?" 

"Seven," I nodded. 

"We should head back out, right?" she questioned. 

"Mm-hmm." We started walking to the door. 

"Just so we're clear, we don't tell anybody about what's going on between us. Right?" she inquired. 

"I'm telling Wyatt, so it's only fair for you to tell Daisy. I can't not tell anyone," I laughed. 

"Why not?" 

"It's exciting, why wouldn't I tell my best friend?" 

"You're excited that we like each other?" she grinned. 

"Of course, I am." 

She giggled, reaching for the doorknob but I grabbed her waist, spinning her around and pushing her against the door. I did it slowly, calmly. That's just the kind of moment we're in. 

She tilted her chin up, her hands behind her back and resting on the door, while she looked up at me. 

"I really want to kiss you again," I sighed, twirling a strand of hair around my finger to somewhat distract myself from her lips. 

"You can," she shrugged. 

"I can but..." I trailed off. 

Amusement stirred in her eyes like a storm. "Oh, I get it, I get it. Are we seeing who can last longer without kissing the other person?" 

"I didn't know we were doing that," I smirked. 

"Aren't we?" she feigned confusion. "Let's see. Call it a game," she said, pushing herself off the door, her front colliding into mine, tempting me even more. 

I mumbled curses under my breath, staring up at the ceiling. 

"Something wrong?" she asked, pouting intentionally. 

I was still facing the ceiling and not looking at her. It's too dangerous if I do. And very unfair. 

"Callum," she sang, trailing a finger down the buttons of my shirt. 

I let out a dry chuckle, rolling my tongue along the inside of my cheek before finally looking down at her. "You're very tempting," I stated. 

"Am I?" she smiled widely. "How tempting?" 

I grabbed her hips, pinning her body to the door again. She tried to push off but I was still holding her hips so I pushed them back against it. "Very tempting," I nodded, staring at her lips. 

"Then I'll be waiting to win." 

I closed my eyes, taking in a breath. I'm feeling pure lust for her right now. That doesn't happen for me. I don't lust after people. And when people like someone, I don't think lust reaches this level. It normally gets lost somewhere between love and adoration. 

Lucky for me, she can make me feel all three for her, now can't she? 

"What exactly does the winner get here?" 

"Fuel to their ego," she answered. 

"My ego is big enough, I don't need any more fuel. I lose," I said quickly before grabbing the back of her neck and smashing my lips on hers. 

She smiled into the kiss before pulling away. "We should head back out before they come looking."

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Chapter 38

the tension I just wrote between them invaded the whole fucking room

next chapter: drowned