Misfits - Chapter 6 (Patreon)

Somehow he talked me into going to his house instead of going home. And this time, I don’t argue. I know to some people it may seem crazy, but I was human just like everyone else and I reveled in human contact. Callums hug earlier made me feel safer than I’ve ever felt in my life. And I didn’t want it to ever go away. It opened a new door for me with Callum.

Don’t judge a book by its cover. We’ve all heard the quote, but we still do it. We judge people based on what they look like. I’m just as guilty of it as anyone else. Quite honestly I thought Callum lived in a crack house or something along those lines. Hell I wouldn’t have been surprised if he lived with six guys that spent half of their day doped up on something.

But Callum lived in a house, in a very spaced out neighborhood, if you could even call it that. His only neighbor lived 5 miles up the road. His home was very neat and pristine, not a hair out of place. Which was the last thing I expected from him. There was a fence around the property which left a spacious backyard, and a glass garage that showcased his cars. On the inside it was a very masculine bachelor pad. A massive TV sat in the living room along with video games, and a bar filled with expensive liquors. It was black themed, go figure.

I look around in awe at this place. It was something you’d see out of a “man cave” magazine. I note that Callum stands back as I admire the place. He was very silent on the way over here. Not once speaking to me or even looking at me, the only sign that he was feeling any kind of emotion was the way his hand gripped the steering wheel. I didn’t know if this was a mistake coming here but I’m confident that I’ll find out soon.

I step further into the house, still admiring the decor. But I also take note that there’s nothing really personal about this place. He has no photos of him with friends or family around. There isn’t even any messes or anything that can give me some kind of view into his head or who he is personally. I’m actually shocked the smell of cigarettes isn’t clinging to the air. If anything I could smell the crisp scent of leather clinging to the air.

“So what do you think?” I jump from the sound of his voice and turn to face him. He’s once again studying me with those damn amber eyes. I wish I knew what he was thinking.

“This is your house?” I ask. I was completely confused as to how he was living here, able to afford this.

“You must be really good at what you do,” I mumble but somehow he hears me. He walks around me, standing in close proximity to my body, giving me a peck on my cheek.

“The best.” 

He lightly taps my nose and turns to walk away. I stand in the middle of the room in shock, my cheek tingling from his warm lips. My fingers reach up to brush the spot he just kissed. Callum was so open and confident with everything that he did, simply kissing me on the cheek because he felt like it.

“Have a seat,” he calls over his shoulder, walking around the corner and disappearing from my view. I take a seat on the black couch and sink into the plush seat. This place was comforting, the dark ambiance giving me a sense of peace. If that was why Callum liked the color black, I could understand.

Callum comes out of the corner where he had disappeared to with a box in his hands. He’s still silent as he sets it down on the glass coffee table. Then I realize why he brought me here. So he could see the extent of my injuries. He lets out a breath kneeling in front of me and pulls off his jacket.

For the first time ever I can see both of his arms and the tattoos that adorn them. But something else catches my eye. There are welts on his forearms. Like scratches. I feel a pang of hurt at the thought that he was out having sex. There was only one thing scratches like that could come from, and I knew he was a man, and men had needs too. But I had somehow fooled myself into believing he only cared about me. Or that he was having some sort of affection toward me where he would hold off on sleeping with other women.

But Callum was a man. A very attractive man. And I felt stupid for even thinking something so foolish.

“Rue?” Callums voice pulls me out of my thoughts and my eyes focus on him.

“What?” He asks as he focuses on my face. Damn I forgot how well he could read me.

“I-” My eyes involuntarily flicker to the welts adorning his arms. He quirks an eyebrow at me, and his eyes follow the direction of mine. He seems to notice the welts. His eyes travel back up to my face, the corner of his lips turned up in amusement.

“I got into a little scuffle,” he says. I don’t know if I should believe him or not. Callum’s never lied to me before, so why would he start now? I nod my head timidly.

“I’d hate to see the other guy,” I mumble. His eyes flash and something appears behind his gaze but he covers it up before I can read too deep into it.

“You won’t.” Before the conversation can be pushed further he taps my arm.

“Take this off,” he says referring to my jacket. He turns away from me grabbing things out of the metal box when he turns back to me he momentarily pauses.

“Rue. Take off the jacket. That’s the last time I’m going to ask,” he says seriously. I watch him with uncertain eyes but do as he asks of me. I slowly peel the jacket off my shoulders placing it in the seat next to me. Callums eyes follow the movement and I can feel my embarrassment as he studies the tattered fabric I call a jacket.

He eventually turns his attention back to me slowly reaching out to grab my forearms. The room is silent and I realize that I’m holding my breath as he pulls my arms closer to his body inspecting them. He turns them over and his brows furrow when he takes in the hideous burns. They looked infected. Green puss was oozing out of them, along with my skin turning a red, irritated color.

He shakes his head slowly as he studies them closely. His eyes finally meet mine.

“Wanna tell me how this happened,” he says. Chills break out across my skin from his tone. I want to tell him some kind of excuse, but he’ll just tell me how bad of a liar I am. So I just slowly shake my head no. He narrows his eyes at me but doesn’t push me to explain. He just reaches behind him, grabbing a tube and cotton balls. He slowly pours the liquid onto the cotton and swabs it over my burns. I watch as the burns form bubbles.

He then grabs some alcohol, splashing it on the burns and I hiss in pain trying to jerk away but he holds my arms tight. He’s so focused on the task he’s doing.

“Where did you learn to take treat burns?” I ask. He doesn’t look up as he starts rubbing some strange gel over them.

“Lots of practice.” That’s all he says. And it drives me crazy.

“Where did you get the burns?” he asks.

“I was cooking, and the grease popped a-” I cut off immediately when his head shoots up and he stares me down.

“Don’t you dare sit there and tell me these burns are from some grease. I fucking smoke, princess. Don’t you think I know a cigarette burn when I fucking see it,” he hisses at me. I can only stare at him with wide eyes. He rips open a box of gauze and takes some kind of stretchy fabric wrapping it over the gauze.

The room is silent when he finishes and he roughly stands up putting everything away. He walks over to the freezer and grabs a bad of frozen peas out walking my way. He takes his spot in front of me and presses the cold bag against my eye. The coolness of the bag seeps into my aching skin soothing it on contact.

“Why are you doing this, Rue.. Why are you protecting whoever is doing this to you?” Callum murmurs. I just decide not to respond. He’s still holding the bag to my face, his eyes focusing on the task. But then his bright amber irises flicker from the bag of peas to my face. Then down to my lips. I’m suddenly aware of the vulnerable position I’ve put myself in. I’m all alone, in Callum's house.

My body suddenly heats up on its own, and my breathing becomes deeper. Callum reaches up with his other hand slowly pushing my curls out of my face.

“You’re so beautiful,” he murmurs. His hands drift from my hair to my cheek as he lightly rubs his palm against my skin. As he studies me I do the same, taking in every detail of his face. He had the smoothest skin I had ever laid eyes on. What would posses him to pierce his face was beyond me. But now that I stared at him, I could feel myself growing fond of the piercings.

His hand drifts to my lips and he traces my bottom lip with the pad of his thumb. His eyes drift to my lips as well and I can see the bright gold within his amber irises darkening to a lust filled stare.

“Have you even been kissed before?” he asks so nonchalantly. 

I can feel the embarrassment flushing my features. Between a crazy father, and a hectic school schedule, I have never had the time for men in my life. And kissing was something that I hadn’t been able to participate in as well. Callums smile widens as he takes in my silence in understanding. A laugh escapes his lips.

“So fucking innocent.” His hand flattens against my cheek, and I can feel his palm pressing my jaw. His eyes drift back and forth between my eyes and my lips as he leans in closer to me, slowly dropping the bag of peas from my eye. That voice in the back of my head is screaming at me, but I ignore it. My heart is speeding up in nervous anticipation. I tilt my head up as Callum’s lips reach mine.

His lips are soft, and warm, the exact opposite of what I was expecting. I can feel the piercing in his lip against mine but I ignore it. Electricity is shooting through my body from the rush of his lips against mine. I vaguely register his other hand coming up to cup my face as he deepens the kiss pulling my bottom lip in between his.

I can’t believe that I’m kissing him. I’m kissing Callum as if I’ve known him for more than a few weeks. This feeling is one that I’ve never felt before and I find myself not wanting it to end. Never in my life did I think I would be at that level to make out with someone that looked the way he did, but here I was doing just that.

After what seems like forever, he pulls away from me. I can’t help the dazed feeling that comes over me. I open my mouth to say something, but I haven’t the slightest clue what to say. My brain is suddenly muddled and I can’t distinguish anything. All I can focus on is the pleasure still coursing through my system and the heat burning my core. I’ve never felt anything like this before.

Before I can register anything else, I feel Callums warm lips kissing a burning hot trail across my collarbone. A sigh of pleasure escapes my lips. I keep trying to tell myself that I barely know him, that this is wrong, but damn if it didn’t feel right. I didn’t want the logic. I wanted the pleasure. I wanted this new sensation that was causing unimaginable feelings to course through me.

Callums hands are running underneath my shirt and all of the pleasure previously that I was feeling disappears in an instant as he rubs over a fresh bruise I had. I immediately jerk back crying out in pain. I fear to look up into Callums eyes but I don’t have to. He jerks my shirt up exposing the bruise the size of a fist. Silence envelopes the room and I don’t know what to say.

“You’re not going home.” Callums voice is absolute and final. I immediately look up at him in shock.

“What?” I say.

“I said, you’re not. going. home,” he says again. He stands from the couch as if his word is final. I immediately jump up from the couch.

“Wha- No! Callum, you can’t just keep me here!” I shout. He continues walking.

“Cal!” He pauses in the doorway slowly turning to face me. A small smile tugging at his lips.

“What’d you say?” he asks.

“I said, you can’t keep me here..” I stumble over my words. The way he was looking at me was making me lose my train of thought.

“No...After that,” he says, his smile growing wider.

“I-I don’t know." I try and look everywhere but at him but he smiles and I lose the battle. Smiles were a rare thing with Callum. And now that he was smiling at me I couldn’t look away.

He once again reaches me and towers over me in his intimidating height. He cocks his head to the side and chucks me playfully on the chin.

“You called me Cal.” Cal laughs turning away walking towards the corridor once again.

“Come on, I’ll show you where the shower is.” He calls over his shoulder not waiting on me to respond.

I don’t think I’ve ever seen anything like this before in my entire life. Callums bathroom was probably the size of my living room and bedroom combined. The shower was so luxurious, I had no idea how to work it.

I couldn’t even see the shower head, but after some serious studying I realized the square with the holes in it that surrounded the center on each side was the shower head. It was so clean in here. No rust, mold, or mildew in sight. No hole in the walls, cracks in the ceiling, or even roaches crawling around. I’d never seen a bathroom like it before. I was in awe.

“Unfortunately I don’t have any clothes that will fit you. But you can wear mine and I’ll wash what you have on.” He sets down a T-shirt and a pair of basketball shorts on the counter. He walks over to the cabinet pulling it open.

“There are towels in here, and you can just use my soap since I don’t have anything else.” He pauses watching me with a studying gaze. I feel so embarrassed. I want to sit here and just figure it out on my own. But a shower sounded so amazing right now.

A sniffle echoes throughout the room and Callum jumps and bends to my height staring at me in confusion.’

“What? What’s wrong? He pushes my hair out of my face, my eyes are squeezed shut, the tears are falling fast down my face.

“You probably think I’m pathetic,” I sob.

“Why would I think that?” he asks incredulously.

“I...don’t even know how to turn the shower on,” I sob. He stares at me as if I sprouted an extra head.

“God, princess.. it’s ok if you don’t know how to do something. It’s a different kind of shower.” He gently grabs my arm leading me to the wall near the shower and there's a screen. He points as he speaks.

“On. Off. Temperature. Pressure. Nothing to feel pathetic about,” he smiles at me gently. He pulls me into his body pressing a light kiss on top of my head.

“I’ll be out here if you need anything.” 

I use the buttons that Callum pointed out and the shower turns on. After I set the temperature, I step into the hot spray and almost melt from the pleasure. It felt like a thousand warm fingers massaging every aching muscle.

I stay in the shower until I’m pruning and step out. This was a new experience for me and I loved it. My shower at home was filthy, and I was lucky if warm water came out. Or clean water for that matter. The shower head barely worked, and bathroom was filthy. I quickly dry myself off and pull on Callums clothes. I have to roll up the shorts 3 times to get them to stop falling off waist.

I open the door to the bathroom and the smell of food has my stomach growling and my mouth watering. I follow the smell back into the kitchen where Callum is finishing up some kind of stir fry. He look up upon my entrance and his eyes roam up and down my body. I guess he felt something about me wearing his clothes because I had absolutely no shape in these oversized clothes.

I step to the barstool taking a seat.

“I know you’re hungry,” he says pouring some food on a plate and placing it in front of me.

“Enjoy the shower?” he says jokingly. I nod my head while I shovel the food into my mouth. Flavor explodes over my tongue and I want to cry. The last time I had a warm home cooked meal was right before my mother passed.

Callum stands in front of me with a grin on his face as he watches me eat. But I didn’t care. This food was amazing, the shower was amazing, all my bruises and burns were treated, and I wasn’t fighting for my life. I have never felt so content before.

“Why are you doing all of this.” I ask. Cal didn’t even know me like that. And he was treating me like a queen.

“Doing what princess.”

“You’re being so nice to me.. Let me use you your shower, and fed me, why are you doing all of this? You don’t even know me.” He gives me a funny look and supports his weight on the counter with his elbows.

“I know you better today, than I did yesterday. I know that you are hurting on the inside, and you deserve the world. I know you’re afraid to let people in, and I know that you will do whatever it takes to get out of your current situation. I know that someone, is hurting you. And you want to protect them for whatever reason. So if you won’t protect yourself, someone has to. Whoever is hurting you is at home. Everytime I send you home, you come back with more injuries. So tonight, you will stay here where I can keep you safe.”

He reaches out grabbing one of my curls in between his fingers, as if testing its texture.

“I know that I want you, and I get closer and closer to that goal each day I’m with you. And if you would stop fighting your feelings and let me in, I could make us both happy. “ After a moment of silence he releases the curl sitting back and standing tall.

“It’s getting late, and you have class in the morning. You can have my room.” 

“I won’t disturb you, I promise. I’ll take the couch,” he says walking down the corridor.

* * * * *

My eyes fly open as I hear a door slam. I look over to the clock Callum had in his room. It reads 3:24 A.M. I shuffle slightly in the bed pulling back the covers when I hear murmuring on the other side of the door coming from the hallway. I assume it’s Callum. I can’t peak out any windows because the way his room is, I’d have to have some kind of remote and it’d make noise.

I slowly step to the door, pulling it open and peaking into the dark corridor. There was a dim light illuminating the kitchen. I peep around the corner and see Cal’s silhouette in the kitchen. He’s pulling a bottle out of his liquor bar, it’s too dark for me to see what kind.

He’s also wearing gloves. It’s not cold enough for gloves yet.

“Hey.” I jump, immediately thinking that Callum caught me snooping around his house, but he turns his back to me downing a shot.

“Yeah, it’s handled.” He pauses as if listening to someone.

“No.” He pauses again.

“Ok.” He pulls the phone from his ear, and as he presses the end button the phone illuminates his face in the dark. I immediately duck out of the room tiptoeing as fast as I can back to the bedroom before jumping in the bed and pulling the covers over my head. I try and tell myself over and over, it was just a trick of the light.

I wasn’t freaking out he had left and come back early in the morning, I wasn’t freaking out about his mysterious conversation and whatever it was being “handled.” No. When the light shone on his face, I could have sworn there were 4 strips of.. blood on his face.

But of course, it could be a trick of the light.