Calum's POV

"Woah, Luke, calm the fuck down." I say into the phone. Riley looks over at me, hearing his name.

"You're at the beach with my girlfriend!" He yells at me. I hear something in the background, and then him yelling that again but not at me.

"Okay, mate, first of, she isn't your girlfriend anymore. Second, I'm only here to get inspiration. She's only here to not stay in her room and be sad all day. No romance involved."

"You? No romance? Please, that's bullshit, give Riley the phone." Luke demands. I look over at Riley, who quickly shakes her head.

"She's busy."

"With what?"

"Uh," I shrug at Riley, and she makes some really awkward gesture I can only assume is swimming. "swimming. Ocean, ya know." Sighing, she shakes her head at me.

"Riley hates swimming." Luke says. "Especially in the ocean."

I furrow my eyebrows, putting the speaker under my hand. "You hate swimming?" I ask her. She nods. "Why?"

"I don't like being splashed. And I don't like being underwater, it's like a suicide waiting to happen." I roll my eyes.

"She's taken a liking to it." I lie to Luke.

"Seriously Calum, give her the phone."

"Luke, did you ever think maybe after a week of not speaking to her, she'd be a little hurt? You were best friends for years, she hasn't not spoken to you since she was seventeen. She doesn't want to talk to you. You hurt her."

"I know that, you idiot, give her the phone." He snaps.

"He still wants to talk to you." I whisper. Hesitantly, she takes the phone out my hand and holds it up to her ear.

"What." She says flatly.

"Do you seriously want to be spending your time with Calum? King of Heartbreak?" I hear. Ouch.

"Yeah, I do. It's better than staying at home all day in the same position, waiting for you to text me. He's fun."

"Mkay, well, when he messes something up don't get hurt." I hear Luke say. God, who knew Luke thought so little of me?

"Says you." Riley rolls her eyes.

"At least I'M waiting for you, unlike you, who's currently sitting on a beach with my best friend."

She frowns, "You're waiting for me?"

"Yes, of course I am. This isn't anymore easy for me than it is for you." She doesn't say anything for a minute, so I raise my eyebrows.

"Are you going to answer him?" I ask.

"He hung up." She says, sounding a little defeated. Riley hands me my phone, and then continues her sand castle.

"Oh." Is all I know what to say. I'm usually the one hurting people, I don't really know my position here.

"Is it crazy- I mean, am I crazy for not wanting him to wait for me?" She asks, not looking up from them mote I think she's trying to make.

"No." I shake my head. I pause, drawing little circles in the sand. "Are you just moving on?"

"I didn't think it were possible." She mumbles. "No, no I'm probably just mad at him." I nod.

"Probably, yeah."

Notes

this was so short and probably badly written but i wanted to update but i'm very tired so i am sorry lmao lez call it a connector chapter bc this does lead into some nice piles of shit

x