Imagines and One-Shots (Book Three)

Better Off (Calum Hood) - Part 1

"He's not gonna show," Calum stated dryly.

"What?" you furrowed your eyebrows.

"He's not gonna show," he repeated, "He never does."

"People change, Calum," you insisted.

"Not people like him."

~

Alright, maybe you should have listened to him – maybe, deep down, you knew he was right. 

But that didn't mean you were going to admit it.

"Y/N, how long have you been sitting there?" you heard your best friend's voice, prompting you to look onto the street in front of the bench you were sat on.

Calum was sitting in his car right in front of you, impatiently tapping his fingers on the top of his steering wheel. You looked over at the bank's sign across the street, noticing it was two hours after your date with Landon was scheduled to begin.

"He'll be here, Calum," you insisted.

"Y/N," he rolled his eyes, "Get in the car; I'm taking you home."

"He's coming," you grumbled. You heard Calum let out a sharp sigh as he put his car in park. He then got out, coming over to where you were sitting.

"Get in the car, Y/N," he repeated sternly, but you still wouldn't budge.

"He's gonna be here any minute," you said, giving him no other choice.

Calum grabbed your wrist and forcibly pulled you to your feet, dragging you to the passenger door of his car. You tried to take your arm back, but he refused to loosen his grip.

"Calum!" you all but shouted, earning curious glances from those around you. He knew people were staring – he just didn't care. Calum stopped dead in his tracks, bringing you close to him so no one would hear what he was saying to you.

"Get in the car," he said for a third time through gritted teeth, his eyes narrowed in frustration as he stared you down, "Now."

You froze in your spot for a moment – Calum had never used that tone with you before. You knew your stubbornness annoyed him to no end, but the reaction you were getting now was completely new to you. And, in your state of shock, you just did what he said.

The car ride home was a thousand times more awkward than you expected. Neither of you were speaking to each other, and Calum hadn't even turned on the radio or anything to lessen the tension. You had no idea what had gotten into Calum, but you weren't about to force yourself to be the one to speak because you knew you wouldn't be able to find your voice.

Since the moment Calum started driving, you had been trapped in your own thoughts.

You didn't know why Landon would stand you up – you really thought he liked you. You seemed to hit it off with him when you met him at one of his frat house's parties – the same frat Calum was in, in fact – and he seemed like such an honest person as well – certainly not someone who would just leave someone hanging the way he left you.

The sound of a sniffle as you finally pulled up to the curb outside your sorority made Calum's head snap over, finding you taking deep breaths in order to keep yourself calm. You tried to be subtle about the way you wiped the cheek opposite of him, but Calum still knew – Calum always knew.

"Y/N-" he started, but you cut him off.

"M'fine," you stated, ignoring the break in your voice, before getting out of the car and immediately walking into your house without looking back at the man who had driven you home.