Guarded: Sequal to Broken

Twenty-Six

Cuz I can't say no to SavSOS_... here's a double update! Go check out her book Paper Parachutes! It's my personal favorite on Wattpad right now!

Calum's POV

"Get out!" I yell as soon as I hear the creek of my bedroom door.

"Cal."

"No! Fuck, no! Get out, Ashton. I'm staying here all day and nothing you do or say is going to change my mind." I yell, burying myself into the duvet further, plopping a pillow over my head. Today just needs to not happen.

"Calum, it's your birthday, please let us do something for you."

"No! Do you not understand what that word means? It's my fucking birthday and there is only one thing I want, and I can't have her. Not only can I not have her, she's fucking disappeared! She's gone, who knows where! The lawyer doesn't even know where she is anymore. They've gone so far underground they moved somewhere and didn't tell anyone. What if she's dead, Ash? What if she is laying in a cabin in the woods dead because he found them. He's been on the run for weeks, how have they not caught him? How has this become my life!"

"What are you talking about, Cal? You asked the lawyer where she is?"

"Fuck. How have none of you figured this out yet." I groan, sitting up to face my best friend. The gold chain that's been around my neck for the last month falls against my stomach as I slouch. Ashton's hand reaches out lightning fast to clasp the small pendant as I run a hand through my messy hair frustrated.

"I'm not leaving. I love you. You and Maddie didn't break up?" Ashton's eyes go wide as he drops the necklace, looking up to my face.

"No." I sigh, "It's just for show. Just because Maddie was so terrified of me getting hurt, of Chris going after me to get to her. And honestly, I'd rather take a blow from him than spend another day apart from her. She kept saying she'd be home by my birthday, but instead she's farther away than ever. She sent me this," I lift the pendant, "for Christmas, it showed up at my mums house with no return address. It came right when I needed something, I'd started really doubting everything, and feared I'd never get her back. And then I got this, and a letter about how everyone was. Her, and Sammy, and Gramps and Grams, and a photo." I roll to grab the photo out of my nightstand, "She got the same two phrases tattooed on her fingers sometime since leaving. I knew she was blonde before you saw her a few weeks ago, she mentioned how much she hates it. But fuck, Ash, I want her here, I'm supposed to spend all my birthdays with her, all my holidays, and I can't even try to hope she'll call, or send something, or anything. She's just flat out gone. So I'm going to lay in bed, and I'm going to cry, and I'm going to let my emotions consume me. I can't get over losing her because I've only lost her physically, and that fucking sucks."

"Damn, Cal... that's rough. But seriously, it's your birthday, is there anything we can do?"

"No. Honestly if we weren't leaving for London in a couple days, I'm pretty sure I'd call Chris out, just to bring Maddie back. I miss her that much. I want to save her that badly. But the fucking bastard went on the run so Mads and her family did too, and I feel more helpless than I have the entire six months since we found out about the retrial. I'd go back to waking up three and four times a night to her nightmares if it meant she was here. Those nightmares that made her leave, I'd go back to dealing with them every fucking night. Just to hold her again, Ash, just to know she's safe. She ran to save me, and all I want to do is save her." My eyes burn, tears so close to pouring down my face yet again.

"I wish I knew where to find her for you, Cal, I'd bring her home if I could. I hate seeing you like this."

"Thanks Ash."