Pretty Girls Hide Pain So Deep Inside

The next morning Hope woke up to an empty bed. Memories of last night started flooding her brain. The weird thing is, she didn't regret her actions. She thought she might, considering she slept with Calum after saying she loves Luke and helped Calum cheat on his girlfriend, but she didn't. She secured the sheets over her naked body and looked at the empty space next to her where Calum was just hours ago. The thought of him sneaking out after she fell asleep to go back to his girlfriend made her heart ache. Even after everything that has happened last night she still wasn't sure where her heart truly lies. She thought it was with Calum last night, but seeing the empty bed now, she wasn't sure anymore.

With the sheets still covering her body, she got up and walked over to her duffel bag.

She changed into a black, backless bodysuit and high waisted, denim booty shorts before heading downstairs. She could hear voices coming from the living room as she walked down the stairs. She was surprised, to say the least, after seeing Calum, Michael and Nikki talking and laughing in the living room. She stopped in her tracks, not sure if she should go in. She could see Blue, Romeo and Ashton having their own separate conversation in the kitchen.

- Hope. - Michael noticed her before she even had a chance to decide on her next move.

Everyone's was now looking at her, everyone but the one person she wanted. Calum's eyes were glued to the floor. Only after she walked fruther into the room, he managed to look at her. He seemed nervous judging by the way he was shaking his leg and tugging on his lip.

- Hey. - She greeted the three of them briefy before joining Blue, Romeo and Ashton in the kitchen.

- Hey, how are you feeling? - Ashton asked her the very second she stepped into the kitchen.

She smiled slightly. It felt nice having her overprotective big brother back.

- I'm okay. - She told him.

- You hungry? - Blue asked her.

- Starving. - She said.

She tried her best to ignore Calum and Nikki, who were still seated in the living room with Michael. She knew she had no right to hate on Nikki, especially after what her and Calum have done, but she did. As selfish as it was, Nikki's very presence was irritating her.

Even after she woke up she assumed Calum had gone back to Nikki, but she truly hoped that assumption was wrong. The joke's on her, I guess.

- Earth to Hope. - Cody snapped her out of her thoughts.

- Right, sorry. - She said, dismissing her thoughts.

- You sure you're okay? - Ashton asked her quietly.

- Yeah. - She said and put on her best 'I'm fine' smile.

No matter how hard she tried, she still couldn't get the scenes from last night out of her mind. She couldn't focus on anything other than the feel of Calum's lips on hers, or the feel of him inside her.

But even those thoughts were scattered away once she heard Nikki's laughter and saw her clinging onto Calum.

Not being able to take it anymore, she got up from the table and went back up to her room. She could feel everyone's eyes on her as she walked away, but she didn't bother turning around.

A few minutes after returning to her room, she could her someone knocking on her door.

- Hope? - Blue called out to her.

- Come in. - She told him.

He entered the room and closed the door behind him. He was holding his phone in his hand.

- You are clearly not okay. - He said, it sounded more like a statement rather then anything else.

- I'm fine. - She lied.

- You're either a very good liar or you've told that to yourself so many times that even you started to believe it. - He told her.

- I'm fine. - She repeated.

He sighed as he combed his hair with his free hand.

- Alright. - He breathed out. - Maybe you'll tell him the truth.

She looked at him with furrowed eyebrows as he handed her the phone. She put it next to her ear.

- Hello? - She spoke with confusion in her voice.

- I thought I made myself pretty clear when I said that I expect to hear from you regularly. - King began scolding her the second he heard her voice.

She started chuckling.

- Sorry, dad. - She told him.

She really missed him, Jesse too.

King chuckled at the way she called him.

- So, what's going on, kiddo? - He asked her.

- You haven't been informed? - She asked him.

- Maybe I was, but maybe I would like to hear your side of the story as well.

Ashton may be the only one related to her by blood, but he was in no way the only overprotective brother of hers.

She sighed silently.

- Where's Jesse? - She asked in hopes of changing the subject.

- He's booking us tickets. - He breathed out. - You know, you won't be able to escape my questioning once I get back home.

- I know. - It was all she said.

Truth be told, she didn't have anything against telling him everything, she just didn't want to do it over the phone.

She truly felt like talking to someone about everything, but it was hard to find someone suitable to listen. Don't get me wrong, all of the guys would be more than happy to be there for her and listen to her, but she just wasn't sure they'be all that understanding. On that note, King was maybe the only one of them she'd feel comfortable telling everything to. There was no real reason behind that, he was just a good listener and she knew he wouldn't judge her. Again, as much as King tries to hide behind his tattoos and muscles, underneath he's just a big ball of mush.

- Alright, we'll talk when I get back then. - He said.

- Alright. - She agreed.

She was tugging on her bottom lip.

- I missed you. - She added, her voice quiet.

King chuckled.

- I missed you too. - He told her.

- Whoa, whoa, did I...did I hear that right? Was that emotion I just heard in your voice? - She teased him with a smile on her face.

She even got Blue laughing.

- Yeah, well, you better savour it, 'cause you're never gonna hear that again. - He said.

She started laughing.

- Are you done? - He asked.

- Why, am I annoying you?

He sighed.

She could picture him rolling his eyes at her.

- I'm gonna go, I'll see ya soon. - He told her.

- Alright. Bye, dad. - She said. - Oh and, say hi to Jesse for me.

- I will. Bye, kiddo. - He hung up.

She handed Blue his phone back.

- You too are really something. - He said through a chuckle as he put his phone in his pocket.
She chuckled.

- If by something you mean idiots, then yeah, probably. - She said jokingly.

Who could've guessed that a simple phone call from King would immediately put her in a better mood.

Blue nodded in agreement before both of them started laughing.

- You wanna go back downstairs with me? - He asked her.

- Uh, I...

- Right. - She didn't even need to finish her sentence for him to understand. - I get it.

- Acutally, you know what? - She asked rhetorically. - I'd love to go downstairs.

He furrowed his eyebrows slightly, but he didn't read too much into what she had said.

- Hey, um, where's Luke? - She asked him as they were making their way downstairs.

- He...he didn't come home last night. - He told her.

- Shit. - She breathed out.

- I'm sure he's okay. - He told her with a comforting smile.

She hoped he was right. She figured she was the last person Luke would like to hear from right now, but nonetheless, she took her phone out of her back pocket and texted him. She needed to make sure he's okay.

The only ones in the living room were Ashton, Calum and Nikki.

Blue and Hope joined them.

- Where are Cody and Michael? - Blue asked.

- They're in the game room. - Ashton told him.

Blue and Hope sat down next to Ashton on the couch, while Calum and Nikki were sharing a chair next to them.

Nikki was whispering something into his ear with a smirk on her face, but his eyes weren't leaving Hope.

She tried so hard to resist looking at him.

He left her last night. He told her she was his and then he left. She kept repeating those words to herself.

They were sat watching a movie which she couldn't care less about. Out of the corner of her eye, she could still see Calum looking at her, but she didn't give in. She kept her eyes on the screen. She leaned her head on Blue's shoulder, trying not to let the movie put her to sleep. The second she did that, she could see Nikki do the same with Calum.

It wasn't long before Nikki fell asleep with her head on Calum's shoulder and Ashton got bored and went to join Michael and Cody in the game room.

- You wanna join? - Blue asked Hope as he was about to follow Ashton.

She shook her head slightly. She could see the troubled look on his face after she did that.

- I'll be okay. - She reassured him with a slight smile.

He returned the smile before messing up her hair with a chuckle and going after Ashton.

She rolled her eyes playfully at Blue's childish behaviour. She had to admit, she really missed that.

Mindlessly, after Blue left, Hope's gaze fell on Calum. She mentally scolded herself. She wanted to look away, but she couldn't. His eyes were pulling her in and she found it hard to think clear let along look away.

- We need to talk. - He mouthed.

Notes

I hope you guys liked this chapter.

Thank you loves so much for reading.

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