Thanks for continuing on with this story, it means a lot that some people enjoy it! I've decided to include lyrics from the song through this chapter as it fits really well with what I want to happen.

Chapter 11 – Alone Too

Taking a hold of your heart, in a way you never knew.

Put your faith in a man with a past, that kept catching up with you.

You drew a line, made a hole then you jumped in.

And now your heart, now you know you'll never forgive

Connie wandered back into the living room to see that Cal had cleared everything up from dinner and was tidying away Grace's toys. She was so lucky to even have him around after everything that had happened. "Cal…" she walked in and held onto his arm stopping him from putting things away. They sat down on the sofa, Cal not sure what to say or whether to say anything at all. Instead he sat there and waited for her to talk. "Thank you for everything that you've done for Grace recently, she adores you for some crazy reason." Cal smiled before speaking seeing as Connie wasn't saying much more. "Please Con, let me in… I know more than you think, please." She felt the tears begin to prick at her eyes and she shook her head. "I can't-"

Cause you're broke inside, broken soul nothing to give

And nothing to feel with

"I know what you're going through Connie. When I was young, I went through a similar thing…" Cal began to tell Connie things that not even Ethan knew about him. It hurt him to retell this story to someone, especially Connie but if it meant she would open up even the slightest, then he'd do it. "Cal I don't deserve to be happy with you…" Finally, it was a terrible thought for him to have but he knew this was how she was going to start talking about things.

I've been behind the walls you've made, I've been in all the rooms you've paced.

I've hidden where you feel safe, cause I've been alone too.

Cal turned to face Connie who now had tears freely falling down her cheeks. "Hey, let me in… I'm not going to hurt you, ever-" "No but I'll hurt you. That's what I do. I get close to someone and then everything ends up crashing and burning. I can't lose you, and I know that as soon as all of this is said I will." Cal shook his head holding her hands and keeping a hold of them. "My marriage wasn't even something built on love or trust, it was lies and power. It made us look good but made me tired and it made me hurt. I couldn't trust anyone, it screwed me up."

I've been behind the doors you closed, the darkness that you've made your home.

I know the things you think I don't because I've been alone too.

"Cal you deserve someone who makes you happy, who can give you everything you deserve… Not someone who makes you hurt and creates a mess." Cal sighed before looking at the broken woman in front of him. "Connie, I've been in relationships that ended badly… I was conned, cheated on, pulled apart and shoved back together. I don't think there's a scenario I can think of that I haven't been in. I'm here with you for a reason and that's because there is no way I'm ever going to let any of that happen to you." For the first time Connie looked up at Cal and really saw the man sitting there.

In that moment Cal knew that the barriers were being dropped one by one, and she was telling him things she had never spoken about. He saw how hurt she really was and how badly she looked at herself. "You know you're the most beautiful woman I've ever seen, even when you're crying… You're smart, you're strong, you're passionate, you're a brilliant mother, you're loving and you're gorgeous." Cal smiled looking at Connie. "I'm none of that-" "Yeah you are, why can't you accept a compliment and understand how amazing you are?"

Connie took a deep breath. "Because I'm weak… I tried taking the easy way out of this mess, I went to abandon my daughter and leave you to clean up the mess." She had stopped crying but a few tears began to fall again. "I shouldn't be happy after that, I made you put everything on hold. Whatever arrangement we had before suited me and only me. Everytime we were together, it made it harder for you because you cared and I was heartless. Why should I get to have someone that caring? I can't keep doing this pretending like we don't know the truth, I can't have you around all the time… But I can't do this without you here."

Cal couldn't find the right words to say. "Please don't do this, don't make me leave you-" "But I can't hurt you anymore, or me-" "Then don't, pushing me away is only going to make it harder for me, for us." That was it, he knew now that there was no going back. All her walls were down and he couldn't leave her, ever. "I worked so hard, to get where I was but through it all I ignored how everyone else felt and how I felt." Cal finally moved closer to Connie and rested his forehead on hers. "Don't make me leave you…" It was quiet but he said it and she knew.

It took him a few seconds to catch up with what he was doing but by the time he had, Cal was leaning forward and placing his lips on hers. He expected her to run a mile, but she stayed where she was. "I can't do this without you Cal-" He cut her off again by moving forwards again and kissing her. His hands were either side of her face whilst hers moved around the back of his neck. How could she not fall in love with this man, the one who would do anything for her.

"Cal, all this time I've told myself that you didn't matter and that everything would just be fine. I… I, can't do that anymore, b-because… I love you." Cal had never expected those three words to fall from her lips, but they had. "Connie you and Grace are everything to me." Cal pulled her closer and just held for a while. "You and me, we're gonna get through this together… You've got everyone else around you too, but I will always be right here for you."

It may not have been how she planned on ending the night, but it was what she needed. They had retired upstairs after talking as Connie had barely slept in the recent weeks. Cal had offered to sleep downstairs but Connie had made him stay with her. She rested her head on his chest. "Cal, are we really doing this? After everything?" He smiled looking at her, so vulnerable and needing his support. "Of course we are, because it's what's right…" He kissed the top of her head. "But every time things get serious, I lose the people I care about most-" "Then we don't get 'serious'. All it is, is me and you… I'll help you with whatever you need, know that I'm here for anything. We don't have to do this outside of this house, tell anyone else yet… Just me, you and Grace. I promise that."

Alone Too by Ella Eyre