It couldn't have been even half past eight when a knock brought her back from her thoughts. Since the moment she arrived home, she'd just been sitting at her couch, all dressed up, with her purse next to her, eyes red from recent crying. It would be a hard thing to admit, but he was so damn right about everything. The only time he crossed the line was the one time before she ran away because she couldn't face the consequences of what had happened between them. She was married to Alec at the time, though, and he was still somehow involved with Zoe. They both hurt the people who loved them and who they once loved back. But for the two of them it was just the matter of time when the tension and cheeky comments will stop being enough, and something will have to happen. And so it did. And it broke them. It broke her because no matter how good of a man Cal was, he was not who she'd imagined herself with. And she was most certainly not his type. She was the good girl, the one who follows the rules and he was the bad guy, sarcastic and annoying. And they made quite a pair when it came down to business, she couldn't deny it. But no matter how much they attracted one another, they were meant to hurt each other at some point, and hurt badly. Her running away was maybe the best thing that happened to them. She couldn't help cursing herself for coming back, for being so weak for him.
"I just want to talk to you, love." She heard a voice from the other side of the door, immediately feeling her heart starting to race. It was a thing his voice did to her, even at the times like these. "I crossed the bloody line again, I know. Lemme make it up to you."
She raised slowly from the couch, making painfully insecure steps towards the door. These were rare moments, when Cal admitted to be wrong about something he was 100% right. "Can we..." Her voice trembled and she fought to gather some strength and sound a bit less shaken. "Can we talk about this tomorrow, Cal?" She was already in front of the door, leaning her forehead against the wooden frame. It was desperation, sadness, anger, a whole lot of emotions running through her at the same moment. But regret, the most.
"Nah, the pudding will never be the same. Or this stupid thing I saw you drinkin'... A smoothie or somethin' like that."
A throaty laugh escaped her lips and she took a deep breath. "It was years ago."
"You tellin' me you don't like these things anymore?"
"No."
"Then let me in."
She turned the knob and pulled the door to herself, moving to the side so he could come in.
"I'll take the food and the smoothie. But I can't handle the serious talk tonight." From the red bags under her eyes he could tell that was entirely true. So he didn't push, even though he really wanted to.
"Sure, darlin'." Before he could see her grateful expression for his lie, he pulled her into a tight hug. "Whenever you're ready."
She was stiff the first second, but very soon she realized she needed that hug. She needed that hug and she needed it from him. She leaned into the embrace and lowered her head into the crook of his neck, immediately feeling the effect of her warm breath on him. He didn't fight it, though, just tightened his hands around her waist, pulling her even closer. The warmth of another's body was comforting, lack of words as well, cause words could hurt and words lied, but that embrace, that look in their eyes, those stubborn hands clinging to each other's bodies - they could never lie.