The Daddy Club | 5sos au

Coward

Calum

I look over my shoulder at Talia in the probably really uncomfortable car seat. She fell asleep on the way to the hospital to pick up Karlie and I had no idea what to do. I didn't know if I should wake her up and go get Karlie or just call Karlie down. There was no way in hell I was risking leaving her asleep in the car by herself.

Karlie looked... to put it bluntly, she just looked a wreck. Her eyes were surrounded by black smudges, her cheeks stained with the same dark color. She had her hair in an messy bun on top of her head, and I could tell she was disgusted in herself at this point. I just wanted to hug her and tell her everything is okay, and Luke is going to be okay, and the baby is going to be okay, and the rest of her life is going to be okay. If I could I would try to guarantee it for her, but I can't so I'm not going to try.

"Calum," Karlie barely whispers and I look up to see the stop light has changed from red to green.

"Thanks." I say and put my foot on the gas and continue forward.

That is the only interaction we have had with each other since getting in the car. I called her from the car asking her to come down, explaining that Talia had fallen asleep and that I couldn't leave her or wake her up. Karlie understood though so she didn't care. I didn't expect her to anyway.

I pull up to the front of our apartment building. I hesitantly look over to Karlie who's skin was quickly paling.

"You okay?" I ask stupidly.

"Uh-huh." Karlie nods quickly and unbuckles herself from the car, shoving the door open.

I know that she isn't okay and I really can't help and blame Luke. Karlie was once the happiest person I knew. She was kind of the glue that kept us all together. Her and Luke both. Yeah, Ashton and Mia were kind of like our parents but even then they knew if it wasn't for Karlie and Luke they wouldn't even be together. I wouldn't have met Becca and I wouldn't have Talia. Michael and Bella probably would never have thought about getting together if Karlie and Luke didn't force them. It was all down to them. Our whole friendship group, and even with everything that happened between me and Becca, we were all crumbling. I know Ashton and Mia have been fighting, Michael and Bella have been too. You could say that is all down to the pressure of Sophie and Michael and Bella's kid but it would've been sorted by now. Because Karlie and Luke would've made sure it was sorted. Luke would take the guys, Karlie the girls. They're so important to all of us, and now Luke is acting like a dick and a child and Karlie isn't Karlie anymore. I live with her, I know. I just hate it so much. Everything is fucked up.

I open the back door of the car in the side Talia is in, unclipping her from the car seat. She groans slightly when she feels herself being moved about and stretches her arms out, creating tiny fist with her arms. She mumbles something but I don't catch what and finally opens her eyes, immediately hitting mine.

"Hey there, love," I say to her softly. her eyebrows furrow together and I see her lips form into a tight straight line, she was obviously confused.

"Cal?" She says quietly.

"Yeah," I pick her out of her seat, extremely cautious of the roof of the car. "Sorry," I tell her, hugging her little body into my chest, closing the door and locking the car.

Talia mumbles something again before burying her head into my chest. I walk around the side of the car with her and lock eyes with Karlie who is grinning.

"What?" I whisper to her, afraid to disturb Talia anymore.

"Just..." Karlie shakes her head and smiles.

"Seriously, what?" I ask her again but she just shakes her head and waits for me to open the door.

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