Story of another us // Calum Hood #book 2

37

Two months later.

"Baby" Calum said walking into the kitchen as Emily loaded the dishwasher.
"Hmm" Emily replied looking up at him as he stood against the kitchen island.
"We're going to the beach" Calum announced making Emily raise an eyebrow at him. "With everyone else"
"The beach?" Emily repeated "but I have stuff to do"
"Like what?" Calum asked making Emily huff and wipe her hands on her shorts. "You work five days a week you need to have a break at some point Em"
"You don't understand Cal-"
"I've already told people we're going so you don't have a choice" Calum interrupted.
"I'm not in the mood to socialise with all your friends" Emily groaned making Calum shrug at her.
"Your friends will be there too" Calum said "So go and get ready"
"Don't order me around" Emily Said making Calum roll his eyes at her.
"I'm the man of the house I do what I want" Calum said as Emily began to walk out of the kitchen.
Emily walked up the stairs and into their bedroom. She sighed and looked for something acceptable to wear. She was on her period and going to the beach wasn't something she wanted to do. So she settled for a black play suit and gold sandals and threw her hair up into a pony tail and grabbed her sunglasses.
Emily returned downstairs where Calum was waiting for her with Buzz.
"You're bringing Buzz?" Emily asked making Calum nod.
"Yeah dogs are allowed on this beach" Calum answered as he grabbed his car keys and front door keys. Emily simply nodded before she headed towards the front door. Honestly, why did she have to go with him? They didn't always have to go as a pair everywhere. She didn't want to go to the beach. She didn't want to socialise with Calum's friends.
They weren't her friends, besides Paige and Holly.

***

Emily sat in the beach with everyone's bags as she watched people play volley ball or swim in the sea. She sighed and let the light breeze blow against her skin. There was something relaxing about the beach. The sound of the waves and the warm sand. Buzz laid down next to Emily who had poured a bowl of water out for him. Emily watched as Calum and Nia played with Parker. Running away from the waves and sitting in the sand. She watched as Calum and Nia had fun together and laughed together. She didn't feel jealousy but she didn't like it.
Luke sat down beside Emily and saw her intense eye line on the two people.
"Are you okay?" Luke asked making Emily look at him. She didn't even know that he had sat down next to her.
"Yeah fine" Emily said turning away and looked at Buzz for a few seconds before Luke spoke again.
"What are you thinking about?" Luke asked making Emily stare at him a little blankly.
"Not much" Emily answered making Luke roll his eyes at her.
"Well I can see you looking at Calum and Nia so why don't we start there" Luke said making Emily sigh a little and look over at Calum and Nia. "They are just friends" Luke reminded her.
"Are they?" Emily questioned making Luke raise an eyebrow at her.
"Yes Emily" Luke said running his hand through his hair. "Just because she's his ex doesn't mean that-"
"What wait" Emily said cutting in Luke's sentence.
"What?" Luke frowned as Emily narrowed are eyes at him.
"You just said Ex" Emily said "I didn't think they dated"
Luke's eyes widened a little and his his hung a little hung open before he closed it. "No you know what I mean like they you know"
"Luke" Emily warned making Luke screw up his face. "What the am I not being told here?"
"Why don't you take this up with Calum?" Luke asked making Emily raise her eyebrows at him. "It's not my business"
"Luke" Emily whined
"I'm serious. Just talk to him for once" Luke said making Emily furrow her eyebrows.
"What is that supposed to mean?" Emily asked quietly making Luke scoff a little.
"Em you don't know shit about what Calum has been doing in the four years you spent apart. Sure he toured the world and sold records. Had a rough patch, got someone pregnant. Why did he stop the drugs? Why did he have more than one rough patch? Em you don't talk to each other about the important things. I don't understand because you guys have a great relationship but you just think you can pick off where you left off from high school. It doesn't work like that. You've been through shit and so has he. But do either of you two know the details of each other's shitty time? No because you don't talk to each other about it" Luke said making Emily nod in agreement. She knew he was right. "So just fucking ask him"
"Okay" Emily agreed quietly before they sat in silence. Luke stood up and walked away from Emily within a few minuets of Silence. It wasn't long before Paige came and sat next to Emily.
"You haven't moved all day" Paige stated as she drunk some water out of a water bottle. "Why do you look like you've just been slapped?"
"Huh?" Emily said looking up at Paige who sat across from her.
"What's up?" Paige asked making Emily huff.
"I'm just not in the mood" Emily said making Paige nod in fairness.
"So it has nothing to do with Calum and Nia then?" Paige asked
"Don't group them like that" Emily mumbled.
"So it does" Paige chuckled a little before she glanced over her shoulder at Nia and Calum. "She's not even that pretty"
"Yes she is" Emily answered "She's very pretty"
"Yeah but you're better" Paige shrugged "so is it just jealousy or what?"
"No I'm not jealous" Emily said shaking her head. Paige didn't believe her. Emily knew this by the look she gave her but she ignored it. "Well you know how Calum and Nia almost had a child together it-"
"Excuse me?!" Paige chocked on her water making Emily look at her confused. "When the fuck was that a thing?"
"When they were 20?" Emily said but Paige probably didn't know that because no one really knew.
"I didn't know that. What the heck" Paige mumbled in disgust. "So what did they do?"
"Aborted it" Emily answered "anyway that was like four years ago and Parker is four and I don't know watching them it's like they could've been a family. Like that it's weird to me that he almost had a child a with someone else" Emily rambled making Paige nod.
"I get that" Paige replied "but why are you letting this get the better if you? They didn't have a child together"
"It's not getting the better of me" Emily said "I just don't know what happened between them"
"Should you know?" Paige asked making Emily shrug.
"It seems like it was an important part of Calum's life" Emily answered.
"Then ask him I guess" Paige shrugged making Emily chuckle because Paige and Luke had exactly the same mind set it was no wonder they had a good relationship.
"What are you laughing at?" Paige asked making Emily smile and shake her head at Paige.
"Nothing"
"You're insane" Paige chuckled along with Emily who managed to grin at her.