Reach For You [Dad!Calum Hood AU]

Chapter 8

Chapter 8

IT SEEMED LIKE a running theme for Aspen to be blindsided whenever she showed up to Calum's apartment. Sure, the first time had been uneventful, but the second time she had the pleasure of walking in on the aftermath of one of his hook ups—which, much to her chagrin, was seared into her mind without consent. Aspen expertly ignored the stinging sensation she felt whenever she thought of the fact that Calum slept with some other woman, especially when she knew he most definitely had been with multiple women over the years they've broke up, and especially when she also knew it was none of her damn business.

Whatever.

The third time, which was now, that she came by Calum's apartment, Aspen found herself freezing once more upon entering the living room because she had most definitely not been expecting three familiar people to rise up from the couch as she walked in. Not for the first time did Aspen mentally find herself cursing Calum, this time for not warning her that his three best friends were currently over.

Aspen knew that they were in the city, knew Calum had introduced them to Luna. She'd been annoyed at first, but knew that it would happen eventually, so she didn't make a big deal out of it. Ashton, Michael and Luke were Calum's closest friends and she knew it was a matter of time until he introduced Luna to them. It only made her bristle because the more people Luna came to know from Calum's life, the louder the realization in Aspen's mind was that this was permanent.

She was used to Calum being back in her life, but that didn't mean she was prepared for the others that came back with him.

"I'll go get Luna," Calum said, walking out of the living room and down the hall, and Aspen burned holes in his back because was he seriously about to leave her with his friends?

Then again, if Aspen could handle Calum, she figured she could handle the other three.

"Long time no see." It was Luke who broke the heavily tense and awkward silence, drawing Aspen's gaze back to him. He'd gotten taller, it seemed, and his hair was a lot longer and curlier than she remembered. It suited him.

"Yeah," she nodded in response, a bit unnerved at their gazes. Clearing her throat lightly, Aspen awkwardly added, "How, uh, have you guys been?" God, this was painfully strange.

Aspen remembered a time where she would laugh and have fun and get drunk with these guys. Now the conversation had barely begun and already it felt like pulling teeth.

"Good," Michael nodded with a thin smile, shoving his hands into the pockets of his jackets. He'd taken to wearing glasses. "You?"

She swallowed down nothing in particular, tugging at the lapels of her jacket. "I'm good, yeah. Good."

"Yeah?" Aspen's gaze shifted over to Ashton, taken aback at how much hostility he held in just one word, frowning when she saw the challenging look on his face. "Being in hiding has been good for you, huh?"

Heart slamming against her rib cage, Aspen crossed her arms over her chest, trying to keep the incredulity and hurt off her face as she pursed her lips. She already had to deal with Calum's comments about her disappearance, she didn't need it from his friends, too. Aspen wasn't going to fall victim to their glares and remarks. So she jutted her chin, trying to appear as nonchalant and defiant as she could as she quipped, "Something like that."

Clearly Ashton didn't appreciate her near sarcasm, eyes narrowing as he took a few steps forward. Aspen stood her ground, her fiery gaze never leaving his as Michael and Luke watched along warily. "How the fuck could you do that to him? Just run away and hide his kid from him? It's fucking despicable."