Luke (His P.O.V): I slowly pull the covers over Skye's sleeping figure and kiss her forehead, stroking her blonde hair "I love you" I whisper before tiptoeing out of the room.
(Y/N) is standing in the hallway and when I see her, my arm immediately goes around her waist, and suddenly my lips are on hers, in a flash her hands are on my chest, pushing me backwards "I'm sorry" I mumble, she nods and looks away, her cheeks flushed
"I didn't mean to, it was just instinct" I mutter, there is silence for a second and then her eyes meet mine and her lips are on mine. This time it's me pushing her back, I hold her at arms length and shake my head "no we have to uh...we can't do this right now...we have to talk" I stammer, leading her to the living room
"No we don't Luke, Skye and I will go with you to Australia, it's settled" she sighs, pulling my face back to hers "(Y/N)" I protest "Luke, please we'll talk in the morning, I just I've really missed you, please?" She begs, tugging at my trousers, slowly I give in, her soft hands and sweet lips like a drug to me.
Ashton: You claw the red paper of your door and stare at it with teary eyes 'EVICTION NOTICE' it says in big black letters "no no no!" You sob, tearing the paper up and letting the pieces fall around you, you slide down onto the floor and sit with your head in your hands
Soon you hear the heavy thud of footsteps on the stairs, you look up, expecting to see Simon home from school, but instead you meet a different face, strikingly similar, but different. Ashton.
"What happened?" He asks, sitting next to you, you let him cradle you in his strong arms, let him press soft kisses to your forehead "I've been evicted" you whisper "I don't know what I-I'm going to do Ash, Si will be back any minute, and now we've got no place to stay, I did everything, I tried so hard, I've payed my rent in all sorts of disgusting ways, just to keep him going, keep him in school, and now this?" You choke
Ashton hugs you tightly, rubbing your arm "why haven't you called me all these years? I could have been sending you money! Child support!" He demands "Simon and I don't need your money, we're fine on our own" you say fiercely
"Clearly you do need money! Simon is a smart kid, but how do you intend to get him through college without the funds?" He growls, sitting up straighter "that's a bridge we'll cross when we reach it!" You snap "no (Y/N) you have to think of the future! He's my son too and I want what's best for him! I won't allow either of you to go on living like this! This apartment was shitty anyways, I'll get you a new one, and we can move Simon to a better school!" He insists
"We don't want your money Ashton!" You shout, jumping to your feet "I don't care (Y/N)! Simon is my son, and you are going to take the freaking child support or so help me god I will take this to court!" He yells, towering over you "what now you want to take my son away from me?!" You shriek
"No! I just want to help! I've been a shit father so far and I know it...I just want to make it up to him" Ashton says quietly "wait you're my father?!" In all the shouting, neither of you had heard Simon coming up the stairs, and now he's in front of you, his face a mask of shock, indignation, and hurt
"How come you never-w-where have you been?" Simon stutters "I'm so sorry Simon, I'm a useless fucking dad, I followed in the footsteps of my dad and I just-I'm just so sorry" Ashton mumbles, hanging his head.
Michael (His P.O.V): "Tell me everything, I want to know all of it" I whisper, holding the picture of a tiny, newly born Noah in my hand, tears in my eyes "from the second I left, up until now, I want to know everything" I plead
"Well...when you left...I very nearly had an abortion. My brother talked me out of it, but I pretty much fell into depression" (Y/N) says softly, she has a faraway look on her face and I feel my heart sink "I just sorta drifted along, and then I had Noah two months early, and that just, really snapped me out of it, he was fragile, and he needed me ya know?" She mumbles
"I named him Noah Michael Clifford for you...I don't know why, I just wanted him to have a link to you." She smiles, chewing her thumbnail, I grin and nod "thanks" I murmur, my eyes scan over the numerous pictures of Noah surrounding me; him in a high chair with apple sauce allover him, his first birthday, him on (Y/N)'s brother's shoulders, drooling happily, him on Halloween dressed as a pumpkin, his second birthday, him laughing as (Y/N) holds him upside down at Disneyland, him all huddled up in a towel at the beach, his blond hair sticking allover the place, and hundreds more
"I can't believe I missed all this, I was selfish...but I'm determined now to be the best possible dad he could have" I say firmly.
Calum(His P.O.V): I answer my phone, wondering who is calling me at four am "did you not want us or something?" A teary voice asks, I am silent as the reality sets in, it's my daughter on the line, my daughter is talking to me, after fifteen years my daughter is actually talking to me
"Zöe, I need you to listen to me very carefully, and never ever forget what I'm about to tell you" I mutter, taking deep breaths "okay" she whispers and sniffs loudly "I love you very very much, I love you and I love your brother. But when you two were born, I was only eighteen, I was at a peak in my career and I panicked. Leaving your mom was a split second decision and before I could change my mind she had dissappeared. Zöe you have to understand that if I could go back in time and stop myself from leaving your mother I would, but I'm not a magician, and all I can do right now is hope you understand and hope you forgive me" I say quietly
I can hear her crying and I feel my own eyes fill with tears "Zöe please don't cry...I'm here now, and I'm never leaving you again" I choke "I love you dad" she sobs, I feel my heart jump into my throat and I smile through my tears "please...please say that again" I beg "I love you so much dad" she sobs, my heart swells, and I hold the phone closer to my ear "I love you too my girl" I whisper.
