Another Life With You || sequel to IWCT

Two

"Morning, guys." Calum grumbles, wandering into the studio a few minutes late with a large coffee in hand.

"Late night there, Cal? You look tired." Ashton laughs.

"Kinda, ya." He shrugs, "But I'm good."

"How good?" Luke eyes him suspiciously. He wasn't so keen on the idea of Calum talking to Skye the other day, and even less keen on the idea that they were going out together last night.

"Calm yourself, bro, it wasn't like that." He rolls his eyes at his bandmate.

"Like what? Why does Luke know about this and we don't? What did you do last night?" Ashton glances between the two of them.

"You going to own up to the stupid thing you did two days ago? Or the even stupider thing you did last night?" Luke pushes at Calum.

"It wasn't stupid, and things are going to be fine this time. I can feel it." Calum rolls his eyes.

"What do you mean by this time?" Michael sounds worried now.

"We sort of ran into Skye at the diner a couple days ago." Luke blurts suddenly.

"Oh fuck no." Ashton shakes his head angrily, "No, Calum! She hurt you!"

"It's more complicated than that!" Calum quickly defends.

"Really? Because when you were crying on my kitchen floor for hours over the fact that you had to admit she was gone, it didn't feel complex. It felt simple, and painful to watch. And I cannot let you do that again! She left, and she never came back, and she didn't even try to end it kindly. She used her mom getting hurt as an excuse to ghost you. Fuck her honestly." Ashton blurts angrily.

"She is not going to do that again! We talked a lot last night! We had a great little date! It was amazing! I haven't been that happy in years."

"You took her on a date? After everything she has put you and Nika through? Why, Calum?" Michael groans.

"I kissed her too. Got anything to say about that?" Calum spits, annoyed they are so anti-Skye.

"Ya! Don't do it again. What the fuck, Cal? She literally just left and never came back and never even tried to explain."

"I got a pretty good explanation last night actually. And I want to try again. What she and I had was different, and I don't want to let that go when I'm getting a second chance at it."

"A second chance to be hurt that badly seems like a really good thing to pass up in my opinion." Ashton growls.

"Have you even talked to Nika about this, Cal? She was really, really upset when you went to talk to Skye the other day. I don't think she is comfortable with you wanting to bring Skye back into your lives. You may not want to take our advice on this, but I think you need to at least get Nika comfortable with it or you need to stop. She is your daughter, and she deserves that respect. You cannot date someone who makes her uncomfortable. And Skye definitely makes her uncomfortable." Luke adds, and Calum has to admit that in this case, Luke might be at least a little bit right. Nika was uncomfortable when Calum informed her that he was leaving to go see Skye the previous night.

"I can talk to Nika, and Skye would love to talk to her and apologize for what happened. Just because the eight year old is upset by something does not mean it has to stay that way. There are other ways to resolve that problem that do not include me having to not be around Skye."

"No but the way she left you broken and bleeding and dead inside for so long might be reason enough to leave it and not be around Skye." Ashton sighs. "It would break us to see you that broken again, Cal. I cannot see you that broken again. She nearly destroyed you. Her leaving changed you into someone no one liked to be around. You were so sad, and angry, and lost. I just— I can't watch you put yourself through something like that again. It would be too much."

"I appreciate all of your concern, but seeing as all of you have wedding bands on, I'd really like if you would let me be, and let me find what really makes me happy. For me that is Skye. She is the only person I have ever thought about marrying and the timing seems right this time. So fuck off and let me figure out my own life. Don't you realize that it sucks to not be where the rest of you are in life? I hate that I'm the one who is stuck, single, and alone. I want to be married, I want to have a wife like all of you do. I want someone who can be a mom to Nika, and I want to be happy again. When the person who fit all of those roles for two and a half years walks back into my life unexpectedly, I'm going to see if it is still that way between us. I'm guarding my heart, I know she has hurt me before, but I also know why that happened and I can see past the pain enough to offer her a second chance. Let me be about it."

"You'll find someone, Cal. But I don't think it's going to be the woman who ripped your heart out and stomped all over your daughters too..." Michael sighs.

"When, Michael? I'm twenty-nine fucking years old and I have only ever found that kind of love once. Why is it so wrong of me to want to pursue that again? Stop shitting on my life, and enjoy living your own."

***

"So..." Eliza is smirking as Skye walks into the kitchen.

"So what?" She laughs, finding a mug from the cupboard.

"You went on a date with you ex who is basically the love of your life, didn't get home until hella late, and you answer with so what? I want details?" Liza giggles, turning to watch Skye prepare herself some breakfast.

"He took me to the beach, for a picnic." She grins, "He had my favorite wine, and chocolate covered fruits, and crackers and cheeses, and all this adorable stuff. And we sat on a blanket to watch the sunset and then then played in the edge of the waves for a bit, where he kissed me. Then we laid out under the stars cuddled up together like old times and talked about everything and nothing too. And Fuck, Liza, you were right. I should have gone to find him as soon as I came back here. Being with Cal for a night again, it was like I remembered who I'm really supposed to be. Part of me was missing and I never even noticed until I got it back."

"That is so cute. And honestly the most perfect Skye date I've ever heard of. So obviously he still knows you really well."

"It was perfect. I fell asleep so happy last night, and I woke up with a smile on my face this morning. I hope he thought it was as good as I did. I hope he is thinking about it all giddy and excited to call me to plan the next one. It really felt like I was home again, and I have missed that feeling."

"I bet he is. No one who knows you wouldn't be excited to have you around, Skye."

"You know I already love you right? You don't have to suck up to me anymore you can be honest." Skye laughs.

"I am being honest. You are the most genuine and loving person, and your brothers are lucky to have you as a big sister, and I'm excited that I get to call you my big sis here in a few months too. If Calum doesn't see how amazing you still are, that's his problem. But he saw it once, I bet he sees it even more now."

"I love you too, Liza, should we get ready and get you to the airport? You have a fiancé waiting at home for you today."

"Ya, but seriously, Skye, I want all the details about how things go with Calum. I'm really glad I manifested you running into him the other day."

"You did not-" "I brought up the conversation that brought him up, and then we ran into him at the diner half an hour later. I think I damn well did manifest that shit. So say thank you and get dressed." She interrupts, laughing before heading down the hall.

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The band ain't cool with Skye, how does that affect her and Calum?

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~M =)