Who's Gonna Love You Like Me? [Brother's Best Friend!Calum AU]

Part 4

When Josie pulled up to the driveway of the house during her hour long lunch break, she pursed her lips at the sight of the black Range Rover parked behind Luke's car. Josie sighed, shutting the door of her car and jingling her keys in her hand as she walked through the threshold of the house, confused gaze immediately landing on a suitcase that was settled on the ground next to the couch.

"Luke?" Josie called, her voice traveling through the house as she wandered into the kitchen. She was in dire need of some leftover spaghetti—so much so that she made the trip back home just to eat some for her lunch break. "Oh, brother of mine—where you at?"

"Why are you yelling?" She heard Luke huff as she crouched down slightly to pull out the dish of spaghetti, straightening and shutting the door with her foot. Her brother stood at the entrance of the kitchen, blonde hair pulled back in a bun, looking unfairly comfortable in his lounge wear. Someone decided to skip work. "And what're you doing home?"

Josie lifted the bowl to show him before settling it on the counter. As she moved around to grab a bowl and fork, she answered, "Needed sustenance. What're you doing home?"

Luke crossed his arms over his chest, raising an eyebrow as he asked, "Didn't you check my text?"

Scoffing dramatically as she shut the microwave to heat up her bowl, Josie faced her brother and returned, "I don't check my texts at work or while I'm driving, Luke. I'm a responsible adult." Sure, she remembered her phone buzzing with a text or two from him, but that didn't necessarily mean she stopped what she was doing to check them.

He rolled his eyes, used to the playful sarcasm she'd become an expert on perfecting over the years. Fixing her with a pointed look, he said, "Calum's moving in."

What?

The air ceased from circulating in her lungs, prompting Josie to remain still where she stood as the smile she wore froze on her face. The beat of silence that passed between the two felt like an eternity in Josie's ringing head, her grip on the counter behind her tightening as she forced herself to process Luke's words quicker. Less time to make him feel suspicious as to why she was internally losing her goddamn mind. Her heart had picked up its pace, fast in the way it lodged itself in her throat as she blinked quickly.

"I—uh, why?" She hoped the smile on her face wasn't as nervous as her voice sounded in her ears. "And where's he gonna sleep? You don't have another extra room." The only spare bedroom was now hers.

Luke scratched his beard as he pushed himself off the wall, walking over to the bowl of fruit on the center counter he'd been eyeing earlier. He picked up a red apple as he informed Josie, "Something about a burst pipe? I don't know, I told him he could stay with us. The couch's a pull-out. It's only temporary—he should be fine."

Josie desperately wanted to ask why Ashton or Michael couldn't house their friend, biting her tongue when she remembered Ashton only lived in a one bedroom apartment and Michael and Crystal were currently going through a very stressful move from their own apartment to a new house. Despite the lack of bed, Calum moving into Luke's place was the most logical decision. Even if it had Josie's heart racing out of pure guilt and nerves. How the hell was she supposed to keep her mind off of him when he would be sleeping down the fucking stairs? Josie had known moving to L.A. would significantly increase her chances of running into Calum—but in the living room? Fuck.

"Wait, shit—I should've asked you first, right? I mean, this is your place now too and, like, if you don't want—"

Luke's rambling broke Josie out of her guilt ridden thoughts—as did the sudden beeping of the microwave—and she blinked her wide eyes before interrupting her brother. "No, no, it's fine," Josie assured him with a gentle laugh, almost forced, as she quickly turned to take the bowl out of the microwave. Her nerves didn't even allow her to acknowledge the hotness of the bowl burning her fingers before she set it down. She felt a pang ricochet through her chest at her brother's sudden worry of not clearing with her if his friend could move in to his own home. As an attempt of covering up her guilt, nerves, whatever the fuck it may be, Josie added with a gentle laugh, "I thought I wouldn't be caught in another sleepover with you and your boys after you moved out."