latch :: calum hood (rewriting)

xxiii.

"Your mother really enjoys sending you over with a batch of brownies." I noted, chuckling a bit at the sight of my blond haired friend, smiling widely with his infamous lip ring hanging from the side of his mouth, holding a batch of his mothers brownies. In attempt to make me feel remotely better about the situation between Calum and I, Liz has been sending post-breakup brownies to my house every day since. I appreciate them tremendously because free brownies are free brownies.

"Are you going to let me in or am I just going to deal with this erratic changing weather?" Luke joked, his cheeks flushed. I opened the door wider, snatching the pan from him as he helped himself in.

"Cookies this time," I remarked gleefully, "Go Liz." I stuffed my face with the first cookie, causing Luke to laugh slightly.

"You seem awfully happy." Luke smiled slightly, "Happier than I expected."

I nodded, opening the fridge to retrieve the carton of milk. "One could only cry and listen to a playlist featuring Ed Sheeran, Sam Smith, and Adele, for so long." I groaned, revisiting how I have been spending the last few of my nights, and occasional bathroom breaks in school, over the previous break up. "I ended things for a reason between Calum and I. I need this."

"And he needs you." Luke bluntly adds, stealing one of the cookies from the pan. I stare at him momentarily, sighing a bit because I knew that he was just looking out for one of his best friends. But I also need him looking out for me.

"How's his baby mama drama?" I bitterly responded, bringing up the whole reason why we broke up in the first place. Obviously it went deeper than just the Jenni problem, but there's certain battles that we just weren't meant to fight.

"She went to the doctor today for a sonogram. See how healthy the baby is and such." Luke informs me, helping himself to a glass of milk too. He stood behind me, his towering height a bit intimidating as I stood there and thought for a moment.

"I hope its a boy." I whispered, catching Luke's attention. I could feel him staring at me even though I wasn't looking back. "Calum always wanted a boy first. We talked about naming it Robin, well because I like the comics and -"

"Robin Hood would be a clever play on words." Luke softly chuckled, cutting me off. I turned around to face him and tried my best to smile, although I knew this whole situation was killing me. I wanted to believe that after the accident, after possibly losing my best friends and Calum, that we would be able to face anything. We could face death, but who knew that our relationship could just end by a good tug on a zipper by another girl.

He placed his glass down on the counter and looked back at me.

"Don't." I demanded softly, looking as he inched closer to me and I began to move away. "Don't, Luke."

He looked at me with eyes, nearly as sad as mine, trying his best to smile too. One arm of his gently grabbed a hold of my side, pulling me into his chest, the other sealing the hug. I stood there for a few seconds, not hugging back as a way to seem defiant, strong, rather than vulnerable and weak.

But I couldn't lie to Luke, or nearly mask how I was feeling. I could feel my chest giving up as I rest my head on his shoulder. Hesitantly, I raised my arms to hug him back, our breathes completely in sync with one another. I stared absentmindedly at the wall, my thoughts on another wavelength of its own. I could feel my whole face heat up as more thoughts rushed through my mind.

I backed away from the hug, wiping the brim of my eyes that were beginning to water and catching my breath.

"Um, have you talked to Ashton lately?" I coughed, trying to diminish the lump forming at the bottom of my throat. "I haven't heard from him since that day and some of things he was saying, it scared me."