Chapter 13
WAKING UP ON the morning of the twenty-eighth, Aspen immediately felt a smile growing on her lips despite the alarm waking her up as she turned to her side, eyes landing on the man sleeping to her right and the little girl in between them. Shutting off the alarm, Aspen put her phone back on the bedside table before propping herself up on her shoulder, looking down at her sleeping daughter, curls that matched her father's all over the place.
"Luna," Aspen murmured, fingers pushing back her hair. She could feel Calum stirring in his sleep as well, tattooed left arm thrown over his eyes as he gently moved. "Hey, birthday girl. Time to wake up."
Luna stirred, her eyebrows furrowing together yet eyes remaining closed, and Aspen let out a breathless laugh when she turned to press herself into Calum's bare side, her arm spread across his bare torso as much as it could. The smile on Aspen's face grew as Calum crawled out of his slumber, arm lifting from his eyes as his fingers lazily raked through his hair to push them back before it came down to wrap around Luna.
"Baby," Aspen let out a light laugh, trying not to acknowledge her heart melting at the sight in front of her. This wasn't the first time the three of them were in bed together—ever since she and Calum got back together a week or so ago—but it still made Aspen feel warm and fuzzy and all the good fucking things. Her fingers teased Luna's stomach, trying to pull her from Calum's side. "You gotta wake up, bub. Time to get ready for school."
Luna mumbled sleepily, incoherently, whining her displeasure and Aspen chuckled, especially when Luna tried to bury herself in Calum's side once again. "Come on, bub. I'll make you some birthday waffles, yeah?" Luna frowned sleepily and Aspen's gaze flickered to Calum, who was now awake and whose tired, brown eyes were on her. He smiled at her sleepily, cheeks flushed and adorable, and Aspen shot him a look as she pulled herself up from the bed. "Get her up, yeah? I'm gonna make her breakfast."
Calum nodded, his hand lifting and using a single finger to motion Aspen towards him in a come hither gesture. Aspen smiled, carefully leaning over Luna as Calum lifted himself up slightly to meet Aspen's lips in a soft, quick morning kiss.
Leaving the bed, Aspen tied her hair up into a bun and used the bathroom before going to the kitchen to get started on Luna's breakfast, putting on a pot of coffee for her and Calum. A smile was on her face, her heart light at the fact that it was her daughter's fifth birthday. For five years Aspen's been blessed with her little one, and it was just so wonderfully exciting and, well, emotional.
Not to mention this was Calum's first birthday with her, so it made things all the more heart warming.
By the time the waffles were done, Calum was entering the kitchen in nothing but a pair of pajama pants with Luna settled on his hip, Duke's paws clattering on the floor as he followed them since Calum had brought the little dog over after asking Aspen's permission. It was Friday, technically Calum's day with Luna, but Aspen told him to sleep over so they could start Luna's birthday with him—which Calum had appreciated.
Placing the plate in front of a seated Luna, Aspen cupped her daughter's cheeks before pressing kisses all over her face, smiling when Luna giggled. "Happy, happy, happy birthday, bubba," Aspen bubbled happily. "You're such a big girl now!"
Calum grinned, fond and adoring as he kissed the top of Luna's head. "Excited for your party tonight?"
Luna nodded enthusiastically, all signs of sleep washing away as her green eyes lit up at the mention of her party. "Yeah!" She looked at both of her parents. "Ice cream cake?"
Aspen chuckled as Calum walked around to the coffee maker, pouring the drink into two cups. "Yes, ma'am," she assured as Calum handed her a cup.
The two of them joined Luna at the table as she happily ate her waffles. Looking at Aspen, Calum checked, "So I'm pickin' up the cake from Berkley's after goin' to the airport, right?"
Aspen nodded, swallowing her sip. "Yeah. Just bring it back here and then we'll take it whenever we leave for the party."
Calum snapped his fingers with a point at Aspen in confirmation, sipping his coffee and feeling his lips curve at the sight of Luna eating. She was five years old today. Five. And it was his first birthday celebrating with her, so Calum already knew to expect the plethora of emotions that would be bombarding him throughout the day.
He had booked one of those indoor playgrounds for kids in town, the nicest one, for Luna's birthday party after showing her pictures and seeing how excited she was for it. Aspen sent the invitations out to all of Luna's friends, with every single one responding with a yes. Today was also the day Luna and Mali, Calum's older sister, would be meeting for the first time, and he was kind of nervous.
A few days after he and Aspen got back together—a little over a week ago—Calum called up his older sister and told her everything that had happened since he arrived to New York. Every single detail was told to Mali, and his sister listened to everything he had to say. Mali had not been involved in what his mother had done, had actually been really fond of Aspen, so once she found out the truth through Calum, she was completely in shock and horrified about what happened. She'd also harbored some resentment for Aspen, believing she had left her brother just like Calum had, but once the truth was told, Mali was ready to give the green eyed woman a tight hug. And meet her niece.
Aspen, of course, was completely okay with it—she'd made it known that she missed Mali since Calum's sister was one of the few people to make her feel wanted and comfortable. Luna was beyond thrilled to meet her aunt.
Once Luna was finished with breakfast, Calum got her ready for school since he didn't get to do that much, and Aspen got ready for work. After a quick body shower and putting on her scrubs, she left the room as she tied her hair, stepping out just in time to see Luna happily skip out of her room fully dressed with her hair tied into a pretty braid, Calum walking out from behind the five year old with her backpack in hand.
Aspen grinned at him as Luna ran to the living room, the special day buzzing her nerves, Duke following behind her. "Quite the hair stylist, huh?" she teased, nudging her boyfriend's bare side as he snorted out a chuckle.
"You can thank Mali for that," he said as they reached the living room, where Luna's giggles were ringing throughout the apartment as she and Duke giddily chased each other around. Both Aspen and Calum found themselves stopping, eyes on their daughter and fond smiles on their faces, and Aspen knew if she spent another moment just admiring Luna, she'd burst into tears. She couldn't believe Luna was already five. "Hey." Calum's voice had her breaking out of her thoughts and looking at him. There was a small frown on his face, appearing worried. "You sure you want the boys there today?"
Letting out a breath, Aspen's shoulders sank in mild exasperation as she looked up at Calum. This had been something he'd been worrying about for days since they started planning Luna's birthday party. Truthfully, no one quite yet knew about the two of them getting back together, except for Jodi and Mali, who Calum had told through FaceTime had been relieved that his sister was supportive. It's not like their relationship was something to hide, but so much had happened and their families and his friends had their opinions, so they wanted to be careful on how they'd let them know.
They also wanted to make sure should anyone find out, it wouldn't be in front of Luna. Neither Calum nor Aspen trusted anyone to control their potentially negative reactions in front of their daughter, and while the two of them didn't care what everyone else thought, they didn't want Luna to witness their reactions. They didn't want their five year old to think something bad of her parents' relationship, blissfully and obviously unaware of the shit storm they'd just worked through. They had only just gotten back together—dealing with everyone's reactions and opinions wouldn't be fun.
"Yes, Calum, it's fine," Aspen assured him for the dozenth time, laughing lightly. Of course they'd invited Calum's best friends to Luna's birthday party, since she wanted all of her uncles there, and they were more than excited to come. "I can deal with them. It's you I'm worried about."
Many of Aspen's family members were going to be there; her mother included, driving in from Pennsylvania where she lived with Aspen's grandparents. One of her mother's brothers lived in California, while the other lived in Canada, so their families weren't going to be able to make it, obviously. Which, honestly, was kind of a relief. Not everyone knew of the circumstances of the end of Aspen and Calum's relationship back in the day, and Aspen wasn't quite prepared to explain everything to them. Her mother and grandparents knew he was back in the picture, had been wary yet understanding after Aspen filled them in on everything. But still, no one knew the two of them had rekindled their relationship, and she wanted to keep it that way for a bit. Today was all about Luna, and she just hoped no one gave Calum any shit tonight.
Calum smiled fondly, right arm lifting to hook around Aspen's neck to pull her closer, their fronts pressing together as he peered down at her. "I'll be fine," he reassured confidently, smiling as Aspen reached her hand up to tangle her fingers with Calum's hand hanging over her shoulder. "Kind of banking on everyone being civilized for Luna's birthday, but even so, I think it'll be fine."
Aspen returned his smile, feeling a bit of relief at how confident he looked and seemed, effectively calming her down. Things between Calum and Richie were still rocky, and now Calum was going to see her mother and grandparents, which Aspen was justifiably nervous about. She knew her mom, knew she wasn't going to start anything, but the entire situation was understandably nerve wracking.
Ultimately, she wanted today to be perfect. She wanted that for Luna—and for Calum. For them to spend the first birthday together happily and perfectly.
"Mama! We're gonna be late!" Luna's voice garnered her parents' attention, already standing by the door and bouncing on her heels.
With a laugh, Aspen looked back at Calum before stepping on her toes, and he dipped his head enough to meet her halfway and press a kiss to her lips. It was swift and sweet, though still emitted a giggle from Luna that had Aspen and Calum smiling against each other's lips before pulling away. "I'll see you later," Aspen smiled before taking Luna's backpack from him, his arm dropping away a moment later. "Lunes, say bye to dad."
She ran over to give him a hug as Aspen grabbed her purse and keys, giving Duke a quick rub before heading towards the door as Luna followed. To Calum, Aspen said, "Spare keys are in the drawer next to the fridge."
Calum nodded as Aspen opened the door. "Got it, Mama."
A smirk tilted on Aspen's lips as she allowed Luna to exit the apartment, before looking over her shoulder as her green eyes locked with Calum's brown. And then, with a sly wink, she bid, "Bye, Daddy."
The slack jawed, wide eyed look on Calum's face was priceless.
*****
"D'you reckon she'll like me?"
Calum wanted to laugh at his sister's question, wanting to inquire back who couldn't like Mali? But instead he just smiled, bumping her shoulder with his with his hands shoved in the pockets of his leather jacket as he assured, "She'll love you, don't worry."
The shrill sound of the last bell sounded through the courtyard, and soon enough the students of the elementary school came pouring out of the various exits. A smile sprouted on Calum's lips at the sight of Luna running out from the usual door, her winter jacket making her look like an adorable marshmallow, and when Calum pointed his little girl out, Mali let out a soft and breathy, "oh, wow," as Luna came running up to them.
"Hey, bug," Calum grinned, crouching down to be at eye level with his girl, "How was school?"
"Good." Luna nodded happily. She was generally a happy kid, but Calum knew the extra excitement came from the fact that it was her birthday. "My friends are excited for the party," she added with a wider grin, before her eyes flickered to the woman standing next to her father's crouching figure.
Calum glanced up at his sister, who was smiling down at Luna with a warm gaze that made Calum melt. "Lunes, I want you to meet someone." At that, Mali crouched down as well as Luna's shy gaze swept over to her once more. "This is my big sister—your Aunt Mali."
At that, Calum watched as some of Luna's shyness was replaced with wonder, before smiling brightly. She then waved at Mali with a happy, "Hi! Are you coming to my birthday party?"
Calum chuckled breathily, feeling his heart soar a bit in his chest as Mali's own smile widened. "Am I invited?" she asked, a teasing tilt in her voice. Luna nodded, giggling, and Mali beamed. "Then I would be honored."
The three of them then went to where Calum parked the car, settling inside as Calum started the vehicle. Looking at Luna from the rearview mirror, Calum told her, "Okay, baby. We're gonna pick up your cake and then go home to relax for a bit before your party. Sound good?"
When Luna shot him two thumbs up, Calum snorted out a laugh before pulling out of the parking lot. He put on Luna's playlist, earning an amused yet fond smile from his sister, and they drove in silence besides the music playing and Luna's quiet humming from the back.
A few moments later, Mali asked, "So things between you and Aspen are good?"
"Yeah," Calum responded with a small upwards tug of his lips, eyes on the road. "It's kind of like we're pickin' up where we left off but at the same time. . . It's different."
"A good different?"
Calum's eyes flickered to the rearview mirror, catching sight of Luna and feeling his heart ridiculously skip a beat. "A great different."
Mali smiled, seeing the contentment on her brother's face. But then her grin faltered as she said, "I talked to Mum after you told me everything. She—"
He bristled in his seat before cutting her off. "I don't want to talk about her." His voice was quiet yet firm, a warning tone present that had Mali pressing her lips together. "Not today, Mal. Today's going to be perfect and talking about that is just going to pi—" He stopped himself, gaze flickering to the rearview mirror where he caught sight of his five year old bopping her head and staring out the window. Calum inhaled deeply, grip on the steering wheel tightening. "Just—not today, okay?"
Mali nodded in understanding, lips pursed. "Okay." Then, more enthusiastically, she asked, "So Luna—who's your favorite Disney princess?"
Calum relaxed at the change of conversation, absently listening to his sister and daughter converse as he drove. But his mind was on his mum now, thanks to Mali. Nothing had been resolved with her; she left after that day at the hotel room, and Calum hadn't spoken to her since. There was a dull, consistent ache in his chest at the strained relationship, ever one to be so cold and distant with his mother. He didn't like it, but forgiving her wasn't he could bring himself to do yet. It had taken him a while to forgive Aspen, but his mum did what she did out of spite for Aspen, no matter what she insisted on doing it out of love for Calum. He couldn't grasp that; who did something like that out of love? The more he dwelled on it, the more his head hurt. It didn't make any sense.
*****
Seeing the rest of Aspen's family again had been tense, to say the least. Of course her mother and grandparents knew of Calum's presence in Aspen and Luna's lives, but they had yet to actually see him once more, and they greeted him with somewhat strained smiles—except for Aspen's grandmother, who'd always been kind and welcoming and warm and didn't show Calum any different.
They weren't treating him rudely or coldly; Aspen had told Calum that she'd explained the situation to them, told them how he'd confronted his mother about it and how things were still resolving. Still, Calum understood their hesitancy in his return, knew it was the same way for Aspen when he showed up. Aspen had assured him that she had emphasized how, at the end of the day, he wasn't at fault for what happened and while Calum appreciated it, he was willing to just go with how things were for the moment. It would take adjustment, but things would work out. He hoped.
"Hi, Daddy! I see you!"
Calum was instantly pulled out of his thoughts at the sound of Luna's voice over the other children running around screaming and giggling. He blinked, looking up as a grin took over his face at the sight of Luna, waving at him from behind the bleary window of the tunnel up above she was crawling through. He let out a deep laugh, raising his own hand to wave ring clad fingers right back at her, hearing the faint sound of her giggle before she began crawling through the tunnels.
The smile remained on Calum's face as Luna disappeared from sight, her joyous shrieks mixing in with those of her friends and cousins she was playing with as his arm slowly dropped to his side. They'd only been at the indoor play park for forty minutes and Luna was already having the time of her life, her smile and giggles bringing a sort of happiness in Calum's chest that only his daughter was capable of creating.
"Not a bad job getting this place," Richie's voice sounded, and Calum tensed ever so slightly as Aspen's brother appeared to his right. He glanced at him from his peripheral, saw Richie looking up at the cluster of tunnels and slides the children were playing in. "The kids seem to be enjoying themselves." Calum snapped his gaze away when he saw Richie look at him. "Good job."
Calum's jaw clenched for a second. "Glad I've got your approval," he returned evenly, not trying to antagonize anything but feeling as though Richie's appraising words carried a contemptuous undertone. Calum shoved his hands in the pockets of his leather jacket. "My daughter deserves the best."
A quiet scoff of a laugh escaped Richie. "Still gunning for that Father of the Year award, huh?"
Calum pursed his lips at that, easily remembering the first time he and Richie met a few months ago after Calum was first introduced to Luna, how Richie had been so pissed at the mere sight of Calum around his sister and niece. But then he also remembered something else Richie had said to him that day, and Calum's hands, which had formed into fists in the pockets of his jacket, relaxed. He still stared ahead, but his voice was low amongst the screeching of children.
"I know you know the truth of everything that happened, Rich." Calum could feel the green eyed man's gaze on him. "I was obviously the last to know. But you told me, that first day, that Aspen had been hurting all these years, too." Calum loosened his jaw, finally bringing himself to look at Richie, who was watching him with a stern expression. "Trust me when I say that I wish with every-fuckin'-thing in me that she didn't have to go through that. That none of this happened in the first place." There was a subtle softness in Richie's expression, and Calum took a breath, hoping his words would reach the man next to him. "Aspen is important to me. What happened wasn't fair to her or Luna. And I wish I could go back to prevent it from happening but I can't. So I'm tryin' to make it right now, alright?"
Calum let out a breath once he finished speaking, pressing his lips together and looking ahead at the tunnels in front of them, jaw once again tightening out of nerves he couldn't help but show. He hadn't before, but he understood now why Richie had been so harsh with him, understood that he was just a man standing in defense for his younger sister who'd been forced to make a difficult, troubling decision. He'd never fault Richie for wanting to protect Aspen—it was something Calum had failed to do himself.
There was a silence between them, disturbed by the sounds of children playing and Luna's playlist that Calum had paid the workers put on a loop for the duration of the party. Calum watched the figures of the kids come and go from the bleary windows of the tunnels, in the nets of some of them, though he could feel his words hang heavily in the air as he waited for Richie's reaction.
"Aspen told me you confronted your mother about everything," Richie finally spoke up, his tone even and not giving away what he was thinking. He glanced at Calum. "That must've been difficult."
The muscle in Calum's jaw jumped as he gave a quick nod, gaze dropping to the matted floor briefly. "Yeah," he rasped. "Not really on speakin' terms with her at the moment."
Another brief silence. Then, Richie said, "Aspen and Luna aren't the only ones who didn't deserve this." Calum found his gaze flickering back to Richie, eyes ever so slightly wide, practically unnoticeable, but the surprise Richie's words emitted could be seen in his dark irises. Richie patted his shoulder, pressed lips pulling back into a brief accepting smile. "Glad you're making it right."
Calum hadn't expected Richie's words, but he'd be lying if he said the relief didn't flood him entirely.
An hour or so of letting the kids play, the food was brought out and the children were called from the playing area to come eat before they cut the cake and went back to playing. As parents of the birthday girl, Aspen and Calum made sure every kid had something on their plate, pizzas and burgers and fries and boneless wings alike.
Truthfully, Aspen was prolonging the inevitable of going to the table where all the adults sat, because she'd have to sit with Calum's friends. Luke and Michael weren't the issue—it seemed like even though they were at a kid's birthday party, Ashton couldn't seem to hold back the contempt he felt for Aspen and had no issues showing it on his face every time their gazes met. He stuck to conversing with the boys and even Aspen's family, but never made a move to even say anything to Aspen, not even a greeting when he arrived. She didn't care, too much; but she just wanted to enjoy her daughter's birthday.
She settled on the long table, settling between Laila and Calum with Luke sitting right across from her. The table was filled with light chatter, overpowered by the sounds of the children in the table over giggling and chattering jubiously. For the most part, everything was fine, but Aspen's right foot keep bouncing under the table, an underlying anxiety messing with her. She tried to relax herself, unsure why she felt so on edge, while trying to focus on the sandwich in front of her.
But then a hand came to rest on her knee, instantly quelling the bouncing and Aspen glanced down to see the tattooed, ring wearing hand resting upon her knee. Aspen took a soft breath, pressed lips quirking into a smile as she followed the hand up the arm and letting her gaze rest on Calum's face. He glanced at her, shooting her a soft, reassuring look that had her shoulders relaxing instantly. Aspen rested her hand on top of his, watching as his smile widened slightly as she squeezed it before returning her attention to her food.
When she looked up, Aspen promptly ignored the narrowed eyed gaze Ashton was shooting her from across the table.
Once they finished eating, Aspen and Calum went to the back room where the freezer was to get the cake. It was a two tiered Moana themed cake, blue and green foster to signify the water and grass with a small Moana doll on top, with Happy Birthday Luna written on top. When Aspen put the number five candle on top, not yet lighting it, she let out a breath. "I can't believe she's five already," she commented with an airy disbelieving laugh. Looking over at Calum, who had a small smile on his lips as he gazed at the cake, Aspen reached out and squeezed his hand. "I'm so happy you're here, Cal."
The smile on his face widened, a happy glint in his dark eyes that had Aspen's heart fluttering, only to intensify when Calum lifted her hand and pressed a kiss to her knuckles. "Me too, doll."
Just as he let go of her hand, Jodi's voice sounded from behind them. "We good? I've got the camera ready."
They glanced at Aspen's best friend over their shoulders, who was holding up her phone. Nodding, Calum pulled out his lighter from the pocket of his jeans and flicked it on to light the candle. "Alright, let's do this," Calum smiled, pocketing the lighter and carefully picking up the cake.
Aspen grinned as Jodi began recording, and Aspen walked alongside Calum as he carried the cake, all the while Jodi used her phone to catch the moment from the second they left the kitchen. As soon as they got within earshot of where the kids sat, the adults surrounding them, Aspen and Calum both broke out into singing happy birthday, catching everyone's attention.
Everyone had their phones out, grins on their faces as Calum and Aspen approached where Luna sat at the table, grinning happily with a plastic birthday crown sitting atop her head. All of the guests were now singing to Luna, her grin as wide as it could be and green eyes excitedly bright as Jodi documented it all.
Calum set the cake in front of Luna, her friends all singing cheerfully as well as both of her parents crouched next to her, and Aspen handed Luna the knife and covered her daughter's smaller hand with hers. While singing, Aspen looked at Calum before nodding at the knife, and his grin widened as his right hand covered Aspen's. "Blow out the candle, bubba," Aspen told Luna as the song was coming to an end.
As kids do, Luna inhaled a deep breath before blowing the candle out, and everyone cheered as they helped Luna cut through the cake. The grins couldn't be wiped from Aspen and Calum's face as everyone cheered for their daughter, an air of happiness surrounding them because of the love that was surrounding her. And the smile on Luna's face only added onto the joy that her parents were feeling for her.
"Smile, you three," Mali grinned, her camera up to take a picture of them.
Thinking alike and on either side of Luna, Aspen and Calum pressed their lips to either of Luna's cheeks, the five year old giggling happily as Mali snapped the photo, and Aspen felt a flutter of giddiness. She was definitely going to ask Mali to send her that picture so she could get it developed.
Calum pressed another kiss to Luna's cheek. "Love you, baby."
Luna giggled at the tickle of Calum's stubble, grin ever present. Aspen and Calum stood up and Calum took it upon himself to take the knife and cut slices for everyone. He and Aspen worked together as she handed him plates to put the slices on before handing them out to the eagerly waiting kids.
They devoured the cake quickly while the adults ate it at a much calmer pace, and as soon as Calum was done eating, Luna came running over to him and grabbed at his hand with both of hers, giving him a tug. "Ball pit, Daddy! Let's go to the ball pit."
Calum chuckled, putting down the paper plate before letting the exuberant five year old drag him towards the large pit filled with colorful plastic balls, a few kids already enjoying themselves in it. Luna dragged him to the steps leading up to it, and Calum grinned at her. "Wanna jump in with me?"
Luna nodded enthusiastically, her curls bouncing and Calum gripped hr by the underarms before picking her up and holding her to his chest. She held onto him, giggling, as Calum grinned, "Ready?" At Luna's nod, Calum swung them both side to side. "One, two. . . Three!"
He pushed himself up before jumping right into the ball pit, the plastic balls engulfing him and Luna as she shrieked in joy before he pushed them to the surface. His deep laughter mixed with Luna's sweet giggles, and Calum knew for a fact that it was his favorite sound in the world.
"You look like a creepy stalker."
Calum chuckled when Aspen jumped slightly at his words, rolling her eyes and lightly swatting at his chest for scaring her. She was standing at the end opening of the hallway leading towards the bathroom behind the tunnels the kids were once again crawling in, mostly obstructed from everyone's view and a good distance away. Aspen needed a bit of a break from everyone, wanting to just watch the kids enjoy themselves.
"Just needed a little break," she told him, shifting so instead of leaning against the wall on her side, she was on her back, facing Calum.
She was hoping Calum would just assume she meant she needed a break from all of the kids, but he was one of the most intuitive people Aspen's ever met. So she shouldn't have been surprised when his expression faltered a bit, facing her as he sighed. "I'm sorry about Ashton. I told him to lay off but he's not gettin' it—"
Aspen began shaking her head. "It's fine, Calum."
Well, it wasn't. She had half a mind to snap at Calum's best friend, tell him to either man up and say what he wanted to say or just get the hell over it. This was Luna's birthday party, the first one Calum was a part of, and Aspen was sick of catching Ashton's glare every time she happened to lock gazes with him. She understood that he was pissed at her for what she did to Calum, despite knowing the truth of the matter, but if Calum could bring himself to forgive her, why couldn't Ashton? Luke and Michael were easier to deal with, they weren't anywhere near as bad as Ashton because they had the decency to smile and make small talk despite feeling tense about it.
"No, it's not," Calum protested with a shake of his head, dark eyebrows drawing together. Taking a step forward, his hands lifted to cup Aspen's face, her skin soft in his palms as he ducked his head slightly and maintained eye contact. "'M gonna talk to him soon, yeah? Gonna tell him about us and that he has to move past what happened. If I did, then so can he."
Just like Aspen hadn't told anyone, except for Jodi, that she was back together with Calum, he hadn't mentioned it to anyone but Mali. Calum knew he'd have to break the news to the boys, and while he wasn't necessarily scared of his friends' reactions, he just didn't want any of them saying anything hurtful towards Aspen. Something Calum knew Ashton was the most capable of doing.
Aspen smiled, appreciative of Calum's words and tilted her head up towards him in silent want. Mirroring her smile, Calum dipped his head all the way to connect their lips, both of them momentarily forgetting the fact that not everyone knew of their rekindled romance, in too much need of the other's lips as they shared a soft, sweet kiss.
Until a disbelieving laugh followed by words spoken by the very person they'd been talking about broke them apart. "Are you fucking kidding me?"
Pulling away from Calum, Aspen took a breath at the sight of Ashton and Luke staring at them. Luke only appeared shocked, completely taken aback at having caught Aspen and Calum kissing—meanwhile Ashton looked like someone had told him a joke so stupid all he could do was laugh at its absurdity. In this moment, that joke was probably the Aspen and Calum.
"What—" Luke spoke up, wide blue eyes flickering between the couple in disbelief. He shook his head before asking, "Are you guys back together?"
Ashton scoffed loudly. "The hell they are." His hazel eyes narrowed into a glare directed specifically at Aspen, who hardened her expression under his heated stare and straightened her shoulders. "No fucking way Cal's gonna get involved with someone like her again."
Calum's jaw tightened, feeling his chest tighten in anger. "Ashton—"
"Someone like me?" Aspen cut him off, her own tone hard and stinging, jutting her chin in question. She was definitely having a hard time not giving into Ashton's insults. "What the hell is that supposed to mean?"
Luke looked between his friend and Aspen warily, not oblivious to the tense energy crackling between them "Someone who didn't give a shit about a person she supposedly cared about," Ashton spat back, a venomous growl in his tone that had Calum tensing and staring at him with a startled glare, not at all okay with the way he was speaking to or looking at Aspen. "Someone who took the coward's way out and ran at the first sign of money. A fucking gold digger."
Calum started, feeling his skin fire up in affronted heat as he took a step forward. "Oi, that's enough," he said, an agitated growl in his own voice, making sure to keep it low as to not attract anyone else's attention. But the music playing throughout the indoor playground was loud and the children laughing and screaming was enough to drown this conversation out.
Worried gaze wandering to Aspen, Calum pressed his lips together as he took in her profile. Her jaw was tight, pink lips pressed together as her green eyes narrowed into a kind of glare even Calum wouldn't want to be on the receiving end of. He knew that look, knew she only got this kind of angry when someone pushed her too far, saw a glare quite similar to that when they were in Luna's principal's office talking to Bailey Clarkson. Aspen was shorter than all of them, but the anger radiating off of her was immense.
"You're right." Her words surprised Calum, looking at her in mild confusion as Luke watched along with his eyebrows drawn together. Ashton remained with his glare as Aspen spoke in a voice dangerously quiet and taut. "I was a coward for running, for letting every bullshit insecurity talk me into leaving Calum. I was an idiot for listening to his mom. But I am not that person anymore." Every word she spoke was hard, firm and in a tone that enunciated her anger and the way she was keeping it down to keep this conversation between them. Her heated glare never left Ashton. "I was a dumb twenty year old that was always worried about what other people were saying about her, but I would be fucking damned to stay being that person. Not when I have a daughter who looks up to me."
Calum stayed silent, watching her with worry and admirance all rolled into one, his eyes never leaving her as she stood up for herself to Ashton. "I know you're not my biggest fan for what I did to Calum," Aspen continued, letting out an accepting scoff. "I hurt him, and trust me when I say it's something I'm gonna regret for the rest of my life." Calum frowned, throat working as he stopped himself from telling her that that's not what he wanted. But Aspen needed to get this out, so he stayed silent.
Aspen nodded to herself, taking a breath. "I was a lot of things, Ashton. A coward, an idiot, an insecure girl who made a stupid decision—but one thing I wasn't, or ever will be, was a fucking gold digger." She narrowed her eyes at the man in front of her. There was definitely a pang that had ricocheted through her chest when that term escaped Ashton's mouth, drying her throat as she was suddenly reminded of the very insecurities she was talking about. But Aspen refused to be victim to them any longer. "Yeah, I took the fucking money, but I took it for Luna. Haven't touched a single penny of it—not that I have to explain myself to you."
Aspen swallowed, taking a step back with a shake of her head, feeling Calum's fingers brush her arm before his fingers interlocked with hers. Ashton's gaze never left hers, though, lips pursed throughout Aspen's speech. "You fucked up with what you did," Ashton said, tone even and controlled, the tautness still discernible. "I'm the one who comforted Calum after you left. Who watched him develop the same fucking insecurities that sent you running in the first place."
Calum's body tensed, watching as Aspen's hardened expression melted into one of guilt, green eyed gaze flickering over to him in concerned confirmation. But Calum felt his gut coiling uncomfortably, narrowing his eyes at his friend. He and Aspen were good, they were past, well, the past. Calum didn't want it being brought up again out of spite. "Ashton—"
The hazel eyed man ignored him, his gaze holding Aspen's. "You ruined him. For a long time." The mere thought of that accusation had Aspen's throat tightening. She was well aware of the effect her leaving him had on her boyfriend; they'd already had so many conversations about it. But hearing it from someone who had to actually watch Calum go through the pain she had a hand in giving had guilt laden tears burning Aspen's eyes. Her grip on Calum's hand tightened, a silent apology he instantly accepted.
Ashton shook his head, frowning at her. It didn't held the same level of hostility every other look he gave her had; it was more distrusting, lips turned downwards in disapproval. "How do you expect me to just accept you in not just Cal's, but all of our lives? How do any of us know you're not going to fuck him over again?"
Her answer was instant. Aspen didn't even need a second to think about it. "Because he's family." Her voice was almost soft, laden with honesty and genuinity as the glare she'd been wearing wiped away to be replaced with sincerity. Aspen turned her head to look at Calum, who was staring at her with a look in his warm brown eyes that left her breathless; soft and fond and adoring and everything in between. A look that screamed of exactly what he felt for her, which made her dizzy with the same kind of overwhelming emotion. He was family, and Aspen had no intention of making him feel like anything less than that.
Tearing her gaze from Calum and looking back Ashton, she saw both he and Luke were wearing slightly surprised—maybe even moved, on Luke's part—expressions as they gazed at them. Aspen swallowed the lump in her throat, reaffirming her tone. "I have no intention of repeating the same mistake twice." She shrugged half heartedly. "Like it or not, this is my family, Ashton. This time I'd be damned to let it fall apart again. You're either okay with that or you're not. Either way, I'm over worrying about what people think."
Her words were followed by a calm silence, disrupted only by the music and children playing, but Aspen kept her green eyes locked with Ashton's hazel. Her hand was still in Calum's larger and warmer one, the touch comforting and relaxing her in the tense situation. She said what she needed to say, standing by her words. Whether or not Ashton was going to accept them was up to him.
He was one of Calum's best friends. Aspen would be lying if she said a part of her didn't wish for Ashton to be okay with this, despite their disagreements and Ashton's obvious distrust of her. For Calum's sake.
She watched as the muscle in Ashton's jaw jumped, three pairs of eyes watching him, Luke standing just a step or so behind him yet his blue eyes were on Ashton, waiting for him to say something. Calum schooled his expression to neutrality, not letting go of Aspen's hand as her words echoed in his mind. Family. They were a family, and while Calum desperately wanted Ashton to be okay with this, for his best friend to accept that he was finally happy after years of being anything but, he also felt a fluttering relief in his chest at the thought of being with Aspen and Luna.
"I still don't trust you." Aspen lifted her chin as she felt her throat tighten at Ashton's words, noticing Luke frown and Calum tense up next to her. Then Ashton sighed, tattooed arms crossing over his chest as he puckered his lips briefly. His eyes flickered to Calum before his shoulders relaxed slightly, letting out a resigned breath as he let his gaze fall back to Aspen. "I'm willing to try. But it won't be overnight."
Aspen nodded, chewing her lower lip briefly. "I get that." Better than nothing.
Ashton raised his eyebrows, hand lifting slightly as he pointed a finger at her, tone warning as he firmly stated, "You hurt him again and I swear I'll make you regret it."
"Fuck's sake, man," Calum groaned, shoulders dropping in defeat. He was definitely going to have a talk with Ashton over how he spoke to Aspen. But she herself didn't look too affected by Ashton's words or tone of voice.
If anything, she looked almost relieved, and Calum watched her and Ashton as the corners of her lips quirked into a slight, subtle smile only he could pick up on. Aspen nodded, gaze never wavering from Ashton's. "Understood."
The dirty blonde, curly haired man gave a single nod, letting out a breath as he looked between the three people, all wearing different expressions of relief. Ashton suppressed a snort. "I'm getting another slice of cake," he declared before, without another word or look, he turned around and walked away.
Luke shook his head, running his fingers through his curls as if the whole situation was stressful for him. Then, with a thumbs up to the couple in front of him, he grinned easily. "Happy for you two. I promised Luna I'd swim in the ball pit with her."
He was gone too, leaving on Calum and Aspen by themselves. Immediately, Calum spoke up in an uncharacteristic rush, "I'm sorry 'bout how Ashton spoke to you. Trust me, I'm gonna—"
Calum was promptly cut off with Aspen pressing her lips to his, and he couldn't help but immediately melt into the kiss, arms wrapping around her waist as her hands cupped his cheeks. It was a slow kiss with Aspen sucking on his plump lower lip, causing Calum to tighten his hold on her and release a low growl from the back of his throat at the teasing sensation.
"No more apologies, okay?" Aspen breathed after they pulled away, lips brushing with his as she spoke. Their foreheads were still pressed together, slopes of their noses aligning as she kept her eyes closed, eyebrows furrowed slightly. "We said all's been forgiven—we won't mean that until we stop with the apologies, bubba."
Keeping his eyes closed as well, Calum reveled in holding Aspen so close, in the taste of her lips and her fruity scent that was engulfing him. Listening to her say all those things to Ashton—it was overwhelming in the best way. They were in this together, and hearing her say that he was family had tightened his throat and made his heart jump. It only intensified when he registered the cute nickname Aspen called him by, something he'd only heard her call him years ago and now only used it on Luna. This was the first time she addressed Calum by it after so long, and it brought a smile to his face and a flutter in his chest.
He pressed a quick kiss to her lips before they pulled back slightly, and Aspen picked up on the teasing glint that suddenly took over his dark eyes. "Right now it's bubba—this morning it was somethin' else," Calum spoke, voice low and raspy as he kept her close.
Aspen's cheeks heated up as she recalled exactly what he was talking about, and Calum's lips quirked into a wolfish smirk. "Yeah, no, that was a one time thing," Aspen laughed with a shake of her head. "I'm not calling you that again."
Calum's eyebrows drew together as he pouted at her. "Why not?" he childishly whined.
Aspen's laughter returned, staring up at him in incredulous amusement as her arms looped over his shoulders and her fingers teased the curls at the back of his head. "I'm not calling you daddy when that's what our daughter refers to you as. That's fucking weird, Calum, come on."
Calum huffed, head tilting back ever so slightly as he looked up at the wall behind Aspen. "Huh," he thoughtfully sounded. "Kids really do become the biggest cockblock."
He grinned when Aspen laughed, the sound music to his ears as she pressed her forehead to his chest and he could feel the vibrations of her laughter, emitting chuckles of his own. When her giggles died down, she lifted her head so her glittering green eyes met his dark brown ones. Her smile turned impish, matching the look in her eye as she bit down on her grinning lower lip before she said, "You're definitely a DILF, though, if it makes you feel any better."
Calum's smirk returned, wide and boyish and charming, leaning down to nip at her lower lip. "Yeah?" he rasped, loving the way her fingers tangled in his hair as he moved them so they were against the wall, obstructed from the view of any potential onlookers. "You're my favorite baby mama."
Aspen let out a breathy giggle. "I'm your only baby mama." Then, using her grip in his hair, tilted Calum's head back to meet his gaze with a narrow eyed one of her own. "At least, I better be."
Calum kissed the tip of her nose, noticing her smile. "As if there'd be anyone else."