Babysitter [cake au]

👶11

HELLOOOO everyone! Sorry for not updating in like forever.... uni prep and everything else.... but here we go, another chapter for you lovelies 😘

Chapter 11

Luke

The evening was going terribly. And if you didn't believe me, then you should've just taken a look at the dinner table, where I was no longer sitting at.

"Oh yes, Luke has this different air about him. Don't you think Andy?" mum had said whilst passing Calum the potatoes. Ellis had been smiling widely at me the whole time, which was quite creepy, but to be fair I'd been doing the same to his dad, so...

Dad grunted, cutting up his steak. "Sure."

Calum nudged me under the table, making me look up in a hot flush. "What?" I mouthed.

"It's almost as though he has a boyfriend or something!" mum continued, in a tone that meant she knew exactly what was going on. "Tell us about him, Luke!"

She was talking about Trace. It had taken me a few moments to realise this, but once I did, I went bright red and let my cutlery clatter on my almost empty plate.

"Something wrong, Luke?"

I gritted my teeth. "Mum, not now..."

"Come on, we're all friends here! No one's gonna judge you."

"Mum-"

"Don't make the kid talk about that if he doesn't want to!" dad suddenly hollered, scaring the shit out of me and making Ellis jump, which made Blair worried, which then led to her bursting into tears. Thanks a lot, dad.

Calum ran over to her like lightning and picked her up, cradling her in his strong muscular arms. During the commotion, I'd slipped out and rushed upstairs, bringing us to the present moment.

Now, I was sat on my bed under the covers, with a flashlight and a book – not that I was actually able to read it or anything. I just stared aimlessly at the word 'love' over and over again. Damn, why did it have to be that word?

I knew I had daddy issues. And not that kind, thank you very much – but I never knew my dad disliked my choices that much. My whole life, I'd spent trying to please him. Playing sports when all I wanted to do was curl up in bed and read. Watching football with him and my brothers when I'd much rather watch juvenile cartoons and documentaries.

Perhaps that was why I liked Calum so much. He was so chill with his kids and pretty much let them do whatever they wanted without judgement.

Speak of the devil, about fifteen minutes after the debacle downstairs, a light knock came. I shoved the covers off my head, feeling cold all of a sudden, and said, "Come in."

Calum came bearing a plate of fruit. "Your mum said to bring this up. Are you okay?"

He proceeded to perch on my bed, making me feel pretty warm inside. "Y-yeah. I just... my dad's been like that ever since I told him I was bi. I don't get what he doesn't understand about guys liking guys. Anyway, Trace isn't even my boyfriend – I can't believe my mum for making that kind of assumption!"

"Well, you did kiss him pretty hard on your doorstep. From my memory of high school, friends don't usually just do that kinda thing."

Someone sounded salty. "Sorry."

"What? Why are you apologising?"

"It was meant to be a nice friendly family dinner with guests and I had to go and ruin it. Mum was right when she said she didn't need me here tonight," I moped, turning away as I didn't have the face to continue looking at him.