The Baby Project. C.H. (A.U.)

Fifty Seven // Dirty Laundry.

Genie's P.O.V.

The most annoy thing about morning sickness is that it doesn't just hit you in the morning, in my case it had very rarely been in the morning, instead I was being hit on and off through the day and night.

It was hell.

"Have you managed to eat anything today?" My mum's voice sounds on the other end of the phone. Since Calum was not home from his trip, my mother had been checking on me a little more than usual and although I loved her and understood her concern, I really just wanted to sleep. I still hadn't told her about the baby, instead I had told her that I had some sort of twenty four hour stomach bug.

"I've had some yogurt and a few pieces of fruit but that's about it," I reply. "I almost scared to eat because at the moment my stomach doesn't seem to want to keep anything down."

"You should try some plain toast, it can help you know?" Mum suggests.

"I just want it to be over with already," A sigh escapes my lips at the thought of dealing with this for the rest of the trimester. I didn't quite know how I would make it through the next eight weeks if this was how I would continue to feel.

"I know sweetheart," The sympathy is clear in my mother's voice and for someone reason it makes me feel that little bit better. What was it about a mother's touch or voice that could soothe you when you were unwell? "If it doesn't ease up in the next couple of days then you should definitely see your doctor, it could be more than a bug and you need to be careful."

"I know and If I didn't feel any better I will definitely make the trip but for now I guess I'll just have to see how it goes but hopefully it eases up sometime soon," I reply feeling my stomach twist, a wave of nausea hitting me like a tonne of bricks. "I'm going to let you go now okay? I really want to try and get some sleep before Calum gets home,"

"Okay darling but remember that I'm just a call away if you need me," A smile finds it's way on to my face at her words. My mother was so incredible, I don't think she even knew just how great she was and Bobby and I probably didn't tell her enough but I hoped she knew just how much we appreciated her.

"Thanks mum, I love you."

"Love you too Genie, now get some rest." Mum commands in her own motherly way and a snort escapes my lips as we say our final goodbyes before hanging up. I can't help but take note of the time as I lock my phone and place it on the bedside table. Calum was still awhile off from getting home which stupidly made me upset. I couldn't wait to see him already and as pathetic as it was I had missed him so much over the last twenty four hours. We had already become that ridiculous married couple who couldn't go hours without missing each other, I guess that was just what happened when you found your person.

"Do you miss your dad too Walker?" I ask my other favourite boy who was currently laying beside me. He seemed to know that I wasn't well and he had been stuck to me over the last couple of days, I honestly loved the company though. Sometimes animals just knew when you needed that extra bit of love.

His ears perk at my words and he lifts his head up to look at me, making me smile. He definitely missed Cal as much as I did and I already knew that Calum would be attacked with kisses when he got home, and they wouldn't just be from me.

A few hours later I find myself down in the kitchen, attempting to make some tea. I had been avoiding drinking anything but water over the last couple of days but I was in serious need for something else, something that was hot and would warm my stomach. I just hoped I wouldn't be throwing this up in an hours time.

I was feeling a tad better now and I think that was down to the hours sleep I managed to have. My body still felt pretty exhausted, which was pretty normal for my current state and would probably be the new normal for me for the next eight months.

My tea making is interrupted by loud knocking on the door which makes Walker instantly turn in to his cute version of guard dog and begin to bark.

I wasn't expecting anybody over today and I was curious at just who might be on the other side of the door. I knew it wasn't anybody from our little crew because they all knew where the spare key was and they always used it. "It's okay Walker," I do my best to calm him as he follows after me to the door, barks still coming out loud and fast. I unlock the door then open it, feeling a little stunned to find Mali standing on the door step.

"You and Cal have been dodging me for way too long now so I had to be drastic and come here," Mali exclaims and my stomach begins to fill with nerves. I really wished Calum was here right now, seeing as he was really the one who needed to be speaking with her.

"Understandable, " I say as I pull the door open completely. Walker was sitting at my feet now, his tail wagging happily as he spots Mali on the other side, I was sure she reminded him of Calum because from the moment he had met her, he had loved her. "Come in," I invite her in, moving to the side. A relieved sigh falls from her lips as she walks in to the house.

"Calum isn't here by the way," I let her know after I closed the front door.

"Well even if he was I'm sure he wouldn't be talking to me," Mali sarcastically laughs and I instantly feel bad all over again. It really was not unfair for us to not talk to her about what had happened. I hadn't said anything because I figured it was a conversation that Calum and her needed to have but yet here we were and something told me that I was going to have to be the one to tell her all the gory details about what happened with Kyle.

"He's going to talk to you, he just needs some time," I reply chewing on my bottom lip nervously. I was sure Calum would speak to her about everything, I just didn't know just how much time he needed.

"I really have no idea what went so wrong that night Genie," Mali admits to me as she takes a seat on the couch. "Bradley has asked Kyle countless time about how he knows the two of you but he just refuses to answer,"

"Oh wow," I mutter as I take the seat next to her. "I really didn't think I would ever have to have this conversation with you but it looks like It's going to happen."

"What is going on Genie? I really need some answers," Mali pleads and I feel my stomach instantly tighten, the fact that I was still feeling nauseous was not helping with the current situation. My stomach had been through a hell of a lot of the last couple of days and this was only making it worse.

"You know that Calum and I didn't have a typical relationship right? Like the circumstances on how we ended up together were pretty complicated," Mali frowns at my words, looking extremely confused. What exactly did Calum and I's relationship have to do with her boyfriends brother? Well quite a lot.

"The whole 'pretend' dating thing right? Yeah Calum told me," Mali says. "But what does that have to do with this?" So Calum told Mali most things about what went down between us but he left out the whole Claudia, Luke and Kyle thing for obvious reasons.

"Okay well long story short," I begin and I only hope that Mali doesn't look at Calum and I differently after what I tell her. I didn't want her to judge us for mistakes that happened in the past because that's exactly what they were, Mistakes. "I didn't really know how I felt about Calum so I thought that it would be a good idea to have a one night stand with someone so I could confirm my feelings, which it did but-"

"You cheated on Calum with Kyle?" Mali's mouth drops in absolute shock. "Oh my god."

"I know that's how it sounds but we weren't technically together and so much was going on Mali, Like I don't even really know how to explain everything to you-" I stop myself mid-sentence, needing to take a deep breath because the way Mali was looking at me was killing me right now. This was exactly why Calum and I didn't tell her everything from the beginning, we didn't want things to change with us but it looks like that's exactly what was going to happen.

"Mali, a lot happened then ok? Calum and I both did things we wish we could take back but at the end of the day we couldn't, I mean we still can't but we moved on," I admit while Mali continues to stare at me like I was some stranger that she didn't even know. "We never thought we would see Kyle again until that night happened and now here we are."

"I don't really know what to say Genie, I'm just trying to process all of this information."

"I understand and I'm sorry you've been kept in the dark, Calum and I just decided we didn't exactly want to air out all of dirty laundry to you and so we didn't tell you the full story which obviously backfired because look at the position we're in now."

"You two couldn't of known that this would happen," Mali says making me feel a little bit better about the situation. "I mean how could we know that the perfect guy for me would happen to be the brother of the guy who almost ruined you and Calum." Yeah, What were the odds? Life could be cruel like that.

"Pretty crazy," I snigger. "I'm so sorry that it ruined the dinner you had planned."

"That dinner is really the last thing on my mind right now but thanks," Mali lightly laughs as she shakes her head. "Has Calum said anything to you about this whole thing?" Mali asks me and I can't help but grimace which makes her face fall. "What did he say?"

"Look he hasn't really spoken to me about it, I've tried to get him to talk to me but he's not ready and I know you two need to speak things over and I-"

"Genie," Mali cuts me off. "What did he say?"

"He kind of said that he didn't want to associate with anybody that has anything to do with him," I tell her and feel incredibly bad. "You have to remember that he's upset and angry and it was probably just how he felt in the moment, I don't think he really means it." I try my best to reassure her but I really didn't know just how serious Calum was when he said what he said.

There was no way he was going to cut his sister out of his life just because of her boyfriend's family? Like that was ridiculous.

"I hope he didn't Genie," Mali sighs looking very defeated. "He's my brother and I love him with all my heart but I love Bradley too."

"I'm sorry Mali, I'm sorry that your in this position because of something I did." I can't help but apologize because I feel so responsible. Why did I have to be god damn stupid back then? Why did I think that another guy would be the answer? I didn't think I could regret what happened with Kyle any more but this whole situation had proven me wrong.

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