Forced | cake au ✓

Chapter THIRTY-NINE

Calum

Sleep did not come easy these past two days. Not even being in the studio to create music managed to ease my worries even the slightest bit. My mind was always occuppied, thinking of the worst and coming up with every scenario there could possibly be for how this was going to go down.

The knock on my door stopped me from pacing.

I opened the door to reveal Kayla, clad in a pink dress and another pair of high-heels. She smiled at me, I didn't return it. "Nice to see you again, Calum." She stepped inside before I even gestured her to come in.

Kayla didn't look around the place, she's been here before. Though not at my consent. "You had me worried when you didn't reply to my messages. I understand it's difficult, trying to maintain your reputation as well as a relationship."

I didn't even want to listen to her talk anymore. Just having her here, standing in my home, had me enraged. "How can I make sure that you haven't made copies of the video and the moment I give you the money you would just leak it?"

"You can't be sure." Kayla shrugged, crossing her arms over her chest. "But I won't do such a thing. What else is there for me to gain if I did that?" I stared at her. She seemed serious.

When I didn't speak, Kayla continued on. "You couldn't tell Luke? I thought you'd have attempted to make him believe you."

"No," I looked down at my feet, shaking my head. "I was about to.. but I couldn't. I didn't want to take that chance."

Kayla stepped closer. I automatically stepped backwards, but she already had her arm out, gripping my shoulder. "You made the right choice, Calum."

I didn't even look at Kayla before I walked past her. "I put your money in a kitchen drawer," I said, hearing the sound of her heels follow me into the kitchen.

Kayla promptly stopped, freezing in her spot.

"Ms. Evans, I don't believe we've met. I'm Patricia Wilkins, 5 Seconds of Summer's manager. How nice of you to join us." Patricia grinned at Kayla from where she was seated on a dining chair, features scarily calm. Ashton and Michael were stood behind her, both unable to contain their hatred towards Kayla as they glared at her.

"Calum," Kayla breathed out, eyes flickering from me to the other people in the kitchen, looking like she wanted to turn around and leave right away. "Calum, what is this?"

"If it hasn't sinked in, this is the moment you regret ever trying to blackmail Calum," Luke answered from where he was leaning against the kitchen counter.

"To elaborate on what Mr. Hemmings said, I sincerely wished you had not chosen to do what you did, Ms. Evans. Especially because I'm sure you didn't expect me to have connections all over the city and a brother who is a police chief," Patricia adjusted her glasses. Her ability to maintain a cold expression usually terrified us, but now my bandmates and I were grinning in sync.

"You screwed up so bad, Kayla," Ashton sighed in faux disappointment, even going as far as to make tsk tsk noises. Michael nodded along. "So bad. You fucked up big time."

"Why don't you sit down?" I pulled out a chair for Kayla, right in front of Patricia. Kayla was still in shock, but seeing as she had no other choice, she was forced to sit down and listen.