Unexpected | Calum Hood

50.

An: Thanks for sticking with me through Book 1 of Calsie's journey. The sequel is on my profile and I'll be starting that up in the next few days 🖤

Jes

"Can you believe tomorrow's been a year since you and Cal first met?" Lenny asks me as she sinks into the insanely comfortable salon chair. I join her in the seat to her right, turning on the massage function, and lifting my feet up to dip them into the pedicure basin.

"I know it's crazy to think how different my life would be if you hadn't talked me into going to Taboo that night." I reply relaxing against the plush leather. "I mean damn, I wouldn't be a mom, I wouldn't have Paisley-Kora, I wouldn't have Calum."

"I don't know, I believe in the whole soulmate thing. I'd like to think you and Cal would have still met. I think it was destiny, or fate." She replies thoughtfully. I hum in agreement, forever thankful she'd talked me into a night out a year ago. I close my eyes as the nail technician sets to work on my calloused feet.

"Is he joining us for a manicure? He said his gels were getting bad." Lena says with a laugh. She finds it hilarious that Calum likes having his nails done but I find it kind of sexy.

"I don't think so. He said he was helping the boys out with something but that he would take Paisley and would be gone all day. He was adamant that tomorrow I'm all his."

"He's reluctant to share you any day so I'm not surprised he wants to claim the whole day of your anniversary."

"It's not our anniversary." I remark but she only roles her eyes.

"It may as well be. You've both only had eyes for each other since that night."

"Well at least I have."

"Stop, Jes. You've gotta move past this especially after the girl messaged you."

I look down at my toes, now being painted a crisp white. I'd picked the color in contrast to Calum's go-to choice, black.

I mean Lena's right. The girl from the photos had messaged me on Instagram to apologize for the whole debacle. She swore up and down nothing further had happened and insisted they were just both touchy-feely drunks who'd lost their wits. She said her and her own boyfriend had been through a similar rough patch afterward, though much more privately. I appreciated her reaching out and it did help to calm a lot of the things my brain had imagined.

"I know." I finally offer Lena with a forced smile.

"All done." The nail tech says sliding the pedicure slippers between my toes and helping me off the chair. She leads me to her station and sets to work making my decimated fingernails look presentable. I can't even remember the last time I had a mani-pedi.

"This was a great idea, Len! We should do this more often."

She only smiles in reply.

•

"You sure you'll be okay with her all day?" I ask the three faces looking back at me.

"There's three of us and she's only one little baby, how hard could it be?" Luke says with a confused look on his face. I glance to Calum skeptically. He places a steady hand against my shoulder to reassure me that this was a good idea, that we are not making a terrible choice by leaving our barely three-month old baby with his man-children bandmates.

"You'll be fine mate. Take care of our girl. By Pais." He says in his high-pitched voice he uses when he talks to her. The one that makes my heart swoon and fill with more love than I knew was possible.