Luke's PoV

I paced back and forwards in the kitchen, trying to keep my voice down as Kira played in her room. I'd ended up in the room farthest from her just in case, knowing how hotheaded i could become when things didn't go my way.

"Why the hell did you go there?!" I snapped, my pacing quickening as I waited for Calum's stupid answer. I don't know what part of it made me mad but right now I was furious. The fact he went to Alyssa's house annoyed me - she was my friend and he somehow even remembered where she lived from the one time he'd visited with me. Equally I was mad that we'd just had a discussion about how I wasn't sure about her and he still chose to go there, stirring up more stuff and getting her involved in it again. Thirdly, I was terrified and frustrated that Ivy had somehow found her way near us again. I'd thought we'd moved far enough away and left no trail so that it'd be impossible yet here she seemed to be. I knew I shouldn't have even been mad at him or Alyssa, but I had nowhere else to project my anger right now.

"She just told you. Ivy was there, she spotted me and I ran." Calum justified, his voice a harsh whisper as he tried not to have his conversation overheard. "You're too stupid to realise she's nice and wants to help. Did you want me to run all the way to your house and show her where you live?" I huffed, shaking my head despite him not being able to see it.

"So you show her where Alyssa lives?" I questioned, realising as soon as it came out that it sounded like I wanted to protect her.

"Ivy doesn't know you're talking to a single mum who lives in a maisonette, Luke. She wouldn't even bother looking for me here. Plus I lost her half way, she didn't want to run because it would've been too obvious." Calum huffed back, clearly irritated at my mood swings. We both knew I wasn't making much sense and was being a little unreasonable, but equally part of me felt like I had to be to keep people at a distance. I didn't need any more Ivy's cropping up.

"But if she found it and kept an eye on the house, eventually Lys would invite me round, she'd come to mine or I'd pick her up and Ivy would know!" I snapped, unable to believe Calum wouldn't think of this. The fact Ivy went to such extremes the first time made everything seem possible this time, she was determined beyond belief to get to me. I could feel the sweat forming on my brow and top lip as I worked myself into a state.

"Did you just call her Lys?" Calum suddenly took away from the conversation. I hesitated as I realised my mistake, huffing loudly as I tried to cover for myself. I mentally facepalmed at my obvious action. I could imagine him grinning on the other side of the phone.

"It's what Kira calls her. Just shut up and concentrate." I hissed, smacking my hand against the table top in frustration.

"And you implied you'd see her again." Calum pushed.

"Just shut up and concentrate!" I reiterated, bellowing down the phone. "You've got yourself into this state and now I'm helping you get out of it." Calum laughed flatly down the phone.

"Helping?" He snapped. "You've done nothing but shout at me and Lys since you got on the phone." I tensed as he used the nickname my daughter had given her, making it seem like they were friends when they weren't. "I went out to get some shopping after you told us all to leave. Ivy was in the shopping centre. How the hell did I get myself into that? You're just being a dick because you can't handle anything in your life right now." I sucked in a sharp breath as I leant against the counter for support. Here we go again. Calum was always so brutally honest with me which I half appreciated, but in times like this when I was close to having a breakdown, it really really didn't help.

"I can! It's just a lot of stuff has been stirred up in the last few weeks." I tried to justify again, knowing it would fail as Calum knew everything about me.

"You met a woman and her kid who are trying to be friends with you but you're scared she's working with the paps or some shit. Yeah I know." I scrunched my face up as I remembered he was having this conversation with me in her house. She probably heard that and now thinks that I'm an awful person. Was that part of his plan the whole time? Like when he announced to her that I never let Kira outside?

"It's not that. Okay?" I snapped, finally letting the anger control my words without me thinking first. "Now let's focus on the task at hand. How the hell are you getting out of there without Ivy seeing you?" I ran my hand through my hair out of frustration, sighing as I tried to calm myself down.

"I'm not." Calum said, at first I thought it was out of defiance but the tone didn't seem harsh enough. I hesitated long enough for him to explain himself. "Alyssa is letting me stay over. She said I didn't look great and she wanted to make sure I was okay." My face fell. He was joking right? Once again I was torn, was she doing this out of kindness or to get more information she could sell?

"But what if she steals your wallet while you're asleep and clones your card? Or drugs you to get information out of you? Or harms you in some way?" I began to panic again, these images flashing through my mind and making me feel sick to my stomach.

"Oh yeah. She's really terrible. She's currently making me dinner whilst Cody decorates a hot chocolate with cream and marshmallows for me. I'm fearful of my life." His sarcastic tone cut through my like knives. He was having dinner at Lys's house? "And before you talk about it being poisoned, you ate round here on the first day too remember?"

"Hey Cal? Your food is done!" Alyssa's sweet voice could be heard in the background which would have calmed me down had she not just called him Cal. Now they're best friends are they? He's definitely going to try and steal her away from me. Maybe he even made the story worse so she felt sorry for him and made him stay round. It wouldn't surprise me. Everyone I love gets taken from me one way or another. I'm not letting this happen again.