Alyssa's PoV

I stared down at my phone, slightly confused at the invite to go to their house when the sun was shining outside and there was a park literally down the road, however I didn't want to seem rude and point it out - maybe he was just more comfortable at home than out. After all his friend Calum had mentioned that he didn't like to take Kira out, maybe he was agoraphobic?

Me: sure thing. Just text your address and we'll head over to you! Thanks so much!

There was a delay with his response, this time the typing icon going round and round for a considerable amount of time before he gave up and suddenly, his name was flashing up on my caller ID. I began to panic, had I done something wrong? Was he suddenly going to cancel?

"Hey Luke." I said, nerves eating away at my stomach as he sighed at the other end of the phone.

"Hey Alyssa, I'm sorry to call. I really don't know how to word this but I can't send my address over, I'll just come and pick you up. I'll explain on the way to ours." The way he'd said it was unarguable, so I found myself just agreeing without really having a clue what was going on.

"Oh okay, err sure. What time would you like us to be ready? I mean we already are but-" I began to ramble, not sure what to say.

"I'll come by now. See you in about twenty minutes." He said quickly and hung up the phone. I stared down in disbelief at it. That was weird. I shook the thoughts from my mind as I shouted across the room to Cody. "Cody baby, Kira will be here in a minute. Make sure you've got your shoes on and you've tidied your room." I could hear his squeal of excitement as he quickly shoved whatever he was playing with in his toy box and rushed towards the front door where he began to pull his shoes on.

"Mummy, are you ready for Kira?" He asked as he pulled the Velcro across on his favourite dinosaur shoes. His eyes gleamed with an excitement I hadn't seen for a considerable amount of time - when his dad had promised to come and see him about half a year after he'd left and Cody had been buzzing all day, only for Harry to decide the pub with his friends to watch the rugby was far more important. I'd watched that excitement die off like an extinguished flame and fizzle out within a minute. I knew then there was no point in trying again - not that he ever did - and I focused on the two of us. Suddenly that fear was back; Luke being secretive and meeting up away from people. Did he not want to associate with someone like me in public? Were Cody and I those poor people he felt sorry for or had to put up with because Kira and finally found someone she truly liked to be friends with? Suddenly, looking down at my jeans and short sleeved T-shirt I felt underdressed. Should I be trying to make more of an effort so that they want to keep Cody in their lives?
It was too late now. I'd have to deal with it. I grabbed my red ankle boots and quickly threw them on, tucking in the end of my light skinny jeans. I wore a floaty white shirt that I'd tucked into the waistband.

"I am now, but you beat me again!" I pretended to be exhausted from the race while Cody giggled and danced around, celebrating his victory.

"Kira is my best friend forever." He said suddenly and I couldn't help but smile. Children were so innocent and despite only knowing her for a few days, they were already attached at the hip.

"I'm glad to hear it bubba, she is a lovely girl." I said as I smoothed his hair out as we waited by the door. My phone buzzed three times in quick succession.

Luke: I'm outside I have a booster seat for Cody already
Luke: as in I had a spare not that I bought him one
Luke: not that it matters I'll shut up now

I bit the inside of my cheeks as I refrained from grinning like an idiot at his goofy messages. I signalled to Cody that it was time to go and locked up our place, heading down the stairs to the front where the black 4x4 was waiting outside. Luke looked twitchy in the front seat, like he was in a rush and we were taking too long. Whether that was because he didn't like the area I lived and felt unsafe or what, I wasn't sure, but I hurried us into the car and strapped us in - Cody in the back with Kira and myself in the front by Luke. His fingers were gripped tightly around the steering wheel as he took off, speeding out of my road before I even had a chance to greet him. He kept glancing in the rear view mirror as he drove, seemingly distracted as we drove in silence.

"Hi Kira!" I turned round to see her in the back. "How have you been?" From the straight face she had, a smile erupted onto her face and she brightened.

"I'm good thank you Cody's mum. I can't wait to play with Cody again." She looked over at my son happily.

"You don't have to call me Cody's mum." I laughed. "You can call me Alyssa, or Ali, or Lys... it's up to you!" I watched as she thought for a second.

"I like Lys." She nodded. "Yeah, Lys is cool and it's got the same first letter as Daddy's name." I pretended to work it out for a second.

"You're right! How did you work that out so quickly? You are a clever lady Kira!" I smiled as I turned back to Luke to offer him a comforting smile, only to notice he was so focussed on looking in the rear view mirror that he did see the car ahead that was pulling out from the road ahead. "Luke!" I shouted, grabbing the wheel and yanking it to the right and then left so his car whizzed round the one coming out of the road and back to the right side of the road quickly. Luke suddenly slammed on the brakes and we all came to a halt at an alarming rate. The kids let out small 'oofs' as the car stopped.

"Are you okay Kira? Cody?" I quickly looked around as Kira rubbed her chest.

"I think so?" She said with a furrowed brow.

"I'm okay mummy." Cody added. The car we swerved from overtook us, followed by another couple of cars. I watched as Luke put his head in his hands and let out a heavy sigh.

"I'm so sorry." He finally spoke and his words were laced with a tense fear and worry. "I thought-" he sighed again before making eye contact with me for the first time since I'd got into the car. They were sad and vulnerable. It was at that moment he was about to tell me something that was painful and very  undisclosed.