Calum's PoV

Two whole weeks. It had been two weeks since Poppy had kicked me out and I still hadn't heard from her. Everyone was messaging me, asking what was happening and if there was an update but I couldn't respond to any of them. I didn't know what was going on. I sighed heavily as I stared down at my cereal, the milk soaking through it and making it soggy before my eyes. Beside it sat my lukewarm coffee. I just couldn't do it.

"Cal?" Ashton was beside me before I'd even answered. "You need to eat." He too stared down at the soggy food in front of me and huffed. I let out a flat laugh at his comment. Did he know what it was like being kicked out of your home by your pregnant wife? No. Did he know what it was like to be left on read for every single message for two weeks? No. I hadn't felt any of my child's movements for two weeks. I hadn't had one of those evenings I loved with Poppy where we just sat on the sofa with a cheap horror film on and just laughed. I hadn't done anything I wanted to. This all sucked.

"What's the point? She's so upset with me that she hasn't even spoken to me for two weeks. She kicked me out, didn't even care where I was going, and ignored me." I shrugged defeatedly. Ashton patted my shoulder.

"She's got a lot going on. To be honest, I'm not sure if you're the sole reason she's upset. It just seemed like that had tipped it over the edge." He said honestly, and I could tell it wasn't one of those things that was said purely to cheer me up. Ashton was always someone who I could rely on to be brutally honest, even if it meant disagreeing with me. "Her parents showing up, her brother, that stuff has probably stirred up a lot of shit. As long as she knows you're there, I wouldn't worry." I shook my head. I wanted desperately with every cell in my body to believe that he was right and that she was happy even if she'd left me unanswered, yet something pulled in my mind to say that it wasn't true. Any other time we had argued, we'd always fixed it within hours, days at most. This was the longest we'd ever gone without being together and it had made me numb.

With inevitable timing, my phone dinged for the first time today. Both mine and Ashton's eyes darted to my phone on the table and took in who it was from. So far it had only been Mikey, Luke and Dave and when they had text me I'd barely even wanted to respond. This time the name on my phone was hers. It was Poppy. I glanced at Ashton, suddenly unsure as to what to do. Did I answer it? Leave it unread? Read it but not respond?

"Go on then!" Ashton urged and I swiftly unlocked my phone, opening up the message with a mix of excitement and utter dread.

Poppy:
We need to talk. Face to face. Today. Let me know when you're free.

I held my breath as I reread it four more times, just to make sure I'd read it properly. She needed to talk today? Surely that wasn't a good sign. She didn't sign it off with a kiss or a 'miss you' or anything. This was it, she was breaking up with me.
Looking back over at Ashton, I awaited his wise words to help me but his face had fallen as he reread the message how I had done.

"This is bad news, isn't it?" I croaked out as my throat closed up, feeling sore and scratchy. He took a huge breath in and out before responding.

"I'm not going to lie, it doesn't look like it's going to be a fun conversation. Saying that, I doubt she's going to break up with you over this. She may just shout at you til she's blue in the face just to make herself feel better." He shrugged, not sure how that was going to make me feel. The truth was, the message had already crushed me before he'd said his bit. My fingers flew over the keyboard to respond, knowing she was probably waiting on my response.

Me:
Hey, I'm free now if you are. Should I be worried?

Within an instant, the message was read. The circles bounced on screen as she quickly responded and with every second that passed, my breathing got shallower.

Poppy:
Come round please.

That was it. She didn't even answer the last question. I definitely needed to be worried. Ashton was still over my shoulder, reading the conversation as it happened. As soon as he read her response he let out a breath. This set me on edge more.

"I don't think I can do it alone, man." I turned to him with the last ounce of strength I had and he bit his lips together, making me know he was going to say no.

"Cal, you need to speak with your wife and sort this out. This isn't anything to do with me. I'm sorry, I want to be there for you but I think this needs to be something sorted out without a third wheel." As he spoke, I began biting my lips in anxiety. I could barely think straight, let alone see Poppy for the first time in weeks and hold a conversation with her over whatever she needed to discuss. I began to hyperventilate, my hands gripping my knees as I began to panic. "Woah, woah, Calum! Calm down!" Ashton was in front of me, holding my arms as he spoke to me. "Shit. I'll come with you. Just breathe, calm down. You need to make it in one piece!" Ash ran his hands through his long hair as he sighed. He knew he was going to regret it but, as always, he could never turn down a friend in need. And right now i needed everything I could get.