Ashton's PoV

Poppy's eyes bore into Calum with an almost hatred that I hadn't seen before. I knew this was way above me, but by his side I felt like I'd need to stick up for him. He had told me the story once he'd come over to mine and it didn't seem as sinister as when he'd initially told me what he'd done. There was logic behind it - albeit a little stupid - and an underlying care.

"Don't start, Ash. This isn't your fight." Poppy growled, her fists clenched beside her as she looked between the two men. I opened my mouth to speak but thought better of it, waiting until I was needed to say anything.

"Babe please, I-" Calum began but she shot him down instantly.

"Abused my trust? Again? Invited some stranger into our home? Talked to him behind my back for God knows how long?" I could see the veins in her neck protruding as she shouted. "I haven't spoken to him in seven years. Did you not care to think there was a reason behind that?" Calum flung his arms forwards.

"That's exactly why I did it! You've never once mentioned your family to me. Ever. I didn't know their names, what they looked like, if they were even alive! You kept secrets from me, Pops." He sighed heavily, lowering the volume of his voice as his shoulders dropped. "Your parents turned up and upset you, made you cry and I couldn't do anything to help. They mentioned your brother - one I didn't even know you had - and I just wanted to find out more about him. He started talking to me." Poppy swung back round to her brother, not giving anything away as to how she was feeling.

"He'd been looking at my stories for ages, suddenly out of the blue. It didn't take much for me to search and find out the two of you were together. I thought he was talking on your behalf." Will shrugged, still as relaxed as ever on the sofa despite the relationship breaking down right in front of him. It irritated me that he was so calm about it. His sister and her husband were literally feuding in front of him and he was unbothered as if this had nothing to do with him.

"No, your first line to me was 'I'm guessing she's finally told you about me' or something like that. You knew it was me." Calum was furious that Will was lying - or twisting the truth to suit him. He probably wasn't used to actually getting in trouble seeing as most things he could have probably blamed on Poppy before she went.

"Whatever. Either way he told me to come and see you." Will raised his eyebrows as he spoke again, clearly irritated at Calum for putting him straight. Calum huffed again.

"I said you should try to speak to her like an adult. This is fucking ridiculous." Calum turned to Poppy and held his phone out towards her. "The messages are on there. Read it. I was just trying to fill a gap that you never would. I wouldn't do anything that would put you in jeopardy Poppy and you know that." Calum's words were sweet, almost enough to break the walls Poppy had put up to stop herself from being sad. She'd tried so hard to compose herself but I knew under that she was breaking.

"Come on, let's not pretend you're perfect. We've all read the newspaper articles about your ex. How you and Naomi had a thing going." Once again, the news articles had stuck with people and changed their perceptions of us. It was so easy to do but was far from the truth.

"Naomi was a manipulative, compulsive liar who used her power to control Cal and other people. That's not fair. It has nothing to do with you." I quickly jumped in, finally opening my mouth in a situation that really was nothing to do with me. It felt awkward to stand and listen, to watch Calum as he desperately tried to retain his relationship whilst some moron sat on the sofa smirking. What was with that?

"News flash, redhead, it has even less to do with you." Will snapped at me as he shrugged, receiving a glare from Poppy.

"And newsflash Will." She put emphasis on his name. "Ashton has been there for me more in these years than you have. He has every right to say what he said." Then something seemed to click, to change her once again. Her face darkened. "You're just like mum and dad. Everything I have or do is bad, or will become bad. You guys can't focus on anything decent that I've done in my life - the fact I became a nurse or got awarded the fucking nurse of the year award. It's all druggie this and failed relationship that. Just fuck off!" The room was awfully silent. I could hear people getting on with their lives from outside the slightly opened window, their laughs or car doors closing. Every detail of the interior caught my eye as I desperately tried not to look at Poppy, who I felt would either lose it or break down any second. "I've had enough of everyone treating me like a moron. I can handle myself, I can deal with my own relationship problems and sort through them, I can be faithful, i can be a good nurse, I can be respectful, I can be a good mum. If you want to disagree, there's the door." The threw her pointed finger over to it as she glared back at her brother, who for the first time shifted uncomfortably.

"See? This is what you always did with mum and dad too. Had to go all dramatic and play the victim." Will stood up and brushed his clothes down as he walked out, stopping just by the door. "Nice to see you haven't changed." He added quickly, sending Poppy over the edge. She launched herself towards him with her teeth gritted but Calum held her back.

"I hope I never see you again!" She hissed. "Any of you!" Will left quickly, shaking his head over dramatically so that she could see it. She tried to get past Calum a few times but he wouldn't let her.

"Poppy please, it's okay." He tried to soothe but she shoved him backwards. This time, the tears were in her eyes.

"This is why I kept it to myself. Look how you've screwed it all up." She turned away from us both. "All of you, get out." She said softly as she walked away, into the bedroom where she shut and locked the door. With his chin quivering, Calum left the house with me behind him.

"Guess I'll need somewhere to sleep tonight?" He said, his voice a whisper.

"I got you, don't worry." I put my arms around his shoulder as we headed home.