glitch | jack hughes (rewritten)

chapter 45

josephine lee

After settling down in the cottage we rented in Wicklow, Ireland for our short trip we started looking for some directions to Dublin. Sure, we could've booked a hotel in Dublin to save us the trouble of commuting from one city to another but we wanted a quieter place to stay for our last few days of quiet. 

Jack accidentally goes to the passenger side of the car to start driving and then laughs when he realizes the steering wheel is on the other side. I take my seat and click my seatbelt on while Jack starts the drive to the studio where I'll be meeting up with Niall Horan. 

That's right! After my EP came out, Niall sent me a long paragraph talking about how much he enjoyed the sound of my voice and the lyrics I sang. I thanked him multiple times and squealed into my hand before he asked if I would consider singing a duet with him. He has a song called 'You Could Start a Cult' and thought my voice would mesh well with his on that track. 

My knees bounce on the way there and the only form of distracting myself is by rolling the window down to feel the fresh breeze against the skin is my face. Now is the only time to do it before I could get recognized in the city. I pull my head into the car when I hear Jack giggling with his phone out, taking a picture of me. 

I grin at him before rolling the window up when I can see more and more people walking around. "What all are we doing today, gorgeous?" He asks, taking a hand off of the steering wheel to hold my chin with two fingers. I open up the text I got from Marjorie which only lists two things I need to do. 

"Meet with Niall then tour a venue I really want to play in. There was a miscommunication on the phone and website so I thought it'd be easier to just look at it while I'm here but afterward, I thought we could go to the beach and sit there like we did in California." I say with a smile, pointing at the parking lot behind the studio. 

He pulls into the lot with a toothy smile making me happy that I suggested going to the beach with him. "Sounds great," he says, pecking my lips before unbuckling his seatbelt and getting out of the car. I do the same and start walking through the backdoor, letting an employee know I'm here to meet with Niall Horan. 

She points me in the direction where Niall and his producer are sitting, causing a wave of jitters to overcome me. I knock on the open door and then peek my head in just to make sure it's the right room. Niall looks over his shoulder and perks up when he sees my face. 

He stands from his seat with a smile I was obsessed with when I was younger. "Hi, I'm Josie, it's so good to meet you!" I say first trying to sound confident but it's evident that I'm nervous. Niall gently swats my hand out of the way and waves me in to wrap me up in a hug. I open my arms and hug him tightly before releasing him and turning to the side to introduce my boyfriend to him. 

"Niall, this is my boyfriend, Jack." I say, watching Jack stick his hand out for a handshake. The Irish boy takes his hand with a smile but judging by the look on his face he's confused. He's looking at Jack like he's not supposed to be the guy I'm introducing as my boyfriend. "I was dating the lead singer of The 1975, now I'm dating Jack. The tabloids can be very confusing." I say with an awkward, breathy laugh trying to clear things up. 

I watch the realization sink into his face before he says, "Yes, the hockey player. I'm keeping up with the news." He says with a smirk and a slow nod, making us laugh before he claps his hands, pulling two seats for us to sit in. "Well, thank you so much for coming out here to help me out with the deluxe version of my album." He says with a smile, offering us some tea, coffee, and water. 

I accept a bottle of water and start drinking it while we talk about how he wants me to sing and where he wants me to come in. I'm very grateful for an opportunity so the second he's ready for me to start singing I hop inside of the booth and throw my headphones on.