The Circle

04

"Perrie, you can't print this. This is insane." I threw the mock up on the table and Cally glanced over the headline and I heard Sophia gasp to my right. "I understand we don't want them to go on tour, but I'm not going to have this blow up in our faces down the road when they all find out that we had a hand in this. I'm sure if we talk to them like the reasonable adults that we all are, they'll understand."

Perrie pursed her lips for a second. "I'm sorry, Gee. It's this, or I'll leak to the press how you entered into a deal with their management about that no sex challenge you and Harry had going on for a while."

My eyes widened at her words. How the hell did she know about that?

"They all like to talk amongst themselves," she added, as if reading my mind. "And before the rest of you go thinking you're in the clear, Sophia, I'll tell Liam about that little fling you had with your best friend when you guys took a break a few years ago and Cally, everyone will know that you and Louis like to go to swingers clubs."

There was a collective gasp from both Cally and Sophia. How Perrie had gotten this information was unknown to me but it now seemed like she had enough on us to blackmail us into going along with her plan, at least for the current time. I knew something was going to go wrong with this, I just had a bad feeling. It was only a matter of time until this blew up in our faces and who knew how many people would get damaged in the carnage from this mess.

I had to tell Harry. Seeing a sort of headline like that was going to devastate him. I knew he wouldn't believe it, but our family and friends didn't need to see that kind of nonsense and his fans saw enough of our drama in the last ten years, this would only further create a rift between his fans and I.

Nobody at the table spoke once the food arrived and I literally felt so sick to my stomach, I couldn't do more than push around my pasta on my plate, unable to eat more than a few bites.

"So," Perrie finally said, breaking the silence. "We're all in agreement that this is our plan moving forward?"

I watched Sophia and Cally nod before Perrie stared at me and I nodded too.

"I'm going to head home," I said, standing up to excuse myself from the table. I threw a £50 note down on the table and left the restaurant, not bothering to hear the protest from Cally or Sophia who must have been pissed I left them at the table with Perrie.

I didn't want to talk about that fucked up plan anymore. I just wanted to get home to my husband and my kids and know that everything was right in my marriage, despite what the tabloids would say in the morning. I hailed a taxi in front of the restaurant, glad to get home quickly.

The house was dark when I got home though. I knew Harry had something on tonight but I figured he would be home by the time I had gotten home considering I had left dinner early.

Sian was downstairs when I walked inside, watching tv. She filled me in on the day, telling me how Joey had excelled her latest spelling test and Jamie had learned a bad word. My two star children. She also said how Harry had left the house around five and said he would be gone late. I let Sian go home for the night and checked my phone, dialing Harry.

The call when straight to his voicemail which was odd so I left him a message saying I had gotten home from dinner early and for him to call me once he got this message. I drew a bath and lit some candles, relaxing in the steamy water, my phone by my side in case Harry called.

He didn't though and by 10:30 I was beginning to get worried. I called him again and once more the call went straight to his voicemail. I didn't want to panic yet or ask Gemma if she had heard from him because she would just lecture me on knowing the whereabouts of my husband at all times and honestly I didn't want to hear that right now.