Ass(ets)

timing is everything

It was inevitable that Noah should decide ring at the precise moment Ella lay in the arms of his bestfriend.

Fate was probably giddy at the cruel timing of it. Thriving off the scandal, the gossip, the hurt.

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A shrill ringing echoed into the room. Disturbing the sanctuary. Rubbing his eyes and sighing James reached haphazardly for the phone and swiped to answer.

But the call was not for him. And the phone was not his. It was the beginning of the end. The morning was broken.

"Hello?" James leisurely spoke into the phone and pulled Ella in closer snuggling against her neck and leaving a trail of gentle kisses along it.

Not having checked the caller ID he was surprised but not overly to hear the voice of his bestfriend.

"Ella? You sound really different on the phone. I'm hoping for a husky sexy morning voice as opposed to you being ill. That would completely ruin our date. That is... if you're free tonight? I'd love to take you out. Also I know I didn't call for ages but I've had a hectic few weeks and I'd love to see you. Gosh I'm babbling but you get the gist, right?"

The Noah said this all in under 30 seconds showing a remarkable talent for speed talking and an undertone of nerves.

It was in these 30 seconds that James stilled.

His sleepy mind tried to process it all and the shockingly neon pink phone case glared at him as if to mock him for having not noticed that he had picked up Ella's phone.

"Ella are you there? I know that all came out in a bit of a rush but..."

"No mate, it's James." He interrupted and cringed at the pitying tone he spoke in.

"Oh hi? What are you... Why...It's like 8 in the morning why are you with her? Why do you have her phone?"

"I didn't know. I'm so sorry... are you dating her Noah?"

Both ends of the phone, both boys remained silent. All that could be heard was their breath.

"Noah...?" James said gently.

"You slept with her didn't you?" Noah chocked out. "You're still with her now aren't you?"

"Noah, c'mon you don't need to hear this. Shit, this is so fucked up. I can't believe I slept with your girlfriend. Shit. Shit."

James sat up and ran a hand through his hair over and over. Ella lay next to him. But he wouldn't meet her questioning eyes.

"She's not my girlfriend. We haven't... We're not... " Noah was at loss for words and just said "so don't beat yourself up about it."

"You know I wouldn't have gone there if I'd known you even liked her. I just... You're my friend you know? Um I've got to go. I'll speak to you later."

James hung up the phone hurriedly no longer able to stomach the guilt he felt. He had no need to feel guilty but it came all the same.

Ella sat up and wrapped part of the sheet around her. A cocoon. A safety barrier.

She ran her fingers hesitantly along James' forearm. Wanting to know what had just transpired but also wanting to be protected from it.

James placed his hand over hers stilling her movements. Then he spoke in a manner that was so distant that she almost willed herself to not believe it could be him.

"The bestfriend and the boyfriend. Classy." James mocked her. His voice cold.

Ella shook her head and said "I don't have a boyfriend and if you're talking about Noah I've literally met him twice. Twice. So don't direct your misplaced anger towards me."

"Oh."

Long pause

"I gave him my number a few weeks ago and he didn't call. It's not exactly a tragic love story."

"He likes you though. I'm not sure if that's worse. To ruin a relationship or the possibility of a one." James met her eyes finally.

"Great." Sarcasm laced her words. "So, you now regret sleeping with me? Sure, Noah is from what I've seen a pretty nice guy but I barely know him." Ella relayed.

"Well I'm pretty sure he wants to get to know you since he called to ask you out on a date." James reflected.

"Somehow I don't think that's going to be happening" Ella said with a hint of amusement "and technically he asked you out since you picked up."

James laughed lightly. More of a snort really.

Then they looked directly at each other and burst out laughing.

"My life is such a mess." Ella laughed.

"Your boob just popped out." James said. His grin a little too large to be completely innocent.

"Ideal timing to prove my point, don't you think?" Ella laughed even harder.

When she made no effort to cover it with the sheet James raised a brow.

With a shrug Ella said "Well it's not like you haven't seen them before."

As Ella climbed out of bed and began to get dressed James impulsively threw one of his own shirts in her general direction and said "So, breakfast?"

Ella turned around slightly surprised and said wryly "You're asking your one night stand who not only tried to sneak out earlier but who your friend also has a thing for to join you for breakfast?"

"Well when you put it like that it does sound disastrous."

"I'm in."

As they made their way downstairs Ella remarked "Your coffee had better be at least half as good as you are in bed or I'm not staying."

"So you think I'm an absolute God in the sheets?" James turned his head back to give her a confident smirk.

"That's not quite what I said lover boy."

"It was inferred."

Ella laughed lightly. She promptly stopped laughing when James told her that caffeine was banned in their house ever since mother had returned from a detox retreat on some remote island.

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A/N

We already know Ella and Noah will date but I needed some of the ex files.

I think it was important to make James likeable (good morals & looks coupled with attempts at sass) as while bad relationships do, without a doubt, exist it's perhaps unrealistic to create horrible unlikeable boyfriends before "the one".

Note James being Noah's bff is not only for the drama of it all but it also shows how Ella's world is becoming increasingly Noah orientated.

+ Commenting on the fact that yes girls do have sex. And yes this is okay. Your body. Your choice.