Trace of Innocence (No Control Book 3)

Chapter 53 - part ii

(No Control - 53. Over Again, second part)

When I get home I make myself a chicken salad wrap for dinner, and Jeff and Glenne call round for a bit. They ask after Jess, and I explain the whole saga again, and they seem to be of the same opinion as the boys: that Jess really did leave her phone in the bar, and that she hasn't slept with anyone else.

After they leave I go on Facebook to stalk her, and see her friend Sarah has tagged her in a picture only a few minutes ago. I glance at my watch. It's just after 8am in the UK. They must be at work.

I stare at the picture. It's a selfie of two of her friends, Sarah and Gary, but in the background Jess is hunched over in her chair, staring down at her phone, and looks sad. My heart aches.

How did it come to this? I'm sitting here, thinking about her, feeling like shit. She's sitting at work, looking miserable. 

Did she really leave her phone in a bar on Saturday? I want to believe her. This is such a mess.

I'm just about to call her, when I notice something that makes my stomach lurch, and not in a good way.

Her desk used to be practically a shrine to One Direction, but now I can see everything has been taken down. The picture of me has gone from her laptop screen, and I can't see her mug, mousemat or pens. Why has she deleted me from her life?

Where's all your One Direction stuff gone from your desk? I text her.

I'm still hurting, so I don't put any kisses, but my anger has faded somewhat, since Jeff and Glenne tried to make me "see sense", and now I just miss her.

I wait anxiously for her to reply.

I took it all down. I didn't need the constant reminder of you when I was trying to get my head around you and Taylor Swift.

What the fuck? Seriously, I don't know how many more times I can tell her there is no me and Taylor Swift. Why does she keep throwing it in my face?

There is no me and Taylor Swift, I reply, resisting the urge to add about twenty exclamation marks and an angry emoji to the end of the text.

I know x, is her response, and this just confuses me more. Why is she bringing it up if she knows it wasn't what she thought?

I'm starting to think this is all more hassle than it's worth, so I choose not to reply to the message, and head up to bed to lie on my back and stare at the ceiling for the next couple of hours, before finally falling asleep, only to dream of Jess.

....

On Sunday we're due to film a sketch with James Corden for The Late Late Show, and as I arrive at the studio Louis greets me excitedly by telling me our fans have started the "No Control Project," and are campaigning for No Control to be released as a single. We all know it won't happen, because we're not due to release anything until mid-summer, and it will be something from our new album, but Louis is beside himself with excitement at this gesture of overwhelming support for him. It's exactly what he needs after the war of the words with that dickhead Naughty Boy, as it seems the fans are doing this to show their appreciation for Louis' vocal talent.

"I just can't believe it," he's saying, for the fifth time, as we wait in hair and makeup. "It's so sick when they do stuff like this, just decide to take over Twitter and make their own stuff happen. I need to go out and celebrate."

"In other words, get pissed and hook up?" I tease him.

"Yeah, pretty much," he says casually, nodding. "You up for it? Think I might give Briana a call, see if she fancies it."