Trace of Innocence (No Control Book 3)

Chapter 68

(No Control - 68. Diana)

I call Karen on Friday morning and ask her to arrange four front row tickets and backstage passes for Jess and her friends for Friday's concert, and moan at her over the Non-Disclosure Agreement yesterday.

"Where did you even get one drawn up so quickly?" I huff.

"The legal team move fast when I tell them to," she replies, bluntly. "There's nothing more worrying than someone close to you with the potential to talk. Sophia and Eleanor signed. So did Danielle. It's commonplace in high-profile relationships."

"I know that," I snap. "But I'm not being categorised with everyone else. I can't believe you went behind my back."

"She'll have to sign one eventually," Karen says.

"She will never sign one," I retort angrily, and say a curt goodbye before I say something I regret.

I drive over to the studio mid-morning and spend a couple of hours with the boys writing some more tracks for the new album. Louis seems distracted and snappy, and doesn't bite when I ask why he was calling Karen so insistently yesterday. We're just breaking for lunch, when Julian, Jamie and Mo leave the room.

"Um, guys?" I ask the boys tentatively, and they all turn to look at me. "I sort of need your help with something. But you can't laugh, OK?"

"If it's red and itchy, see a doctor," Niall says immediately and Liam cackles appreciatively.

"Fuck off, it's nothing like that," I mutter, feeling my face getting hot.

"You've proposed to Jess!" Liam grins.

"Jess is pregnant!" Niall adds.

"Don't be fucking stupid," I snap. "Just hear me out."

Louis is surprisingly quiet, and looks worried as he stares down at his hands.

"OK, so remember when we were in LA and we facetimed Jess's sister?" I say to Louis and Liam, and they both look at me blankly. "You know - you spoke to her, and she told us Jess had a dream about me -" I clear my throat, embarrassed. "About me singing my solo to her in What Makes You Beautiful, at a concert."

"Oh yeah!" Liam says, as recognition dawns.

"OK," I say eagerly, spurred on. "Well, when I heard that, I sort of made my mind up that I wanted to do it, for real."

Louis is beginning to smirk. I ignore him.

"So I called Karen and arranged front row tickets for them for Friday, but I need you guys to be in on it. I thought instead of singing that bit in the middle of the stage like we normally do, we could sort of sneak to whichever side Jess is on and sing it there. It wouldn't be a big disruption really. But I really want to do it for her."

Liam is beaming at me, Louis is smirking and Niall is nodding.

"Mate, I think it's an awesome idea. She's gonna be so happy," Liam says, patting me on the back.

"Fine with me," Niall shrugs.

"You're fucking whipped," Louis teases, with a roll of his eyes.

"Yeah, yeah," I mutter. "Are you with me or not?"

"Course," he nods. "Have you told her you love her yet?"

"I told her that I loved her, was not sure if she heard!" Liam sings. "The roof was pretty windy and she didn't say a word."

"Huh?" I ask, confused, and Louis smiles and gives Liam a high five.

"It's a song I'm re-working with Tommo," Liam explains. "Remember it from Four?"