Sleeping With The Enemy

You Live And You Love

It's been a while since you first stayed at Nicky's and you haven't been able to contact him, thanks to your band mates' constant watch over you. You're beginning to miss his company and have been trying to find a way to escape their watchful eyes.

You're on the way to band practice, driving your beaten down old car, when suddenly your engine lets out a loud sigh. Recognising this noise, you quickly turn into the side of the road, get out of the car and pull open the bonnet. Smoke billows out, telling you that you won't be going anywhere any time soon. You go to check your phone to call your mother, but the battery runs out and the phone shuts down.
"Fuck!" you shout, flinging the phone to the ground, before sitting down in despair.
You are too far from home or your friends to walk. Losing hope, you desperately think about whether you know anyone within a walking distance. One name suddenly springs to mind, and you realise this is your only opinion.

After walking for almost twenty minutes, you finally see the house you've been looking for. There is a moment that passes as you stand and have second thoughts, but you convince yourself that you have no other option. A voice in the back of your head tells you that deep down, you would not want to be anywhere else. You muster up the courage to walk to the door and you knock twice. The sound of shuffling from the other side of the door makes your heart skip a beat. Suddenly, the door opens, and standing on the other side is Nicky.

"This is certainly the most unusual second date I've been on," says Nicky, as he walks back into the sitting room after letting you inside.
"Don't flatter yourself," you say, smirking, "this isn't a date."
Nicky smiles back, the same smile he had when he first saw you back in the pub. He throws a jumper in your direction, which you catch and gladly pull on, having just been walking in the cold. Seeing him again gives you not just butterflies, but an entire menagerie. Without thinking, you walk over to him and pull him in for a hug, and he instantly puts his arms around you. You can feel his warm breath on the top of your head, and the beat of his heart against your cheek matches yours, which is so loud you wonder whether he can hear it.

"Uh, well, I'll get you the phone," Nicky mumbles as he pulls away from the hug. You call the car service and as you begin to leave, Nicky runs over to you.
"No way are you leaving on your own, I'll walk you over," he says.
Despite your protests, he insists on doing so, and as you walk you both unconsciously begin to move closer to each other. He puts his hand slightly out, and you take it with yours, intertwining your fingers together. You walk like this for the rest of the journey, and the warmth of his hand comforts you. Conversation is also easy, it feels as though you have known him for years, rather than weeks.

"So how come I haven't heard from you?" he asks, in a jokey voice but you can detect a hint of hurt.
"That dumb Battle of the Bands thing, my band mates don't want me to talk to anyone else in the competition."
You hear him sigh knowingly, as though that was want he had both thought and hoped you would say that.
"My band is the same, it's so fucking stupid!" he replies, looking at the ground. His eyes then turn to your face, and you look back at him.
"Maybe we could make this work, as our little secret?" he suggests. You both stop, as you realise you have made it back to your car where the rescue truck is waiting.
"Maybe," you say, winking and turning to walk over to your car. Nicky grabs your hand quickly, and you spin around to face him.
"Promise?" he asks you. You smile.
"Promise."

"Where were you? I thought you said you wouldn't be late any more," says Ellie as you walk into band practice.
"My car broke down and my phone was out of battery," you explain, "so I had to, uh, walk to the nearest store and use their phone."
A little lie never hurt anyone, you think to yourself. A nod from Ellie reassures you, and practice begins.

As you sing the last lyrics of your final song, the rest of the band clap.
"Great work everyone," says Erin, smiling. The band had been going from strength to strength since you had entered the competition, and there was a buzz amongst you as you all consider the prospect of winning.
"We still need that one song though," says Connie, "y'know, that song which brings everyone together, makes us stand out, sends goosebumps across your arm."
Everyone turns to look at you, and you divert your eyes in an attempt to ignore them.
"You know what you have to do," Connie says.

Hours later and your mother walks into your study to find you dancing enthusiastically with headphones over your ears. As you twist to face your imaginary audience, you see her watching you.
"Oh mum," you say sheepishly, taking off your headphones, "I didn't know you were there."
Your mum smiles at you, shaking her head slightly.
"I've seen you do the same a million times before," she says. "I wanted to ask what you were doing but I can see now!"
"Well, I was meant to be writing a song but that doesn't seem to be happening..."
As you talk, your phone, which was on your bed, suddenly lights up to show Nicky's number calling. In a panic you leap to your bed and land over your phone, so your mother can't see the caller ID. You look back up to your mother and give her an awkward grin, and she leaves the room.

Breathing a sigh of relief, you answer the call.
"You almost got me caught!" you whisper into the phone.
"Hello to you too," says Nicky, laughing quietly.
"Sorry," you say, "why are you calling?"
"I was wondering if you fancied going out for dinner? I feel like so far our dates have been less than conventional, maybe we should do something normal,"
Your mind wonders back to your band, and how they would react to this. You snap yourself back to reality and remember how much you like Nicky.
"Sure, that sounds great," you say.

Who cares what your band think, they won't find put anyway, will they?