Trace of Innocence | Sweet and Sour (Book 4)

Chapter 49

(No Control | Holding Me Ransom - 49 - Watching You From The Stage) 

"What's up with your face?" Louis asks the minute he walks into our backstage prep area at the arena in Sheffield.

I lean forward to peer at myself in the mirror, and then catch his reflection's eye. "Nothing. What do you mean?"

He comes to stand next to me, and pretends to inspect me closely. "Hmm. Bright eyes. Dopey grin. Smug expression. You back together with Jess?"

I shove his arm as Niall cracks up laughing. "Fuck off. No I'm not. Not yet."

"But...?" he grins, waving his hand to encourage me to elaborate.

"But... things are improving by the day," I can't help grinning, and he grins back and high-fives me.

"I knew it! Nice one, mate. Made up for you."

"Thanks," I beam. "But it's not cut and dried yet. We've talked a lot of stuff through, but we haven't talked about where we want this to go yet. That's still sort of up in the air."

Louis snorts and rolls his eyes at Niall. "Talk," he scoffs. "You need to fuck, boy. Jesus Christ. She must be gagging for it by now."

I ignore this comment, and Niall's wicked laughter, and try to stop my mouth from grinning stupidly every time I think about Jess. I catch my reflection a couple of times in the mirror again, and Louis is right - I am wearing a dopey grin. And it's plain embarrassing.

The boys' abuse continues right up until the moment we walk into the backstage lounge where Mum, Robin, Gemma and Jess are waiting for us. I watch as Louis greets my entire family with a hug, and immediately strikes up a conversation with Jess about Briana and the baby. It's actually a relief to be relaxed about their friendship now, instead of watching them through narrowed eyes filled with jealousy.

I slip across the room and join Jess, poking her cheek a couple of times to remind her I am here, and she flirts back until Louis tells us bluntly to get a room and Liam joins the conversation.

People are arriving constantly, and I watch as Jess becomes more and more nervous, greeting Louis' family one by one and blushing a gentle of shade of pink. I know she is fangirling inside, and I love her even more for it. When my dad steps into the room, followed by my Uncle Mike, Auntie Dee and my cousins Matty, Ella and Ben, I see her reach for a glass of Prosecco and take a deep swig while Gemma says something in her ear.

"Don't be getting pissed before the show has even begun," I tease in her other ear.

"It's just a bit of Dutch courage," she murmurs back, and I can hear a tremor of nerves in her tone.

"What are you looking so uptight about?" Louis asks from next to Jess, as she bites her nails.

"Nothing," she replies, staring across the room at my family slowly approaching.

"Don't lie," he sasses. "You're so wound up you look ready to snap. What's up?"

"Meeting Harry's family," she mutters around the finger in her mouth.

"Oh. Is that all?" he teases, rolling his eyes. "Fucking hell, you're a right stressy one, aren't you? You need a good fuck to sort you out."

I watch Jess' gaze snap from my family to Louis' face, and before I can even think up a retort to shut him down, she comes back with her own: "You offering, Louis?" 

He chuckles, and I grin to myself. She's got him so sussed. The best way to handle his cockiness is to call him out on it to his face. And he secretly loves it.