Trace of Innocence | Sweet and Sour (Book 4)

Chapter 60

(No Control | Holding Me Ransom - 60 - Good Champagne and Private Planes)

"Fuck's sake," Louis moans, as he climb the steps of the jet just behind me a couple of hours later. "It's the one with the squeaky seat."

"You're always complaining, you, Tommo," Liam teases him, shoving him from behind and causing him to garb onto the handrail to steady himself as he stumbles into me.

"Well fucking hell, I hate this plane," he mutters, and as I step inside the cabin I feel Louis trying to elbow me out of the way so he can get to the back of the plane where the noise of the squeaky seat is less noticeable. I dig my feet into the carpet, refusing to let him past, and after barging past Jess in rather a rough way (for which I throw her an apologetic grin) I manage to secure the back row, leaving Louis to take the seats across the aisle.

Jess sits down next to me and Louis gives us a pointed look. "No funny business," he warns, pointing his finger at us.

"Nah, there are no beds on this one," I joke.

"Harry!" Jess reprimands me, a blush tinging her cheeks.

"It's a bit late to be acting demure, Jess," Louis teases her, and her blush deepens further.

I lean towards her and murmur in her ear, "You'd be surprised how discreet you can be under a blanket, anyway," which earns me a smack on the thigh. "I'm not joking," I grin, and she sighs tolerantly.

"Oh I know that. I've never met anyone so insatiable in my life."

I lean close to her again, close enough to see the wispy baby hairs around her hairline and the freckle just above her right ear. 

"Can you blame me?" I ask, lowering my voice so I won't be overheard. "You're the most beautiful and amazing person I've ever met in my whole life. I can't get close enough to you."

"Ugh, you two are so soppy it's disgusting," Louis grumbles; clearly I wasn't quiet enough.

"Danielle not falling for your charms?" I ask innocently, and he throws us a coy look.

"It's all in hand."

"What's this?" Jess asks, looking from me to Louis and back to me again. "Who's Danielle?"

"Louis' latest crush," I inform her as Louis looks faintly embarrassed. "Danielle Campbell. An American actress."

It's nice to watch him squirm for a change.

"Really?" Jess asks meaningfully and Louis looks sheepishly out of the window.

"Yeah yeah, alright, don't take the piss."

"I wouldn't dream of it, Louis," she declares, exchanging a mischievous look with me, but something tells me she's banking this piece of information and will pull it out at a well-timed moment in the future, hopefully for Louis' maximum embarrassment.

~~~

Our appearance on Ellen is fun. We perform a couple of songs from the new album and are interviewed in the studio. The best part about all of this is watching Jess's face in the audience as she tries to act naturally and not draw attention to herself. I think I'm the one in danger of giving us away though, as knowing she is there in the front row next to Lou Teasdale, just a few feet away from me and constantly in my peripheral vision, gives me the biggest adrenaline rush. I'm constantly aware of her; even when I'm looking at Ellen she's visible just out of the corner of my right eye and I can't resist allowing my gaze to stray to her a couple of times, most importantly when we're playing some stupid game of Never Have I Ever, which mysteriously seems to have been written purely to embarrass me. Ellen asks who has hooked up with a fan; as the audience screams and my stomach gives an uncomfortable flip, I will myself NOT to look in Jess's direction as I halfheartedly lift my little paddle to show 'I have'. I can't resist however, and allow myself the teeniest glance at her and the briefest smile to flicker across my lips before I brush it off and declare, "I think mine's broken." Luckily we move on swiftly, and the only other awkward moment is when a fan is invited onto the stage and after greeting the others politely, attaches herself to me and kisses my face repeatedly, to the point where, after a furtively apologetic look in Jess's direction again, security are about to intervene and I am forced to give a thumbs up behind the girl's back to show I'm not in any danger.