Hit Me Up // Jack Avery • Why Dont We

12

VAL'S POV

After Jack got my number, my phone was ringing with a call from an unknown number in seconds. My breathing stops and my heartbeat exhilarates as my finger hovers over the screen. I run my hands through my hair twice and take deep breaths before I answer the call.

I press the phone to my ear.

"Val?"

I bit my lip. His voice was a lot deeper than the voice I was reading his messages with in my head. Despite talking to Jack for weeks now, everything still seemed surreal up until now. His voice, saying my name, just seemed to slide past the feeling that it was impossible to be talking to the actual Jack Avery.

I switch the call to video form and in seconds we come face to face. He was laying back and had a blanket over his stomach. He was wearing a black sweatshirt and his hair was a mess, yet such a masterpiece.

A grin breaks out onto his face the second he appears on the screen and he chuckles, "I thought I typed in the wrong number for a second there."

"Hey," I say. My voice comes out a lot higher than I intended and I cough awkwardly.

Before Jack could even open his mouth, there was loud knocking on the door from his side of the call. Jack shouts "Go away!" but I couldn't really see who he was talking to.

He gives me a sheepish smile and runs a hand through his curls. "Sorry 'bout that," he apologizes, shuffling around to get comfortable before laying back down.

That's when I realized he wasn't on a bed at all. "Are you in a bathtub?"

He starts laughing. "It wasn't obvious?"

"No!" I say. "What on earth are you doing in the bathroom?"

"Well, Zach found out about me going to call you and he told the others. I was pretty sure they'd bug us so I locked myself in here before he finished getting the word out," he explains.

"For real?"

He turns the phone around to face the bathroom door and-though the door isn't transparent, I can definitely make out the silhouettes of the other boybanders on the other side of the door.

Not to mention, they were doing a lot of knocking and talking.

"Let us in!"

"Val, Jack loves you!"

"No, he loves me more!"

"I'll break the door!"

And more knocking.

"Guys, say hi!" Jack tells them.

A chorus of greetings is then heard from the other side of the door, on top of all the pleas to have the door opened.

"Hi," I say back, though I doubt they'd be able to hear me.

Jack turns the phone back to face him and he shakes his head in supposed disappointment but he was smiling regardless. I knew how much he loved those guys. "So, anyway, where's Kevin?"

"Upstairs," I move the phone to face the staircase for just four seconds, even though it was pointless because Kevin wasn't in view. "He and Patrick have been there for hours I guess."

"I like your house," he comments.

I swear I've never blushed so hard. I just noticed the pile of laundry next to the staircase. I hope he didn't notice all the underwear-mine, Patrick's and my father's. "Oh my gosh," I say as I lay back on the couch so the only thing he sees is the couch and the floor. "I can't believe I just let you see that. What on earth is wrong with me?"

Facepalm.

"No, no, it's not that bad. My place is ten times worse."

"No, it isn't," I shake my head. "I know you're basically OCD and you can't stand mess."

"Caught me."

"Don't make me start singing Liar," I joke.

"I'd actually really like to hear you sing though."

"Well I can't so you sing."

"How about we both sing?"

"No way," I shake my head.

"Why-" he starts but I interrupt him.

"What're three things you've always wanted to do?"

"Changing the topic, aren't ya?"

"Just answer the question."

"Hmm," he pauses. "Travel, meet you and... miraculously get taller."

I laugh, "That doesn't count!"

"Yes it does," he insists.

"I meant activities," I explain. "And meeting me still counts as travel."

"How many guys do you talk to?"

"Okay, that was random."

"It just came to mind," he shrugs.

I pause in thought. "Not much. I rarely check my DMs."

"But if there's this cute guy on Instagram-let's say-would you DM him?"

"No..."

He raises a brow, smiling knowingly, "No?"

"Why are we even talking about this?"

"That's a yes."

"No, it isn't!" I insist. "I mean, I've done that, I admit. Who hasn't? But it's not like I'm man hunting or anything. I've done that with like two guys I guess and Shawn Mendes but they don't wanna talk unless it's flirty and Shawn never answers."

"So I'm the only guy you're talking to?"

I couldn't understand what happened next but Jonah and Daniel suddenly appeared on the screen and Zach literally slipped into the tub and laid on top of Jack. The screen started moving a lot and their talking, screaming and laughing molded together. Then the phone soared into the air and landed facing the ceiling.

"Are you okay?"

In a few minutes, a hand picked up the phone and that hand belonged to Jonah. He held the phone so that I could see him and all the other guys too. Corbyn was sitting at the edge of the tub, Daniel was sitting on the toilet seat, and Zach and Jack were squished inside the tub fit for one.

Zach had a leg over Jack's stomach and was running his hands through Jack's hair. Jack was trying to be pissed but his face was pink from all the laughing. He covers his face and laughs some more.

I couldn't help but laugh too.

"Sorry Val," Jonah says. "We just had to meet you."

"Yeah," Zach agrees. "And since this selfish twat wouldn't share, we had to take measures into our own hands."

"How the hell did you get inside the bathroom?" I ask.

"I told the nice desk lady that we accidentally locked it and couldn't get in," Corbyn explains. "Way too easy."

"You guys are literally the coolest," is all I could think to say. "The best video chat I've ever had for sure."

And it was the truth.

(literally my fave chapter so far omg xx)