Better Together - (One Direction fanfic by Kaitlynn)

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

"No song that I could sing," Jackie strummed her guitar, her voice gentle, "But I could try for your heart," she opened her eyes and scanned the crowd for that one face again...found it. "...Love is answer at least for most of the questions in my heart," Jackie looked straight at Josh, "like why are we here?" he stared back, eyes wide and mouth slightly open, "And how come it's so hard?" Kaitlynn took a breath and harmonized, "...I'll tell you one thing, it's always better when we're together," Jackie heard the piano start its cheerful melody as they sang the chorus in harmony, "Mmm it's always better when we're together. Yeah, we'll look at the stars when we're together," Jackie smiled through her singing, "Yeah, we're always better when we're together." Amazingly, no one seemed to notice Josh just standing there in the sidelines so close to the stage, almost in plain sight. Jackie didn't take her eyes off him, it felt like she was singing just for him. His amazed expression had turned into a smile. With his eyes crinkling the way they did. "...With only two, just me and you, not so many things we got to do." Jackie couldn't even see the strangely quiet audience. All she saw was Josh. His eyes twinkling as he crossed his muscular arms over his chest.  He looked down for a moment. The song was almost over. Jackie put so much feeling in the last phrases; they were meant for Josh's ears, "...But there is not enough time. And there is no, no song I could sing, and there is no combination of words I could say, but I will still, tell you one thing," Jackie smiled wide and kept her gaze on Josh. He looked up at her, longing plain on his face. "We're better together," as Jackie sang the last note passionately, she saw Josh's smile was now a sad one. Her smile dimmed a little, hadn't he liked it? Josh turned away and slipped through the back door again, covering his face before the crowd erupted into an explosion of cheering. Jackie looked back, Kaitlynn was beaming at her. Though her smile faded a bit when she saw Jackie's slightly distraught expression. "Okay, that was incredible!" Louis' voice echoed through the theatre, "Who agrees?" The crowd went wild. Jackie picked up her mic, "Thank you so much! Really this has been such a wonderful opportunity!" She was laughing from the absurdity of it all. They waved and bowed, giggling like idiots now. Soon as the girls got offstage, they were swamped with cameras, crew, stylists and even security, bustling around them in a noisy crowd. Jackie ignored the choruses of, "Congrats!" "Wow!" and "Great job!" and tried to push through the wall of people. She was only interested in seeing one face. But she couldn't find him. Then from the corner of her eye she saw someone's muscular, farmer tanned arm disappear further backstage. The surprised noises from the crowd faded behind her as Jackie barreled through the people and ran toward Josh.