Typical [L.P. + N.H. + A.I.]

Chapter Six: Hills - Porch

Jess' POV

We drive silently as I'm trying to hold back my tears. All the worst scenarios possible are running through my head. From him leaving me to him driving while angry and getting into an accident and getting hurt.

'So good news!' Cal starts, 'Ash is at Luke's with Jack. We'll be there in 5 minutes.'

I nod silently. The anxiety is eating me up.

'Hey Cal, when we get there. I'm not gonna go in. I'm a mess and kinda embarrassed to let Jack see me like that. So I'm gonna stay on the front porch and can you tell him to come find me, please?'

'Yes of course!'

Calum's POV

When we get there, Luke opens the door and I walk in, leaving Jess outside sitting on the stairs hugging her knees.

'What's wrong with her?' Luke asks me.

'Nevermind. She just needs to talk to Ash.'

We get to the room where they were hanging out and after I say Hi to Jack I walk over to Ashton.

'Hey! Umm... Jess is outside. You should go talk to her.'

'What? Why didn't she come in? Is everything okay?'

'Just go talk to her.'

Ashton's POV

I go to the front porch only to find her sitting on the stairs, resting her head on her knees and crying her eyes out. I sit next to her and put my hand on her back and stroke it gently. She looks up and when she sees it's me she buries her head in my chest and wraps her arms around my waist tightly as if we haven't seen each other in forever.

'Baby, what's wrong? Why are you crying?'

She doesn't answer immediately, she calms her sobs first and then slightly pulls away looking at me.

'Where were you? Why weren't you answering your phone?'

'Jack called me when I was finishing up at the studio and I've been hanging out with him and then we came here. I thought it would be okay since you told me you were going out.'

'You scared me!'

'Why? What happened?'

'I thought something bad happened! I thought you're leaving me or got into an accident or something!'

'Just because I didn't answer my phone?' I chuckle.

'No... you really have no idea what's going on, do you?'

'I really don't.'

She sighs but I don't know if it's out of sadness or relief. Maybe both? I'm really confused.

She sits straight again, resting her head on my shoulder and looking down at the ground. I put her hand in mine interlocking our fingers together. She tilts her head looking at me, her hand cupping my cheek, leaning in as I lead her into a kiss.

'Not to pressure you, but I need to know what's making you cry this hard and why would you think I'd leave you.'

She took a deep breath, staying as close to me as possible but avoiding eye contact.

'When I was out I ran into Niall and we chatted a bit.' She blurts out.

'What?' I ask in a slightly higher volume than I intended to.

I stand up and pace back and forth in front of her waiting for her to tell me more before I jump to my own conclusions.

'I was alone in a coffee shop sitting and drinking iced coffee taking a break from walking. And he happened to pass by. So he came to say hi and ask if he could sit and I let him cause I wanted to be polite then we chatted a bit. He apologised and he asked about you and us and when I told him that we're happy and we love each other he was okay with it and he backed off.'

'That easily?'

'Well, he did ask if we can be friends again.'

'And what did you say?' I ask rather too quickly not giving her the chance to continue what she was going to say.

'I told him that I have to check with you first. If you're okay with me and Niall being friends again then and only then we can be friends.'

'Jessie... I don't know... I don't feel too comfortable with this. I mean he's clearly not over you. And sure he's very respectful and backing off now because you're with me. But he's not giving up on you either. He wants you to keep him around so that he could separate me from you and then eventually when we break up, then he'll have a chance with you.'

'That's not true! He's happy for us. He said so himself. He wouldn't do anything to damage us!'

'Baby, you have to understand that I can never be comfortable with you two hanging out alone. I mean he kissed you before! What's stopping him for doing it again?'

'Me! I am stopping him! I don't want to kiss him!'

'Then why do you want to be friends with him?' I ask her.

'Because! He's nice and caring? he's one of my best friend's closest friends! And I have fun with him.'

'Maybe, but you also have fun with me and Luke, Cal and Mike! And back in London you already have Liam and Louis. Do you really need a 7th friend?'

'Okay, now you're just being ridiculous! I was actually worried that you'd find out about it before I tell you what really happened. I actually thought you'd get mad or angry and that you'd leave me because you would've believed whatever lies the media would put. I cried my eyes out thinking that I lost you when you weren't picking up. And then you were here and you were okay. I actually thought we can have an adult conversation about this. But instead you're just being paranoid over nothing.'

I sigh and sit back down at a small distance next to her.

'I can't help it. I'm always going to be paranoid and irrational about this. Okay, I'm gonna try to understand why you really need to be friends with him. I'm gonna try to be more open about it. So please be honest and straightforward.'

'I don't like holding grudges against people. But I also let people fall out of my life. But only the people that only bring me misery. Niall, regardless of everything that happened. He still helped me get over my writer's block. And this will always be special to me. I don't want to be romantically involved with him, but I still care about him as a person and a friend. And I don't want to waste that. I don't want to lose a friend. I already lost him once, I don't want to lose him again. I get that you're uncomfortable. But I feel like you're not even trying to give him a chance. He's your friend too. But you're acting like he's your enemy. He's not.'

'Okay.'

'What?'

'I'm gonna try to give him a chance. We can try this together. But I have conditions.'

'Conditions?'

'You can't hang out with him alone. Always at least have one more person in the room with you two. And I want access to all of your new chats with him.'

'You don't trust me?'

'I do trust you. I'm not sure if I trust him around you. It'll just help calm down my paranoia. Please?'

'Alright. I guess relationships means compromises on both sides. Thank you for this.'

'Well, I just thought if I was stubborn about it, you'll go see him behind my back, and he'll think that I'm not good with you and use that to his advantage to win you back.'

'Could you not? I'm not some prize to win! This is not a competition! I'm with you, I love you! He's not "winning" me back!'

'Alright. Sorry. I love you too. Also sorry I scared you. And I promise, if they do write anything about it in the media I won't believe it without checking it's authenticity with you first.'

'Thank you.'