Twelve Reasons.

Chapter Thirteen.

I was sat at a café with Perri, it was by a river front and the weather was nice so we was sat out eating out food staring at the harbour in the distance. "Do you think this could actually work?" I chuckle, looking at him through my eyelashes, he laughs and shakes his head. "You're special" He murmurs, pressing his lips to my head, making me melt into his side, I didn't quite understand how he had the effect he did on me, I didn't think I liked him, or had even fell for him at this moment in time, but he made me happier. "So, nothing has ever happened with you and Sam? like not even a drunken kiss" Perri questions, his eyebrows raising. I shake my head. "No, honestly nothing" I chuckle, placing a chip in my mouth. "I find it hard to believe but I trust you" He whispers, smiling at me. "Why would you find it hard to believe exactly?" I chuckle, turning around and facing him. "It's just how close you guys are, and everyone stays clear when your with him" He mumbles, looking down at the ground.

I know Sam had admitted what he had said to me earlier, and I knew that Perri obviously thought something was going on with me and Sam, I knew the comments Mitch had made at the dinner, but nothing really added up in my head.

"So, I was thinking tonight we could do something off your list" Perri states, pulling out a napkin and on the napkin was everything I had written so far. I look at him with an eyebrow raised. "Skinny dipping?" He asks, smirking at me. I shake my head. "I'm house hunting, we are no where near a beach" I chuckle, taking a sip of my drink. "Well, how about you ignore the houses and apartments here and stay where you are" He whispers, taking my hands in his. I look at him, looking at his facial features, his beautiful brown eyes, his flattering smile, the way strands of his hair fell out of his bun and cascade around his face, his jawline. I don't respond to what he said in the first place, I just take in what he says.

Perri takes his phone out of his pocket, and locks our hands together, taking a photo of our hands together and posting it to Instagram, captioning it with a heart, making me smile slightly.

"You know that's going to spark questions right?" I chuckle, looking at my phone, wondering whether I should text Sam or not. "Shouldn't you be at a rehearsal anyway?" I mutter, watching his facial expression change. "I want to spend time with you, dancing can wait" He smirks. I roll my eyes, he felt like the type of person who didn't take anything seriously. "You'll have Ash moaning at you" I mumble. "I'll take Ash's wrath for another one of your kisses" He smiles, leaning over and placing his lips on mine, I really could get used to this feeling.

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Perri had gone back to the hotel he was staying in tonight, so I took the opportunity to catch up with Alex, she was the main reason I had come home despite the house hunting. "So, where did you get off to this afternoon? I seen you pull up and walk away smiling" She chuckles, giving me a cup of a tea. "If you knew something was going to effect your friendship with someone you cared about, but you knew the thing that would make them annoyed would make you happy, what would you do?" I mumble, she rolls her eyes, but smiles at me. "If Sam doesn't like a potential boyfriend that's his problem, you know he cares about you" She chuckles. I shake my head. "I just, I don't know how I feel about Perri.. like if things go wrong with Perri is Sam still going to want to know me?" I whisper. Alex sighs "Sam cares about you a lot, and sometimes I think he cares more than a friend, and this Perri, if his making you happy what's the problem?" She questions. "His history with girls is the problem" I mutter. "Sometimes you have to fall and pray they will catch you, a mistake has to be made to learn from it, you never get burned twice" She smiles. She was right.

"I think you should go spend some time with him, just you two, away from people who are constantly watching, we can see each other again soon, i'll come to your new place" She smiles at me, catching me off guard. I nod my head, standing up from the sofa, embracing her in a hug. "I miss you" I whisper, hugging her tighter. "I miss you too, but we both know this is the right thing, you need to stay where you are despite the bad memories, you need to move on, you need to be happy" She whispers, pulling away from the hug and wiping a stray tear falling down my face.

I get into my car, throwing my bag in the back, and driving to the Premier Inn car park. Once I pull up, my thoughts and emotions spinning around in my head, I grab my phone from my pocket and dial Perri's number. "Hello?" He mumbles down the phone, I roll my eyes. "I thought you'd be more excited that I was ringing you" I mutter. "Emmie?" He questions, had he not even saved my number? "Yes Perri" I reply, resting my head in my hand on the steering wheel careful not to knock the horn. "Where are you?" He mumbles, had I woke him up or something? "Outside your hotel" I whisper, feeling the regret seep through my body, was this the right thing to do? was this what I wanted to do?

It wasn't until the passenger door closed that I realised Perri had come out of hotel and sat next to me. I hadn't noticed him hang up the phone, or anything he said after I said I was outside his hotel, it wasn't until I smelt his cologne that I knew he was here. I look across at him, watching as he looked me up and down. "You came" He whispers, smiling as he moves the stray hair out of my face. I nod my head, unable to speak. "Are you going to come inside?" He asks, bringing my face to look at his, I just nod, captivated by him.

I walk with Perri to his hotel room, it was nothing fancy when I walked through the door, just something plain and simple, he still had made the effort to come and find me. "i'm going to order room service, want anything?" He asks, placing my bag at the foot of the bed, next to his. "I'm okay" I whisper. "I'm not taking no for an answer" He whispers down my ear. "I'm fine, honestly" I state, sitting on the bed, kicking my shoes off in the process. "Okay, well, I guess make yourself at home" He replies, picking the phone up.

In the moment of watching Perri stand with his back to me talking on the phone I took him in, the way his top hung lose on his body but when he moved his arms it clung to his muscles, outlining everything. The way his grey joggers were clinging to his legs like they depended on it, his usual afro was in a bun on the back of his head, slicked back, I wondered whether he slept with his afro out or tied up, either way he pulled it off. He turns around and gives me a small smile, coming over to the bed and sitting on the end of it.

"Are you okay? honestly?" He asks, sitting on the bed, away from me, but looking at me. I nod my head. "I'm fine, honestly" I whisper. "I know you well enough to know youre lying to my face" He chuckles. I shake my head, a small smile on my lips. "I just, if we go down this road, I need to know you're not going to break my heart, I need to know that if things go awful with Sam when he finds out that you're still going to be there" I whisper. He sighs, and moves up to the bed, placing my head in his chest, pulling me into this lap. "I don't know a lot of things, I know i'm not good with this whole relationship thing but i'm willing to take the chance on you if you are willing to take the chance on me, Sam will just have to suck it up, we can tell him when you're ready to" He whispers, placing his lips to my head, kissing me softly.

I turn around in his lap, turning to face him and look at him, his face screaming that he was telling the truth, that he was being honest. I give him a small smile and place my lips to his, feeling the buzz that I was growing to love so much. I was falling for Perri Kiely, I was okay with falling for Perri Kiely, because he had promised to catch me when I fall.

But I'm Emily Jackson, and this is the story of how I fell for Perri Kiely, I watched him turn into a star, but learnt that the twelve reasons that I fell in love with him, were the twelve reasons as to why I shouldn't of.