Trace of Innocence | Sweet and Sour (Book 4)

Chapter 86

(No Control | Holding Me Ransom - 86 - We Dream The Same Dreams)

Jess's flight leaves the following afternoon, so Louis' car picks her up from my house on the way to the airport. I'm relieved Lottie is also in the back of the car, even though I know I am being completely ridiculous and trust them both implicitly... I think it's more just a twinge of jealousy that she gets so giddy over Louis in a way that she doesn't for me anymore - at least not outwardly anyway. I know this is a good thing and realistically it would be awkward if she was like a giddy fangirl around me but... still, I need my ego stroking every now and again. Like I said, I know that's ridiculous.

Once Jess has gone I decide to get the ball rolling with my anniversary plans. I check the time in the UK - Callie should be up by now. I decide not to text her, but jump straight in with a phonecall because it's just easier and quicker and I can't be bothered with a massive long text conversation. She answers after a couple of rings.

"Hi, Callie? It's Harry." Why do I always need to say that? She's got my number, she knows who it is.

"Why do you always say that?" she asks. "It literally comes up with your name."

I laugh nervously, and don't dare ask what she's saved my number as in her phone. Probably Dickhead or something. "I know, sorry. Just habit. Is now a good time to talk?"

"Yeah, I'm not doing anything."

"OK, well... I know I'm not going to be back for a couple of weeks but I wondered if you might be able to help me with something."

"OK," she answers uncertainly.

"I know you've got Jess's One Direction stuff, and my hoody. But she mentioned yesterday she she deleted all the photos of us last year, and that she regrets it. She has no pictures of us from the beginning of our relationship. I don't think she had many but I do remember her taking some of us when she was over here in LA with me."

"Right," Callie prompts.

"OK so this is going to sound a bit weird, but I was wondering whether you might be able to recover them from her icloud account? I don't know whether she deleted everything from there as well, but I though it might be worth a try."

"I don't know Jess's icloud password," Callie replies, sounding confused. "And even if I have, I don't think I would feel comfortable giving it to you to look through all of her stuff -"

"Oh, no I didn't mean give it to me!" I add hastily. "I kind of wondered if you think she would be OK with you looking at it. And sending me any pictures of us that you can find." This sounds weird when I say it out loud and clearly Callie is thinking the same, judging by her silence.

"So you want me to try and hack her icloud account and send you her photos?"

"No,  I-" I pause, thinking how to make this sound less creepy. "When you put it like that, it sounds weird."

"Yup."

"OK look. I've got this idea for our anniversary," I sigh. "But I want it to be a complete surprise, so if I tell you will you please promise not to say anything to Jess?"

"As long as it isn't anything that will upset her."

"I promise you that isn't my intention."

There is a pause. I imagine Callie biting her tongue, desperate to make a comment about me always hurting Jess.

"Go on then," she manages, eventually.

"OK, so... Jess made a comment a few weeks ago about wishing we could start again, without all the bad stuff that happened but keep all the good bits. So I had this idea that on our anniversary I could maybe recreate the house party. I was going to ask my friend Grimmy - Nick - if he could get in touch with the guy who hosted the party and see if he could do it again. Obviously I would take care of the cost of all this." I take a deep breath. "I thought maybe that's when I could get her One Direction stuff back, because they were good memories. And her photos, too, because she regrets deleting them. I just thought it would be a nice gesture to surprise her on our anniversary and mark the occasion. And also a way to make up for not being with her on our first Valentine's Day."