No Control | Holding Me Ransom (Book 2)

20 - Don't Look Back

I stared at the message, my heart thudding so hard I felt sick.

A million questions were racing through my mind: Why was he texting me? Why couldn't he just leave me alone to get over him? Why was he being so breezy? Didn't he know how this text would make me feel? How could he be so casual? What was he doing right now?

My mind scrambled to work out the time difference. It would be afternoon in the US, and they weren't due to play Seattle until tomorrow night. Was he at home?

I pictured him sitting at the central island in his kitchen, looking out through the floor-to-ceiling windows over the hills. I could imagine every last detail, from the afternoon sun to Harry's expression as he typed out the text message, pressing his lips together in concentration and doing that slow blink.

I threw my phone down on the bed covers and flopped onto my back as tears burned behind my eyes. Why couldn't I just get over him? For the first time in ages, things were looking up. I had an exciting new job opportunity, a new guy on the horizon, and friends who were going to miss me like crazy while I was away. But here I was, lying in bed crying over a text from my ex, wishing more than anything that he was here, or I was there, so he could put his arms around me and press his lips to mine and tell me he loved me.

I wasn't going to do it anymore. I couldn't let this guy control my life. I had learnt the hard way what happened when I got involved with Harry Styles and I couldn't make that mistake again.

I picked up my phone and deleted both messages from him before switching it off altogether. I set my radio alarm instead, turned the light off and went to sleep.

~~~~

Of course, my dreams were plagued with mysterious green eyes, plain white tees and conspiracy theories, so when I woke up I felt even worse than I had the night before. I didn't bother to switch my phone on until I walked into the office, where Sarah literally ran over to me, her eyes wide and wild.

"Is it true?" she demanded, breathlessly.

"Is what true?" I asked, confused. She couldn't possibly know Harry had texted me?

"Has Louis got some girl pregnant?" she panted. "It's all over Twitter! Where have you been? I tried to call you last night!"

"Ohhh," I said, as I understood, and then realised this was supposed to be a secret, but hid my expression too late.

"Oh my God," Sarah breathed. "It is true isn't it! You know about it! Who is she? What happened?"

"I don't know," I lied. "This is news to me. It's probably just a rumour."

"You're a terrible liar, Jess," she said, shaking her head. "How far along is she?"

"I've no idea what you're talking about," I lied again. "You shouldn't believe everything you read on Twitter. It'll be bullshıt, made up by the fans or something."

"You're not fooling anyone," Sarah chuckled. "But I get it, you can't talk about it."

"There's nothing to talk about. I wouldn't go spreading rumours though, if I were you," I said desperately, but even as I said it I knew if it were all over Twitter there would be no stopping it. I wondered who had leaked the story to the press.