No Control | Holding Me Ransom (Book 2)

23 - Coming To Find Me

Adam had gone to a lot of trouble on Saturday, and took advantage of the nice weather by taking me to Hyde Park for a picnic. It was a beautiful day, and we spread out a red checked picnic blanket on the grass and sat there all afternoon eating mini sandwiches, delicious cakes, chocolate covered strawberries and drinking ice cold Prosecco. I had to hand it to him - he got ten out of ten for effort.

After we'd eaten we lay side by side on the blanket talking about anything and everything, and watching the people of Hyde Park go about their business. We watched dog walkers, rollerbladers, joggers, fellow sunbathers and families going past, and passed comment on everyone, deciding who looked most likely to have a shady past, who had a secret crush on who, and trying to guess people's professions. It was fun.

As the afternoon drew into the evening we packed up our things and kissed goodbye outside Marble Arch tube station. I refused Adam's invitation to go back to his flat for the evening, as I knew where he wanted this to lead, and something was still holding me back. I liked him, he was a really great guy, but I couldn't deny I was still hung up on Harry, and in all honesty I was terrified of jumping into bed with anyone else, in case my thoughts betrayed me and I accidentally said the wrong name. It was a risk I wasn't prepared to take, and I didn't think it was fair to Adam either.

I hadn't heard from Harry again, and I hadn't got back in touch with Gemma to confirm a lunch date either. I was mad busy at work the following week, and was surprised when I got into work on Friday morning to find Emma hovering by my desk.

"Hi!" she said brightly. "Have you heard One Direction's new single?! They released it out of nowhere this morning! In reaction to Zayn signing a new record deal!"

"Zayn's signed a new record deal?!" I yelped, forgetting I wasn't supposed to care about One Direction anymore. "Since when?!"

Emma face lit up as she slid into the chair opposite me. "Since yesterday!" she told me excitedly. "RCA Records tweeted a picture of him, welcoming him to the RCA family, or some twaddle, and then bam! One Direction released a surprise single without any warning!"

"Wow," I breathed. "That's great. Is it Drag Me Down?"

Emma stared at me, her mouth falling open, and I quickly averted my eyes. I'd forgotten I wasn't supposed to have heard it yet. "Yes," she said slowly. "Care to tell me how you already know that?"

I looked up to see her wiggling her eyebrows at me.

I cleared my throat nervously. "Um, Harry mentioned it weeks ago in passing. But I haven't really spoken to him since," I added quickly, eager to divert the barrage of questions I could sense was coming.

"Just how involved with this band are you?" she asked in a low whisper.

"Not at all," I said flatly. "I haven't spoken to any of them in ages. I didn't know about Zayn, or the single release, as you can probably tell."

"Is Louis a good kisser?" she fired.

"No idea," I replied. "If you're referring to that picture that was all over the internet, it was clever photography. I was stood next to him, that's all."

Emma pulled a disappointed face, and I couldn't help smiling at her.

"Sorry," I said. "I can't give you any gossip because I don't know any."

I stood up to take my bag to the staff room, and as I pulled my phone out to switch it onto Silent, I saw a message blinking at me. I sighed.

From: Harry: We released Drag Me Down today x

To: Harry: So I believe. Congrats. Hope it gets to number one.

I was just about to shove my phone in my locker, when I felt it vibrate in my hand.