No Control | Holding Me Ransom (Book 2)

61 - They Don't Mean Anything

"I thought you said Nadine and Sara don't even speak to each other anymore," I said, and my voice sounded oddly strangled and high pitched.

"They don't," Harry replied. "But work's work. Sara is here with Victoria's Secret, according to Kendall, and I doubt Nadine would pass up the opportunity to attend the AMAs."

I looked over at Kendall who nodded seriously with concern in her eyes.

"What do you want to do?" Harry asked me. "I don't want you to feel uncomfortable at all. If you'd rather leave, it's fine. We'll do whatever you want."

"Why should Jess leave?" Louis piped up from beside me, wrinkling his nose. "She's done nothing wrong."

"I'm happy to stay, if you are," I said to Harry. "I'm not scared of Sara, or Nadine for that matter. I don't particularly want anything to do with either of them if I'm honest, but I'm not running away from them. Can't we just stay out of their way?"

"Of course," Harry murmured, slipping his arm around my waist and kissing the side of my head.

"But where's the fun in that?" Louis goaded from my other side. "I say we find those bitches and own them!"

"Stop winding her up," Harry scolded over the top of my head, as Louis caught my eye and grinned wickedly.

I shook my head at him. "I don't want any trouble," I told him.

"Ah, Jess, you disappoint me," he said sadly. "Where's your sass gone? I could always count on you to slay with a clever one-liner."

"There's a time and a place," I said, firmly. "And now is not it."

It was Louis' turn to shake his head. "You're way too classy for this loser," he said, hooking a thumb at Harry without taking his eyes from mine. "But let me know if you change your mind and wanna go and kick some Victoria's-Secret-arse," he added in a lowered voice, leaning in towards me and winking.

I couldn't help laughing out loud at this, and at Louis' eagerness to start up trouble. "OK," I giggled. "I'll keep you posted."

"Do you want some more Champagne?" Harry asked, looking down at my almost empty glass.

"I'm OK for now," I replied.

If there was a chance I might bump into Sara Sampaio, I needed a clear head. I wasn't worried about Nadine, as she wasn't even confirmed to be in attendance. But as Sara had made a play for Harry once before, I wanted to be fully alert if she tried again. Not that I thought for one millisecond that Harry would be tempted, but I certainly wasn't about to let her get close enough to try. I didn't know anything about her, other than she was into snorting the white stuff and sleeping with other people's boyfriends. That was enough to put me right off her.

I started to relax after a full hour had passed without any sign of the gruesome twosome, and I couldn't help noticing that any time Harry was occupied in a separate conversation, one of the One Direction boys (usually Louis) was right by my side chatting to me, making me laugh and generally keeping me involved in the group. As a result, and thanks also to Kendall, Lou and Lottie, I was pretty much surrounded by them all, and I felt like they had my back.

I eventually needed a bathroom break, just when Lou and Lottie had disappeared in the direction of the bar and Kendall was deep in conversation with Gigi Hadid a few feet away. I looked around for a sign for the toilets, and Louis immediately appeared next to me.

"What's up?" he asked.

"Just looking for the bathroom," I explained.

"I'll take you," he offered, holding out his arm. I eyed him with suspicion. "Not take you into the cubicle," he said, rolling his eyes. "I mean I'll show you where the loos are. I went for a piss about half an hour ago. Took me ages to find them."