Safer to Hate Her

“Do you remember the last time we were here?” He whispered pulling her closer to his body.

Jersey’s eyes glazed over with tears as she looked out over the river, the moonlight reflecting off the water turning the small waves golden. She hadn’t cried much since her mother's passing, she had promised her that she would smile and there was no way she would break that promise to her.

She wiped the few tears that had fallen onto her frozen cheeks, her nose turning pink from the frost. “Yeah, they were some good memories.” She sighed and turned around in his arms, holding him close. She rested her head against his chest wanting to forget the world for a few minutes, “I miss her.”

Rupert could barely hear the whisper, he just held on to the fragile girl he held in his arms. She had been broken too many times, sometimes because of him, which he hated. He wanted so much to erase those memories from her mind, but, if they hadn’t had happened he feared that they wouldn’t be as close as they were at this moment.

The breeze blew across them again, her scarf floating in the wind. “Come on, let’s go back. We’ll be frozen.” She nodded against his chest as he took her small, gloved hand in his and they walked along the river side, taking in the sights of the great city under the moonlight.

“It really is beautiful, isn’t it?” She looked up into his eyes with that familiar sparkle creeping back as a smile crept onto his lips.

“Forgive me for being cheesy, but,” he moved her hair out of her eyes, Jersey giggled. He made her feel so free and light almost as if she could float away at any minute. “Not as beautiful as you.”

As soon as he said it Jersey was unable to control her laughter. Passers-by glared at her as she was disrupting the peaceful evening so she hid her head in Rupert’s chest, afraid to move before she could stop laughing.

“No need to laugh that much!” He pushed her shoulder slightly.

“I’m sorry!” She breathed, “You have to admit, that was pretty funny!”

“Hilarious.” He rolled his eyes and walked away from her.

The smile fell from her face as she ran after him, his long legs carrying him further away from her. She grabbed onto his hand and she glared at the massive grin he had on his face, “You tricked me? That so wasn’t funny.”

“It was.”

“Point taken.” They linked arms and made their way back to the hotel to get out of the harsh London winter.

x-x-x

Pulling off her coat and gloves Jersey slumped into the tiny chair they had been given in the room. It wasn’t much to look at but the area wasn’t bad so you couldn’t really complain.

“Rupert?”

He looked up at her from his bag, “yeah?”

“What are you going to say to them?”

He sighed and sat down on the edge of bed running his cold hand through his hair, wincing when he touched his warm skin. Jersey looked at him sympathetically as she joined him on the bed pulling him into a side hug. She left feather kisses on his neck as he held onto her arm.

“I’m not sure. I’m going to tell them we come as a package and if the company doesn’t like it then,” he looked into her eyes, “I’ll leave the job.”

Jersey could see the sadness in his eyes when he said it. She wished she could take this situation away from him, “I hope it doesn’t come down to that.” The corners of her lips turned down as she scowled at an imaginary image of his agent.

“Me too, love.”

For the entire week most of the days went like this. They never left each other’s sides except for when Jersey had to perform for the band. Each single time he saw her up their singing her heart out he felt a sense of pride wash over him. He loved the way she didn’t realise how good she was and the way the crowd loved her. Her name was on everybody’s lips every time they left at the end of the show.

x-x-x

Jersey was currently stood in the lobby of the hotel waiting to say goodbye to the boys as they were staying on in London for the weekend so they could get drunk with a few friends. She hated to think of what their hotel room would look like after this round of drinking. She held her bag in one hand and her other was gently held by Rupert’s as she stared out of the window.
She was pulled out of her trance when she heard Rupert next to her laugh quietly. She threw him a confused look as he carried on laughing. Pulling her hand out of his she folded her arms and pouted her lips.

“What are you laughing at?” This stopped him from laughing but only for his smile to be replaced by a mischievous grin, causing the girl in front of him to pout her lips even more. Shaking his head and continuing to look at her she became even more confused and little bit scared of what was happening.

“Would you tell me wh-?” Before she could finish her sentence she was pulled into the air by two arms she didn’t recognise. She let out a short scream before she recognised the two tattooed arms of her friend, Leo.

“You do realise you are dead when you put me down.” She glared at Rupert who was still laughing, “You too ginge.”

“Well then, I just won’t put you down then will I?” With that he began to run for the exit, his band mates and Rupert in tow. Running straight for the car, Jersey gave up on trying to get free and thought of it as a free ride.

Once her put her down she slapped him on the arm and smiled sweetly up at him, “You promise you’ll be safe and phone me when you’re home?”

“Promise!” He stuck out his pinky finger causing Jersey to laugh at his antics before pulling him into a hug. She then hugged all the other boys before getting into the car; she didn’t stop waving until they turned the corner on their way back home.

x-x-x

I’m coming over. Jersey smiled at her phone before replying and running up the stairs to change from her pyjamas. They’d been back from London for three days now and she hadn’t seen Rupert since he dropped her off at her house. Too say she was missing him would be the understatement of the century.

She ran down the stairs and opened the door looking flustered as she hadn’t realised he would be there so soon. Looking at her confused he shrugged and walked into to her house, kissing her softly before making his way over the couch.

“I spoke with Miles.”

“And?”

He turned slightly to face her, “I told him that I couldn’t leave you out of my life, nothing is as important to me as you are.” She smiled up at him before snuggling into his side. “I said that I keep you or he can keep his job, I felt pretty masculine I have to say.” He felt her giggle beside him. “Hey!” He laughed to himself, “then he said he would have to take me out of the movie, but Ms Weir walked into the office and didn’t notice I was there and then asked what was going on. She said you’ll do no such thing because the response from fans was good and that I could have a thousand of you she didn’t care, she wanted me in the films.”

“That’s great!”

He nodded, “I can’t wait to show you off to the world.”

She rolled her eyes before getting up and walking into the kitchen.

“This is really good news, Rupert.” She whispered knowing he’d followed her and was stood right behind her.

“I know.” He pulled her close and rested his chin on her head.

“You do know this means that people will know who you are.” She pulled away from his hug and looked into his eyes before shrugging.

“I don’t mind, as long as I have you!” She squeezed him tight causing them to both laugh at her antics.

“No, I don't mind either, love.” He sighed, “I’ll still be the normal me even when the crazy stuff happens, you know that, right?”

“You’re always my normal Rupert no matter what.”