The Truth Is a Terrible Thing

Amelia and Josh walked along the pavement as they headed back to her flat. The cold had gotten worse now that the sun was going down, to the point Amelia was practically shivering. They had been walking for hours, window shopping, talking and making a few stops to get things to bring back to Amelia's for the night; a few snacks and drinks since she was lacking what Josh called 'the good stuff'.

Dark clouds were rolling in now as they walked side by side. Amelia could tell it was going to ran; picking up her pace to make it home before it starts. Josh laughed as she walked ahead of him, bags in her arms. "What are you doing?" he asked.

"It's going to rain," Amelia says as she stops and turns to look at Josh. "I would rather we not get rained on, would you?"

Josh shook his head, walking up to her. "It's not going to rai-" he began but was cut short. He lifted a hand and wiped at his wet cheek.

"I told you," Amelia smiles. "Come on, the lads are waiting for us." Josh grabbed Amelia's hand. The warmth of his hand in hers warmed her whole body instantly. She was use to this of course but not the sensation that ran through her body. She debunked this as her just reacting to his body heat since she was so cold.

"Christ Amelia, you're freezing," he says putting another hand on hers.

Amelia shrugged it off. "I'll be fine, the flats right over there," she said sheepishly as she walked away. Josh walked after her as the rain picked up a bit. Amelia let out a small squeal and started running towards her flat which was now in view. Josh watched her run up the walk way into her flat and burst through the front door. She turned around to look at Josh. "Come on, you'll get soaked before you reach the walkway," she called.

Josh rolled his eyes. "It's not even raining that hard, Amelia. You're such a puss," he called back now that he finally reached the walkway. He walked up the steps and into the open door.

"I'm not a puss Josh, I just don't like the rain," she says simply as she walks into the kitchen. She began emptying the contents of the bags onto the counter. She tossed Josh his crisps as he entered the kitchen behind her.

Josh jumped onto the counter, his feet swinging back and forth as he tossed crisps into his mouth. "What time are the lads come here exactly?" he asks looking into the blue bag.

Amelia turned to look at Josh, pushing her back against the counter. "You're the one that called them. Shouldn't you know that?" she asked raising and eyebrow. Before Josh could answer Amelia's phone began to ring in her pocket. She sighed and took it out before answering it. "Hello?"

"Amelia, you twat. I forgot to introduce you to that lad at your party. Don't think that this is avoidable because it's not," her friend yelled at her on the other end.

Amelia slapped her forehead. She had completely forgotten about the boy she was suppose to meet a few days prior. "Des, I am so sorry. I completely forgot about him."

"You had better be damn sorry. I felt so bad for the poor lad. I invite him to your party thinking maybe I was doing you and him a favor but no. You avoided him. You were attached to Josh for practically the entire night."

"That’s cause Josh is my lover and we're getting married and having kids," Amelia joked whilst she looked at Josh. He raised an eyebrow, confused. Des, she mouthed. Josh nodded once before returning to his crisps. "Besides, why does it matter now? Two days after the party."

"Because I also forgot but that’s beside the point. You need to stop spending so much time with Josh and get a life Amelia. All you've done lately is spend time with him."

The front door burst open before Amelia could answer. "Josh and Amelia, stop shagging!" they hear. Josh rolled his eyes and jumped off the counter to greet his band mates at the door.

Amelia waited for him to leave the kitchen before she slipped into her bedroom. "Josh has only been back from tour for a week. Besides, I'll be spending a lot of time with him for a few days until he goes back to Hanna," she says quietly so Josh won't hear her.

Des was quiet for a little bit. "He fought with Hanna again didn't he?" Des wasn't exactly a stranger to the world of Josh and Hanna. She didn't know every little detail that was their relationship she just knew that they had arguments. Des was aware of how these things worked. Their arguments and how Josh would stay with Amelia for days until he got a call from Hanna then he would go crawling back to her like always. Amelia wouldn't hear from him for days then it starts all over again. "What was it about this time?"

Amelia shrugged, playing with the hem of her jumper. "I'm not quite sure; he wouldn't say much about it. I just know that he was acting strange at the pub and after. He yelled at me."

"But Josh has never raised his voice with you. He must have been proper angry if he snapped."

"That's what I figured. It was odd, I've never heard Josh yell at me before," Amelia says as she sits on her bed. She fell onto the soft comforter and let out a breath she had been holding.

"Something proper bad must have happened if he yelled at you. That's not like Josh, he can be a prat but nothing like that, at least not to you," Des said on the other line. This was true, Josh could be a jerk at times but that was normally to other people, not Amelia. Sure he joked around with her but he meant well, he never means to hurt her.

Amelia stared up at the ceiling, her arm resting above her head. "That's what I'm confused about. Clearly something far worse happened than he's leading me to believe. His story just doesn't match up. He says that he and Hanna just had a regular argument but I've seen how he reacts after a regular argument and it's not even remotely close to how he was yesterday."

"He's holding something back then, he has to be. He always tells you what happens."

"The weird thing is," Amelia began. "When I asked him if anything else happened that he wasn't telling me he didn't answer, he just changed the subject. There's something wrong, I can feel it."

Des sighed. "Welp, he's your best friend. You know him better than anyone and if you feel he's not telling you something than he has to be," she says.

Amelia rubbed her forehead, closing her eyes to think for a second. There was a knock on her bedroom door. "Yeah?" she called lifting her head a little.

The door opened a little and Matt's head popped into the room. "There you are, what are you doing?" he asked opening the door a little more.

"I'll be right there, I'm talking to Des," she says quickly. Matt nodded once and walked back out, closing the door behind him. "Sorry, that was Matt. I should probably get back to the lads. I'll call you tomorrow, promise and we can talk about that bloke you want me to meet, yeah?"

"Alright, you had better call me too, maybe one of the lads knows what Josh is hiding," she says before hanging up.

Amelia tossed her phone onto the bed and sighed. She wished Josh would just tell her already, it was driving her mental but maybe Des was right, maybe he did tell one of the lads. All she had to do was ask when Josh wasn't around but he was always around.

There was another soft knock at the door as Amelia sat up in bed. Before she could answer Max's little head appeared in the crack of the door. He entered the room, smiling. "What are you doing in here?" he asks closing the door.

"I was on the phone with Des," she says.

Max smiles as he crosses the room to her bed. "Oh girl talk sessions?" he asks wiggling his fingers.

Amelia laughs. "No, but I have a question," she says. "Did Josh ever tell you what happened between him and Hanna?"

Josh furrowed his eyebrows and cocked his head to the side. "Not a word, why?" he asks taking a seat next to her on the bed.

Amelia shrugged lifting her hands up before dropping them hard into her lap. "I don't know, I just," she began. "I just think that he's not telling me the whole story you know? He was far too angry for it to be just another fight."

"Well what did he tell you happened?"

"He said that they just yelled and she kicked him out again, that’s all he said and when I asked him if that was all he changed the subject."

Max scratched at the back of his head and shrugged. "Maybe I can ask him and if he tells me anything I'll let you know, yeah?" Amelia nodded. "Don't worry too much about it, yeah? Lets just go and watch some movies, eat food and have fun okay?"

Amelia smiled, wrapping her arms around Max's neck. "Thank you."

Max hugged her back. "No problem, now," he began standing up and pulling Amelia with him. "Let’s not leave people waiting."

Amelia nodded in agreement and led Max out of the bedroom. When she opened the door Josh was walking out of the bathroom. He locked eyes with Amelia who dropped them instantly. He raised an eyebrow at Max who simply smiled and walked into the living room. Josh walked up the Amelia and wrapped his arms around her. He looked down at her and smiled. "What were you and Max doing?" he asked.

Amelia looked up at him, putting her hands on his chest. She shrugged nonchalantly. "Just talking," she says.

Josh nods before kissing the top of her head. "Come on, Dan is dying to start the movie."

Amelia takes a step out of his arms before following him into the living room. Matt, Chris and Dan were sat on chairs whilst Max was sat on the floor in front of the sofa. Josh walked straight over to the sofa and lay down on it.

"There you are!" Dan yelled throwing his hands up in excitement.

Amelia laughed grabbing a blanket off the back of Matt's chair. "Hey Daniel," she smiles.

"Hello love, how’s my favourite person doing?" he asks.

Amelia shrugs walking over to the sofa. "The same and yourself?" Dan just shrugged. "Move over," she tells Josh.

Josh rolled over onto his side and pushed himself up against the back of the sofa. He lifted an arm, motioning for her to lay with him. She rolled her eyes at him before lying down next to him. She threw the blanket over them before Josh wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into him.

"What’s first?" Dan asked.

"Goonies."

"Transformers."

"Howls Moving Castle."

"Never Say Never." Everyone looked at Dan who just shrugged in defense. "What, it's a great movie. Really shows you what it's like to be the biebs."

"Hey Dan, your gay is showing," Matt says.

"It's always showing," Amelia said rolling her eyes.

The boys burst out laughing except for Dan. "Fuck you guys, I hate this band."

"Oh Dan," began Josh. "We're only joking, mate."

Amelia smiled looking at Dan. "Come on Dan, you know I love you," she says.

"Whatever, just put in something, Max," Dan demands with a small smile. He couldn't stay mad at Amelia. Nobody could.

Max threw his hands up and looked at everyone. "Why do I have to put it in? Chris is closest!" He yells.

Chris rolled his eyes, throwing his legs over the side of the chair. "But you're the shortest."

Max narrowed his eyes, mumbling something under his breath that nobody quite understood. He crawled over to the cabinet under the tv and searched for something to watch. Josh buried his face into Amelia's neck, letting his breath hit her bare skin. Amelia closed her eyes, loving the sensation. "Don't fall asleep," she whispered.

Josh closed his eyes and sighed. "I'll try not too," he whispers back. Every time Josh and Amelia cuddled during movie nights Josh always fell asleep. Once in a while Amelia had fallen asleep and she would be bitched at by Josh who was only kidding but still.

Amelia laughed. "I'm serious, Josh."

"I know."

Max sat back in front of the sofa as the movie began to play. Chris flicked the light off from his spot on the couch as the film began playing on the tv in front of the two windows. Amelia pulled the blanket up under her chin, Josh's breath began to even out and become lighter against her skin. Amelia rolled her eyes knowing he had fallen asleep. She could feel his chest rise and fall against her back, the grip he had on her had loosened. She smiled softly as she and the lads continued to watch the film.

&&

Half way through the movie Amelia could feel her eyelids getting heavier and heavier as the movie went on. Josh's body pressed up against her didn't help anymore than the darkness of the room. She tried to get up without waking Josh up but that was impossible. She slowly stood up causing Josh to turn on his back and stretch his arms and legs. His eyes fluttered open and he smiled up at Amelia. "You fell asleep again," Amelia said quietly.

Josh shrugged, not really caring that he slept through half the movie. "I need a drink," he says as he throws himself off the sofa. She watched as Josh walked into the kitchen before she took her seat back on the sofa.

"Me too," Max says before getting up and walking after him. When Max walked into the kitchen Josh was digging around in the fridge looking for something to quench his thirst. He grabbed a bottle of water and turned around as he heard Max walk in. "Hey," Max said. Josh nodded a hello at him as he opened the water bottle and took a sip. "So, you're in a better mood than when I saw you last," he laughed.

Josh let out a breathy laugh. "Yeah, I know. Amelia really calmed me down," he says. "After I snapped at her."

"You snapped at her?" Max asked his eyes wide. Josh nodded. "Wow, you never snap at her. What did you say?"

Josh sighed and rolled his head around. "I told her to stop thinking everyone wants to tell her their problems when they don't," he closed his eyes. "And I basically told her she ruined my relationship with Hanna."

"Whoa," Max said surprised. "What made you turn into such a prat?" he asked.

Josh shrugged nonchalantly, looking down at the water bottle in his hands. "I told her," he said quietly.

Max raised an eyebrow, confused. He told who what? "You told who?"

Josh threw his arms up in the air and sighed. "I told Hanna, I told her everything."

"You told Hanna what?" Max asked still confused. Josh raised his eyebrows as he looked at Max making the answer obvious. "Oh."

"Yeah, so I came here pissed off because I just wanted to say something but I knew I couldn't. I was angry about the fight a little but I just," he sighed. "I didn't mean to snap at her like that but she asked about the fight and I lost it I guess."

"She suspects something," Max said. "That’s what we were talking about earlier. She thinks there’s something that you're not telling her. I told her I would find out for her."

"You can't say anything," Josh said instantly. "You can't say a word; just tell her that the story seemed true enough. Please."

Max nodded. "Of course, but she's only going to keep asking you."

"I know," Josh said in agreement.

I know