Slightly Bruised and Broken From Our Head on Collision

I roll away from a naked Jack and check the time that’s flashing on the bedside table.

“Oh shit!” I yell. Jack opens one eye and looks at me. I get up and quickly pull on my panties and bra. Jack sits up slowly and I turn to him as I do up the clasp on my bra. I look him over and marvel at his body before snapping out of it and returning to my panic.

“DOUBLE DATE JACK!” he blinks slowly at me with his mouth slightly opened. I snap my fingers in front of his face to stop him staring at my boobs and he swings his legs out of bed.

“Okay, double date...” then he turns to look at me.

“Oh shit DOUBLE DATE.” I laugh and I run into the en suite and do my makeup. When I get back into the bedroom, Jack’s wearing a blazer over a blink top that he’s cut into a vest and some leather look jeans. They make his ass look amazing. He turns to me and smiles at the simple dress I’m wearing, I’ve tied my multicoloured hair up into a messy bun and flicked my eyeliner. He smirks at my cleavage and I raise an eyebrow at him.

By the time we actually get there Zack has text me about 20 times asking to ‘make him look cool’ and ‘to not make him sound desperate’ and ‘to make it sound casual’. I reply yes to all of them and get out of the car. I look up at the restaurant we’re meeting them at and take a breath. I turn to Jack only to see Rian and Kara walking towards us, I wave at them and Kara lets go of Rian’s hand to run towards us. She gets to me, hugs me tightly and kisses Jack on the cheek. Rian hovers just behind her and wait for her to finish before putting his hand round her waist.

Half-way through the meal Jack and Rian decide to go to the toilet. And I realise that it’s my chance. I turn to Kara and put down my spoon.

“Erm, Kara. Err. This sounds really strange but are you and Nikki friends?” Kara smiles at me and nods her mouth around her fork. I smile back at her and rip a piece of bread. I chew it slowly and wonder how I’m going to bring it up without making Zack sound stupid.

“Are you and Nikki coming to the gig on Saturday?” Kara laughs

“Of course, are you nervous about it? I heard one of your songs at the band practice I went to a couple of days ago? At Rian’s house? I can’t remember... It was called something...” She pauses and rubs the side of her mouth.

“The Wolves!” she exclaims, grinning. I smile politely back and put my hand up in a so-so gesture.

“I guess.” I say. “I’m a little nervous but I think Zack’s worse.” I laugh gently, and Kara raises an eyebrow.

“Is it because Nikki’s there?” I drop my spoon noisily onto my plate. People turn to look me and I apologize loudly. Kara laughs.

“I take that as a yes then?” she asks. I pause before answering and I weigh my words carefully before I answer.

“Well, er, he says he’s just nervous in general. But I don’t know, I think... err” Kara laughs again.

“Don’t worry; it’s just that Nikki has really liked Zack for a while now. I was just, you know, trying to get them together. They’ve had this sexual tension thing going on for almost a year now.” I snort into my bread and laugh. I decide I like Kara and just as I’m about to ask if she has a plan to get them together Rian and Jack slide back into the booth.

We finish the food and everyone’s thanking each other for a nice evening and we’re just about to leave when Kara leans in a kisses my cheek.

“I’ll text you the details.” She pulls away and winks at me. They walk away and I watch as Rian squeezes her butt, I roll my eyes.

When we get home I’m so tired Jack actually has to support me up the stairs. He undresses me and tucks me into bed and kisses my forehead before wandering back downstairs.

When I wake up and check my phone I have two texts, one from Kara and one from Zack. I check Zack’s first.

“How did it go? What did she say? Did you find anything out?” I don’t know how to reply so I check Kara’s.

“Plan: Tell Zack that you found out that Nikki likes him, but say you didn’t tell me that he liked her. That way he’ll have to ask her himself and she’ll believe me. At the moment she’s all blushing and omg no way he probably doesn’t. Or just make him say that he wrote a song about her and then he’ll play James Dean & Audrey Hepburn.” I reply with ‘sure’ and quickly type out a text to Zack.

“It went well; she really likes you but doesn’t believe that you like her. I think you should tell her that the songs about her. Up to you though x x”

I roll over and am surprised when there is an empty space where Jack’s supposed to be. I grab my phone again and check the time. Its 6:30 in the morning and normally Jack sleeps until at least 9. I frown and swing my legs out of the bed. I pull on one of Jack’s massive t-shirt and I’m about to open the door when I hear a retch from the bathroom. I freeze and turn. Only then do I notice the light spilling out of the crack of the en suite door. I push the door open just in time to see Jack vomit into the toilet.

An hour later I help Jack into bed and push his hair away from his sweaty forehead. He moans a little and sips some water. I put the bowl next to him on the bedside table and kiss his forehead.
“Poor baby” I murmur. He sniffles and sticks out his bottom lip. I leave him to sleep and pad downstairs and see Alex lying entangled on the couch with Taylor. Alex’s t-shirt is on the floor and crumpled and Taylor’s wearing Alex’s jeans. Alex’s head is on Taylor’s stomach and their hands and legs are tangled together. I smile and walk into the kitchen and make myself a coffee. After a couple of minutes I sit at the breakfast bar and wonder if Jack will be well enough in 4 days to play the gig. Just as I start to wonder what caused it Taylor plods in behind me. He’s still wearing Alex’s jeans and he seems to have lost his t-shirt somewhere. I scan his six-pack appreciatively and praise Alex’s choice of men in my head.

“What’s up Taylor?” I ask.

“Want a coffee?” I hold out my cup and he shakes his head, sitting down carefully beside me. The way he winces as he sits down makes me wonder what they did last night. Then immediately regret wondering.

“Do you think, honestly no feelings hurt or anything, that Alex is using me as a rebound?” I choke a little on my coffee and Taylor pats me gently on the back as I cough. I look at him through watering eyes and shake my head violently. I finish coughing and apologise.

“No, no.” I say raising my eyebrows. “Why would you say that? What happened?” Taylor blushes red and looks at his hands. I take a gulp from my coffee and frown a little. He clears his throat.

“Well, I, er it’s kind of embarrassing.” I just look at him and he sighs.

“Last night we were, you know...” he blushes again and flicks his eyes down. I nod to get him to continue.

“And I said yeah Alex, and where he was supposed to say yeah Taylor, he...” he pauses and looks up at me. “He said Kyle’s name.” I look at Taylor over the top of my mug and frown.

“Really!?” I ask, my voice sounds disbelieving. I cough and try again.

“I mean, I suppose he was a big part of his life Taylor. They had been together for as long as a year before, I don’t think it’s anything personal.” Taylor raises an eyebrow and looks kind of forlorn.

“Didn’t you say anything?” Taylor shakes his head.

“Well during I was kind of... you know, preoccupied. And after he seemed so...” Taylor shrugs a little.

“Contented?” it comes out like a question and it makes me feel sorry for him. I rub his back and frown.

“To be honest with you Taylor I don’t really know. Whenever he talks about you he does the stupid little smile and he’s always going on about what you said and what you did and how in love you are.” I glance up and grimace at myself.
“Sorry, I’m probably making him sound like a right dork. But once you get past the vomityness of it, it’s actually kind of cute.” Taylor’s smiling to himself like a dork and I smile.

“I don’t know. Maybe it’s just taking longer to get over Kyle than we expected? I’d ask him about it though if it’s still bothering you.” Taylor frowns a little but nods. He thanks me and excuses himself to find his t-shirt. When he comes back in Alex is behind him as well, Alex’s rubbing at his hair which is still sticking up from whatever happened last night and Taylor’s surveying Alex’s bare chest as he sits down. I motion to the chair next to me and Taylor sits down, wincing again and making Alex smirk. Taylor looks up as Alex looks smug and Taylor flicks at Alex’s outspread fingers. I smile to myself.

“Where’s Jack?” Alex asks. I frown as I wash out my cup and put it on the side to drain.

“He’s sick.” I explain. Alex frowns.

“I think he’ll be fine by Saturday though.” Alex sighs in relief and rubs at his hair again. Taylor reaches over and pushes a bit of hair out of Alex’s eyes. Alex catches his eye and smiles like a dork. I roll my eyes and lean against the counter and look out at the frost on the window. Winter’s defiantly on the way, and you can tell by the cold tiles on the floor and the frost that makes patterns on the window. I’m about to ask Taylor if he’s ever seen Blink live when Alex says something.

“Sorry, about you know. What I said last night.” Taylor looks up into Alex’s eyes and gives him a crooked smile.

“It’s been a week since he’s been in prison and I was just thinking about how he brought us together and stuff and I don’t know. It was really stupid of me. It made me realise that I love you more than I ever loved him.” I smile to myself and look back out the window. It’s starting to snow.