Where I Found You

Chapter 33 - Jack here.

Chapter 33 - Jack here.

I had completely forgotten about The Killers concert that Niall, Katy, Alyssa and I were going to until Niall turns up on my doorstep, his hair cropped shorter than it was again after being away at Sheffield. Without talking to him, I glance over to Katy's house to see that she's not back for Christmas yet, and neither is Alyssa. But he's here.

"It's tomorrow," he says hurriedly, all in a blur. "Um, do you think that Katy'll be alright?"

"Wait- what?"

"We're going to see the Killers," Niall reminds me, raising one dark eyebrow. I hear Dan calling me from the kitchen but I step outside and close the door. "Right. Well, I dunno. I haven't spoken to either of you for ages. I dunno how she is."

I don't know why I'm being like this - cold and patronising - but I guess I have every right to be because of how cold he and Katy were when Alyssa and I flew in to save them in that fucking forest.

Niall stares at me for a while, his whole frame frozen, his shoulders back. Then it's as if the freeze frame is over and he moves again, shifting his balance from foot to foot and shaking his head. "Alright, whatever. I'll call you when you're not in this mood."

"What the fuck." I stare at him, suddenly really annoyed. "You're the one who was all weird when Alyssa and I came over all the way from Cambridge to get you and your girlfriend out of the forest because of your stupidity."

"Hey, Katy was really injured-"

"And you both didn't even say thanks or anything," I finish. Immediately I feel like a child, but I can't help but let him know I feel about him; about Katy; about people in general these days. I'm so fucking sick of it all.

"You could just tell me you don't wanna go to the concert and that's fine." Niall doesn't get the point.

He's incapable of understanding - either that, or he is just trying to move the topic away from the whole forest thing. I stare at him and stay silent, my arms now crossed over my chest. He begins to look shifty, and drops my gaze.

Then we hear the car.

It's a loud beep, so loud that I jump without controlling it after our heated discussion. Niall immediately begins to walk away towards the road as I spot Alyssa's blue Toyota, and I sit down on my doorstep, leaving them to say hi.

I realise that I'm being too angry. I realise, but I can't help it and I want to stop but it isn't possible. When I feel like this the least I want to do is smile. Niall begins to talk to Alyssa as she climbs out, but I can't hear what either of them are saying as Alyssa walks around to the boot of the car and Niall follows her. She looks faintly pissed off, to be quite honest. Only faintly.

She meets my gaze after that, her scarf blowing around her in the sudden harsh wind, and gives a small smile before hauling her bag out of her boot. Then she leaves it there, along with Niall who is still speaking as she walks away, towards me.

"How's it going?" She asks, raising an eyebrow. It's as if we are just friends, as she stands there with her hands on her hips, staring down at me. I slowly stand up and we stare at eachother.

"Better now you're here."

A small smile. "I thought so. You look kind of sad, is Niall tormenting you?"

"Yeah, about the Killers." I slowly grab her waist, and my hands aren't shaking, just firm, and she steps forward, and then her hands are on either side of my face as she kisses me deeply - there's no warming up or leading up, she just gets right into it. The kiss is hungry and urgent, and I want to take her away somewhere as she touches my hair and then shoulder and then arm and chest and stomach, her warm touch burning through my December cold shirt, and she has too many layers on and I don't have enough. There is so much between us, even when I firmly press her against me and wrap one arm around her waist, and there is nowhere to go but here so both of us continue to hold on and on and