I can't help but blush a little when I tell Rebekah about my date with Ian. She's overly excited by the fact that Ian is such a gentleman to me. To be honest, it feels a little strange. All I've ever known was my love for Matt ...something that clearly wasn't a two-way street. I'm not used to the fact that a male behaves himself nicely around me and actually shows interest, instead of arguing until the end of time. 

Over the next two weeks, Ian and I have been on a few more dates. It feels like there's a real connection between us and I love the fact that we can talk about anything, even Matty. Ian knows I'm still healing and respects that, which means a lot to me. We did share a kiss or two, but just little pecks. Nothing intense, yet. We decided to go separate to the EMA's and not as a couple. The red carpet at least, because we're seated next to each other, it's not like we chose for that to happen.

Since my last single is about losing someone, being heartbroken, I don't want people to think Ian is just a rebound. We both know the press would be all over it, especially because Ian has a policy to normally not date the people he works with. I told him I didn't want to rush into things and if the press would be breathing down our necks, it wouldn't make it any easier for us. Publicity can be a blessing and a curse at the same time, Ian knows that like no other.

***

'O, my, God! I can't believe I'm on a frikkin' private jet!'

Rebekah's voice squeals high as she starts to jump up and down on one of the seats. Ian, Tyler, and I can't help but laugh at her childish behavior.

'I take it you've never been on one then?'

Ian smirks unable to contain a low chuckle. I slide down into another seat my eyes still focused on Bheks. Her enthusiasm almost makes me want to jump on my seat as well. Her eyes have a shimmer in them, like a ten-year-old who gets to open her Christmas present a day early. She stops jumping as soon as she hears Ian, narrowing her eyes at him.

'I'm sorry I'm such a horrible sister, that I've never been with Lex on one of these! But I've got a pretty busy life myself, you know.'

She mocks while plopping down in her seat. Tyler laughs as he gets seated next to her and gives her a kiss on the cheek.

'Don't worry about it darlin', I thought it was cute.'

Tyler reassures her, Rebekah smiles a little shy back at him as if saying a silent thank you. But her eyes quickly dart to Ian when he makes another smart-ass retort.

'At least that makes one of us.'

He huffs as he pours himself a drink and I can't help but roll my eyes.

'Ian, don't be an ass. We all did the exact same thing the first time around and you know it!'

I chuckle. Ty and Bheks both join in on the laughter knowing that I'm telling the truth, but Ian stays quiet. Although I can see a little smirk hinting on his face from the corner of my eyes. Telling me that it indeed is true, although he doesn't wanna admit it.

'Ah-hum! Your not the only one who's thirsty mister...'

I cough as if I'm dying from dehydration. Ian turns around towards me and gulps his drink down in one sip, licking his lips after.

'Oh, really?'

He asks with an innocent tone and a smug smile plastered on his face as I walk toward him. He knows the kitchen, if you can even call it a kitchen, is way too small to fit multiple people in it. And it doesn't look like he's willing to step aside. When I try to grab the handle of the fridge next to him he blocks me.

'Ian, give me something to drink!'

I demand, crossing my arms. His grin only grows wider and I immediately know what he's thinking about as I see him glare quickly at one of the spout drink bottles filled with water next to him.

'Don't you dare!'

I warn him, but it's too late. He grabs the bottle and squirts a stream of water on me, laughing hysterically. I immediately go into war mode and snatch two bottles next to him, since he's too occupied controlling his laughter. You're on! Creating a jet of water I splash it all over Ian's face. The cabin turns into a war zone with water flying all over the place. Rebekah and Ty both join in as soon as they get caught in the crossfire and we keep on going until we're all soaked and run out of water.

'Ian ...you're such a dick.'

I groan as I wipe a few wet strains of hair out of my face.

'Don't be like that Lex, you were the one complaining this morning about not having enough time to shower.'

He laughs as he wrings out his shirt, showing me a glimpse of his nice body. My eyes linger on his torso for a few seconds until my brain connects to my body again and I snap up, only to see Ian with a huge smug grin on his face. I roll my eyes at him shaking my head a little as I turn my attention to Rebekah and Tyler.

'I don't know what you're gonna do, but I'm gonna change into my pajamas and watch a movie.'

The three of them nod and Rebekah and Tyler walk over to the other part of the plain leaving me and Ian together to change. I open up one of my suitcases and grab two towels, a black tank top, and a pair of black shorts. I throw one towel against Ian's head as I see he's looking at my butt.

'Here, hot stuff. You're dripping onto the floor. Or are you drooling from looking at my ass?'

He chuckles as he pulls off his shirt and starts drying himself off. I gulp as soon as I see his torso fully exposed. His chest still damp from all the water makes his body only look sexier and I tug my lip a little between my teeth, admiring the view. Not bad at all...

'Who's drooling now, huh?'

He teases and I can feel my cheeks flush bright red. I quickly turn around and start drying my hair, hoping he didn't notice my shyness.

'Screw you.'

I simply state. After a minute or two I quickly glance over my shoulder to see if Ian is looking. He's crouched in his boxers next to his suitcase busy searching for something to wear. I quickly turn back around, fully knowing I would get distracted by the sight of him if I look for too long. I rush out of my wet clothes, drying myself off as quickly as humanly possible before I jump into my dry clothes still feeling a bit cautious about my body. Ian and I haven't slept together yet, so showing my body still feels a little ...early. He slept in the guest room last night though. Only because we had too much to drink for him to drive back home and I insisted he'd stay the night, but still. When I turn around I see Ian standing at the counter making another drink. He's wearing a pair of black sweatpants and a white hoodie, a part of me was hoping for something more revealing. Don't get me wrong, it suits him well. But on the other hand... I've just seen him in his boxers and just thinking about it makes me blush again.

'You want something?'

He asks without turning around like he sensed me watching him.

'Coffee. In a mug this time.'

I chuckle and Ian nods while he grabs a mug out of the cabinet, putting it underneath the coffee machine.

***

'So, what movie are we watching?'

Ty asks going through a list on the television.

'What about an action movie?'

I suggest and I can see both of the boys are stunned by it while Bheks chuckles at the look on their faces.

'For fuck's sake! What did you guys think?
That I was gonna suggest a chick-flick? I am a sucker for romance, like any girl. But I'm not someone who's gonna force two guys to watch it with me, especially when they're stuck on a damn plane!'

The boys both laugh, but Rebekah and I both notice the relief in their expressions. Idiots.

'What about an agreement then? Why don't we watch the Lord of the Rings?
We've got plenty of time to watch them, that is if you all like a bit of fantasy...'

Ian asks and Rebekah and Tyler both nod at his suggestion.

'You're such a nerd.'

I tease and I can see a hint of shyness appear on his face. Not that it's something to be ashamed of. I mean, I think every person has a little bit of a geek inside of them.

'I'm just kidding Ian. I love the Lord of the Rings.'

Ian smiles and starts the movie. After a few minutes, I start shuffling in my seat and for some reason I just can't seem to find a comfortable position. Which surprises me because they're pretty luxurious soft and wide chairs. Ian notices my discomfort and pats his hand on his leg, eyeing me to come and sit with him. I gladly accept and grab a blanket from the stack laying next to the suitcases before I walk over to Ian. See, being small sometimes has its perks too. I think as I cramp up on Ian's lap resting my head on his chest. Silently we continue to watch the movie as I hear the serene beating of his heart.

Ty and Bheks, who's also sitting on Ty's lap, don't even make it to the end of the first one. Both of them in are in a deep slumber as Ian puts on the second one. I stand up for a brief moment, grabbing a bottle of coke and another blanket, covering Rebekah and Tyler with it. Ian smiles as he sees me tug them in before I walk back over to Ian placing myself back in the same position as before, as I whisper.

'Shush. They look cute together and I don't want them to get cold.'

'It's really sweet of you, babe.'

He says while his finger traces my jawline. He places his lips briefly on mine before turning his attention back to the movie. In the middle of the third part, I can feel my eyelids getting heavy and I happily surrender to the darkness as I snuggle against Ian's chest.

***

I end up being woken up by the voice of the flight attendant telling us we're half an hour away from landing. We all get up quickly and change into our normal clothing before the plane lands on the ground. When we leave the plain we all walk to an exit in the back of the airfield. Before departure Delphine phoned me about it telling me she arranged a limousine with tinted windows to pick us up there, that way no one would know we were there yet, avoiding the paparazzi.

At first, I thought she was overreacting but as soon as we drive out of the airport I can see a massive crowd of people gathered by the entrance, holding notepads and hoping to get a glimpse of any celebrity to come out of the airport. My guess is because of the EMA's a lot of known artists are arriving from here, so it's only natural for them to try and get an autograph or photo with their favorite stars. Once we arrive at our hotel, we're all a bit stunned by the fact that Delphine booked us only two suites with two double beds. Maybe she sees more than we think? Rebekah looks at me questioning what to do, she knows Ian and I haven't slept in the same bed yet. She eyes me telling me it's alright if I wanna sleep with her, but I know that she would also love to sleep together with Tyler. Paris is the city of love after all. My eyes glance over to Ian, and he nods understandingly while I debate with myself for a couple of seconds before speaking up.

'I'll share the bed with Ian.'

As soon as he hears my words I can see a little smile creeping up his face, clearly expecting another answer.

'You sure?'

Rebekah asks, after which she turns her attention to Ian holding her hand up to him as she says.

'No offense.'

He smiles, knowing exactly what she meant by that while I nod confirming.

'Alright. Now that's taken care of, what are we gonna do first?'

Tyler asks excitedly about the fact we're in Paris, a day and a half early. Even though it's nighttime at the moment I can see he's excited to get out, Bheks is also stoked with the thought of getting to see Paris. Me on the other hand... I'm tired as fack and I can't suppress a yawn escaping my mouth. All in all, they got about five hours of sleep on the plane, while I just had about an hour and Ian not even half of that. Since he told me he fell asleep just a few minutes before the flight attendant woke us up again. Ian also starts to yawn and we both eye each other, thinking the exact same thing. They can go out with just the two of them, while we catch up on some sleep.

'Are you guys serious right now?! It's freaking PARIS!'

Bheks groans a little disappointed that we want to stay in. Ty on the other hand looks rather pleased, knowing where we're going with this.

'Why don't both of you go alone together? Date night in Paris isn't bad either...'

I grin at Rebekah, whose mood suddenly lights up a little.

'T-That would be nice...'

She whispers shyly. Ian, Tyler, and I nod, getting our stuff to our rooms.

'We'll settle for a romantic sleep-in.'

I mumble at them and I can hear Rebekah's giggle before parting our ways. Ian and I both don't waste any time and drop our luggage onto the floor. I make my way to the bathroom to change, while Ian does the same in the bedroom. When I come back after a few minutes I can see him laying in bed already, his eyes barely open. I hop onto, more likely climb into bed, because it's freakin huge! And crawl next to Ian, while he lifts up an arm as an invitation to come and lay in his arms and I don't decline. I position myself into his arms and we end up spooning in bed. His arm dripped over me, holding me tightly against his chest. I can feel he's only wearing a pair of shorts, but honestly, I'm too tired to pay more attention to it.

'Night, babe.'

He whispers softly in the crook of my neck.

'Goodnight...'

I manage to murmur back. For a second I can feel him breathe in the scent of my skin before we both doze off into a deep slumber.

***

The next day we all went sightseeing in Paris. The Eiffel Tower and the Notre Dame were the two that stood out of all of them. Their beauty in this city of love was un compared as the sun stood high and I admired every single second we were able to to be there. After a long day of walking through the city, we were finally able to sit down as we arrived at a stunning little French bistro restaurant. As I slide into the comfortable seat I almost have to suppress a groan of relief. My feet are killing me! Wearing a pair of heels that are 6 inches long, clearly wasn't my best idea ever to go sightseeing. Rebekah sits down beside me as Tyler and Ian both sit at the opposite side of the table. Ty across from Bheks and Ian opposite from me. I know Rebekah needs a breather as well, she had the same bloody idea as me this morning, referring to the shoes. We all grab a menu and as I start reading it I slightly gulp when I notice it's written in only French, fuck! My eyes scout over the pages searching for something that looks somewhat familiar. Boeuf Bourguignon, thank god. I know my French sucks, but at least I know that much because I really don't want to make a fool out of myself. I put down the menu and look over to the others, Ian and Ty seem to have made up their minds as well, only Rebekah is still scouting over the menu and her face tells me she's panicking inside. Her language skills are about the same height as her electronic skills, close to none. Just when I want to speak up Tyler beats me to it.

'You need some help, darlin'?'

Tyler grins, but Rebekah shakes her head. Stubborn as always.

'I'm fine.'

She mutters, not at all convincing. The waiter comes to our table, asking us if we've made up our minds. We all nod and start ordering. After the three of us have given our order we turn our attention to Rebekah as I take a sip of my wine.

'Salade de escargots for me, please.'

She says smiling at the waiter. I nearly spit out my drink as I hear the words leave her mouth. Is she crazy?! My French isn't good either. But hell, even I know that escargot means snail. I eye Ian and he clearly is holding back his laughter as well. I swallow my sip of wine trying not to choke on it as I put my glass back on the table. God, this will be rich... My gaze darts over to Tyler who's eyeing us to keep quiet about it. Knowing Bhek's she probably saw the word Salade, Salad, and thought she'd be just fine. I nod my head just a twitch, to let him know we're in for the joke as the waiter walks off. I slip out of my heels and put my bare feet on the cold stone, glad to relax them for a while.

'So, what's the plan tomorrow?'

Rebekah breaks the silence and I smile knowing that she has no clue what's happening.

'Well, between ten and twelve Delphine is supposed to arrive with our clothing and everything that goes with it. After that, it's a race against the clock to get ready in time.
You and Ty will go together in one limo, while Ian and I both take separate ones. Delphine said she would bring Ian and Ty's clothing as well and Ty's agent took care of the rides, they will all drive different routes to make sure they don't suspect a thing about me and Ian, or us all coming here together.'

I say feeling a little conflicted. I know Ian and I can't let anyone see us together yet, for multiple good reasons. I don't want the press to think of Ian as just a rebound guy, it just doesn't feel that way to me. And because of Ian's policy, we need to ease it for a bit and gently bring it out to the public. At the right time, which obviously isn't now with my new album around the corner. People just gossip to fucking much! I groan to myself. Ian sees my discomfort, knowing what I'm thinking about and he gives me a small wink assuring me that it's gonna be alright. I return a small smile, although I'm not completely convinced. It's just that I hate secrets, it makes life too complicated. Even though I've got plenty of them buried in my own closet. Ian knows about Matty, which is definitely a pro. At least I can scratch that one off the list. 

But some things I just can't tell him, because they aren't mine to tell. Technically I have nothing to do with them anymore, but it has also been a major part of my past and it can be dangerous for him, or anyone else for that matter to know about it. My best friend, who is a doctor that goes to third world countries and is currently somewhere around Saudi Arabia, if I'm correct... She moves, a lot. She found out by accident, it was when we were fifteen and she came over to my house to chill and she overheard a conversation she wasn't meant to hear. She wasn't mad at all, she understood completely why I kept it from her and promised me to never speak of it again unless I would start talking about it myself. Thus we never spoke about it again... Which makes it a difficult and annoying position for me to sit in. I never had this problem before and it's bugging me to no end. As sad as it sounds it has always been me, my brother and sister, my best friend Néomy and Matt. Also Ty now too, but he isn't my burden to bear and I know Rebekah's probably struggling with the same issue as me. But Ian, he is my burden. I have no freaking idea what to do with it... A part of me just doesn't wanna lie to him, because it goes against my own principles, and I absolutely hate doing something that goes against my believes. I just don't wanna do it, period! But my head also tells me not to be stupid. It is in fact dangerous for people to know and I don't want to endanger him or anyone else. 

...And then there's that nagging tiny voice waaaaay back at the end of my mind saying, you just don't trust him enough to know... The worst part about it, it's true. Something inside of me tells me to be cautious, I don't really know if it's because of my history with Matt and lack of trust, or something else... I just can't put my finger on it.

I jump a little in my seat when the waiter places a plate of food in front of me. Jeez, I must've spaced out for a pretty long time! I look up giving Ian a small smile as I grab my knife and fork and start eating silently focusing back on my plate. After a few seconds, I feel Ian's eyes piercing through me. He's probably wondering why I spaced out like a stoner on a Saturday evening for about ten minutes and now act as if nothing happened... Am I bipolar? I wonder as he shifts his attention to his food and continues his conversation with Tyler. After a minute or two, while butchering my food, Rebekah nudges my knee with hers under the table.

'Are you alright?'

She whispers, knowing I'm not. I focus my eyes for a couple of seconds on the boys making sure they aren't listening in on us. They're in a major discussion about who's the best FIFA player and I turn back to Rebekah slightly shaking my head, boys will be boys, while she's also concealing her laughter.

'Not sure. A part of me hates lying about our past, even though he hasn't asked. You know how I think about these kinda things...'

I murmur to Rebekah in hushed tones while making sure they are not changing their attention toward us. She sighs and nods, which confirms me she's feeling the same way.

'I know, but it's too dangerous. You and I both know that! Believe me, I hate it just as much as you do. For years I've been avoiding even going near the subject with Matt, or anyone else for that matter.'

She whispers I drop my head a little when I hear his name, surprisingly it's not because of the history we shared but of my compassion towards Rebekah. They have been best friends for many years and he still doesn't know. At least I don't have to lie to Néomy anymore, even though we don't talk about it I don't have that annoying feeling with me anymore, the need to tell. Rebekah must've struggled with not telling Matt, probably still, since they still talk very often on the phone. I don't ever ask about it though, I never did since the day he left. I just wanted to avoid it altogether. It's better not to know what your missing, right? And now Rebekah has a second one to whom she must keep her mouth shut. Aren't we just the perfect fucking family? No, just a bunch of fucked up minds, all together. I huff to myself as Rebekah murmurs softly.

'Don't look so gloomy. I know it's fucked up, but at least we don't have anything to do with it anymore.'

I nod agreeing with that statement. She's right, all of that shit is over now ...and I just need to start fresh. I smile feeling a little better, Rebekah's right, it's downright dangerous to tell them and besides, it isn't our problem anymore... So why bring it up? I continue my eating and after a little while, Rebekah turns into my directing with a smirk plastered on her face. I lift an eyebrow at her slightly confused why she's looking at me that way, it looks creepy.

'And why aren't you wearing your shoes by the way? Are you being a little naughty?'

She whispers teasingly, I roll my eyes at her exasperated. Does she really think of me as such a girl?

'My feet hurt from the walking and I know yours do too! Your bad you're wearing straps.'

I huff not interested in entertaining her line of thoughts.

'Aww, come on! Live a little already...'

She whines, she just can't help herself, can she? I sigh as I turn back to her

'Seriously?! I'm not going to foot-hump him while you guys are sitting here! You crazy?!'

I whisper yell at her, desperate for her to leave the subject alone. But she quickly catches up on me. Fuck me for having a twin that basically can read my damn mind! I curse as she stares at me almost shocked after which quickly a grin appears on her face.

'First of... Stop mentally cursing at me for knowing you, I know your doing it.'

She whispers giving me a serious look as I roll my eyes out of frustration, she knows me too damn well.

'So, you haven't done anything together yet, huh?'

She asks mockingly, although she knows the answer. I give her a nasty glare after which I whisper yell back.

'Screw you, I'm just not ready yet!'

'It's Matt, isn't it?'

Her question actually startles me, is it? I don't think of myself as a prude, not at all. But I also never really had much interest in a sexual relationship with someone else than Matt. Is that the reason I'm taking things slow? It never really occurred to me before. I mean at first Ian and I took it slow because I was still dealing with the issue of Matt himself, but lately I've been feeling a lot better...

'It isn't.'

I say after a few seconds of analyzing the situation slightly baffled myself, coming to the revelation that I'm actually healing from Matt. Rebekah also looks slightly stunned, my reaction was enough for her to know I'm in a jumble myself as well.

'...Then what is it?'

She whispers, slightly confused. I look over at him, to see he's still in a heated conversation with Ty. I study him for a minute, taking in his features. His looks most certainly don't have anything to do with it. He is a catch with his short blond hair and ocean-blue eyes. His body is well-built and his white v-neck shirt only compliments it even better. There really isn't anything wrong with him. Sure we don't know each other completely, but who does after such a short time? It isn't that strange I'm feeling the way I do. Everyone probably would, right? But to be true, I don't really know what holds me back from going further with him. Maybe I just didn't realize that I was ready...

'Nothing, I think.'

I say truthfully to Rebekah, she's my sister and she knows me. I think I just need to hear her nagging for me to realize that there really isn't anything standing in the way.

'Then what are you waiting for? I dare you...'

She grins, as I stare at her my eyes shooting daggers. Dammit! I never was one to back out of a dare, fuck me and my damn ego! I grunt as I mumble a couple of curse words under my breath, silently strangling Rebekah with my eyes but she smirks back at me. She knows I'm gonna do it just because she dared me to and she's clearly going to enjoy every bloody second of my agony. I take in a small gasp, mentally kicking myself for not being able to shove aside my pride as I cross one of my legs over my knees. Please, just kill me now! I plead, but when will someone ever listen? With one hand I'm trying to cover half of my face gracefully, just downright embarrassed because of what I'm about to do. I bite my lip as I shift my gaze from Rebekah who's trying to hold in her laughter. Dumb bitch, you're the one eating snails and you don't even realize it! That thought makes me feel slightly, secretly a lot, better. Knowing I'll be the one laughing a lot harder in a minute. I literally scratch all of my courage together looking at Ian who's still talking to Ty. Maybe he won't even notice since he's so busy with the conversation? Yeah right, who am I kidding... Biting my lower lip and still holding one of my hands over one side of my face, glancing at Ian's reaction I bring my foot towards his leg and start stroking back and forth over the inside towards his crotch, slowly, while making sure I don't make any noise. I can see Ian instantly clenching his yaw as his eyes dart toward me for a second. Shit! He tries to be the stronger man and chooses to try to ignore what I'm doing to him and turns his attention back to Tyler. Although his short phrases and the tension readable on his body and face are telling me more than enough. God! I can't believe I'm doing this... After another minute I slowly move over to his crotch and immediately I feel the bulge in his pants. Oh, fuck. I can't help but bite my lip, getting a little turned on myself, knowing he's riled up by me this easily does help my confidence. I slowly stroke the bulge in his pants and I can see a vein in his neck is nearly bursting from the tension he's under. Tyler also starts to notice something is off since the conversation dies down as Ian clamps his jaw together.

'Bro, you alright?'

Tyler asks concerned and Ian's eyes dart over to me pleading for me to stop.

'Lex!'

He warns me through clenched teeth and I can't hold it in anymore. I pull my foot back and burst into laughter together with Rebekah. Oh my God! We lay against each other as tears roll down our cheeks. Tyler just stares at us completely confused and I can see Ian is surprised that Rebekah apparently knows what I was doing to him. After a couple of minutes, we manage to catch our breaths and sit up straight.

'She dared me.'

I state simply as I take another bite of my food since there is still a little left on my plate.

'You two are the worst!'

Ian scoffs and I have to retain myself from laughing again. Tyler still stares at us confused as Ian continues to empty his plate.

'I dared Lex to ...as she calls it, foot-hump, Ian.'

Bheks chuckles while finishing her last bite, Ty bursts into laughter immediately understanding why Ian looked so tense. 

'You got lucky, I didn't get a thing.'

He laughs, while Ian shakes his head in demise.

'Strap heels.'

Rebekah explains making Tyler grin, knowing she isn't bluffing. If she could've, she probably would've done it before me.

'It was fun to watch though.'

She teases amused. I can't help myself as an evil grin creeps on my face and I glance over at the boys who already both have their hands over their mouths, trying to stifle their laughter.

'Honey, you're the one who just ate a plate of snails...
Jokes on you.'

I say, clicking my tongue so sweetly it sounds evil. Her face instantly turns as white as a sheet and the three of us burst out in laughter, nearly peeing our pants as Rebekah storms off to the toilet while yelling and cursing at us. Causing the whole restaurant to look at us, the three of us only laughing harder. Brilliant!

***

Hey, my dear Ghosts!💖

I'm sorry for the long wait, I know this chapter was way overdue! I've just been crazy AF.
That's one of the reasons I made this one a little longer and I wanted you guys to see some more of Ian. What are your thoughts about him?🤔
Like😏 or Not😒??

Also please vote and comment on my chapters if you like them!🙈
I love feedback and as you most likely know votes mean a lot to us Wattpad authors.❤️
I'll try and update more frequently!

Xoxo Dominique.💋