"You were a bit hard on him," I said to Callie as we walked back into the lounge.

She stopped dead in her tracks and stared at me in undisguised disbelief.

"Are you actually joking?" she sneered. "He's all over Twitter for shagging another model. Haven't you seen?"

"Yes, I've seen Twitter, and no, he isn't shagging her," I said, shortly. "We've talked about it, briefly. It isn't how it looks. When is it ever?" I added, and her face softened.

"True," she muttered. "Sorry. My head's all over the place and I hate men right now."

We settled on the sofa and I muted the TV.

"So, come on. What's happened?" I asked. "You said you think James is cheating on you?"

Her bottom lip trembled and she quickly pulled it between her teeth and looked down at the carpet.

"He sent me this message..." She pulled her phone out and read aloud in a trembling voice, "'Hi beautiful. Sorry I can't see you tonight but I can't get away. How about Friday night?' Two kisses." She paused and looked up at me. "He'd literally just got off the phone to me after making arrangements to see me after work, then he sent me this. And he knows I'm out for a work convention on Friday!" she wailed, dropping her head into her hands and sobbing. "That message was meant for someone else, I know it was!"

I put my arms around her and rubbed her back, my mind whirring. "Callie - have you asked him about it?" I asked, after a minute.

There was a pause while she sniffed. "No."

"Maybe there's an innocent explanation?" I suggested softly. "Maybe something happened right after your phonecall, so he can't get away from work to see you, and he's forgotten you're busy on Friday?"

Callie didn't answer, but cried quietly into my shoulder.

"Has he done anything else to make you suspect he's being unfaithful?" I asked.

"Things haven't been the same," she said, vaguely. "I've felt like he's been distant lately. He's been busy with work so I haven't seen him as much as usual."

"Do you think... maybe... you've jumped to the wrong conclusion?" I said gently.

"I don't know," she mumbled, but her tone suggested this was a strong possibility.

"Why don't you call him and ask him about it?" I said. "Put your mind at rest?"

"And say what? 'Hi babe, just checking - are you cheating on me?'"

"No, just ring him and ask why he's suddenly unavailable tonight when he told you he was free," I offered.

"I don't think I can," she said, her voice wobbling. "I'll be able to tell if he's lying to me and I don't think I'm ready to deal with that just yet."

"You've got to!" I exclaimed. "Where's the Callie I know, who never takes any shıt from anyone, least of all men?!"

"Under James's thumb," she mumbled, covering her face with her hands.

"Not for much longer," I said, firmly, picking up her phone and handing it to her. "Ring him and ask him. Take back control."

I stood up and she looked up at me nervously. "Where are you going?" she asked.

"To get us a drink," I replied. "Do you want wine? Or a brew?"

"Just a brew, I think," she sighed. "Not really in the mood for wine. I want you to listen to the call, though. I'll ring him on speakerphone. Tell me if you think he's bullshittıng me."

"OK," I chuckled. "But I am the last person to detect bullshit."

"Maybe because you've never really had to listen to it," she mumbled. "Not from Harry, anyway."

I stopped dead in my tracks and looked at her in surprise. "Oh my God - are you actually sticking up for Harry?!"

She gave me a sheepish smile. "He's not that bad, I suppose."

"Why the change of heart?" I asked unable to keep the grin from my face or the wave of happiness from rising in me.

She paused, and then shrugged. "I think he's genuine. He's stuck around this long, hasn't he? And he's not exactly short of options. I still think he's a bit of a prat, but he's harmless."

I couldn't help laughing. "He's not a prat! Don't be mean."

She gave me an indulgent half-smile. "He is a little bit, though, isn't he? Come on."

I laughed harder. "No!" I protested. "He's not at all. He's kind, and thoughtful, and funny, and sweet, and gentle, and genuine..."

"OK, OK," Callie sighed, but she was smiling. "I get it. You love him. There are none so blind as those who will not see."

"Oi!" I scolded, throwing a cushion at her, and she laughed.

I took mine and Harry's empty mugs into the kitchen and put Harry's in the sink, then took a fresh one out of the cupboard for Callie. While I was waiting for the kettle to boil I sent a quick text to Harry.

To: Harry: Did you get home OK? Change your boxers? ;) x

I was just pouring the boiled water into the mugs when my phone pinged with a reply.

From: Harry: Yeah. Let's never mention that again. Ever. xx

I giggled to myself as I stirred the drinks, and then quickly sent a reply back.

To: Harry: Haha! Sorry we couldn't talk tonight, and thanks for all the stuff you brought round for me. That was incredibly sweet. Even Callie is warming to you x

My phone pinged immediately.

From: Harry: What did she say?

To: Harry: She said you weren't that bad. Believe me, that's progress. Got to go now x

From: Harry: xxx

I took the mugs back into the lounge where Callie was fiddling with her phone.

"So, are you ready to call James?" I prompted. "The sooner you get it over with, the better."

She nodded, and hurriedly pulled his name up onto her screen and swiped to dial.

"Wait - don't you want to think about what to say?!" I asked, but she shook her head firmly and pressed the speakerphone button so the sound of the phone ringing filled the room.

"Hi babe," James answered.

"Hi," Callie said. "What's the deal with tonight?"

"I'm stuck at work," he sighed. "My boss is being an arse. I have to stay until we've got everything wrapped up."

Callie looked at me nervously and I waved my hand, gesturing for her to continue.

"You couldn't have called me to tell me that?" she pressed.

"He was breathing down my neck at the time. He's only just left the room now. Sorry babe. Can we do Friday instead?"

"You know I'm at a work convention on Friday night," she said, uncertainly.

"Oh yeah, I forgot! Sorry. You're free Saturday though, aren't you?"

"Yeah," Callie muttered.

"OK so shall we go out for dinner then?"

"'K," she said.

"Great. I've got to go, babe. I'll text you later. Love you."

"Love you," Callie replied unenthusiastically, and ended the call. "He's fucķing lying to me," she declared.

"What?!" I said, in disbelief. "He's just explained everything!"

"He's lying," she said, flatly. "He's seeing someone else. I know it."

Her bottom lip trembled, and I put my arms around her again as she began to cry, feeling completely confused at this whole situation.

"I know you think I'm crazy," she sobbed. "But I know him. I know by the tone of his voice that he's lying."

"He sounded genuine to me," I said, gently.

"You don't know him as well as I do," she wailed.

I held her while she cried, and when she finally pulled away and sniffed, she looked broken.

"I don't know what I'm going to do," she said, miserably.

"Nothing," I said quickly. "You haven't got any proof, and I still think there's a chance you might be mistaken. Don't go accusing him of something like this when he might be innocent. You could ruin everything."

"I'll find proof," she said, darkly. "I'm not going to let him take me for a ride."

"Callie... don't go looking for something that isn't there," I said, as diplomatically as I could. "If you look hard enough you'll see what you want to see. I really think you should give him the benefit of the doubt on this one."

"We'll see," she muttered.

She seemed reluctant to discuss it further after that, and we settled down to watch the rest of Titanic in silence. She left around midnight, promising me she wouldn't do anything rash, and I fell into bed exhausted.

Sarah was full of excitement the next day at work because Grimmy had announced that Radio 1 had the exclusive first play of One Direction's new single, Perfect, the following morning at ten to eight. She convinced me to come into work early so we could both listen to it together, so I told Harry this when he texted me to remind me about it that evening. The boys had already arrived in Dublin ahead of their concert the next day, and I wished him luck for the show, and promised to let him know what I thought of the new song once I had heard it.

I was on the tube the next morning at twenty past seven, and arrived in the office just before quarter to eight. A few people were in already, and Sarah had tuned into Radio 1 and was listening intently when I walked through the door.

"Cutting it fine, aren't you?!" she hissed. "They're about to play it, hurry up!"

"Alright, alright," I grinned, putting my bag down behind my desk. "I've got five minutes yet."

"Pfft, I think I liked you better when you were a full-on Directioner," she sniffed. "You just don't get excited over this stuff anymore."

"I think I've made great progress," I argued. "I didn't listen to their music for weeks after I broke up with Harry. At least I don't burst into tears at the mention of his name."

"Shh! It's coming on!" she said, and I rolled my eyes as she turned the volume up on the radio while Nick Grimshaw was talking to a fan live on air, about to introduce the song.

Everyone in the office fell silent and looked up as I perched on the edge of the desk next to Sarah, the opening line of the song filling the office.

I might never be your knight in shining armour....

It immediately made me think of Calvin's furious face muttering something about Harry bursting in like a knight in shining armour at my parents' house back in May, and I inwardly smiled at this memory.

"Louis," Sarah breathed, almost to herself, as the first verse played.

When I first saw you from across the room I could tell that you were curious...

"That's Liam!" Sarah swooned, as my heart lurched at the memory of first locking eyes with Harry at the house party in Primrose Hill. The image of him was still burned into my eyelids. I doubted I would ever forget it. I turned my attention back to the song again.

But if you like causing trouble up in hotel rooms....

My heart lurched again.

And if you like having secret little rendezvous...

Wait, what?!

I felt a rush of heat through my body at the familiarity of these words, and I jumped off the desk and reached into my bag for my phone, my heart now pounding.

"What are you doing?" Sarah asked.

"Shh!" I hissed, not wanting to miss any of the lyrics.

If you like to do whatever you've been dreaming about, baby you're perfect, baby you're perfect, so let's start right now.

Whatever you've been dreaming about...

Harry on his knees singing to me in Cardiff flashed through my mind, along with the dream I'd had about the very same thing. Was this song about me?

I felt ridiculous even thinking this. Of course it wasn't about me.

I might never be the hand you put your heart in, or the arms that hold you any time you want them.

This was true though, as he was in the middle of a world tour, and spent a lot of his free time in LA. He wasn't always there when I wanted him.

"Jess?" Sarah whispered, looking at me with wide eyes. "Is this fųcking song about you?!"

I shook my head wordlessly, my hands now shaking as I scrolled through my texts with Harry looking for the one I thought I remembered, that now suddenly seemed to make sense. As I searched, another memory of a conversation came back to me from my hotel room in Cardiff:

"Worthy of me? This isn't the sixteenth century. I'm not some fair maiden waiting for a knight in shining armour to come and rescue me. What's so funny?"

"Well, I might never be your knight in shining armour."

"Why are you being weird?"

"Sorry. I just like causing trouble up in hotel rooms."

I could feel tears coming, and my trembling fingers finally found the text I'd been looking for.

From: Harry: Great. I've missed you so much. And I know you like having secret little rendezvous ;) x

I turned the screen to Sarah as my vision blurred with tears.

"Oh my God... it is about you!" she cried.

And if you like cameras flashing every time we go out, oh yeah.

That's all they ever do, I thought to myself.

And if you're looking for someone to write your breakup songs about, baby I'm perfect. Baby, we're perfect ...

"Oh my God, that's a dig at Taylor!" Sarah squealed as I felt tears spilling down my cheeks. My whole body was now trembling with nerves as I listened to the remaining lyrics playing out. Harry's voice alone raised goosebumps on my skin.

So let's start right now...

"Did you know? Did you know Harry had written a song about you?!" Sarah demanded as Grimmy went straight to the fan on the phone and began discussing the song with her.

"Shhh," I hissed through my tears, trying desperately to cling to anonymity, although the majority of my office colleagues already knew that something had happened between me and Harry, even though most of them didn't care.

"Did you?!" she persisted, in a whisper.

"No, I - not exactly," I said, my mind whirling. "Louis told me, ages ago, that Harry had been writing songs about me -"

"Songsss?" Sarah repeated, emphasising the 'S' at the end. "As in, plural?!"

"I don't know!" I laughed through my tears. "I don't know for sure that this song is about me. I only knew Harry and Louis had written it together."

"Of course it's about you!" Sarah yelped. "It's a summary of your relationship! Even I can see that!"

"I don't want to jump to conclusions," I chuckled, wiping my tears away and trying to calm my trembling insides. It was too much to take in that One Direction's latest single release might have been written about me, by my favourite two members of the band.

Sarah scoffed disbelievingly and then flung her arms around me excitedly, just as the door to the office opened and Gary walked in, a stranger in tow.

"Oh. My. Freaking. Christ," Sarah breathed. "I think I'm fuckıng dead."

I looked up at this stranger and saw he was wearing green trousers and a yellow polo shirt with an Appleyard London logo, carrying possibly the biggest bouquet of flowers I had ever seen.

"He fuckįng didn't," she whispered in disbelief, and I turned to stare at her in confusion. What had I missed? I didn't get it.

"Delivery for Jessica Bradshaw?" the man said, setting down the flowers on Sarah's desk and looking around expectantly.

"Um, yeah, that's me," I said apprehensively, and he looked up and smiled at me, before handing me a small pink envelope that was loosely attached to the side of the wrapping.

"Enjoy," he nodded, and turned and walked back out into reception.

"What's going on?" Gary asked, as I opened the envelope and pulled out the handwritten card inside. There was no mistaking Harry's own writing.

"He fucking did," Sarah whimpered faintly, looking over my shoulder as I read the message.

I might never be the one who brings you flowers... but I hope this is the next best thing. H xxx