EPILOGUE

September 2023

I woke with a start, to sunlight streaming through the curtains and the sound of birds chirping outside the window.

I had been in the middle of a very strange dream where I was a backing dancer for One Direction on their very first tour, and had an extremely inappropriate crush on a sixteen-year-old Harry Styles. I closed my eyes again, trying to shake off the remnants of my subconscious, and the embarrassment of dancing in a purple spandex leotard to What Makes You Beautiful.

I hadn't thought about One Direction in a while, yet the dream had been so vivid it felt like only a couple of weeks ago that I had been in the O2 Arena, watching them perform on their final stretch of the OTRA tour in September 2015, a few months after my relationship with Louis had come to a halt.

I rolled over in bed and looked at the clock. 7.45am.

FUCK.

I leaped out of bed and flung the bedroom door open.

"Millie! Zac!" I yelled. "Get up, you're going to be late for school!"

I banged on their doors as I ran down the hallway to the bathroom, grabbing a towel from the airing cupboard as I passed.

"Come on!" I shouted. "I don't want to have to tell your dad we were late!"

I was in and out of the shower in two minutes, and once my feet were dry I ran back along the hallway and stuck my head into Zac's room. He was sitting on his bed in just a pair of Scooby Doo boxers, playing with a Lego Batman.

"Come on, get your uniform on!" I cajoled. "It's on the end of your bed. Breakfast will be on the table in five minutes and we need to leave in fifteen! Chop chop!"

I ducked into Millie's room next door where she was already in her school dress and cardigan, and she looked up at me thoughtfully as I smiled at her. "I'd like my hair in two plaits today please," she announced.

"I'll do it while you're eating your breakfast," I promised.

"Do you want me to hurry Zac along?" she asked.

"If you don't mind," I replied gratefully, and I hurried back to my bedroom where I threw the wet towel on the bed and began pulling on a pair of jeans and a lightweight top. I ran a brush quickly through my hair, fluffed it with my fingers to encourage the waves to bounce, and then clattered down the stairs to the kitchen.

I poured cereal into the twins' bowls, and while they argued about who was going to sit in the front of the car on the way to school and dropped Cheerios all over the kitchen table, I plaited Millie's hair, made myself a cup of tea in a travel mug, put a bit of makeup on and then took a few moments to stare out of the window into the morning sunlight.

Miraculously, by 8.15 we were ready to leave, and I ushered the kids out of the front door to the car, my arms laden with book-bags, water bottles, PE kits and general school paraphernalia.

As we pulled out of the driveway my phone rang.

"Morning Sarah," I greeted her as the call connected through the car's audio system. "Funnily enough I was just thinking about you, and our One Direction fangirl days."

"Ahhh, those were the best times!" she sighed dreamily. "Remember when Gary used to mock us in the office for being in love with Harry Styles, but he secretly had the biggest man-crush on him of all!"

"I did not!" came Gary's voice from in the background, and Sarah and I squealed with laughter.

"Just kidding, babe," Sarah said, away from the phone. "Not," she added into the mouthpiece, and we cackled again.

"I had a dream about Harry last night," I admitted.

"Oohh," she said knowingly, and I hastily talked over her to prevent her from saying anything unsuitable for seven-year-old ears.

"Not like that," I corrected. "He was sixteen, and I was a backing dancer... don't ask."

"A backing dancer," she snorted. "How hilarious. Do you ever hear from Louis these days?"

"Not for a few years now," I replied, pulling up at the traffic lights opposite the school. "I don't even know if he has the same number anymore. I haven't texted him."

I had kept in occasional contact with Louis after we had parted ways in 2015, mostly at significant points in his life. When One Direction's album Made in the AM had been released he had sent me a text that simply read, "Track 11". This had messed me up for a while, and had me listening to Love You Goodbye on repeat for some time, focussing on the lyrics that told the story so beautifully of our last meeting. However, I knew he had begun dating an American actress, Danielle Campbell, several months after we had broken up, and although I still missed him I had been pleased that he'd seemed to have finally got his head straight and was in a better frame of mind.

I had texted him Congratulations when baby Freddie was born and received a lovely picture in return, and we'd had a brief text conversation exchanging pleasantries. When his mother had passed away later that year I had contacted him again to offer my condolences, and again a few texts had flown back and forth. He had been the one to get in touch with me the following time, to tell me he was back together with his ex-girlfriend Eleanor Calder, and had wanted me to know that this had come out of the blue after the death of his mother and his split from Danielle, and that he hadn't still been harbouring feelings for Eleanor during the time he had been with me.

When his long-anticipated album was released, I congratulated him by text again, and promised him I would definitely be buying tour tickets. He had responded by telling me to let him know which venue I wanted to attend and invited me backstage to meet him and Eleanor, so Sarah and I had gone to his first London show, and spent half an hour with them before the show (I had been afraid it would be weird, but Eleanor was so friendly and genuine, and Louis so relaxed and happy, I needn't have worried). I had texted him happy birthday and merry Christmas that same year, but after that we had lost touch and it had been a good few years since we'd had any contact. The last I had heard he was still with Eleanor, but as I knew from experience, media reports meant absolutely nothing. He could be spending his days in a Tibetan monastery for all the public really knew.

"Anyway, I was just ringing to see if you're free on Friday night for a catch up," Sarah was saying, interrupting my thoughts. "It's been ages since I saw you. We could head over to Covent Garden for a few drinks."

I pulled into a parking space on a side street near the school gates and switched off the engine, tucking my phone between my ear and my shoulder as I ushered the kids out of the car, my hands full of all their school things.

"Sounds good," I agreed. "I could do with letting my hair down to be honest. It's been a difficult few months."

"How are things with Adam?" she asked gently.

"Fine," I sighed. "I just wish he could move on and be happy. I know he still thinks we're going to get back together one day, but it just isn't going to happen. I don't feel that way about him anymore. The spark just went out. He's a great friend, but that's all he is."

"You need someone who is going to set your loins alight," Sarah joked, and I Iaughed out loud.

"Exactly! I need some excitement back in my life. Listen, I'm going to have to go, I'm just dropping the twins off at school. I'll be in touch about Friday."

We said goodbye and I jogged into the playground, following Zac and Millie through the crowd of mums, dads and kids, as I tried to juggle their water bottles and put my phone away at the same time. Just as I rounded the corner towards their classroom, Zac's water bottle slipped out of my grasp and landed on the floor with a crack, exploding everywhere and spraying me with the contents. Next to me I heard a gasp, and I turned in shock to see another parent with a splash of water up his trousers in the most unfortunate place.

"Oh my gosh, I'm so sorry," I apologised frantically, trying not to drop anything else as he reached down, retrieved the broken (and now half empty) plastic bottle and held it out to me.

"It's quite alright, no real harm done," he replied, and my heart came to a complete stop.

I knew that voice anywhere. It gave me goosebumps and butterflies, made my breath hitch in my throat, and took me back eight years to a kitchen in Barnet, North London, where I had heard it up close and in the flesh for the first time. I lifted my head and met eyes of green and a flash of a dimple.

"Jess?" he smiled quizzically.

"Harry," I breathed, losing any semblance of cool that I may have (or have not) ever had when presented with a living, breathing Harry Styles less than two feet away, sporting a pair of dark jeans, a soft grey wide-necked tshirt that showed off his collarbone and the tips of the swallow wings tattooed on his upper torso, a pair of faded navy Nikes and a smile that would stop traffic.

"I wasn't sure you would remember me," he grinned, and I laughed out loud at this ridiculous notion that anyone could lock eyes for more than a second with Harry and not remember him.

"I'm surprised you remember me," I said, my voice sounding strangled and a little hysterical. "It's been... several years."

"Of course I remember you. I never forget a pr... a face." He cleared his throat and scratched his nose twice with his finger. "How are you?"

"Wet," I joked, and then my face fell. "From the water bottle!" I squeaked, mortified. "I meant from the water bottle!"

"I know," he replied, grinning at the hole I was digging myself.

"Of course you do," I gasped. "You're wet too. From the water bottle."

STOP SAYING 'FROM THE WATER BOTTLE'!! my subconscious screamed at me.

I felt sick with embarrassment. No one in the whole world had ever made me so completely inarticulate as Harry. He smirked, looking as though he was barely holding in his own laughter, and I wanted the ground to swallow me up. What the hell was he even doing here anyway, in the middle of a school playground at drop off time? Unless...

"Is that my water bottle?" Zac asked, appearing at my side and looking at the cracked bottle in my hands in dismay.

"Yes," I said, flustered but glad of the distraction. "I dropped it, I'm sorry."

He shrugged. "It's fine."

He untangled the rest of his belongings from my grasp and ran off with another lad of a similar age, swinging his PE bag around his head like a lasso.

"Cute kid," Harry remarked.

"Thanks," I smiled. "He's not mine, though. He's my nephew. My brother Calvin and his wife Callie are away on business for a couple of days, so I've been on babysitting duty for the twins all week. We nearly didn't make it to school this morning, thanks to a faulty alarm clock, so I'm feeling a little flustered." (I said this to make him think I wasn't usually this manic, but I had a funny feeling he wasn't falling for it.)

A small blond girl peered up at us, probably no more than four or five years old, and Harry beamed down at her. "Are you ready to go in?" he asked.

My heart missed a beat. Was he married?! Did he have a daughter?! How had I missed this vital piece of One Direction news?!

"Yes. Why have you wet your trousers?" she asked, staring at the water seeping into his crotch.

"I didn't make it to the toilet in time," Harry said gravely, and her eyes widened in horror. "I'm joking, I'm joking, it's just water," he chuckled, and she rolled her eyes at him.

"You are not funny."

"Come on, I had you going there for a second," he teased.

"No you didn't, and your jokes are silly," she argued, putting her arms round his waist and giving him a hug. "Bye."

"Jokes are supposed to be silly," he protested to her retreating back, and she rewarded him with a tolerant smile over her shoulder. "Have a good day!" he added, a little too loudly, and then waved over-exuberantly, one arm raised high above his head, causing several people nearby to turn and stare.

"Auntie Jess, it's time to go in," Millie said from behind me, and I turned away from Harry and his daughter to hand her all of her things.

"Have a lovely day, be good, and your mum will pick you up at home time," I told Millie.

"Bye," she called, and this was echoed by Zac at approximately 100 decibels from across the playground as he hurtled towards the classroom door, dragging his belongings across the concrete behind him.

I saw them safely inside, and as I turned to leave I saw Harry waving proudly again to the little blonde girl, who was now peering out of a classroom window and waving back cautiously. As I passed him he turned to me and caught my eye, causing my stomach to lurch sickeningly.

"She loves me really," he remarked, falling into step beside me as I crossed the playground towards the exit.

"I didn't know you had kids," I blurted clumsily, and he eyed me with a grin.

"I don't. Amelia is my niece. She's just started in Reception. My sister and her husband live just up the road and I spend a lot of time with them, especially at the moment as she's got an eight month old baby. I help out by taking Amelia to school when I can."

"Ohhh," I breathed, my heart pounding madly. For some strange reason I felt something a little like relief, but I wasn't sure why. "Small world!" I chirped, on impulse. "You're dropping your niece off, and so am I! What are the chances? Ha ha."

Oh God, why was I like this?

He gave an indulgent smile and I came to a stop on the pavement by the side road where my car was parked, and gestured awkwardly.

"My car is down this way," I explained, almost glad of an excuse to get away from him, simply because I didn't trust myself not to say anything else stupid and humiliate myself further.

"Ah, I'm this way," he replied, pointing up the main road.

"Well, it was really nice seeing you," I said, lamely. "You're looking really well."

What the fuck was that?

"You too," he smiled. "You look great. Anyway, um... I guess I'd better be going. Take care."

I waved awkwardly and he waved back, and then he strolled off up the road. Just as I was about to walk to my car I caught sight of him hesitate, almost coming to a complete stop, before carrying on. Twice he did this, with his hand up to his mouth (possibly pinching his bottom lip with his thumb and forefinger, but I couldn't tell from behind). I stared after him in confusion, wondering what the hell he was doing, before eventually turning away from his retreating form and heading up the side street where my car was parked, my legs trembling and my palms sweating from this surreal encounter. I couldn't wait to climb into the front seat, lock all the doors and squeal.

I paused and fumbled in my bag for my keys, pulling out my purse, phone, lipgloss, a handful of receipts and Zac's broken and half empty (and slowly leaking) water bottle before I finally located them right at the bottom. I pulled them out and blipped the car open.

"Jess?"

I jumped in surprise at the familiar voice so close to my ear, dropping my keys and Zac's water bottle on the pavement and showering myself and the owner of the voice with another spray of water.

"Shit!" I hissed.

"You're determined to make me wet, aren't you," Harry teased, brushing water droplets off his crotch area for the second time in twenty minutes, and as I scrambled on the floor for my keys I felt my cheeks burn with embarrassment, not only from my own clumsiness, but at the innuendo behind his innocent words. "From the water bottle," he added meaningfully, and I looked up to see him smirking at me in delight.

My stomach somersaulted several times and I heard myself giggling stupidly, like some sort of teenage fangirl with a crush.

"As your niece so accurately put it, you are not funny," I retorted, pushing my hair out of my eyes and straightening my top, trying not to look as hot and flushed as I felt.

"Why are you laughing then?" he challenged, with raised eyebrows and a satisfied grin, looking me up and down for a moment before meeting my gaze. "So, um, I was just wondering... I mean I know it's been a while since we last met and everything... and I hope I'm not stepping on anyone else's toes... but I was wondering if you fancied maybe going for a drink with me... or something..."

He trailed off, his cheeks tinged with pink and a shy smile now replacing his smirk.

I beamed at him, my heart thumping so hard in my chest it was almost making my whole body tremble. I wondered for a second what we must look like to anyone watching; this flustered, red-faced woman with a wet top holding a broken water bottle and beaming uncontrollably at this gorgeous, floppy-haired man with a suspicious wet stain on his jeans.

You probably look like a fangirl who has waited ten years to go on a date with her idol, my subconscious answered for me.

"There's actually a coffee shop just across the road that does amazing lattes if you're not doing anything right now," he added, filling the silence unnecessarily as I gaped at him, wondering helplessly why my mouth only ever seemed to work when it wanted to make a fool of me, yet when I was asked a simple question with an obvious answer it suddenly decided it was unable to function. "Unless you're already busy, or, um, taken, which is cool," he finished.

"No!" I gasped, finally finding my voice. "I mean - yes, I would love to go for coffee right now."

"Great," he beamed, looking relieved and gesturing towards the main street for me to walk with him, as I locked the car with the remote again. I couldn't help noticing his smile lit up his whole face, his dimple deepening and the skin around his perfect green eyes crinkling deliciously as he added, "And if you're lucky, I might even treat you to some scooby snacks to go with it..."

THE END

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Thanks so much for reading, and for all the votes and comments along the way! I love seeing your reactions to the plot twists, and hearing your theories about where the story is going. I hope you enjoyed this little spin off, and that you're happy with the ending. Random fact: I have had this scene in my head, where Harry and Jess meet up in the future when dropping their nieces/nephews at school, since the real Harry/Sara Sampaio story hit the media back in June 2015. It was an ending I considered for the No Control series and never used, and I am so glad I finally got to put it into words (3 years later), fine-tune it and use it the way it was intended.

I'd love to hear your thoughts on the outcome of this story, so feel free to leave any comments/questions here letting me know what you think. All feedback is welcome!

Now that this story is complete I will be updating Trace of Innocence and Twist of Fate, as Twist has been on hold for months while I tried to get this one finished. Two WIPs are much more manageable than three, and although I haven't been actively writing it, the plotline for Twist has been buzzing around in my head the whole time so I am really looking forward to getting back into it.

Thanks again for all the support my books receive - I really am grateful for every read, vote and comment, and I'm sorry I'm not as active on Wattpad as I used to be. The only time I get to spend on here, I spend writing, so I'm way behind on responding to comments. That doesn't mean I don't appreciate every single one, though 💕

So big hugs to YOU, and hopefully I'll catch you soon in another book 😊