(No Control - 46. Still The One, first part)

I'm horrified the next morning when I have to make a run for the bathroom to chuck my guts up. There's no way to disguise it, and it turns out I'm not quiet when I vomit. It's one of the most embarrassing moments of my life.

When I finally stand up and check out my reflection in the mirror I want to hide from Jess for the rest of the day. My skin is white and clammy and my eyes are bloodshot. My hair is lank and hanging in my face. I look like shit.

I put it in an elastic band, and then brush my teeth three times, and gargle with the mouthwash.

When I finally venture into the bedroom again Jess is staring at her phone.

"I feel like death," I croak. "What are you doing?"

"Just reading about our night out last night," she says, absently. "If you can't remember much, the tabloids will gladly fill you in."

Fuck that. I don't want her reading that shit.

"Don't read that shit," I mutter, and I fall on the bed and want to cry as my head pounds.

Makes a change from my heart I suppose.

"I can't help it," she says shyly. "I want to know what people are saying about me."

"They're saying you're beautiful," I tell her, equally as shyly.

"They're not, actually," she argues.

I bet they are.

"Well I am," I argue back, and I smile as she looks over at me and blushes.

Liam and Louis will be arriving in a few hours. Jess still doesn't know. I'm glad I'm hungover and have an excuse to stay in the house; it makes it easier to catch her off guard. I just hope she hasn't seen anything on Twitter about them arriving in LA.

"You wanna just hang out here today?" I ask, casually.

"Yeah definitely," she nods, and I inwardly breathe a sigh of relief. "I might even throw you in the pool. If your stomach can stand it," she adds mischievously, and my insides churn at the thought of any kind of sudden movement.

I take a shower while she makes breakfast, and when I enter the kitchen she is wearing my white Rolling Stones tshirt and a tiny pair of knickers.

What is it about girls wearing guys' clothes that is just so damn hot?

She doesn't seem fazed by how shit I look, as she openly checks out my body with a faraway expression on her face, and I grin as I ask her about the picture she sent to Grimmy last night - I don't know if he replied or not.

"Yeah, he said I'm way too cool to be hanging out with some loser in a boyband," Jess says immediately, and I flick her leg and she laughs.

"Nah, he didn't really," she says, and then a thoughtful expression passes over her face.

"You know something," she suddenly exclaims, "you really remind me of that other guy that did X Factor, what was his name now..?"

I haven't a clue who she is on about.

"Oh yeah! Frankie Cocozza!" she says triumphantly.

Is she fucking kidding me?

I look nothing like that little coke-head.

"Are you joking?" I demand.

I can't fucking believe this.

"No, why?" she says, looking up at me innocently.

I'm trying really hard not to be annoyed with her, but fuck, that has really pissed me off.

She's pressing her lips together and I can see her mouth twitching.

"You're taking the piss aren't you," I realise, and she laughs delightedly. "You are so gonna regret that," I tell her.

I can't fucking wait till Liam and Louis get here. She is going to scream.

"Bet I don't," she say cockily, and I can't disguise my grin.

"Oh believe me, I will get my revenge," I warn. "And it will be sooner than you think. Just you wait."

She's not taking me on - she's just laughing at me as she tries to kiss me, but I turn my head to the left, and then to the right, deliberately looking away from her, which makes her laugh harder.

"I was only teasing," she giggles, and I relent and turn to look at her. "The similarities aren't as obvious now your hair's longer."

Seriously, I have never met a worse wind-up merchant, except maybe Louis, and at this thought I feel a pang of jealousy as I imagine how well they will get on when they meet.

"I'm going for a shower," she grins, and she manages to plant a chaste kiss on my cheek and pinches the half eaten slice of toast out of my fingers as she darts out of the kitchen, throwing me a cheeky smile over her shoulder on her way out the door.

I finish my cup of tea, swallow a couple of Nurofen and grab a pair of swimming shorts from the laundry room, and head outside to sunbathe.

I get a text from Liam just as Jess appears in the kitchen doorway, looking hot as fuck in my tshirt again.

We'll be there around 1. Does she know we're coming?

"I hate that my tshirt looks better on you than me," I tell her, but she bats the compliment away and lies down on the sunlounger next to me.

Nope, I reply. She has no idea. Ring the doorbell when you arrive and I'll sneak away to let you in.

"How are you feeling now?" she asks.

"Delicate," I admit. "But my head hurts less."

It's gonna be epic. Tommo's full of beans, Liam texts back.

I can imagine. She's gonna freak. I'm smirking as I type.

Neither of us are really up for a big lunch, and I'm starting to get twitchy by about 12.45, listening out for the doorbell.

"Will you blow up my lilo?" she asks, so I spend fifteen minutes red in the face blowing it up because I don't have an air pump.

"Thanks," she smiles, and I start to take it towards the pool, but she takes it from me, grinning. "Na-uh," she says, shaking her head. "You stay well away. I don't trust you not to push me in."

"I wouldn't!" I start to say, but she raises an eyebrow and gives me a look that silences me, and I grin again.

She manages to get on it without tipping it over, and floats up and down the pool on it with her eyes closed.

"I feel like you should be wafting me with palm leaves or something," she jokes.

The doorbell rings, and I keep my face straight as I get up from my chair to answer it.

"Back in a sec," I call to Jess, but I'm not sure she's even heard me.

I dart through the kitchen into the hall and open the door.

"Alright, mate," Liam grins, and Louis gives me a fist bump as they walk past me into the hall.

"Where is she?" Louis asks, peering towards the kitchen.

"Shh. She's sunbathing on a lilo in the pool," I grin. "She's half asleep -"

"Good night, was it?" Louis leers, interrupting me.

I nod and he high fives me.

"So I thought we could ambush her in the pool," I continue. "You guys up for it?"

"Always up for a prank!" Liam says enthusiastically. "Poor Jess."

"She's been slaying me since she got here," I reply. "There's nothing poor about Jess."

I take them upstairs to the guest rooms and wait in the kitchen while they get their swimming shorts on. I'm just staring to get antsy when they come noisily down the stairs.

"Shhh!" I hiss again. "She'll hear you!"

Louis rolls his eyes and flicks the back of my head as we tiptoe to the kitchen door. I open it and step out first, but Jess doesn't look up.

"Just security checking we're still alive," I call to her, and she gives a mumbled grunt in response.

Louis and Liam step out onto the patio behind me, and Liam shuts the door.

I can't stop grinning. She has no idea what is about to happen. I almost feel sorry for her.

Almost.

Louis is grinning at me in delight and Liam is silently chuckling.

She's hot! Louis mouths, and I ignore the feeling of jealousy rising in the pit of my stomach and look over at Jess again.

"Don't start snoring," I tease.

"I don't snore," she protests, still with her eyes closed.

"Yeah right," I snort, and she flips me off.

Louis smirks at me and I nod.

"Nice lilo, Jess," he says, and it's like lighting the blue touch paper.

She gasps dramatically, practically screams "Oh my God!" and catapults herself upright. The sudden movement tips the lilo sideways and she fights to steady it, wavering from side to side, but it tips to her right and flips over on top of her as she smacks face down into the water.

The three of us cackle hysterically and high five each other.

"I'm going in," Louis grins, and before I can stop him he takes a running jump into the water, landing a couple of feet behind Jess as she surfaces, her hair all over her face. She wipes her eyes and looks around frantically, before catching sight of me on the side of the pool. Liam has disappeared over to the sunbeds.

I can't help smirking.

"Wh... wha... where...?" she splutters, and I bite my lip, grinning, and nod my head towards Louis who is now standing right behind her, blatantly checking her out.

She's practically hyperventilating as she whirls round to face him.

"Hello," he smiles cheekily.

She covers her face with her hands and wails, "Oh my God," and he laughs.

"That was some move you pulled on your lilo just then."

He's fucking flirting with her, the fucking knobhead.

I knew he would.

"Well I wasn't expecting you to show up," she says, breathlessly. "You were in the UK last time I ch..." She stops abruptly, and I grin in spite of myself, as I realise she's been keeping up to date with their whereabouts while she's been here with me.

Busted.

"Last time you what, Jess?" I grin, and she clears her throat nervously but doesn't turn round. She's too busy staring at Louis.

"Last I heard."

"How did you know it was me?" Louis is asking her.

"I recognised your voice," she squeaks, and I swear Louis just winked at her. Or am I imagining it?

"Ah, I thought Harry might have told you we were coming," he grins.

"He knew?!" she yells, whipping round in the water to glare at me.

She didn't get on to the "we". Haha, she's going to get another shock in a minute when she sees Liam.

"Told you I'd get revenge," I say gleefully, and Louis puckers his lips at me behind her back.

"Anyway, nice to meet you," he says, smirking, and as she turns round to look at him he steps forward and gives her a hug.

He needs to get the fuck way from her.

What the fuck - he's kissing her cheek.

"Alright, put her down," I say, trying not to sound like a jealous brat.

She's still got her back to me, no doubt all doe-eyed over Louis.

"You not coming in, Payno?" Louis calls to Liam, and Jess practically chokes as she spins round again and her gaze falls on Liam sitting shyly behind me.

"Oh my God!" she squeals again.

"Hi Jess," he smiles.

"Hi Liam," she squeaks again.

That squeak is so cute. I'm grinning affectionately at her.

She smacks her hand across the surface of the water at me, splashing my legs, and I jump out of the way, laughing at how beautiful and sexy she is, even when she's cross with me.

And then her face suddenly drops and she starts looking all around the sides of the pool, craning her neck and peering towards the bushes.

"What are you doing?" I ask, curiously, and she rolls her eyes at me.

"Looking for Niall, obviously. He's the trump card, isn't he?"

This makes us all laugh.

"He's not here," I tell her.

"Oh come on," she scoffs. "He's the only one I knew was even in the country. Where's he hiding?"

As if she checks up on our movements.

"He's really not here, honestly," I grin. "It's just these two."

"He's telling the truth," Louis nods, standing way too close to her.

"Sorry to disappoint," I smile. I hope she isn't disappointed though. Is she?

She looks at me, then she looks at Louis who flashes her a flirty smile - dickhead - and then back at me again before turning her gaze uncertainly on Liam.

"Niall's really not here," Liam confirms, and she visibly relaxes.

"OK," she says.

"Hey, why do you only believe it when Liam says so?" I mutter.

"Because Liam's honest," she says, like she knows us all personally, and immediately looks embarrassed.

I watch her watching Louis attempting (and failing) to do a handstand, and try not to wonder if she's checking him out the same way I catch her checking me out sometimes.

"You need to go deeper," she's saying to him, and I don't need to be a mind reader to know the dirty thoughts running through his head right now, especially as he raises an eyebrow and smirks at her.

"In the water," she emphasises, her face red, and I can't help laughing.

"You're crap at that," she grins at him when he collapses in the water after another failed attempt at balancing on his hands.

"Oh, you can do better can you?" he retorts. "Let's see then."

I wonder how she'll react to his banter. He can be a lot to take when he's in full-sass mode.

She throws him a defiant look, dives under the water and does a handstand. I can tell Louis is impressed, and I feel the need to mark my territory, even though I know he would never do anything.

I dive into the water beside Jess and put my hands on her waist before swimming between her legs and standing up so she is sitting on my shoulders.

She holds onto my hair and squeals, and Liam does a cannon ball into the water, soaking us.

"Twat," Louis says to Liam, who laughs.

"You wanna play volleyball or something?" I suggest, letting Jess slide off my shoulders and back into the water. Liam grabs the ball from beside the pool and bounces it off my head, but Jess makes a jump for it and catches it effortlessly.

"She's on my team," Louis calls, but I shake my head firmly.

"Not a chance, Tomlinson."

"Snooze you lose, Styles."

"Let's let Jess decide," Louis says, wickedly. "Jess - who is your favourite member of One Direction?"

"Niall, but he's not here," she says immediately.

"Oooooh," Louis smirks, and I know he's even more impressed at her sassy response.

She grins at me and wrinkles her nose affectionately, letting me know she's teasing, and my heart misses several beats as I smile back at her like a loser.

"No chill," Louis coughs into his hand and I splash water at him before picking Jess up and wading across the pool with her, away from Louis and Liam.

"We'll start," I announce, and I watch as Jess lobs the ball towards Louis, who isn't ready. He manages to dodge at the last minute to avoid the ball hitting him in the face, and it lands with a splash in the water between him and Liam.

"Tommo," Liam groans.

"Snooze, you lose, Tomlinson," Jess says cockily, and then immediately turns beetroot as Louis raises an eyebrow at her and smirks.

She's fucking awesome. She can even slay Louis.

I can't stop grinning.

---***---

I'll post the next part as soon as I can but I'm going to see One Direction on Sunday night with Maddie and WE ARE FRONT ROW OMFG.

Follow me on Twitter for fic updates, and to see my concert pics @scooby_snacks94 (My last concert pictures from Cardiff are on there - check out my eye contact with Louis. I died. Several times.)

xxx