(No Control | Holding Me Ransom - 86 - We Dream The Same Dreams)

Jess's flight leaves the following afternoon, so Louis' car picks her up from my house on the way to the airport. I'm relieved Lottie is also in the back of the car, even though I know I am being completely ridiculous and trust them both implicitly... I think it's more just a twinge of jealousy that she gets so giddy over Louis in a way that she doesn't for me anymore - at least not outwardly anyway. I know this is a good thing and realistically it would be awkward if she was like a giddy fangirl around me but... still, I need my ego stroking every now and again. Like I said, I know that's ridiculous.

Once Jess has gone I decide to get the ball rolling with my anniversary plans. I check the time in the UK - Callie should be up by now. I decide not to text her, but jump straight in with a phonecall because it's just easier and quicker and I can't be bothered with a massive long text conversation. She answers after a couple of rings.

"Hi, Callie? It's Harry." Why do I always need to say that? She's got my number, she knows who it is.

"Why do you always say that?" she asks. "It literally comes up with your name."

I laugh nervously, and don't dare ask what she's saved my number as in her phone. Probably Dickhead or something. "I know, sorry. Just habit. Is now a good time to talk?"

"Yeah, I'm not doing anything."

"OK, well... I know I'm not going to be back for a couple of weeks but I wondered if you might be able to help me with something."

"OK," she answers uncertainly.

"I know you've got Jess's One Direction stuff, and my hoody. But she mentioned yesterday she she deleted all the photos of us last year, and that she regrets it. She has no pictures of us from the beginning of our relationship. I don't think she had many but I do remember her taking some of us when she was over here in LA with me."

"Right," Callie prompts.

"OK so this is going to sound a bit weird, but I was wondering whether you might be able to recover them from her icloud account? I don't know whether she deleted everything from there as well, but I though it might be worth a try."

"I don't know Jess's icloud password," Callie replies, sounding confused. "And even if I have, I don't think I would feel comfortable giving it to you to look through all of her stuff -"

"Oh, no I didn't mean give it to me!" I add hastily. "I kind of wondered if you think she would be OK with you looking at it. And sending me any pictures of us that you can find." This sounds weird when I say it out loud and clearly Callie is thinking the same, judging by her silence.

"So you want me to try and hack her icloud account and send you her photos?"

"No,  I-" I pause, thinking how to make this sound less creepy. "When you put it like that, it sounds weird."

"Yup."

"OK look. I've got this idea for our anniversary," I sigh. "But I want it to be a complete surprise, so if I tell you will you please promise not to say anything to Jess?"

"As long as it isn't anything that will upset her."

"I promise you that isn't my intention."

There is a pause. I imagine Callie biting her tongue, desperate to make a comment about me always hurting Jess.

"Go on then," she manages, eventually.

"OK, so... Jess made a comment a few weeks ago about wishing we could start again, without all the bad stuff that happened but keep all the good bits. So I had this idea that on our anniversary I could maybe recreate the house party. I was going to ask my friend Grimmy - Nick - if he could get in touch with the guy who hosted the party and see if he could do it again. Obviously I would take care of the cost of all this." I take a deep breath. "I thought maybe that's when I could get her One Direction stuff back, because they were good memories. And her photos, too, because she regrets deleting them. I just thought it would be a nice gesture to surprise her on our anniversary and mark the occasion. And also a way to make up for not being with her on our first Valentine's Day."

Callie is silent. 

"You hate it don't you," I sigh. "You think Jess will think it's cringey and over the top."

"No," she interrupts. "I think... I think Jess will absolutely love it. And as much as it pains me to say it, I'm impressed yet again at how much thought you've put into this."

I silently punch the air. "So you'll help me?"

"I'm not sure I'll be able to get into her icloud," she says. "And... and what if there's private stuff on there that she wouldn't want me to see?"

"I don't want you to do anything that would make either of you uncomfortable, or invade Jess's privacy," I reply quickly. "It's just an idea. We first met at the beginning of March, and split up mid-June. There can't be many pictures of us between that time - probably only a handful - but if you thought it would be OK to look, that would be great. If not, I completely understand. 

"I'll think about it," she says finally. "How are you going to get Jess to this house party on the day? Are you going to tell her beforehand?"

"Well," I hesitate. "Actually, maybe you could help me with that, too. If I can arrange it, maybe you could suggest a night out or something? Get her there?"

"Won't she think that's a bit strange?" Callie wonders. "Won't she want to be with you on your anniversary?"

"I'm sure I can think up a reason why I'm supposedly busy that night," I tell her. "Leave that with me. All this will come to nothing if I can't get hold of the guy who owns the house."

After we ring off I send a text to Grimmy. Alright mate? You know that house party last year when I met Jess? The one in Primrose Hill?  You don't happen to have the guy's number do you?

Josh? comes the reply a couple of minutes later. I think I do. It'll cost you, though.

I know exactly where this is going. What will it cost me? 

You know.

I'm not giving you a blow job Grimmy.

Two, he types back. You already owe me two blow jobs. And this favour makes three. Here's the number.

A second later a contact arrives in the thread.

You're amazing, I text.

3 blowies, he replies.

I waste no time in calling Josh and introducing myself, explaining that I am a friend of Grimmy and why I am calling. He laughs delightedly when I explain the plan, tells me he is free that evening and will more than happily allow me to take over his house. I offer to rent it from him for the evening but he is adamant he doesn't want any money ("All in the name of love!") but obviously I will be footing the bill to host it, and I promise him I will make sure nothing is damaged. 

My next phone call (I am on a roll!) is to my friend Ellie Goulding. This one I think is the purest stroke of genius and I certainly won't be telling Callie, or anyone else for that matter, about this part. "Ellie? It's Harry. Harry Styles."

"Harry Styles!" she repeats. "Long time no see! How are you?"

"Good thanks," I reply. "Really good, in fact. How about you?"

We spend about fifteen minutes catching up (it's been nearly a year since I last saw her) before I explain the reason behind the call.

"So, your song Love Me Like You Do," I begin. "It holds a bit of a special meaning for me, and my girlfriend. It's sort of become our song, and we met the night I last saw you - I don't know if you remember we were both at a party in Primrose Hill last March..."

"Oh yes, I remember!" she exclaims. "Wow, you met your girlfriend that same night?"

"Yeah, bit of a crazy story, to tell the truth," I smile. "And it's also been a bit of a crazy year, too. So I'm planning a surprise for her, for our anniversary, and I was wondering if maybe you were free that night? And if you would consider doing me the most amazing and humungous favour by singing Love Me Like You Do for us? Live?"

"What's the date?" she asks, and quickly consults her diary. "I'm free that evening," she tells me. "It would be my pleasure to sing it for you live. Wow... she must be pretty special if you're going to all this effort for her...?"

She lets the question hang and I feel myself blushing. How ridiculous. 

"Yeah, she's extremely special," I answer. "Like, the most special person in the world. She's amazing. And I want to make this a night to remember."

"Sounds perfect," Ellie replies. "Email me with all the details and I'll be there."

"Oh wow," I grin. "Seriously? Thank you so so so so much."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she says. "I'm thrilled to be part of it. Thank you for asking me."

And there it is. The wheels are in motion.

I text Callie to let her know the plan is on, and tell her to ask Jess's sister Maddie if she wants to come too. Obviously this version of the house party will need to have only people we know and trust in attendance, given that we haven't get told the world about our relationship. I wonder again whether this just might be The Night.

---***---

Just a short chapter to post today! But I've made progress this evening and completed the draft of chapter 93, which only leaves 5 more chapters to write! I'm enjoying creating new scenes that weren't in Jess's POV, and I'm particularly looking forward to a concept that I've had in my head since about 2016/2017 that never featured previously, that I've saved for Harry's POV. Can you guess what it is? Drop me a comment here! xx