Chapter 9.

Danny's P.O.V

After spending half of the night with you, I woke up the next morning feeling happier than I had felt in a long while. I headed down the stairs for breakfast knowing that you were upstairs, lying in bed with Emma but for once, that thought didn't make my heart ache because I knew that wasn't where you wanted to be. I forgot something though, one very important thing. Becky. She was sat in the kitchen with her back to the doorway, sipping hurriedly out of a mug of still steaming coffee.
"Hey." I greeted her weakly. She spun around at lightning speed, almost spilling her coffee. The look on her face was pure sadness and heart break, it crushed me to see her like that and know that I had caused her that pain. "How come you didn't come up to bed last night?" I asked, trying my best to avoid her eyes because the pain in them was too much to bear.
"I slept on the sofa." She replied shortly.
"Why?" I finally plucked the courage to look at her and her eyes were filling with glistening tears, she had small bags under her eyes as well which suggested that her night on the sofa wasn't ideal for getting sleep.
"Because I would hate to be somewhere I wasn't wanted." She snapped, turning around and making herself a second cup of coffee.

I don't think you understand how much I was dying to tell her that it wasn't true. I don't think you realize how much I wanted to get behind her, wrap my arms around her waist and whisper in her ear that everything was going to be okay. I just wanted her to be the only one for me like I was the only one for her. I knew in my heart that she deserved way more than me. Then, how come I didn't let her go? It was because I needed her. You had Emma and I knew that it would take so much for you to leave her after all she'd been through to be with you. If I let Becky go, I would have found myself sitting around, waiting, hoping for you to leave Emma without knowing if you would have actually gone through with it or not. For all I know, I could have ended up waiting my whole lifetime for you. By holding on to Becky, a girl who I did actually love a lot, at least I wouldn't have the possibility of ending up alone looming over my head. Right now, I actually cringe at how selfish I was back then. I think about how much pain I could have spared her, pain that she would have never really had to feel if I hadn't have just let her go then and there.

"I was actually planning on going out somewhere later, do you maybe want to come?" I offered Becky as softly and kindly as I could. She didn't even start to turn around.
"I'm thinking of going home, back to my mum's. To clear my head and everything, you know?" She replied, stirring her coffee slowly.
"Oh right…" I sighed, standing up.
"You aren't even going to try and stop me, are you?" She shouted, suddenly spinning around and giving me a deadly stare.
"What? Of course I am, Becky. I mean… can't you stay and we can try and work things out? We can keep trying, it will work." I begged, suddenly becoming desperate for her to stay.
"What will work, Danny? There's hardly anything left to work towards. I can't even see a reason for us to keep trying." Becky pressured me, battling the tears that were forming in her eyes.
"You love me don't you?" I whispered, looking down at my feet.
"Yes!" She laughed, not out of humor but out of disbelief and exhaustion. "I really don't want to though because you're making it pretty damn clear that you don't feel the same way about me."
"But I do!" I cried. "Please. I'm really sorry for the way I've been acting. I've just had so much on my mind, with the movie and the new album and everything. I didn't want to end up piling it all on top of you as well. I know that I made it all worse but… I'm sorry, okay?"
"So, is it all over now?" She whispered softly. "Are you going to start being the Danny that I know and love?"
"Yes, I promise." I smiled. Becky walked forward slowly and hesitantly before embracing me in a huge hug, I happily hugged her back. I really didn't want the moment to end. I knew how great it must have felt for her to have me love her like I used to and it made me feel great, it made me feel happy. Right up until you walked in.

"Oh right." You backed out of the kitchen door slowly, a look of surprise etched on your face. I pulled away from Becky, staring after you sadly. I wanted to be in two places at one, half of my heart was in the room with Becky but the other was in the other room with you, I was torn between the both of you, not knowing how to handle it.
"So then, are we still on for going out?" Becky asked, a smile playing on her lips.
"Yes." I nodded. "Go and get ready."
She leaned forward and kissed me softly on the lips. I could see the spring in her step when she walked out of the room, at least I made someone happy.

After Becky had left the kitchen, you walked in. I turned away and started to clean the counter from the little bits of milk and sugar that Becky had accidentally spilt.
"What was all that about?" You asked me, curiously.
"Oh nothing really. I've just been clearing things up with her." I replied, still not looking at you.
"You didn't tell her about last night though?" You asked, suddenly sounding nervous.
"No, don't worry." I answered. I heard footsteps behind me and then you spun me around so I was facing you. You ran your hands down your arms, causing tingles to run up and down them and then you clasped my hand in to yours.
"Don't you think it's a bit risky?" I whispered. "Anyone could walk in."
"I know." You grinned. Then you kissed me. I think you wanted assurance that I still felt the same as I did last night without having to put it in to words. I wanted to prove to you that my love for you would never end so I wrapped my arms around your waist as you ran your hands through my hair. I kissed you back passionately, not wanting to stop the kiss. Anybody could have walked in at that moment and caught us but we didn't really care. There were many moments like that actually, moments where we were in a place where someone could have walked in. It's a miracle that no one did catch us in the act. You pulled away and grinned at me happily.
"You're going to get us caught, Mr. Poynter." I teased.
"Well, Mr. Jones, you could have told me not to." You stuck your tongue out at me. Like it was really that easy to not kiss you.

As the weeks passed, we had many moments like the one in the kitchen. Any opportunity to be together, we would take it. Sometimes we didn't even do anything apart from lay in each other's arms and talk about deep meaningful things, things that we never used to talk about. I wish I could have told everyone that I loved you, that you were mine but I knew I couldn't. It would have crushed Emma and Becky and you weren't ready to tell so you would have probably hated me for it, I wouldn't have been able to live with you hating me but I knew I couldn't pretend for long.
"Erm… Danny? Can I talk to you?" Emma called from the doorway of the living room.
"If you have to." I answered coldly. I know I was unfair to Emma, I know you didn't like it but I just couldn't help it. She had you and I didn't, that was the one and only thing I had against her. Before I fell hopelessly in love with you, me and Emma had been really good friends, she's a great person. Which is why it makes it so much harder to dislike her.
"It's about Dougie." She sighed. She sat down next to me but I didn't take my eyes away from the TV.
"Well, don't you think you should be talking to him about this?" I questioned.
"Are you having an affair?" She asked.
"That doesn't have anything to do with Dougie." I replied, still not taking my eyes away from the TV.
"So you are then? I don't see you denying it." She accused me.
"I'm not cheating on Becky." Well, at least not with another girl.
"You're doing something, Danny. And it's affecting Dougie."
"It's affecting Dougie…" I repeat, turning to look at her suddenly. "Now you've lost me."
"Dougie's been acting different, all weird and distant. I can only think of one reason and it's you cheating on Becky because that explains the way you're acting weird and distant and it says that he probably knows about and you're making him lie for you…"
"What? Me and Becky are fine now. We've worked it all out. Go and ask her." I snapped.
"But…"
"Have you ever thought that it might be Dougie that's having an affair?" I shouted, not even realizing what I was saying.
"What? H-he wouldn't… He loves me…" She stuttered.
"No, no, no. I aren't saying that he is." I corrected myself. "It's just… how come it always has to be me that's in the wrong?"
"It's not always you, Danny. But you started being all weird first and now Dougie's doing it too. It must relate back to you somehow."
"Well, it doesn't. Maybe you should take a look at your apparently perfect relationship." I snapped angrily.
"And what's that supposed to mean?"
"Your relationship isn't flawless you know, Emma. There are something's that you don't know about Dougie." I shouted, getting angrier still.
"L-like what?"
"Just leave me alone!" I shouted before standing up and storming out of the room.