AN: Welcome back Rushers! Thanks for being so patient and for your feedback. This chapter follows the release of Elle's video, Kendall takes a stand, someone old pops up and there's an interview. I hope you enjoy this chapter and let me know what you liked best. Thanks and enjoy!

The fake rain from the set of my video had followed us. Real rain fell in heavy sheets as we had ran into a restaurant to grab breakfast. It was just the five of us, Kelly, Liz and Gustavo opted to go to the cafe next door for a strategy meeting. The air was humid and James had complained about it the whole time we had been looking at the menus. Thankfully, breakfast seemed to brighten his mood.

"Today's the day. Are you excited?" He leaned across the table to clap me on the shoulder. "You haven't said anything all week."

I shrugged and picked at my waffles. "Yeah, nervous but excited. I just hope they like it."

"Why wouldn't they like it? It's dope and you and Kendall certainly will entertain people."

Kendall shifted next to me and gave me a shy smile. "Yeah, it'll be fine Len."

If the blush that rose to my face was noticeable no one said anything. My cheeks felt hot at Kendall's nickname, it still took me by surprise every time I heard it. Since filming our video, our game seemed to hit a lull. There were still tense looks and his hands still wandered up my leg but it didn't feel like it was for points. We weren't friends but he didn't treat me like I was nothing either. I think filming the video was just what we needed to break the tension. For a brief moment, we stared at each other before I cleared my throat.

"I still can't believe it's coming out today, we filmed it a week ago. Liz said Olivia works fast but I'm still amazed." I shook my head. "She won't let me watch it, she wants it to be a surprise."

"Olivia's a great director and Liz and Gustavo wouldn't let anything bad happen," Logan said. "Besides, you two looked good so it'll be a great video. Only a few hours to go, right?"

I looked at my phone. "About five hours to go. We should just be getting into Cleveland when it's uploaded."

"And hopefully it stops fucking raining. It's hot and I feel like I need a shower again." James griped. "Seriously, we've been to how many cities in the past week and it's rained every day."

"I think it's nice, Arizona is dry most of the year. I don't mind the rain." I mused. "I wouldn't mind snow, to be honest."

James then preceded to complain about how the snow would melt and mess up his hair. Carlos was in the middle of explaining just how bad the snow storms in Minnesota got when a high pitched squeal cut him off. When I turned I saw two girls rushing over to our table.

"You're Elle Harper!" The older one gushed. "Hi!"

"I am, hi." I greeted, climbing out the booth. "What's your name?"

She was starstruck and sputtered for a moment. "I'm Hannah and this is my sister Kate."

I waved to the small girl standing next to her. "It's nice to meet you guys. Are you coming to the show tonight?"

Kate spoke up. "Yeah, it's my birthday. Our parents didn't want us to come but I kept asking until they said yes."

"Happy Birthday." My voice faltered a bit, this wasn't unusual now. "My video's coming out today, it's not a bad gift."

Hannah nodded excitedly. "For Night Like This! We saw the sneak peek, was it fun to film?"

I looked over my shoulder at Kendall who was watching the whole scene with a smirk. "It was interesting that's for sure."

"Can we get a picture please?"

I crowded together with them and handed Logan one of the girl's phone. We took a picture together and then I took one of them with the guys. I was just giving them Liz's details so they could come backstage tonight when a gruff voice interrupted us.

"Hannah, Kate where have you been?"

"Dad, look it's Elle and Big Time Rush!" Kate explained. "We were coming back from the bathroom and I saw them."

"Actually, I saw them but still. Elle invited us backstage tonight for Kate's birthday."

Their dad glared at me. "So you're the Elizabeth my daughters are so obsessed with?"

"Hi," I said warily, not wanting to correct him. "Nice to meet you."

"He thinks you're a 'bad influence' but I'm 17 and not an idiot. Jett was totally lame to put that video out." Hannah rolled her eyes. "He almost didn't let us come."

Their dad's face was pitched. "She is a bad influence. It doesn't matter that there's a video, what matters is the fact that she does stuff like that. And she's always naked and talking about sex and partying."

My stomach twisted and I sighed. This wasn't the first time a parent had confronted me in public about the video or my songs. But each time still hurt.

"I-I think that video was taken out of context," I explained, cowering a bit. "It's complicated."

"That doesn't stop the fact that you're teaching my daughters it's okay to be naked all the time. And those songs you sing make you sound like some drugged out party girl without a brain." He berated me. "God, you're parents should have taught you better. I know you have money for clothes your tickets are expensive enough."

My throat was tight and my eyes stung. "That's not, I-"

"My daughters are 17 and 15, they don't need some tabloid case, wild child telling them what they should do. It's disgraceful. They're lucky it's Kate's birthday because their mom and I didn't want them to come. I'm raising my girls to be ladies." He stepped towards me. "Not whores."

"Take a step back, get out of her face." Kendall moved in front of me, putting himself between me and the man. "First of all, her name is Eleanor. Second of all, she's a person and you can't talk to her like that. Elle is incredibly talented and she made a mistake but that's not who she is. She's smart and has a good heart. In fact, my sister isn't much older than your daughters and I think Elle's a great role model for her. She's a businesswoman, knows what she wants and isn't afraid to stop until it happens."

"Yeah, it's pretty badass to be who you are." Logan seconded. "She's the kind of person you want your daughters to be. She's resilient and strong."

The dad shuffled a bit. "The outfits and the songs though, they're slutty."

"Elle's an adult she can wear what she wants. And those songs? She plays two instruments and writes the music herself. How many can you play?" Kendall kept a grip on my arm and his voice was loud. "You'd be pissed if someone called your kids whores or sluts wouldn't you? How about you have the decency to treat my friend the way you'd want them to be treated."

"Well, I still don't like her music." He huffed.

Kendall rolled his eyes and used the tone that he used to give me. "That's fine but apologize to her."

He sheepishly held out his hand. "I'm sorry, it was uncalled for."

I rolled my eyes and shook his hand. "Yeah, it was."

Kate looked mortified. "He's so embarrassing. I'm sorry Elle!"

"It's fine, really." I was surprised by how shaky my voice was. "I still hope you call Liz so we can show you around backstage."

The older sister hugged me. "We will. Sorry about him again."

Once they had their backs turned I gave the man the finger. "Fucking asshole."

Kendall and I sat back down and I blinked a few times. The guys looked sympathetic and James put a hand on my shoulder.

"You okay?"

I forced a smile to my face. "Fine, it's nothing I'm not used to."

"He was a dick who didn't know what he was talking about," Carlos reassured me. "He's one of those people who like to complain so they feel important."

"Yeah, I know. It's just been a while since I've run into a parent like that." I stirred my straw focusing on the ice in my cup. "I just hope those kids come to the show, it would suck if her birthday was ruined."

The rest of breakfast was quiet and I tuned out most of the conversation. I felt sick to my stomach thinking about everything that man had said to me. People were bold in their hatred of me. When things first happened a death threat wasn't unusual. Some parents had called for the label to drop me and for me to apologize. Apologize for my own assault as if it was my fault. But people were clueless about what actually happened, even the four guys sitting next to me. Sometimes I thought about coming clean, but things were going so well and I was afraid of bringing more attention to myself. I picked at my food and it was a hand on my shoulder that pulled me from my thoughts.

"Hmm?" I looked up to see the guys halfway out the door.

"We're leaving and I don't want to spend all day in this booth." Kendall joked gesturing for me to slide out. "Are you alright?"

I stood up. "Yeah, thanks."

"Of course. It's going to be a good day, the video's coming out, we have an interview and it's going to be alright. Don't let that asshole get to you. He's clueless, you're so much more than that video."

My smile was a little more genuine. "You're right."

He shot me a smug grin over his shoulder. "Always am."

We were still a few hours away from Cleveland. The day was fairly light schedule-wise, all we had was an interview for Rolling Stone. It was exciting but most of the questions were prescreened so it wasn't too stressful. I was grateful for the easy day. The rain had left everyone with sore throats so we weren't recording. Which was good because I was speechless, I leaned against the counter in the kitchen area. My frown was deep, today just wasn't my day. I was looking through my notifications and I had been tagged several times in a video.

It was from Jett's Snapchat but had been shared elsewhere. He was in the passenger seat and his friends were being obnoxious as usual. Music blared and they all laughed, smoked filled the car.

"We're out in Italy filming and of course I had to bring these dicks with me." Jett laughed, his eyes were bloodshot and glassy. "All the essentials, the bros, the Range Rover and that good shit."

He took a hit from a joint and blew smoke rings into the camera. In the background the radio announcer spoke in Italian and then, my song started. Jett's smile dropped and his face hardened.

"Everybody wants to know if we fucked on the bathroom sink."

His friends all shrieked with laughter and there were various insults from them. Jett seemed to enjoy this because he smirked, nodding in approval.

"Ugh, not this again."

"Slut. Always hated her."

Jett rolled his eyes and leaned forward to turn the radio down. He took another hit and shrugged into the camera.

"Hate that bitch too, but I'd fuck her again." He grinned wickedly. "But I have the video so I don't need to."

"Everyone has that video." One chuckled, off camera.

Jett groaned. "Alright, turn that shit off."

The driver fiddled with that station and Jett gave the radio the finger before turning to something else. The volume was cranked up and he nodded.

"Much better."

The clip ended there and apparently it had been deleted from his story. It was fans that saved the clip and shared it. My stomach was in knots and I frowned. Today was meant to be a good day but of course, something had to ruin it. I blinked back a few tears when the guys started shouting about a movie marathon.

"Elle get back here and pick something!" Logan shouted.

"You know it's my turn."

"C-Coming." I called, my voice broke. "Just a sec."

Hastily, I wiped my eyes. Today was going be a good day and I wouldn't let this stop me. I made my way to the back where we piled on the couch to watch a movie. It was James' turn to pick and he had picked a romantic comedy. The choice seemed odd for him but Logan had explained.

"James is texting the actress and he promised he'd watch all her movies. So we all have to suffer."

It was a bit cramped on the couch. I found myself between Kendall and Carlos while the other two were in chairs. We settled in for the cheesy rom-com and I cringed the whole way through. The plot was predictable and didn't keep my attention. Honestly, I was preoccupied with Jett's video. Somehow, thousands of miles away he could still ruin my day. I shifted in my seat, trying to shake off the bad feeling in my stomach.

"There's another hour of this?" I asked halfway through the film. "Seriously?"

James turned. "She's hot. And come on, what girl doesn't like a good rom-com?"

"This one. They're all the same. Girl meets boy, they don't like each other or something is in the way of them being a couple. But then magically, they get back together and she wears some white poofy dress and they live happily ever after." I explained, standing up. "I hate when the ending is predictable and turns out right. Real life isn't like that."

The guys laughed at this and James frowned. "Wow, bitter much? What kind of movies do you watch if you're so cultured?"

I grabbed my phone charger from my bag and sat back down, wiggling between Carlos and Kendall. "No, just realistic. I don't like love songs either. They're ridiculously cheesy. And if you must know I like indie films or documentaries."

"Well, when I'm her husband one day I'll be sure to have you say that at the wedding."

On screen, the actress burst into the room. She was in a white wedding dress that overwhelmed her small frame. I scoffed and nodded to it.

"See, what did I tell you? When I get married I won't be wearing white." I said proudly as I stood back up. "She is hot though."

Logan laughed at this from where he sat. "She has a point man. They are all pretty similar."

"This is why you're my favorite Logan." I winked, sitting back down with my bottle of water. "No offense guys."

We went back to watching the movie, James was clearly enamored with the actress because he fell silent. I didn't give it my full attention, I was scrolling through social media. This distracted me for a few minutes. I wanted to see if Jett had said anything else about me. So far, the only thing on his feed was behind the scenes stuff for his movie. I shivered a bit and knew only half of it was from Jett. The air conditioner was on full blast and I got to my feet once more, earning a groan from Kendall.

"What else could you possibly need?" He asked. "You keep getting up."

"I'm cold Kendork." I pointed to the goosebumps on my arms. "We're not all from Minnesota and used to the cold. I'm fragile."

"Sit down, I beg you. You elbow me everytime you get up." He pulled his hoodie over his head and tossed it to me. He sounded annoyed but he couldn't hide his smile. "You're not fragile, you turned on the air."

I gave him the finger and pulled it on. It was the green Minnesota Wilds one he wore all the time. The smell of his soap and the faint smell of smoke was comforting and enveloped me. When I sat down I settled into his side and his hand rested on my leg. Once the movie James picked was over it was Logan's turn. He picked a historical drama which was boring to everyone but him. My eyes wandered to Kendall, he was focused on his phone. Texts between him and Jo were clear as day.

Miss you babe. Are you having a good time? Sorry, we haven't talked for a few days.

Jett's being a dick as usual so I'm avoiding him...but it's beautiful here. And it's fine we're both busy.

Not as beautiful as you are. :)

I nearly vomited at the sight of their texts. They were boring and sickeningly sweet, but I was glad Jo was staying away from Jett. Even if she had been bitchy to me after the incident I didn't want him to attack anyone else. Kendall slipped his phone into his pocket. I was a bit disappointed, their dry ass texts had been entertaining. I sighed and stretched a bit, letting my hand fall on his knee.

"Bored?" He asked quietly.

"Very."

Between the dull movie, the rocking of the bus and the warmth of the hoodie I was comfortable enough to fall asleep. My eyes fell shut and I let myself drift off.

The next thing I heard was snickering. I groaned and squeezed my eyes shut, not ready to wake up. I turned and buried my face to block out the light.

"Dude they look cute."

"Shh, we need to get a picture of this or they won't believe it happened."

"Hate each other my ass."

The sound of retreating laughter woke me up. My neck was stiff and I shifted a bit. It wasn't until I felt an arm pull me close did I freeze. When I opened one eye I was greeted by the sight of blonde hair, my head rested on his shoulder. Kendall was asleep next to me with his arm around my waist. I sat up and nudged him.

"Kendall, let go."

He moaned and shook his head. "Five more minutes babe."

Clearly, he was dreaming about Jo. "Wake up Kendick."

He sat up quickly and looked around. When he saw me he smiled for a moment before shaking his head. "Did you fall asleep on me?"

"You had your arm around me." I countered, sitting up.

Kendall stood up, rubbing his eyes. His voice was raspy. "I have to call Jo."

Before I could say anything he walked out out the room, sliding the door behind him. I was alone and when I looked down I saw I was still wearing his hoodie. The awkward energy in the room was tangible. But perhaps, even more, tangible was the feeling in my stomach when I woke up next to him. It felt right.

And that was terrifying.

The fact that waking up next to Kendick wasn't the worst thing in the world was unnerving. But waiting for my video to premiere was even more nervewracking. We had been at the venue for all of twenty minutes but we crowded around a TV in a dressing room. MTV was running a marathon of all my videos and a behind the scenes documentary I had filmed a few years back.

"And we're back with the Elle Takeover as we count down the last few minutes to her video premiere for Night Like This. This marks the first video Elle has put out since taking a hiatus a year and a half ago. Fans are already excited and it's the number one trend on Twitter." The host explained and pointed to a large countdown clock at the bottom of the screen. "All that fans have seen so far is the sneak peek both Elle and Kendall Knight from BTR have posted. It shows the two in the backseat of a cab mid-makeout."

Next to me, Kendall caught my eye and shuffled a bit. Fans had been tweeting us all week saying they shipped us. If only they knew we weren't acting in that car. Liz placed her hands on my shoulder when she walked in the room.

"Are you excited?"

"Absolutely," I said quickly. "I finally get to see it."

"Well it's great, you should be proud of yourself." She promised.

Onscreen the host was talking excitedly. "And the wait is over. Here it is, the world premiere of Elle Harper's new video, Night Like This."

The screen faded to black and the intro started. My stomach swooped as I watched myself walk out of the fake club and run into Kendall. Our chemistry came easy and we smiled at each other as he put an arm around me. Clips of us singing with the band were interspersed throughout the video. So far, I liked what I saw.

"Maybe we should share a ride?" I asked, onscreen.

Kendall nodded and hailed a cab. He opened the door and let me climb in, what was new to me was the way he stared at my ass. I hadn't seen him do it on the day of filming but it was obvious as we watched. His friends laughed and bobbed their heads to the song. I bit my lip as the chorus kicked in.

"I can feel my heartbeat, electric to my fingertips."

My heart pounded in my chest as I saw Kendall run his hand up my bare thigh. He had a small, private smirk on his face. I could still feel his fingers on my skin a week later. I could still feel his lips against my ear as he told me he wanted to do something about our game. When he leaned over and cupped my face, I saw how excited I looked. And then, he kissed me for the whole world to see. It was natural and looked like we were made for each other. My smile was wide and I kissed him back, climbing onto his lap. He ground his hips into mine and I kissed his neck. Even on screen, I could see the way his breath caught in the back of his throat.

"Clearly, Olivia went with the rougher v-version," I said absentmindedly.

The guys were all amused and Logan chuckled. "I'll say."

The video continued and I could feel heat work up my neck. Kendall and I were flirting in the cab and I pulled him by the collar. He whispered in my ear and I could still feel his warm breath. Our legs tangled together and as he gripped my hips, I remembered thinking how good it felt in that moment. Our flirting translated well onscreen, but I knew it had nothing to do with our acting abilities. Kendall knew this too because when I caught his eye he was red. His blush deepened when he pulled my jacket off. The camera zoomed in on my face as I rocked my body against his. Kendall looked up at me, his pupils blown wide.

"So was this part of the game you two are playing or-?" James chided and mussed Kendall's hair.

Kendall shoved him, but his silence was enough of an answer.

The video switched between shots of us singing and making out. We all watched as he groped my chest and as my hand found his crotch. Soon though, I gave him a lingering kiss and climbed out of the cab. I winked over my shoulder before going inside. And with that, the screen faded to black.

"Well there you have it Elleanators! Elle Harper's steamy new video for Night Like This, her first video since her hiatus." The host was gushing and fanned herself. "She certainly came back with a bang. I know I'm already obsessed with it."

I covered my mouth with my hand and sniffed as everyone clapped for me. Liz threw an arm around my shoulder and grinned. Even though the tour was going well, my singles were popular and people were excited about my album, I officially felt back. There was a video of me that everyone was talking about and for once it was positive. Not only that, it had been my concept. My eyes were wet as I spoke.

"T-Thanks guys."

"I'm proud of you." Liz rubbed my back. "Seriously, you did a great job."

"Thank you, for everything."

Gustavo nodded. "Congrats, keep that fire going. I think it's going to be huge."

Carlos, Logan, and James pulled me into a group hug after giving me three cheers. I laughed as they nearly knocked me over with their enthusiasm.

"You totally killed it."

"It was dope, proud of you."

"I still think I should have been your co-star but you and Kendall looked good." James joked. "Congrats Elle."

Kelly gave me a high five. "It's a great video. I hate to break up the party, but we need to test the pyro for tonight."

The celebration fizzled out after that. Liz went to call my label and prep for the interview we had later, Gustavo went with Kelly and the guys made their way to the stage. As usual, it was just Kendall and I. I wasn't sure it was the video or the fact we napped together, but we were stiff and quiet. He ran a hand through his hair and chuckled nervously.

"Congratulations." He said. "I'm proud of you."

I folded my arms. "Well, congrats to you too. You're in the video with me."

He shrugged. "It's your song, you wrote 95% of it and you looked better than I did. I'm happy for you."

"Thanks, Kendall." I smiled up at him. "We make a good team."

"We do." He closed the gap between us and tucked my hair behind my ear. "We looked good together."

"We did." I agreed.

Kendall went to speak but was cut off.

"Dude come on! We're burning daylight. I need my preshow nap!"

We both rolled our eyes at James' shouting and Kendall shook his head.

"I better go."

"Yeah, you know how he gets without his beauty rest."

With that, he ran off to join his friends. I could still feel his hand on my face and I sighed. We did make a good team, I just hope everyone else saw that.

Not only did they see that Kendall and I made a good team, they saw that we had real chemistry. After the guys finished their safety run through we scrolled through the comments of my video. It was already number one on the trending page and had 10,000 views. They seemed to read more into the video than I thought they would.

"Not only has this video killed me, it's also made me ship Kendall and Elle."

"Shiiiit this is hot."

"How much do you wanna bet they fucked after this?"

"I feel like they aren't acting. Who just grabs someone's tits for a music video? And I think I saw a boner at some point. Either way, I ship the fuck out of this."

These were just a few of the comments. So far everything was positive, which was reassuring, but a lot of people were wondering if we were just acting. The guys all thought this was hilarious but it created this awkward energy between Kendall and I. Even so he had insisted on coming with me to give those sisters a tour. They were both grateful for the chance and their father had apologized to me once more. It was nice to make their day and they told me how much they enjoyed the video. After signing autographs and taking pictures Liz ushered them to their seats.

"I could have taken care of myself," I told him as we walked, our hands brushed together. "You didn't have to come."

Kendall shrugged. "Yeah well, their dad was a dick earlier. I wasn't going to leave you alone with them, especially in that."

"My hero," I said dryly and looked down at the tight sparkly top I changed into. "I wore this just to spite him."

"It looks good and definitely pissed him off."

We arrived at the green room and greeted the guys who had changed. We settled on the couch and soon after the interviewer walked in with a photographer.

"Hi guys, I'm Jill thanks for sitting down with me." She greeted. "This is less of an interview and more of a background story. I want to capture what a day on the Count Me In Tour looks like. So I only have a few questions."

"Go for it."

She pulled out a few note cards. "We'll start with the most recent news. Elle, your new video has been out for three hours. It already has almost 11,000 views. How does that feel?"

"It feels unreal. For this video, it was entirely my concept start to finish. From the lyrics, the costumes, the plot. So to have it come together so beautifully and be so well received means the world to me." My smile was genuine and my throat was tight. "It feels like my comeback is official now. New song, new tour, new video."

"Well, I'm into all of it. I've watched the video a few times and it's great." She pointed to Kendall and I. "And I have to say it's a mature look for someone from BTR."

Logan jumped in to comment. "That's the whole idea. We set out on this tour with Elle to get an older fanbase and show that we're all in our twenties and not teens anymore. I think Elle really adds to that we all have a great chemistry."

"The fans seem to notice chemistry for sure." She joked. "Some of the comments on the video are saying you two were actually into it."

My eyes shifted to look at Kendall. He raised his eyebrows and bit his lip, I wondered if my cheeks were as flushed as his.

"Olivia, the director did a great job of taking our awkward kissing and making it look sexy." Kendall's laugh was shaky and sounded forced. "But like she said, it was entirely her idea and she wrote most of the song. I know the video looks hot but Elle's smart as hell, she has an eye for stuff like that."

My tensed shoulders softened a bit. "Thanks."

"Of course."

Jill asked me a few questions about my album before shifting to the guys. They would be putting out a new music video soon too. She asked about their new album, what it was like to grow up as a band and how they planned to keep Rushers interested in them. It was standard interview material and soon enough we took some photos. Logan and James held me up on their shoulders in one. And there was another with me shoving the guys out of my way. We took a few standard group shots before Jill decided she wanted to hang back and just observe us. I was grateful for this because I was still chilled from the rain and air conditioner. I was ready to be out of the revealing outfit I was in. I had just pulled Kendall's sweatshirt over my head when she stopped me.

"Actually, Elle can we get you in front of this wall? I like the way the green stands out against the white."

Liz motioned that it was okay and I posed for a few shots. When Jill and the photographer were satisfied I stepped into the hall. Kendall was waiting for me, he looked amused.

"Apparently you pull that hoodie off better than I do." He teased, faking annoyance. "I've worn it for years and no one cared. But you wear it for a day and suddenly it's popular. You look good in my clothes."

I struck a pose like a model would at the end of the catwalk. "I look good in anything Kendork."

He hummed in response before leaning towards me. "You'd probably look better in nothing at all."

I threw my head back, laughing at this. "You're funny."

"I try."

The people from Rolling Stone blended in with the backstage hustle and bustle. Things were a bit more exciting than they usually were. Now that my video was out there would be clips of it included onscreen during my performance. Everyone was excited to see what it looked like on the big screen.

"You look nervous, do you want a shot?" Logan offered. "It'll take the edge off."

"No, I'm good, thanks though."

James rubbed my shoulders. "You've got this."

"Make sure you play up the flirting later tonight," Liz instructed.

"Guys, it's going to be fine." I teased. "God, you're more nervous than I am. I have done this before you know"

"We know, we're just proud of your video." Carlos mimed wiping a tear away. "Our baby's growing up."

I rolled my eyes as I took my mic and climbed into the lift that would take me up to the stage. "Fuck you guys. I can't stand you."

"You love us."

"I don't know about all of that." I waved as the music started. "Wish me luck hockeyheads."

My set was going well, the fans seemed more energetic than usual. They sang louder, danced more and seemed like they were going to blow the roof off the venue. After all the shittiness of today with that angry dad and Jett, this felt good. This is what made it worth it.

"So, as you guys know I put out a new music video. Have you seen it yet?" I was met with loud, ear-shattering cheers. "I'll take that as a yes. Kendall, get out here."

Kendall walked out onstage in the same outfit he wore in the video. He grinned and waved to the fans before pulling me into a hug.

"How great was the video for Night Like This?" Kendall asked, hyping up the crowd. "Go watch it, share it, like it. Elle worked really hard on it."

He had never complimented me onstage like this. Normally it was just insults or snide comments, my face was warm and it wasn't from the stage lights. We hinted that we had a surprise for the fans and the song started. The arena was full of shouting and cheering when clips from the video played on screen. As Kendall and I sang, we kept it loose. Things weren't nearly as scripted as they once were. We were in tune with each other, it was almost magnetic.

"Cleveland, sing it with us." Kendall held the microphone out. "Oh, whoa, oh."

"There's something in your eyes like you know me." I sang, swaying to the rhythm.

He rested his hand on my hip and the smile he gave me was just for us. "Could I know you?"

We danced around the stage and I glanced up at the screen and saw Kendall and I making out in the cab. We both seemed to take Liz's instructions to flirt more to heart. If I moved, he moved and vice versa. When we both saw ourselves kissing onscreen Kendall's face was noticeably red from across the stage. The song reached its peak and his hand found mine, our fingers looped together.

"I could feel anticipation through my veins." Kendall sang slowly, his voice came out low.

"I could almost feel the weight of your kiss on my lips." My breath caught in the back of my throat when he reached up to touch my face.

There was a tense moment as we stared at each other. It felt like we were the only ones in the room and Kendall looked down at me. His eyes linger on my mouth, I could feel his breath on my cheek as he leaned in. It was instinctual to lean up to reach him. All I wanted to do was close the gap but then the bright stage lights brought me back to reality. At the last moment, I turned my head away. We both deflated a bit, but the tension was palpable.

"Anything can happen on a night like this."

The fans cheered louder than usual and my face went red when Kendall pushed me forward. I waved at them, grinning breathlessly.

"Come on, I know you can cheer for Elle louder than that. How great was her video?"

The volume grew louder and I covered my face with my hand. I was onstage every night and didn't get embarrassed easily but this was different. The fans had supported me through thick and thin and to have Kendall compliment me like this was touching. He put his mic down and clapped for me, there was no smugness or spite just pride.

"Thank you, thank you a thousand times over." I rambled. "It means the world to me."

Kendall gave me a side hug and dashed offstage. But not before squeezing my hand, the lump in my throat was unmistakable as I thanked everyone again. It felt like the game was over, maybe we finally made peace.

The rest of the show went off without a hitch. I performed with the guys like normal and I managed to not stare at Kendall the whole time. This was a particularly amazing feat when you considered the fact that he kept brushing up against me. Even when the show was over I found that my stomach was a flurry of nerves. I chalked it up to the comments on my video though. They were all positive and several media outlets were praising it. There was almost no mention of Jett's little Snapchat rant, I was grateful. So I was confused when I went out to smoke by the bus and heard his name.

"I just think it's sketchy and disgusting. I'll keep it in mind though but still, I don't know Jett-" When he saw me he rolled his eyes. "He's just being a dick, don't let him get to you. You too, bye."

"What was that?" I questioned.

Kendall shrugged. "Jo, Jett's being a dick on set I guess. He wants to come with her to visit. I think it's a bad idea."

"No way, I don't want to see him."I shook my head and then sighed. "And I'm not surprised, he is a dick."

He lit my cigarette for me. "I know, I uh, saw his video earlier."

"You did?" I cringed.

Kendall looked visibly annoyed. "Yeah, his friends are dumbasses and so is he."

"Tell me about it." I blew smoke from my lips and watched it drift in the air. "My video is better anyways."

"It is." He agreed with a smile.

We smoked in silence for a few minutes. It was comfortable and it wasn't until I pushed Jett from my thoughts did I remember the original reason I came out here.

"Thank you by the way," I said a moment later after flicking ashes from my cigarette.

"For what?" He turned to look at me and leaned against the bus.

I rubbed my arm. "Dealing with that dad this morning. Thank you for sticking up for me and standing between us."

"I wasn't going to let him speak to you like that. Or get so close to you, it wasn't cool." Kendall's face was serious but then he elbowed me good-naturedly. "Besides, if someone gets to get under your skin that's me."

"Shut up." I rolled my eyes and shoved him back. "That's not true."

The corner of his mouth curled up into a stupid half smile. "Yes, it is."

"Whatever you say." I kissed his cheek. I ducked my head, feeling a bit shy. "Thanks, Kendork."

He took one last drag of his cigarette before snuffing it out. He shoved a piece of gum in his mouth and squeezed my shoulder. "Anytime, Elle. Night."

He started to walk away but paused, bending down to kiss my face. His stubble was rough against my cheek and I felt heat prickled up my neck. He gave me one last smile before stepping onto the bus. I sighed and swallowed hard, my fingers brushed against the spot. I could still feel the weight of it and I smiled. Maybe being friends with Kendall wasn't so bad after all.

AN: Elle's video is out, Jett's up to no good, Kendall stood up for Elle and they bonded. A lot happened this chapter and I'd love to hear what you thought. The next chapter is the best one so far in my opinion so I hope you'll tune in. Let's just say some progress is made and the interview they did comes out. So, what was your favorite part? I enjoyed writing Jett's little video, Kendall defending Elle and scene at the end where she thanks him.

Thanks again and stay tuned. See you next week!