6

"OMG! Hahaha! Landon, oh Landon! Take a look at you! You're completely drenched! What, you went swimming in coffee?!" As Landon, Theo, and Dominique walked into Mcdonalds, Valentino spoke. Dominique and Theo had got my attention, and I burst out laughing.

"And it's not just Landon! Dominique and Theo, as well. What have you been up to lately, guys? The coffee has such a strong aroma!" "Oh, drop it guys," Dominique grumbled as the three of them sat down next to me and Valentino. They were all visibly annoyed. "No, seriously, what happened?" I inquired, seeming to be concerned even as my cheeks grew larger and larger in an attempt to hide a chuckle.

This just served to gain me the wrath of the three irritated boys. "Seriously, I have no idea what happened. I know you guys aren't really fond of, like, swimming in coffee "Valentino laughed again as he pulled a bit of finger fry from Theo's hair. "With the exception of jokes, there is no stopping. What went wrong?" I questioned, attempting to seem serious in my tone. Landon trailed off, "Ugh... nothing... we went to a café..."

"It turns out that we are constantly bombarded with coffee showers. I'd want to add, in addition to "yum" delights," Valentino continued to speak in his Bradford accent.

"Well, the girl who was giving us the coffee decided that it would be better if we smelt like it instead of drinking it." As a matter of fact, Theo stated.

"Really, who is this 'girl,'" I investigated, echoing the word. "I'm not sure... Someone.. Hey, could you place a dinner order for us as well?" Theo was the last to finish.

After dinner, Theo returned to his apartment, while I, Valentino, and Landon returned to our home. "I'm going to bed now, boys!" As I walked to my room, I informed them. Apart from the morning, I did not receive a single call from her today.

Maybe she was just a lonely girl looking for solace from a loved one. I just shrugged it off. I sank lower into my blankets, my thoughts still on her.

•••••••

My phone rang, jolting me awake from my slumber. I murmured as I slid deeper into my blanket, covering my ears in the hopes that it would stop. As my eyes sprung open and my hands began to hunt for my phone, I realised it may be her. I checked the time on my vibrating phone. It was 4:30 a.m., and I knew the phone number. She seemed to be having difficulties sleeping again.

I said, "Hello." I could only hear sniffling or crying. "It's fine, love, I'll be right there. You are not required to say anything." I informed her. She didn't have to say anything to me to make me understand what she wanted. I'm not sure why, but it felt like I was meant to be there for her.

"Do you mind if I sing to you?" I inquired, and without waiting for her to respond, I began singing Niall's solo from One Direction's song "Little Things." (A/N, ok now don't come at me. I am a huge directioner and Niall's solo in this song is just 🤌🏻✨️)

"You'll never love yourself half as much as I love you.

You'll never treat yourself right darling but I want you to.

If I let you know- 0-0-0 I'm here, for you, maybe you 'll love yourself like I love you. Ohh.."

I could hear her breathing steadily after I finished, indicating she was asleep.

As sleep overtook me, I felt my eyes droop again without recognising it.

"Damon, it's me, Damon, Damon, Damon, Damon It's 10 o'clock. You need to get up." My dream was interrupted by Landon's voice. "Hmm...Leave me alone Lan," I murmured. "Your milk and breakfast are ready." He told me about it. "Yes, of course... Get out of here..." I sighed and tucked my head beneath my pillow. "You should have been up by now," he says, "since it can upset your body's system." He stated it in a tone that made me think he was my father. I decided to give in because I didn't want to deal with him this early in the morning.

••••••••

As Landon handed me my mug, I clutched it tightly. I was deep in thought about her when I was interrupted by a tap on the shoulder. "Hmm?" I inquired, my mind boggled. "Where have you gone, Damon? The last few days have been... No, you've been lost since that phone call. Do you want to discuss it?" Landon expressed his worries. "She called early this morning. And... she didn't seem to be able to sleep. So I sang her a tune, and she promptly went asleep. The problem is..." I didn't want to talk about it, so I trailed off.

He said sharply, "Damon, tell me." "The problem is that if she continues to contact me in this manner, she will have no idea who I am. We might think of each other, and she might think of me as someone she can confide in without having to confront them. And if that happens, she could be interested in learning more about me. I'm already starting to have a strong desire to help her, and I don't want my fame to cause her to quit communicating with me. Valentino advised me to keep it a secret, but faith isn't built on secrecy, is it?" Oh my goodness... I can't believe I just said that... Never in my life have I been so serious...

"Damon, believe it or not, trust is never formed on secrets. How about this: if she asks you who you are and a little about yourself, you can either answer, "Let's talk about it later. Alternatively, tell her the truth." He responded, sounding as if he wasn't sure what he was saying. For the first time, he was befuddled by his own feelings and thoughts.

"Thank you, Landon..." Regardless, I smiled. As the other lads, except Lawrence, entered the room, Landon informed us, "We have meetings today boys." "Prepare yourself; we'll be there soon. Lawrence would be waiting for us there "He went on to say.

••••••••

Droplets of now-cold water traced over my forehead as I stepped out of the shower. I clutched my towel and drew it closer to my forehead. As I tried to dry my hair with the towel, I shook my head sideways. My phone rang as I stepped out of the bathroom, towel wrapped around my body. I dashed over to the phone, thinking it was her on the other end. I was looking for a flashing number. "Hello?" I said excitedly as I answered the phone.