“I’m not doing pink.” Liam groaned as I picked up the cards containing the different colours of pink.

“Well you’re definitely not doing white!” I glared at him.

“It’s not just white. It’s an antique white.” He defended and held up the cards for me to see. Glaring
I grabbed the cards from his hand and smacked them back down on the table.

“Your walls are already white. We’re not painting them a different type of white! What about blue? Or red?” I asked him lifting up the different colour cards.

“Maybe we should go away and think about it?” Liam sighed out, looking at the guy behind the counter who was waiting patiently. I rolled my eyes at Liam.

“Don’t be so indecisive. Just close your eyes and choose.” I instructed him.

“Easy for you to say, you don’t have to live with pink walls.” He muttered before leaning over and picking up the blue cards. “Okay how about no bright colours then?”

“Except the spare room. That should be yellow?” Liam went to object. “You barely ever go in there!”

“Okay, okay you win.” He grumbled pushing the yellow card I had chosen towards the guy. As well as two different dark blues and a red, I started to protest when he pushed the browns forward but he placed a hand over his mouth to stop me. “The black and white is going to be for the kitchen.”

“Fine,” I sighed in agreement as the guy behind the counter took the cards and left to get our paint.

“I never realized how bossy you are.” Liam commented down to me. I stared up at him as his hands placed themselves on my hipbones.

“Oh? Is that a turn off for you?” I asked him smirking. He smiled down at me and pressed his lips to mine softly before pulling back and shaking his head. I laughed softly until someone cleared their throat next to us.

“Sorry mate.” Liam said immediately before handing over his credit card. Liam and the worker both lugged the heavy paint buckets into the back of Liam’s car. I tried to help but Liam insisted he was fine.

I tried to ignore the flashes that kept going off as I waited by Liam’s car for them to finish loading.
Liam tipped the guy before shutting the boot and walking over to me.

“You okay?” He asked me softly. I turned away from the paparazzi and shrugged at him.

“There a little unnerving sometimes.” I told him frowning. He glanced over at them briefly before pressing a kiss to my forehead.

“Let’s get out of here.” He smiled at me.

-

“Pretty sure that’s not the wall.” Liam said pushing his shoulders back after I had accidentally flicked a stripe of yellow across his back. He turned to me as I smiled innocently.

“It was an accident. I swear!” I tried to defend myself quickly as Liam began to approach me.

“Did you really want to start a paint war?” He asked me, his voice going seriously low. I shook my head quickly as my eyes widened at the paintbrush he held in his hands. Before he could take another step closer his doorbell rung. Liam stopped in his tracks and stared at me in confusion. I shrugged and bolted out of the room before he decided to get me.

I opened the door without checking who was behind it. I was surprised to find all four-band members of One Direction standing in the doorway. I could tell they were surprised to see me too.

“Quick get in, get in.” I said motioning them forward, pulling Zayn in forcefully by his hand. I kicked the door shut behind the four boys as I stood behind Harry.

“Everything okay?” Harry asked over his shoulder.

“We’re painting.” I smiled up at him as Liam walked down the hallway. He stopped in his tracks, shocked to see all four boys standing there.

“What are you all doing here?” He asked, I rolled my eyes at his rudeness.

“Well we haven’t heard from you in a while so we thought we would just…”

“What check to see I hadn’t passed out in a bottle?” Liam interrupted Niall. I narrowed my eyes in on Liam. His friends were caring and he was being a prick.

“Oh shut up Liam. They’re just being caring.” I scolded him, stepping out from behind Harry. All five boys turned to look at me shocked. Liam opened his mouth to speak but I didn’t let him.

“You boys want to stay and help paint? It will take forever for us two to paint the whole house.” All four boys turned to look at Liam who just glared at me.

“Well sure, if you need us.” Louis saw awkwardly, slowly stepping forward. I smiled at him brightly.

“Great, come over here, we have plenty of paint brushes.” I told him leading him over to the corner of the living room where most of our supplies were stacked.

“Jade can I speak to you in the kitchen.” Liam hissed under his breath. I eyed him for a moment before sighing.

“You boys get your stuff. We will be right back.” I said before following a grumpy Liam into the kitchen.

“What do you think you’re doing?” He hissed at me the moment they couldn’t see us.

“Getting you to talk to them. You’ve told me everything Liam. I get everything. But I don’t think you do. You think they gave up on you but if they gave up on you what the hell are they doing here? What the hell have they been doing this whole time? They would have stopped trying to protect and help you a long time ago Liam. But they didn’t. So stop pushing them away and seeing only the bad. Let them help for god’s sake.” I glared at him before stomping out of the kitchen and back into the living room.

“We’re in the guest room right now. We’re painting it yellow.” I lead the four boys into the room.

“Whose idea was yellow?” Zayn asked scrunching up his nose. I fixed a glare on him.

“Mine,” I grumbled out. He immediately fixed his face and smiled at me pleasantly.

“It’s a lovely colour.” Harry commented.

“Suck up.” I teased him rolling my eyes before picking up the paintbrush I had left on the floor. Liam came in a moment later. All the boys avoided eye contact as they began to paint a section each. I sighed at their stubbornness.

“You know what. I think I deserve a break. How about I go make us some lunch and you all can continue painting.” I suggested. Before anyone could respond I had already left the room. I was tempted to lock them in but Liam didn’t have a lock on that door.

I headed into the kitchen instead and began to pull out bread and ingredients I needed for sandwiches. I called Sarah in the process.

“So you have all five boys painting a room together? Is that like advice you got from a talk show or something?” Sarah’s voice questioned me. I snorted into the phone.

“No! God I think I can come up with better things than a talk show.” I teased. She laughed from the other end. “The problem is they’re not talking.”

“You can’t force it Jay.” Sarah said, I could hear a keyboard in the background and I wondered if she was still at work.

“And why not?” I whined to her.

“Because they are not characters in your book.” She repeated the phrase her and Aria used all the time when I became frustrating.

“Yeah, haven’t heard you say that one before.” I muttered sarcastically. “What if I like blocked the door so they couldn’t get out? Do you think that would help?”

“Yeah because Liam’s trust issues aren’t damaged enough. Why don’t you, the only person he trusts right now, lock him into a room with four boys he doesn’t like and have the looming possibility of dying from starvation or dehydration. Best plan you’ve ever had.”

“And you say I’m the dramatic one.” I commented to her. A loud noise sounded from the other end of the flat. “Hang on Sarah.”

I started to run down the hallway when another yell was heard. I rounded the corner and appeared in the doorway as a handful of paint was splatted across Harry’s chest by Liam. I stared open mouthed as Harry let out a battle cry and practically painted the top of Liam’s head with his hand. Suddenly the rest of the boys moved forward and paint started flying everywhere. I stepped back and quickly shut the door not wanting any paint over myself.

“So apparently all I had to do was leave them a lone in a room with a messy object. Honestly there like children.” I commented to Sarah as I headed back to the kitchen.

“Listen I have to go. I’m still at work. I’ll talk to you later.” Sarah said suddenly. “Love you!”

“Love you too.” I responded happily before I was met with the dial tone.

“Who was that?” I spun around at Liam’s voice. His eyes were hard and a frown etched on his face. Despite his painted appearance, he didn’t look funny at all. I sighed at his mistrust.

“Just Sarah Li.” I said waving my phone quickly in front of him. His eyes softened instantly.

“Oh good.” He mumbled. I was just happy that he hadn’t asked to check my phone.

“Having fun I see?” I raised my eyebrow at his appearance. A smirk lit up his face as he stepped forward.

“Heaps.” He muttered quickly before rushing forward and pulling me into his arms. I squealed as paint instantly stained the front of my shirt. I could feel it stick against my cheek as my face rubbed past his.

“LIAM!”I screamed, smacking his arm and trying to push out of his arms.

“Oh, are they for us!” Niall suddenly yelled as all four painted boys came bounding down the hallway and grabbed some sandwiches each.

“Children!” I scolded them all. I watched amused as Liam slowly grabbed a sandwich before making his way over to them. I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or cry hysterically as he smiled at them shyly before sitting down with them. I felt like I had just gotten friends for my son on his first day of school.

Liam glanced over at me worriedly, suddenly, and motioned me over. I grabbed a sandwich and joined them at the table between Liam and Louis.

The boys talked softly and tentatively amongst each other. I could imagine that once their conversations would have been loud and full of laughter. However now they all talked as if at any moment something could or would break.

I could see Liam’s hesitance to join the conversation constantly playing across his features. It worried me how hard it was for him to join in a conversation with people he had known for years. He truly had though they had deserted him, that they hated him.

I could tell by the way the other boys would freeze or smile softly at him as way of encouragement that they were trying and they were hoping. They were hoping that this Liam was here to stay.

The small encouraging smile annoyed Liam, I could see the annoyance flicker in his yes. I knew he felt them condescending, but if I was them I would be just as worried and just as supportive.
There was just to much miscommunication between these five boys.

They needed to have a proper talk about everything that had happened. But for now this conversation and this day was a good start. For them to be sitting together like this was a good start. Hopefully everything would keep getting better from here.

Liam needed these boys in his life whether he knew it or not. The media was still going to be harsh to him, so he needed them to be by his side and support him. Actually support him unlike the last time.

Notes

Sorry guys! I had an assignment to finish before I could post again. But here it is :)

xx