OMG OMG OMG!!!!! *triggers memories* I remember where I was when I wrote this chapter! Was in the car and mum got the phone call to say me and Rach had won FANatic but she had to be all cool so I didn’t guess and arrrrrrrrgh haven’t read this since!!! *brings it all back* Awwww, but I LOVE this chapter! Is one of my faves! But ickle bit more Blue, am sooooo sorry, but must point out I do NOT like them!! And shocking Chris comment that I gasped at when I read just now – am soooooo sorry Kate and Kaz and all other Chris fans! xxx

Chapter Thirty-One

An hour later, after having gone their separate ways, the group were back together again and were sitting around the same table they had been earlier that morning. Well, four of them anyway. Chloe and Ben seemed to have managed to detach themselves from everyone else and were standing a short distance away from Rose, Mark, Paul and Chris, just being generally in love.

“Is it?” Chloe asked, a smile on her face.

“It is.” Ben said, returning her smile and kissing her.

When they came up for air, Ben suddenly got a very mischievous look on his face.

“What?” Chloe asked suspiciously.

“Are you wearing underwear?” Ben asked with a grin.

Chloe looked at Ben as if he was mad. “Of course I am!”

Ben grinned again. “Doesn’t feel like you are.”

“Well I am.” Chloe reassured him.

“I think I better just check…” Ben decided, pulling back from Chloe and starting to undo the zip on her trousers.

“Ben!” Chloe exclaimed, pushing Ben’s hand away and doing the zip back up. “Do you mind not undoing my trousers in a public place?!”

“I only wanted to see your underwear.”

Chloe laughed and put her hands on Ben’s waist, pulling him back closer to her. “Well you might get to see it tonight if you’re lucky…”

“Oh really?!” Ben asked, raising his eyebrows.

“Really.” Chloe confirmed, kissing Ben.

As they kissed, Ben slid one of his fingers down the side of Chloe’s trousers. She pulled away from him.

“You’re so cheeky!”

Ben grinned. “But doncha just love me?”

“Funny you should mention that…”

“You are wearing underwear.” Ben said.

“Well I did tell you.”

“Not very much of it…” Ben said, getting that naughty glint in his eyes again.

“Would you prefer I worse huge granny pants?” Chloe asked.

“No no, I like you in skimpy underwear. Very sexy. In fact, I better not think about that too much, it might put me off when I’m singing.”

Chloe smiled. “You’re so funny.” She said as Ben kissed her again.

“What’s happened to Ben and Chloe?” Paul asked, averting his gaze from where he’d been watching the couple.

“What?” Mark asked, not really paying much attention to Paul, let alone Chloe and Ben!

Not while Rose was around.

“Well their coupleyness has gone up like a million times from yesterday. Haven’t you noticed?” Paul asked.

“No.”

“Oh come on, look at them!” Paul said, gesturing over to where Chloe and Ben were standing, lips locked firmly together. “Don’t you think they look a lot more… intimate? I mean, look where Ben’s hands are! Yesterday it was strictly above the waistline touching.”

Chris looked over to Chloe and Ben. “You pay way too much attention to what they’re doing.” He said.

“Oh yes thanks Chris, back me up why don’t you?”

Chris just shrugged.

“They turned up today, all smiles and happy and lovey-dovey and… late.” Paul was quiet for a moment. “You don’t think…”

“What?” Chris asked.

Paul looked at him. “Y’know…”

“Ohhhh! I dunno. Do you think they have?”

“Well when I went round to Ben’s this morning, Chloe answered the door wearing the t-shirt Ben was wearing yesterday and not very much else.”

“Really?!”

“Yeah. She said they’d just woken up and Ben was getting dressed, that’s why she answered the door.”

“Just getting dressed as in didn’t have any clothes on before?” Chris asked.

“Well that’s what I’m thinkin’.” Paul said. “What do you think Mark?”

“Yes.” Mark said.

Paul looked confused. “Yes what?”

Mark grinned and looked at Paul and Chris. “I dunno! What are we talking about?” he asked, arms around Rose who was sitting on his lap again.

“Chloe and Ben.”

“What about them?”

“Paul thinks they’ve had sex.” Chris filled him in.

“Do you?”

“Yeah. What do you think?” Paul asked Mark.

“Is it really any of our business? You know what happened last time you brought this up.”

“What happened?” Rose asked.

“They had a big argument.”

“Who? Ben and Paul?”

“Yeah. It was all Paul’s fault.” Mark said, looking straight at Paul.

“It was not my fault! Ben was being annoying.” Paul defended himself.

“Can’t blame him for not wanting to talk about his sex life.” Mark said.

“But we’re his mates! He’s meant to tell us stuff like that!”

“Doesn’t look like he needs us anymore.” Chris said, looking back to where Ben and Chloe were messing around and laughing hysterically.

Mark smiled. “I think it’s nice. He needs someone like Chloe.”

“Will you go and ask him if he’s slept with her?” Paul asked, getting the conversation back round to what he wanted to discuss.

“What?! No way! Absolutely not! You want to know, you ask him!”

“Do you want a murdered a1 member on your hands?”

“Well leave him alone then! It’s his own business what he does.”

Paul wasn’t having any of that. “Rose, you must know!”

“Why must I know?!” Rose asked. “I don’t know anything! Which is quite rude actually considering me and Chloe are supposed to be best friends.”

“Exactly, you’re best friends so if you ask her, she’ll tell you!”

“I’m not asking her!” Rose said.

“Why?”

“Coz it’s none of my business! Why are you so desperate to know anyway?”

“Because I’m interested! Please go and ask her.”

“No!”

“Please?! Don’t you wanna know?”

“Well…” Rose actually did want to know now.

“Go on…”

“Okay okay.” Rose sighed, getting up. “I’ll ask her. But I’m not telling you what she says, I’m doing it for my own curiosity.”

“Well what’s the good of that? I bet you tell Mark.”

“Bet I don’t.”

“Mark you’ll tell us what Rose says won’t you?” Paul asked Mark.

“No I won’t!” Mark said. “She won’t tell me what Chloe says anyway!”

Paul shook his head. “I dunno, you guys are so out of control of your women.”

“Shut up Paul.” Mark said, laughing as Rose pushed Paul off the bench.

“Get Ben over here will you?” she asked. “Chloe’s more likely to tell me if he’s not there. Wait till I get over there though or Chloe’ll just follow Ben.”

“Sure.” Mark watched as Rose walked over to where Chloe and Ben were standing and then he shouted, “HEY BEN!! GET OVER HERE WILL YA?!!”

Ben looked round, said something to Chloe and started to walk over. “What?” he asked as he got to the bench.

“Um…” Mark hadn’t got that far.

“How are you Ben?” Paul asked him, looking over to Chloe and Rose and trying to judge what was being said by their facial expressions.

“You called me over ask me how I am?” Ben asked, sitting down on the tabletop.

“No.” Chris jumped in. “Paul’s just being silly. No, we uh, we wanted to know…”

“If you had picked up those passes yet!” Mark said, more triumphantly than questioningly.

“Yes, because Chris was just on his way over there…”

“Wha…” Chris began to exclaim until Paul elbowed him and he shut up.

“…and he thought he could get them for you if you hadn’t got them already.” Paul finished, still looking at Chloe and Rose.

“Oh thanks Chris, that’d be great!” Ben said, totally oblivious to what was really going on.

“Yeah, that’s uh, okay…” Chris said, not entirely sure he liked the part he’d been assigned.

“So…” Paul said. “How’s things with you and Chloe?” he asked, ignoring the warning look Mark shot him.

“Great! Really great.” Ben said happily. “It’s been so cool having her around all weekend. Don’t want her to go home though. How are things with Rose?” he asked Mark.

Mark smiled. “Fine. Better than that actually, but I won’t bore you with the details.”

“Did you tell her about Sam?” Chris asked, totally forgetting what they were really meant to be talking about.

“Yep.”

“And…?”

“And we’re still together.” He shrugged. “What more can I say? She took it so well, it was such a relief.”

“We told you it’d be okay didn’t we?” Ben said.

“I was surprised though, she was just brilliant about it all. Said she’d go through it all with me.”

Ben smiled. “I’m so pleased. It would have been a shame if you’d split up.”

“I think that if we can get through this, we’ll be together for a very long time.” Mark said.

“Aw and you could get married!!”

“Ben…”

“And you’d be Mr. and Mrs Read!!!! Aw wow!! I wanna get married!!”

“Ben…”

“I’m gonna go and ask Chloe to marry me!”

“She’d probably say yes as well.” Paul said.

“No she wouldn’t.” Ben said, with a tinge of sadness.

“She would. She adores you.”

Ben smiled. “Believe me, if I thought there was even the slightest chance she’d say yes, I’d be straight over there!”

“Would you?” Mark asked.

Ben shrugged. “Oh I dunno! You can’t ask me things like that, you know what I’m like with weddings and children and stuff!”

Mark, Paul and Chris just smiled knowingly. They were all thinking the same thing.

“Jumping the gun a bit anyway. We’ve only just…” Ben trailed off, realising that he wasn’t going to tell anyone about that yet.

“What?”

“Nothing. I better get back over there if you’re done with me?” Ben asked hopefully, suddenly needing to be near Chloe.

“Yeah, go back to Chloe.” Mark said with a smile. “And send Rose back over here while you’re at it. Haven’t had my full quota of hugs yet today.”

Mark, Paul and Chris all watched the changeover as Ben went over to Rose and Chloe, and Rose started to come back over.

“Well?” Paul asked her.

“I’m not telling you anything.” Rose said annoyingly. “I was told you’re in need of a hug.” She said to Mark.

“Yes, desperately.” Mark said with a grin.

“Well I can hardly say no can I?” Rose asked, hugging Mark and sitting back on his lap before they engaged in a spot of kissing.

“Stop it! Tell us what Chloe said!” Paul said impatiently.

Rose broke away from Mark. “No! It’s none of your business!”

“It wasn’t any of yours earlier.”

“Well it is now.”

“Bet you didn’t even ask her.”

“I did. And now I know and you don’t. Wow, that must be really annoying for you.” Rose taunted Paul.

“Oh shut up. I don’t wanna know anyway.”

“Yeah right.”

“Yeah, actually.”

“So if I accidentally told Mark and Chris, you wouldn’t care?” Rose asked, looking at Paul innocently. “I’m not going to tell you but just pretend I have okay?” she whispered to Mark.

“Really?” Mark said, playing along.

“Yep.”

“Well there you go then.”

“So now Mark knows too! Not feeling left out, are we Paul?”

“No.” Paul said crossly.

“Chris, c’mere. There’s something I wanna tell you.” Rose said, trying not to smile and ruin her little game. After all, it was going so well!

Chris got up and went over to Rose. She whispered the same as she had to Mark in his ear.

“But don’t tell anyone.” She added out loud. “Especially not Paul, coz he doesn’t wanna know.”

“You really are the most annoying person I’ve ever met.” Paul said.

“Oi! Don’t be horrible to my girlfriend. I’ll have you know that she’s very lovely actually.”

“That’s right Mark, you stand up for me. Don’t let him talk to me like that!”

“I certainly won’t.” Mark said. “And I must say how good you are at winding Paul up. Way better than any of us!”

Paul looked them. “So you mean…? Oh you…” He sighed. “I fell right into that didn’t I?”

“You did. Spectacularly in fact. Even I could see through that.” Chris said.

“So did Chloe really tell you about her and Ben?” Paul asked.

“She did.”

“And…?”

“And I’m still not telling you!” Rose laughed.

“Oh for god’s sake, I’m just gonna ask them!” Paul said as Ben and Chloe approached the table. “Have you two been shagging?”

Rose laughed inwardly. She already knew that they had but if Chloe hadn’t told her, the look on her face would have given it away. Maybe not to anyone else, but Rose knew Chloe very very well.

Ben tried to look surprised. “No!” he said indignantly as Chloe tried to suppress a smile.

“Oh you’re such a liar.” Paul said.

“I hope you’re not accusing me of breaking the law.” Ben said, trying to look like he was bothered and sitting down next to Chloe on Chris’s side of the table.

“Wouldn’t dream of it Ben. So have you?” Paul asked, looking intently at Chloe guessing that I anyone as going to give it away, it’d be her.

“That’s absolutely none of your business.” Ben said. “As I’m pretty sure I’ve told you at least once before.”

“Chloe told Rose.”

“Hey! Don’t drag me into this! I didn’t tell you what she said!” Rose protested.

Ben grinned. “Well I’m not telling you. You’ll just have to use your imaginations.” He said, taking Chloe’s hand under the table and giving it a squeeze.

She looked at him and Ben could see the love in her eyes. He just smiled at her, happy that he was the person receiving that loving look and not some other guy who wouldn’t treat her as well as Ben knew he could. Now that he knew Chloe, Ben couldn’t bear to think about her being with someone who wouldn’t give her everything she deserved. Ben knew that Chloe didn’t think she deserved anything, but in his eyes she deserved far more than he could give her. He just had to hope that what he did give her was enough. And okay, he didn’t know everything there was to know about her and he couldn’t say that he understood her totally but he loved her, he really really loved her.

Ben smiled as he dwelled on that fact. It soon faded however, when he remembered that today was their last full day together. Tomorrow, she’d be going home, leaving him alone again. And for a long time as well, because Ben knew that they had more or less no free time off over the next two weeks. Two whole weeks without seeing Chloe! Ben didn’t know whether he’d be able to cope with that. He knew that his career had to come first but sometimes, only occasionally, he thought that he’d be quite happy to jack it all in if it meant that him and Chloe could be together all the time. Together forever…

Chloe looked up at Ben. “You’ve gone very quiet. You okay?”

“I’m fine.” Ben said, putting his arm around her. “Just thinking that’s all.”

“Thinking about what?”

Ben smiled. “You.”

“Nice things?”

“Always nice things.”

Chloe moved up closer to him and put a hand on his hand that was around her waist. “Good.” She said.

“You guys ready to do some interviews?” Del asked, approaching the bench.

“Now?” Ben asked.

“Yes now.”

“Why do we have to do them now?”

“Because this is when they’re ready. Don’t you want publicity?”

Ben sighed and looked at Chloe. He really didn’t want to spend any more time away from her than he had to.

“How long are they gonna take?”

Del shrugged. “I don’t know! But they’ll take even longer if you complain about it.”

Mark got up. “Come on Ben, we won’t be long.” He said.

Ben turned to Chloe and kissed her. “That should last both of us until I get back.” He said with a grin.

“Just about.” Chloe said.

“I hate interviews.” Ben complained as they walked away from the bench, leaving Chloe and Rose on their own.

“You only hate them because they’re taking up your Ben and Chloe time.” Mark said to him.

“No, I hate them all the time.”

“Do you ever do anything but complain?” Paul asked.

“Shut up, I can complain if I want to.” Ben looked over his shoulder at Chloe who was sat talking to Rose.

“She’ll still be there when you get back.” Chris said.

“Unless Duncan gets there first.”

“What is with this paranoia all of a sudden? I’m not worried about Rose.” Mark said.

“Well lucky you then.”

“You don’t trust her do you?”

“Of course I do! I do! It’s just… no I do trust her.”

“Why don’t you trust her?” Chris asked.

“I just said I do didn’t I?” Ben said snappily.

“Well what are you worried about then?”

“But… she was flirting with him wasn’t she?” Ben said.

“Ben, if she was flirting with Duncan, she must have been flirting with all of us as well.” Paul said.

“Yeah, she’s just friendly.” Mark said. “At least she’s not like Katrina.”

“Yeah Katrina was mean and she really did cheat on you.”

“Yes I do remember thanks Paul.”

“Just making a point.”

“You really don’t have anything to worry about Ben.” Mark tried to reassure him.

“How do you know?”

“Coz I’ve talked to Chloe and anyone can see that she’s not that kind of person. I bet she doesn’t even realise that she’s flirting, she probably honestly thinks she’s just being friendly, or polite or whatever.”

“You don’t even know her.” Ben said sullenly.

He resented being told things he should already know about his girlfriend.

“Well nor do you! And you don’t realise that sometimes she doesn’t mean to things to sound how they end up sounding. I know she acts older than she is, but inside, she’s still only a child.”

“She’s not a child.”

“But she is Ben. However grown up she acts, she’s still only 15 years old and you have to remember that.”

“I don’t need you telling me what to do Mark. She’s my girlfriend, I know her better than you do.”

“Oh well that’s funny coz only a few days ago you were asking for my advice! I’m only trying to help Ben, there’s no need to snap at me. I won’t bother in future if you’re gonna be like that.”

“Sorry Mark. I am really sorry, I didn’t mean to snap. It just stresses me out.” Ben said.

“What?”

“All of it! It’s all coz I love her too much.”

“You can’t love someone too much.” Chris said.

“Nah, you just need to get used to the idea of being with Chloe, that’s all. Never had a girlfriend who’s better looking than you before, it must be hard for you man.” Paul joked.

Ben just smacked Paul hard on the arm.

“Only coz you know it’s true.” Paul said under his breath.

“I’m so gonna trip you up on stage.” Ben threatened.

“Oh I’d like to see you try clumsy boy!”

“I am not clumsy!”

Paul laughed as Chris tripped Ben up.

“Hmmmm, what secrets can I reveal about Christian in this interview? Oooh, let’s think…”

“You wouldn’t say anything.” Chris said.

Ben ignored him. “Well there was that one time when we were in Germany…”

“Ben was a bit weird earlier wasn’t he?” Rose asked Chloe as they sat making daisy chains.

“Yeah…” Chloe said distractedly. “He didn’t like me talking to Duncan.” She said in such a tone that Rose couldn’t tell whether she was really upset about that fact or totally didn’t care.

“Aw, getting all protective over you.” Rose said, taking a gamble and going with the totally didn’t care option.

“I suppose.”

Chloe sounded a bit dejected. Maybe that had been the wrong choice to make.

“Are you okay?” Rose asked.

Chloe looked up at Rose. “He can’t tell me who I can and can’t talk to.” She said.

Rose was surprised to see that Chloe looked a little cross. She’d obviously been thinking about it a lot.

“Aw Clo, he’s just jealous, that’s all. Don’t worry about it.”

“Yeah well I…”

“CHLOE!”

Chloe looked around at the sound of her name being shouted. She smiled as she saw Duncan running over to the table.

“Hiya!” she said.

“Back again?” Duncan asked.

“We are.”

“Whatcha up to then? Hi Rose.”

“Hi.” Rose said, forcing a smile.

She was pretty sure that it didn’t really matter whether she said hi or not because Duncan wouldn’t notice. She was actually surprised that he’d managed to see beyond Chloe’s “radiant beauty” and even noticed she was there.

“Making daisy chains.” Chloe said, holding up what she’d done so far.

“Where’s your minder today?”

“What?” Chloe looked confused.

“Ben.”

She frowned.

“I’m only joking. He wasn’t too happy about me talking to you this morning though, was he?”

“I can talk to whoever I want to.” Chloe said defiantly.

Duncan grinned. “Safe for me to stay then?”

No, go away. Leave Chloe and Ben alone. They’re HAPPY.

“Yeah! You can pick me some daisies if you like.” Chloe said, completely oblivious to the daggers Rose was shooting at Duncan from her eyes.

“I’m your personal slave now, am I?”

Bet you’d like that wouldn’t you?

Chloe flashed him a brilliant smile. “Please?”

“How can I resist that?” Duncan said, bending down to pick Chloe some daisies from the grass surrounding the bench.

How does she do that? Rose wondered. How can she make people do what she wants them to do just by smiling at them? More importantly, why doesn’t she use her “talent” to get people to give her money? Much more useful than chatting up Duncan when she already has a perfectly good boyfriend.

Rose really wished Duncan would go away. It was not that she didn’t like him, but she knew why he was here and what he wanted. Well if anyone wanted to get to Chloe and Ben, they’d have to go through her first. She was not having some jumped up half pop star ruining what Chloe and Ben had, especially not when Rose knew for a fact that Chloe wasn’t remotely interested in Duncan.

“So do you two live in London then?” Duncan asked.

“No! I live in the Forest of Dean. Rose lives in Buckinghamshire. We’re just up here visiting Ben and Mark.” Chloe told him.

“Lucky Ben and Mark.”

Lucky Ben don’t you mean? Rose thought. Don’t try and pretend that you’re interested in me.

“Yeah, well we’re only down for the weekend. Going home tomorrow.” Chloe said.

Are you not sad about that? I can’t believe you just said that like it isn’t important!

“It’ll be sad when we have to go home. This weekend’s been really fun.” Rose said, trying to remind Chloe that the reason she was here was to be with Ben, not to chat to “mildly” good looking celebrities.

Apart from Chris of course.

Chloe looked at Rose like she didn’t understand what she was getting at or why she’d said that.

“Yeah it will.” She agreed, sounding rather distant.

“How long have you and Ben been going out for then?” Duncan asked.

That is none of your business and no you can’t steal her off him.

“Not very long. Week on Monday.”

Duncan looked surprised, if not a little too pleased for Rose’s liking.

“Oh, I thought you’d been together for longer than that!”

“Why?”

Duncan shrugged. “You look very close.”

Chloe smiled. “We are. Love at first sight. Although it does sound incredibly corny.”

“Oh.”

Yes, you carry on looking disappointed. Ha. Your own fault for meddling with things that are meant to be. You can’t change the fact that it’ll always be Chloe and Ben. No-one can.

“So that story in the paper yesterday… was that you?” Duncan asked.

“Yeah. But it wasn’t true.”

Not then anyway. Chloe thought.

“Journalists can be very nasty people. That can’t have been nice for you to read.”

“No. It wasn’t. But I suppose I should start getting used to it. Won’t be the last thing I shouldn’t expect.”

“Well I dunno, you could be lucky.”

“Mmm, I hope so.”

Good conversation stopper there Duncan. Well done. You keep that up and she’ll never want to talk to you again. You just keep on going with the awkward comments.

“Where are the rest of Blue?” Chloe asked.

Duncan grinned. “I actually don’t know! I only just got here so I don’t know who’s here and who’s not. Saw you two sitting over here and thought I’d come over and say hi!”

“Don’t you have interviews to do?” Rose asked, meaning that to sound as rude as it did.

Chloe shot Rose a look.

“Are you looking forward to the concert this afternoon?” she asked Duncan, changing the subject.

“Yeah I am! It’s gonna be great! Are you gonna watch?”

Chloe smiled. “Some of it I think. That reminds me actually; did Ben ever get those passes for us?” she asked Rose.

Rose shook her head, smugly watching Duncan’s face fall at the mention of Ben’s name.

“So where is Ben then?” he asked.

Rose didn’t like the way he said Ben’s name.

“He’s doing an interview with the rest of a1.” Chloe told him.

“He’ll probably be back soon.” Rose said.

I hope so anyway.