Bruised, Battered And Broken.

Chapter 7

The splashing of the waves on the hull of the ferry was not soothing Jess in any way at all. He insides were churning and she had already emptied the contents of her stomach over board twice. When she was fourteen, her mom and dad took her to Greece. Her dad wanted to go on a fishing trip and her brother had refused to go with him. It had been Jesss first time on a boat and it was one she promised herself she would never do it again. However, here she was, on a ferry, crossing the Irish Sea, throwing her guts up. When she thought about getting away from Jack, she imagined feeling free, being able to breathe again, finally everything coming into focus, in reality, she felt sick, her complexion was green, and the world was spinning, in the wrong direction. She was glad the boys were asleep, she had a feeling Louis didn't even know he had got on the Ferry, and he was literally dead to the world. She had lay on her bunk for a while, but then the wave of nausea washed over her, and she just had to get off the bus.

The boys had already done enough for her without watching her being sick, after she had seen Harry in the Lobby, he had introduced her to the crew, obviously there was Louis, Liam, Niall, Zayn and Harry, but there was Paul, Tour manager, about 6 security guards, just protecting the tour bus, about 20 sound men and a band. There were 2 huge tour buses full of people. Apparently the people who Jess would be working with were already in Dublin, the first leg of their tour. Unfortunately for Jess that meant going on a boat, albeit a very large boat, and crossing a sea.

"Couldn't sleep?" she heard a voice behind her, she cocked her head to the side, only slightly, and saw Niall out of the corner of her eye.

"I don't think sleeping on something moving is really a good idea for me now" and she resumed her position, head hanging over the side looking at the sea beneath her, trying to concentrate on keeping her insides, in.

"Are you sea-sick?" Niall questioned "who gets sea-sick on a ferry?"

Jess merely just shrugged her shoulders and slouched on the side of the ferry, wincing as she knocked her rib cage "Ow"

"He really knocked you up didn't he?" Niall said, his eye's grazing over her petite frame.

"It wasn't the worst" Jess replied "you know Niall; I didn't know that Harry and Louis were doing this... without telling you"

"It's fine"

"You and Zayn looked pretty pissed off"

"Zayn was annoyed he wasn't involved, but he's not annoyed your here at all, he likes you!"

"What about you?"

"Harry has a habit of running before he can walk, I just don't want him to get hurt"

"Why would Harry get hurt?"

Niall walked next to Jess and leant on the railings, looking down "Come on Jess, do you really think Harry would do all this for you if he didn't have some sort of feelings for you?"

"I hadn't really thought about it Niall to be honest" Jess held her head in her hands "I knew this wasn't a good idea"

Niall started rubbing small circles on Jesss back trying to comfort her "It's a great idea, the kid did well! But maybe just be a little bit careful"

Jess sighed and nodded in agreement mumbling something to Niall about meeting him back on the bus in a minute and watching him as he walked away from her.

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Jess was woken up by a distant screaming that suddenly became alot closer, as she snapped out of her bed she realised the screaming was coming from her. She wiped her brow and closed her eyes trying not to remember her vivid dream, Jack had found her and he had come for her. Only this time he didn't take his frustration out on her, he took it out on Harry, and he made her watch. She opened her eyes and waited for the room to come into focus. She was still in her hotel room where she had arrived early in the morning and she was still alone. She hadn't really spoken to the boys as she had checked in earlier, she still didn't feel too well after losing her sea legs and she was exhausted after thinking over what Niall had said to her over and over again. She got out of bed and threw open her suitcase, throwing clothes on the floor. She pulled out a pair of Jack Wills sweats and her Tan UGG boots, pulling them on she also threw a white vest top and tan cardigan on. She pulled on a navy beanie to match her jogging bottoms and looked at herself in the mirror. Covering her face in minimal makeup, she admired herself. How did the boys expect her to pull of being a stylist if she looked like this? Her long brunette hair was in such desperate need for a cut, the ends had knotted into rats tails at the end, she found herself debating with herself whether the bags under her eyes were actually bags, or bruises, she couldn't tell. Her green eyes were dull and her lips were pale. One look at her looking like this and she would lose the job automatically. She opened her purse and pulled out the limited money she had in there, Jack had only just given her her weekly allowance for housekeeping, but even that wasn't alot, she counted out the money on her bed... £65.50. It wasn't alot of money, but it was enough for what she wanted to do. Creeping out of the corridor she tried to rack her brains as to where each of the boys dispersed last night.

"Liam..." she half shouted half whispered "LIAM" No answer. She knew it was one of the rooms that surrounded her room "LIAM" still nothing, she looked around, approaching one of the doors on her right and knocked lightly, no answer, she knocked a little harder still no answer. "Liam... LIAM!!"

She swivelled round as she heard the door behind her was snapped off of its latch and opened wide, her eyes set on the man stood infront of her, joggers swung low on his hips, she worked her way up to the chiselled abs and defined jaw line.

"that's Louis' room" Liam said "you are not going to be able to wake him up, especially shouting my name!"

"I need a favour"

"another one?"

"Last one I promise" Jess smiled up at him, and watched him melt.

"Does it involve me getting dressed?"

Jess nodded "put a top and a hat on, if I don't do this now, I'm going to chicken out"

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"Jess, you look so different" Liam said, looking Jess's reflection as she looked in the mirror "I like it"

Jess flicked her eyes from her relection to Liams and back again. Her once long shapeless hair, had been cut into a smooth, sleek graduated bob, a sweeping side fringe sat across her newly shaped eyebrows, her once brunette hair was now streaked with blonde and copper highlights, bringing out the colour in her big, green eyes.

"I don't" she moaned "I'm blonde!"

"nah, you're not, it's just a little lighter that's all" Liam said running his fingers through the back of it "you can see finger marks on your neck now though, here pass me your foundation, I'll see if I can cover it up for when you meet Lou"

"Louis?" Jess said

"No!" Liam hit his head exasperated about going over this for the millionth time with her "Lou Teasdale, our stylist!"

"right, right sorry I've got it, Lou" she looked at herself in the mirror, she was wearing her skinny jeans and red Toms, with a Baggy white t-shirt, that was meant to fit, but she had shrunk out of it.

Liam rubbed his hands up and down her arms from behind her "you need to calm down, they don't expect anything of you, Lou thinks your my Cousin who wants to get into fashion"

"and so happens to have a boyband member as a cousin to sky launch my career"

"exactly, now what's your Name?"

"Jess Payne... not magee, which is actually what it is!" Jess grabbed her hand bag and made her way to the door "why do I have to change your name?"

"the paps are going to be all over you, Jess, do you want him finding you?" Jess shook her head and allowed herself to be engulfed by Liams arms "exactly, now come on, the cars waiting"