Jennifer stands in the warm shower, the consistent rain cascading over her naked body, all of the aches and pains wash away as the water descends into the plug hole below.
She smirks to herself, her life has been on the up. Colin, he really makes her happy. Better than happy, intoxicated in love. An addiction, a perfect addiction. A constant high of affection, the little touches, the feelings, the indescribable passion that ignites her. A burning hunger for him.
The doubts filter her mind that something's waiting, lurking. The precise moment when it strikes, clawing away everything she's earned. More like gained. Him. Losing him, stupid of her to think but no ones ever stuck around.
He's different
She thinks.
He is different, he won't leave her. It's not about him, it's about the world. the suffocating world that rips away happiness just as easy as the changing of the sun and moon. Night and day, love and war.
But she's happy. This bubble of perfection with him, and she hums. Hums to her hearts content. Love, love has a voice that must be sung.
She smirks as a sudden hand slides over her hip, his silence startling her until she giggles.
'Hmm... can't you see I'm trying to shower?'
She tenses as his hand glides further around her waist.
'Your body language says otherwise..'
'My body language says..'
He begins kissing along her shoulder blade as she bits her lips controlling the urge and temptations spreading from his fingers, fingers sweeping her wet gold hair to one side.
'You really should let me shower.. we have a interview and..'
He turns her to face him as he leans forward slowly and so perfectly kissing her lips, she lets him.
'And at this interview.. I can't touch you like this.'
He pulls her closer, their body's dancing beneath the water flow.
'No.. and as much as I'd like to mess around with you-'
'Mess around...' he smirks 'you make us sound like confused teens, experimenting.'
'You know what I meant-'
'I know, I'm just wasting time-'
'Which we don't have so.. please.. as much as I would love you to pin me against that wall...'
She smiles glancing him up and down.
Slowly he licks his lips.
'We really do have to get a move on.'
He smiles turning her back around and kissing her cheek. He quickly slaps her arse and rushes out the shower.
'Nice arse by the way.'
She stands laughing to herself, all the worries evaporate just like the steam on the mirror as she climbs from the shower and strokes a line through its misty ice appearance.
~ 5 minutes later ~
A permanent tattooed smile stays etched across her face, her humming continues as she brushes her hair. She holds up the silvered grey dress she's wearing today, its new and even Colin hasn't seen it yet.
'Jen?'
She quickly tosses it to the side as Colin rushes in. She smiles, his face engraved with worry. His brow frozen in a frown.
'Colin what's happened?'
'Have you been on twitter today?'
'No. Colin. Why you're scaring me?'
He pulls up his phone, steadying his shaking hand.
'Irish heartthrob Colin O'Donoghue a cheat? Only question is who with?'
He slowly looks up. Jens doubts creeping back in like the icy colds in the month of December.
'It's ok, just say it's rumours-'
'Ex wife Helen reveals all in recent interview.'
He continues.
'Colin look at me.'
Suddenly, his fist hits the wall. Jen jumps.
'I shouldn't of told her I-'
'Hey, Colin look at me.'
She grabs his hand, he looks to her now. His eyes strained with fear.
'Today you will go out there, you will tell them all that she lied. It's horrible I know but you have to. She lied because you ended things.'
She kisses his knuckles four times before placing her hands on his cheeks.
'We will get through this.'
He weakly smiles. Pulling her into his hug, their tight embracing blocking the pain and damage, the slightly snapping strings. The fear of revelations.
It's a ticking time bomb.
~ The Interview ~
'Is it true you cheated?'
'Are you a cheat?'
'Who with?'
Question. After question. Denial after denial. Lie after lie.
He sits beside Jennifer, her hand occasionally touching his knee for reassurance. The table blocking the Prying eyes of the audience.
'Yes.'
A sudden silence sweeps through the room, Jennifer looks a Colin.
'Colin..' she whispers.
'I did cheat on my wife. I was wrong to, but I did it. However... this is not why we're here.'
He tries to talk but the yells begin to ricochet through the hall. Jen glances at him, his cheeks flushed red with embarrassment.
'Why did you do that?' She whispers. The rest of the panel sits in silence.
'I'm sick of lying Jen.'
And in the moment, Jennifer stands up. The audience is silenced by her sudden movements.
'Jennifer sit down.' Colin calls trying to reach for her arm.
'I'm sick of lying too. If you're going to hate on Colin then...'
She slowly looks at Colin. His hand withdrawn back to the table. His eyes begging her to sit back down, Adam and Eddie glaring between the two of them. She looks back at the audience.
'Then... you'll have to hate me too, it was me. Colin cheated with me.'
Yet again, the public erupt. Yells of abuse suffocate the air.
'Get backstage now.' Adam sternly mutters.
They both follow like sulking teens ready for a yelling. Jen walks ahead of Colin blocking out any eye contact he's desperately trying to make.
'Are you two stupid?'
They both stand there, silence.
'Come on talk?'
'I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking I-'
'No you wasn't thinking, you could of cost us the whole show. You best hope you haven't.'
With that Adam storms of leaving them both alone in the corridor.
All the little worries Jennifer had filtering her mind resurface, everything she pictured has happened. She stands with her back to Colin.
'Jennifer-'
'Don't.' She cuts him short.
'I'm not mad at you-'
'You should be. Just like I'm mad at you for not keeping your mouth shut.'
She's still turned from him, her eyes still low and focusing on the wall.
'Jen.'
'Everything. Everything we've worked for, gone. It's not just about us Colin.'
He touches her shoulders.
'This is so wrong..wrong-'
'No.' he turns her to face him. 'This is so right.'
He slowly moves forward and kisses her, she pushes him back.
'I don't think you realise how serious this is.'
'Jen-'
He reaches for her once more, she pushes past him and out of the building.