My eyelids remain firmly shut, the weight of the night before restricting them from opening. My mouth is gasping for air, cotton wool being stuffed into over night. But I can't move, it's impossible with my mind still spinning in the thoughts of the previous night. They come back in broken chunks, like pieces slowly being sellotaped together. But it's not the same and the edges are slightly blurry as the sellotape and my mind, struggles to put everything into the right order.

I roll over in my impossibly comfy bed and bury my face into a pillow, more grateful than ever that I don't have a roommate or someone who can make noise. My head is pounding and the silence that drifts about my apartment is blissful, my body relaxes at it. I let out a groan as nausea rolls through my stomach, regretting that last beer that I faintly (emphasis on faintly) remember ordering.

God, I hate mornings. What an awful time. In fact the only person who makes the better is Alex. She's the only person I could tolerate right now but alas, she's not here. She's not here and I'm all alone. In an apartment with my previous actions wrecking havoc on my body.

As my mind begins to drift off again, knocking echoes across my room. Across my skull, in fact, sending pain across it. I grunt, slowly standing up from the bed to go answer it. Knowing it'll be someone from my list, I go to answer the door in boxers - knowing that everybody on that list won't care if I do. Reaching the door, I swing it open with my eyes barely adjusting to the brightness that wasn't present in my dark room.

I answer it with half an eye open, but I'm fully awake once I take in Alex standing in front of me. Clutching a paper bag that's full of stuff as well as her figure being drowned in one of my hoodies that she stole from me, she looks adorable. Tilting my head, I smile when she doesn't talk - her eyes trained on my bare chest.

"Yes?" I ask, staring at her face.

My voice takes her out of whatever trance she's in and I try to refrain from laughing. She looks up at me with wide eyes before clearing her throat.

"What? Oh yeah, I'm here to look after you." She nods, finally lifting her gorgeous blue eyes to meet mine.

"Look after me?" I ask, my voice groggy even to my own ears.

"Oh yeah, have you seen the photos?" Alex asks, laughing.

She smiles at me as I groan, covering my eyes with my hand. Using my other hand to open the door wider, Alex brushes past me, planting a kiss on my cheek as she walks in.

"I would kiss you on the lips but I suspect you haven't brushed your teeth." Alex smiles, putting her stuff on the counter as I come into my kitchen.

"You're right. I'm barely living right now, you know." I frown, my headache coming in waves. Another has just reached the shore that is my skull.

"You poor thing," Alex pouts but I can see her smile through it. "Good job I'm here to save you."

"Save me?" I ask.

"Yep, look what I got," She smiles, before lifting stuff out of the paper bag. "Fanta, those weird chips that you like and then some ice-cream. Plus, chocolate for me - but you're welcome to have some."

I leave the room and go and brush my teeth.

Making my way back through with a fresher mouth, I meet Alex's confused stare with a smile. Reaching her, I grab her hips and pull her closer, "I love you, thank you for this."

"And I love you. Plus, your minty mouth is a bonus."

I roll my eyes in exasperation, pecking her lips once before going and sitting on a stool by the kitchen counter. Alex leans over the counter and takes my hands in hers.

"Have you thrown up?" She asks and I shake my head. "Okay, you need some plain toast then. Settle your stomach."

Before I know it, Alex has settled into looking after me. Giving me toast that helps more than I could ever admit, I take some painkillers after it in the hopes of getting rid of the drill in my skull. Once we're finished breakfast, I go and sit on the sofa and open my arms to Alex, sending her a smile.

"Come here and cuddle me." I smile.

Alex rolls her eyes playfully before climbing onto the sofa. With her back to my chest and out legs intertwined, Alex lets out a content sigh that has me tightening my arms around her.

"So you really haven't seen the photos?" Alex asks and a slight sense of panic radiates inside my chest.

"No, are they bad?" I sigh, closing my eyes in fear.

"I mean, kind of. But the good news is people love you and Noah together now." Alex says, looking up at me to see my confused face.

Sighing, she reaches over and grabs her phone from the table, pulling up her photos to show me. The shot is up close, but taken through the window of the bar - presumably shot by paparazzi. In the photo, Noah's squished my cheeks together whist I smile at him.

Embarrassment floods through me, as the memory briefly comes back. I know I was talking about loving where I am in life or something and Noah was trying to shut me up by squishing my cheeks together.

"Oh god, it's viral, isn't it?" I ask.

"Yep, all over the place. I've liked every single one I've seen." Alex grins, looking up at me. "It's fine, it's not like you're peeing in public or anything."

"Uh-hu, sure." I sigh before wanting to change the subject - anything to get my mind away from the picture. "Film afternoon to distract me?"

"As long as it's horrors." Alex says, turning her head up to me with a grin plastered across her face.

"Obviously." I scoff before beginning to pick one.

Our film starts and the nerves kick in but my improved state of wellbeing allows me to actually enjoy the film without feeling like I'm going to throw up. Plus, with the amount of water Alex made me drink and the painkillers - I almost feel back to normal by the end of the second film.

Alex stretches out as the credits roll in front of us and I pull her closer, her body never close enough. She head rests against my shoulder and I lean down, kissing the top of her head.

"Board game?" I suggest, knowing that's always a way to get her awake once again.

"Always." She grins as my tactics work once again.

"I'll get the monopoly." I say, easing her forward so I can slip out of our embrace.

"I'll get my lucky token...Oh wait, it's myself." Alex calls cheekily as I make my way to my games cupboard.

Alex's competitiveness is a family trait kind of thing. I once played Pictionary with her family at a cast party and I was quite literally terrified for my life. She's adorable when she's fired up through, her face scrunches, her hands become hot and she practically vibrates with unused energy.

When I come back into the room with the box in my hand, she's every single one of the things I just listed. We start the game quickly and before I know it, I'm winning. Admittedly, I'm a bit of a genius when it comes to monopoly, but I keep my smug thoughts quiet - I can see Alex's frustration rising with every roll.

When she lands on the property I own, I hold my hand out - waiting for my money. She ever so slightly growls beneath her breath, and I smile when she practically slaps the 'money' into my hands.

"Lucky bastard." She sighs, sitting back on the sofa.

The knock echos through my apartment and Alex frowns. Standing up from the sofa, I stretch before going to answer it - knowing it'll be one of the doormen delivering up the food that I ordered - delivery people aren't allowed up after a pap tried to fake his way up with that tactic and nearly reached my apartment. My manager caught him on his way out.

But alas, it's not who I expected. In fact the man standing in front of me isn't carrying food - but holding onto a handle of a suitcase. My eyes widen at his appearance, my heart pounding. I had no idea he was coming, no time to prepare. I'm aware of my mouth being open, but I make no effort to close it - my brain to preoccupied with sending pure joy across my body.

"What are you doing here?" I say but my voice comes out breathy.

"Not the reaction I was hoping for...I really wanted some tears." James laughs before pulling me in for a hug.

"Jesus man, I haven't seen you in ages." I exclaim, returning his hug with no second thoughts.

The joy that radiates through me is golden, it's shimmering and smooth as it works it way through all of my veins. I exhale heavily and I squeeze James, suppressed emotions bursting to life with no hesitation. I'm on cloud-nine or something, I have to be.

Pulling apart, James asks, "So it's okay if I stay with you, then?"

I scoff playfully, "Why wouldn't you stay wit-"

I'm cut off by Alex's voice. Her voice that's right behind me. Her body expels the sound which means that she's moving closer to me. Moving closer to my brother who knows nothing about our relationship.

"Babe, you're taking a while. Is ever-" Her voice cuts off.

Just like that, my supply of joy cuts off. Black clouds into it like watercolors. Tainting the yellow and ruining it, darkness rains down on my happy occasion because I know explaining this is going to be bad.

Her voice cuts off with a hitch and I shut my eyes in frustration - not wanting James to find out this way. She comes and stands beside me whilst silence laps at the room, drowning us all slowly. It's so awkward I barely want to look up.

"Well, um, this is a surprise." James recovers first. I look up to find him staring at me with questions written all over his face. "Babe?"

"Look I can explain, just come inside and we'll talk." I offer, finding my voice with confidence as I realise this situation is salvageable.

"I don't wanna intrude." James mutters guilty, his eyes back and forth between us.

"You're not at all, just come in." I offer, waving my hand to motion him to come in.

I walk through to the kitchen and turn around to see Alex opening the door for James, her eyes downcast and her body slumped. My eyebrows furrow in confusion.

Why is she so sad about telling someone about our relationship?

It's just another person, it's not like this is going to blow up everything. Plus, we'll be going public soon enough, we were probably going to tell him in a month at the latest.

Confused over Alex's quick turn in mood, I give James a reserved smile as he drops his bag on the kitchen counter before marching over to Alex. Catching her wrist, I draw her into me and place my other hand on her cheek. She relaxes into the hold and I have to keep my smile at bay.

"You okay?" I ask.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's just tell him." Alex nods, barely meeting my eyes, her blue irises flickering to anywhere around my face.

I know there's no point in fighting. I can feel James eyes on us as we speak and I know our time is borrowed before he gets officially weird-ed out.

Taking Alex's hand, we go into the kitchen together.

Sitting by the counter, I start from the beginning and tell James everything. How we met, how long it's been going on, how we've been keeping it a secret - everything. My voice is strong whilst I speak, but my fist is clenched under the table, on edge whilst I await Jame's reaction. He's looking away from us as we speak, but he every so often will turn and look me dead in the eyes. By the time I've finished I let out a big breath of relief, but the silence that fills the air makes me do a sharp inhale back in - anxious of what his reaction is going to be.

This is the first family member I've told.

He lifts his head from looking at the counter and stares at Alex. "He makes you happy?"

"Yes." She replies and I squeeze her hand under the table.

He turns his head and looks at me. "You're happy?"

"Ridiculously happy." I smile, trying to break the tension.

But, James does it for me. A smile finally graces his face as he walks around the counter to clap me on the back, smiling. "About time you got a girlfriend."

"Yeah, yeah. I know, Mom's said it all before."

"She still doesn't know." Alex nods, her eyes shining.

"You better tell her soon, she's getting more eager for children."

I shut my eyes in exasperation and my face pulls into a grimace. "I'll sort it."

Looking at the time which flashes on the stove, I recoil at the sight. "It's like half eleven, you need sleep." I tell James.

"Jesus, time's caught up on us." He sighs. "Am I okay to crash in the spare room to the right?"

"Yeah, go ahead. I'll see you in the morning." I nod and James disappears down the corridor.

Alex lets out a yawn as he vanishes along the corridor, using her hand to cover her mouth. "I'm so exhausted, can we go to bed, too?"

"Yeah, lets go." I smile, turning off the light and locking the door, leaving all of our mess till tomorrow morning.

We get into bed and the light is flicked off by Alex, casting the room into darkness. She falls asleep quickly, her breathing even and slow in the darkness.

I lie awake, a feeling of foreboding dragging me out of sleep whenever I reach it. But eventually, my eyelids drift shut and I fall asleep with Alex beside me.

~~~~~

"Guys, you need to wake up."

James voice slowly breaks through the defense of sleep and I pull my eyelids open, groggy from what feels like only a couple of seconds of sleep.

"What is it, James?" I ask as Alex slowly sits up.

"This media outlet, they'v put everything together. The Taxi driver has come forward with recordings and a photo of you two on a boat has appeared. The thing is going viral."

"Fuck." Alex mutters, her body tense beside me as I reach for the laptop.

"Show me," I demand. "How did you even find this?" I ask as James walks closer to the bed.

"I was getting up to do my five am run, as I always do. Turned on my phone and boom - three hundred notifications about this. It's taking over everything."

The laptop is placed between Alex and I as our eyes frantically scan the article in front of us. The article that pieces together every single slip up or rumor that has ever been said about us. Placed so brilliantly, the truth of our relationship is laid out in front of me - undeniable and totally legit.

"They've got everything." I whisper, unable to see anything apart from the article.

I turn to see Alex looking at me - fear leaping out of her eyes. "They've got us."

We're being buried under the rumors, each and every single one of them taking away our breaths. Except this time, there is no air left to breathe. There's nothing left to prove. This article was impossible to deny.

Our relationship was officially public.

~~~~~
Author's Note:

Because it really is happening! Their relationship is out! What do you think is going to happen? How are Alex and Theo going to get out of this?

I would love to know what you would do because I think I would just act like Michael Scott in the gif above and panic ;)

I mean if you want to find out how Alex and Theo react, the next chapter is up on Inkitt right now for FREE! This means that you can read it right now and all you have to do is click the link in my bio and follow the instructions. Simple :)

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, make sure to give it a vote if you did!

Much love,

Jade x