"Oh my god, just go!" I yell at him, getting really frustrated now. "You said you wanted to meet Kyle tonight so just do it, stop making this into a big deal."

I scoff at him, bored of him trying to reason things out. I guess the problem with James is that he's a people pleaser, he wants everyone to be happy at all times; what he doesn't realise is that sometimes I just need time to be mad for a little bit. "Come on love," He starts, reaching his arm out to touch me but I move out the way, not in the mood. "I don't want to leave you when you're like this."

"You're not leaving me, I've got Dougie and Sofia here." I tell him bluntly, "so stop being a dick and leave."

"Fine, if that's really what you want." I'm sure he knows exactly what I'm thinking just by looking at my face. Yes, that is what I want. "Okay, well if you need anything just call and I'll come straight back."

"Whatever." I say grumpily, then turn my head to the side as he leans in for a kiss so he catches my cheek rather than my lips. "See you later." I mutter as he walks out the door, then slump myself down on the sofa next to Dougie. "God he's getting on my nerves."

"I don't understand what he's done, Vee." Dougie says, turning to look at me, clearly confused.

"Neither do I." I finally admit. "It's nothing in particular, he's just been more annoying than usual today. I'm sure I'll get over it tomorrow, I'm just in a bad mood today."

"How come?" Dougie asks, seeming to be showing a genuine interest.

"I called my old job at the gymnastics club to see if I could start coaching again here and there, just to keep me occupied, you know?" I start to explain, "otherwise I'd start going insane sitting around all day not doing anything. I loved my job, but they told me I'd been gone for too long and that they got someone in to replace me."

Dougie doesn't say anything, he just puts his arm around me and pulls me closer so that my head is resting on his muscular chest. After a minute or so of silence, he begins to speak, "it's not fair to take it out on James. He's done nothing wrong."

"I know." I admit, more annoyed with myself than anyone else. "I guess it's just easier to blame someone else for being in a bad mood, rather than admitting that it's your own fault."

"Trust me, I know." Doug agrees. "I've been blaming Liliana this whole time when I should be blaming myself. I could have tried harder, made her happier-"

"No way, you're not blaming yourself for this." I interrupt, pushing myself up from where I was resting on his chest a second ago. "You have done absolutely nothing wrong, and you should never begin to wonder why you weren't enough. She wasn't the one for you, Doug, you have to accept that now and be ready because there's going to be a girl that walks into your life and she's going to make you realise that nothing else matters. Nothing else matters but her."

He looks at me for a moment, absorbing what I just said. "She called this morning." He tells me, and my face drops instantly. "She told me that she still loves me and she regrets what she did."

"Doug, listen to me." I start, making sure he really hears what I'm saying. "There's a difference between someone telling you they love you and them actually loving you." I can see him thinking, maybe playing back all the moments that they've spent with each other, trying to figure out if it was really love he was feeling. "I know you know deep down what's right for you."

He looks away, not able to look me in the eye any longer. "Vee, do you really think I can find someone new?" He asks, and right in this moment, he sounds broken. Like he can't even go on, but that's not going to make me lie to him to make him feel better; I genuinely do think there's someone out there for him. There has to be.

"I guarantee that there is a girl out there that's going to make you reassess everything you thought you knew about love." I tell him honestly. "She'll make you smile wider than you've ever smiled before, and you'll just glow when you're around her, even when you don't know why. I'm not saying you're going to stumble upon this girl tomorrow morning, it might take a while to track her down. And hey, you never know, maybe you've already met her, maybe you never saw her in that way or maybe you did but you just didn't give her a proper chance. But whoever it is, you'll find her. I know it."

At this point, he's looking at me again, his lips move slightly, briefly cracking a smile then returning to how they were. "Thank you, Vee." He whispers. And before I know it, Dougie's lips are on mine. I push him away instantly, confused about where that came from.

"What the hell?" I question, then stand up from the sofa, distancing myself from the situation. "Dougie, I didn't mean me. I know it hasn't seemed like it today but I love James. More than anything."

"I know, I know." He groans, as if he's annoyed with himself for what he's done. "That was stupid of me, I just had to do it once. It was you, after all."

"What do you mean it was me?" I ask, frustration laced in my voice. Dougie is one of my best friends, but that's all I've ever seen him as: a friend. And nothing will ever change that.

"I just couldn't help myself." He admits, but he still isn't making any sense. "I couldn't live with myself if I didn't try, I had to know."

"Well now you know." I forcefully reply. "And I think you should leave. And it's probably for the best if you go before James comes back. I don't know what he's going to do when he finds out."

"You're right. I'm such an idiot." He says to himself more than to me. Then he hurries out of the room to the spare room where he's been staying for the past week, and it takes all of ten minutes for him to collect up all of his stuff and get out the door. Clearly he was in a rush.

I grab my phone and call James, he's only at the pub round the corner so it won't take long for him to get back here. "James?" I say as he answers the phone.

"Hey, is everything alright?" He asks, a slight slur when he speaks. He's only been out a matter of minutes and I can tell that he's already a little bit drunk.

But all of a sudden, a tear escapes and rolls down my cheek, my voice cracking as I reply. "No." I tell him. "I'm not alright, I need you."

"I'm on my way." He says instantly, and I can hear through the phone that Kyle is asking him where he's going. "Sorry mate, I have to see Vee, something's wrong. She needs me." And that sentence makes me feel like the luckiest girl in the world, to know I've found a man that puts me constantly as his first priority no matter what, it makes me feel actually wanted.

And before I know it the door is opening, and James rushes in. "What's wrong?" He asks, then jogs up to me and pulls me into a hug. "Vee, what's wrong?" He repeats, my head buried in his chest.

The words come out all muffled, "Dougie tried to kiss me." But I know he heard me loud and clear.

"What?" He asks in utter shock. "Where is he? I'll kill him."

"He's gone." I tell him, placing my hand on his upper arm in an attempt to calm him down. God knows he has a bit of a temper, especially when he's had a few drinks. "I told him to leave."

"Good, that's good." He nods, trying to calm himself down, then looks me in the eyes. "But you're alright though?" He double checks, placing his hand on my cheek, "he didn't try anything else?"

"No, I pushed him away and got off the sofa so nothing else would happen." I tell him, reliving the last half hour. But that just makes me sadder, and I look James in the eyes and utter, "he didn't even say sorry."

Then James wraps his tree trunk arms around me, encasing me. Because he understands. To so many people this would sound stupid, they wouldn't see the issue with someone trying to kiss them, especially if they stopped after you pushed them away. But when it's happened to you in the past, and you haven't been lucky enough for it to end in a matter of seconds, anything that reminds you of it can cut deep like a knife. I guess that's the issue with old wounds; they can heal but the scar always remains.

And Dougie has just re-opened that scar again.