After the media world had been set alight by the shock revelations during their appearance on The Geoff Colston Show, over the next couple of weeks it seemed as though the press – and the public – were slowly starting to get back on The Ambition's side.

Mikey had done a follow-up interview in GQ magazine, where he talked openly about his sexuality and the obstacles that being in one of the world's biggest 'boybands' had presented him with as a young gay guy. The support he'd received online had been overwhelming. Rather than show malice or envy, the fans had rallied together to create an army. An army of love, encouragement, and hope that he would one day find his own happy ending.

Much to my relief, Noah and I had been left to pretty much get on with our lives. Bar the occasional photographer snapping us when we were out and about together, our privacy was finally being given more respect. I suppose the 'mystery' had gone out of our story for the media, which was fine by the both of us.

As London began to bask in May's early summer sunshine and the energy of the city lifted, a new sense of positivity was almost tangible in the air. The boys' new album was only days away from release and, as Noah and I met with Charlotte, Alex and Erin for a picnic in Regent's Park one afternoon, the subject was at the forefront of all our minds.

"What if it flops?" Alex mused, as he rolled over on the blanket to grab a strawberry and place it whole into his mouth.

"Then we give up I guess," Noah shrugged with a smile.

Alex laughed. "I'm serious," he continued. "They always say the second album is the most difficult. Given the drama we've had this past couple of months, it wouldn't surprise me if nobody wants to listen to our music anymore."

"Shush," Charlotte hissed as she stood up to pick a whimpering Erin out of her buggy, parked in the shade of a giant oak tree. "It will be amazing. You've all worked so hard on this record and the fans know that. So what if there are a few critics out there who might be baying for blood, it's the fans that matter, right?"

"Aye, sure it is," Alex grinned at her, before popping another strawberry into his mouth.

"Anyway," she continued, lifting her T-shirt and latching Erin onto her breast as she sat back down on the blanket in one swift motion. "There's no way it will flop. I've heard those songs and they're next level. Even if everyone hated you, the music will speak for itself."

"I hope so," Alex sighed. "Are you not worried, Nomeo?"

Pushing his black Wayfarer shades up onto his head, Noah lay back on the blanket and closed his eyes to bask in the sunshine.

"Do you know what?" he started. "I'm not that bothered. If people don't like it, then that's one thing. But if people choose not to like it because of us, because of who we are and what we've done, then fuck 'em."

"Noah!" I shrieked, my mouth full of cheese and cracker.

"No, really," he continued. "I'm sick of worrying about what other people think. I got into music because I loved writing and playing music. Being famous or selling records was never part of the plan."

He stretched his arms up and placed them behind his head, his white T-shirt lifting to reveal the tattoos across the bottom of his stomach.

"Don't get me wrong, I'm glad it's happened," he added, "But I could walk away from it all tomorrow if it was over."

"What about the money?" Charlotte asked. "Surely you'd miss that? I know we'd be lost without Alex's earnings now."

Noah rolled his head in her direction, squinting one eye open as he shielded his face from the sun with his hand. "Well, I could always earn a good wage selling my body..."

Charlotte rolled her eyes as she used her bare foot to push his head away from her, Erin still clutched tightly to her chest.

"You're such a twat!" she laughed.

With Noah making a fuss over the fact her foot had touched his face, I smiled to myself as I watched their playful banter. I'm not sure I was quite ready for jokes about Noah's previous life, but it appeared everyone else was.

As the sun began to set, we packed up the picnic things and said our goodbyes.

"See you at the album launch, I guess?" I said to Charlotte as we hugged.

"I wouldn't miss it for the world," she replied. "My mum's having Erin for the night so I'll be able to let my hair down."

"Wow," I said, pulling back from the embrace to look at her. "So your mum's full-on grannying now?"

Charlotte nodded with a smile. "Who'd have thought it, hey?"

I beamed back at her, pulling her in for another quick hug before giving Erin a kiss as she dozed in her buggy and almost suffocating as I received one of Alex's giant bear hugs.

Going our separate ways, I slipped my hand into Noah's as we strolled through the park towards the gate that would lead us back to where he'd parked the car.

"That was a nice day," I smiled, looking up at him as he strode next to me.

"Yeah, it was good. I love hanging out like that with those two. It always feels so normal."

"Make the most of it," I replied, "It will be festival season before you know it and you'll be gone the whole summer."

Noah stopped in his tracks and pulled me towards his body, wrapping his arms tightly around my waist as the empty icebox he carried banged against my bare legs in their cut-off denim shorts.

"I assumed you'd be coming with me?" he said, his brow furrowed. "It will only be a couple of days for each festival, the rest of the time I'll be home."

"Oh, I thought you'd be gone for ages, like the other tours."

Noah tucked his chin down to rest his forehead against mine. "I'm not going anywhere without you ever again. Not if I can help it."

I let out a small laugh. "Well that means I have to come, doesn't it?"

"Only if you want to," Noah smiled. "It will kill me if you're not there to experience this summer with me, but it's your choice at the end of the day."

I stretched my arms up around his neck, the heels of my white plimsolls rising from the floor.

"Guess I better get myself a swanky new pair of festival wellies, then," I whispered, before pressing my lips against his.

Our bodies tightly pressed together as the kiss lingered between us, the world outside ceased to exist with each brush of Noah's mouth against mine.

Against the burnt orange and pink backdrop of the setting sun, surrounded by ancient trees that breathed life into the smog of Central London, the images that appeared online the next day carried the caption 'Noah and Abi seal it with a kiss'.

As I saved one to use as my new phone screensaver, for the first time ever I was actually thankful for whichever stealth-like photographer had captured the candid shots.

As though functioning on their own accord from the rest of my body, my fingers couldn't stop fiddling with the laminated badge that hung from a lanyard around my neck.

Thursday 4th June, Electric Ballroom Camden, The Ambition Album Launch, AAA.

The Access All Areas code was the golden ticket that had allowed Charlotte and I to secure a spot right at the side of the stage, looking down onto the crowd below as anticipation grew.

Sticking to her word, Charlotte had well and truly let her hair down. Backstage, she had seemed to have a constantly topped up glass of champagne in her hand. When the boys were ushered off to get ready, we had taken our cue and made our way to the private area for friends and family. I'd be lying if I said Charlotte hadn't stumbled on her platform heels the entire way.

"Abi, I need a wee."

Her voice almost pierced the lining of my brain as she leant over to shout in my ear.

"They'll be coming on any second," I replied, shouting back to be heard over the buzz of the crowd and the noise of the road crew sound-checking the boys' instruments.

"Seriously, I'm going to wet myself."

Rolling my eyes, I took Charlotte's hand in mine and headed back through the corridors of the venue until we found the artist bathrooms.

With only seconds to spare, we made it back to our spot on the side of the stage. Noah's eyes were already searching for mine, a glimmer of relief emanating from them as they found my face from the opposite side of the stage.

Among the sea of fans who'd managed to secure tickets to the secret launch gig, a long list of industry experts were hidden from sight. Some of music's most well respected critics had been on the guest list, along with a handful of record label executives and specially invited artists from Brave Music's stable of A-list acts.

It was the gig that would make or break The Ambition. After all the fuss and negative press that had surrounded their first year in the music industry, they had more to prove than most.

The roar that shot up from the audience as the band made their way onto the stage was nothing short of deafening. With each song they played, the boys' confidence visibly grew and the crowd danced harder than before. The songs that I'd heard rough recordings of sounded incredible played live. Noah and James locked their guitar parts in so tight with Alex's drum grooves that each track sounded flawless, and Mikey's voice seemed to have stepped up a level since he'd managed to get clean.

As my nerves began to subside and Charlotte shoved another drink in my hand, I finally allowed myself to relax and enjoy the show. By the final song, Charlotte and I could barely stand from the amount of dancing we'd done and our throats were raw from screaming support at our men.

Glancing down at the audience as the boys thanked everyone for coming and clapped their own appreciation back at the crowd, I realised we weren't the only ones to have been left in a state of euphoria. The thousands of beaming faces cheering for the band they loved long after they had headed off stage confirmed it.

All the drama, secrets and scandal had been forgiven. The Ambition were back.