MASTERMIND - H.S

Chapter 8

"Yeah, I'm here with my parents on vacation, and holyshitIjustrealizedyou'reHarryStyles," Lucia said the last sentence all in one breath, quicker than Addie had ever heard someone speak. "Holy sh- I can't believe it took me so long to recognize you, I swear I'm such a big fan of yours, and- Oh god, did I interrupt your date? Fuck."

Addie was astounded by the amount of times she managed to swear in the span of thirty seconds, and it seemed Harry was as well.

"It's not a date," Harry clarified, waving his hand to appease her. "She was in town and we're just two friends catching up, and also, as for not recognizing me, I will never forgive you."

Lucia laughed, clapping her hands over her mouth. "I'm sorry! It's just, you see Adelaide Heathers on the street, and you don't even think oh, well Harry fricking Styles might be there too!"

"Are you saying you love Addie here more than me?" Harry whisper-shouted, gasping dramatically.

"Yes."

Addie laughed, and soon after, they took a photo the three of them before Lucia headed back to her parents, who were waiting up for her.

"She was nice," Addie commented as they started walking again. Harry hummed in agreement. "Did you see- Never mind."

Harry turned to face her. "No, c'mon, talk to me."

Addie shook her head. "'S not important."

"Addie."

"It's just that..." Addie refused to look him in the eye as she said, "Everyone thinks we're dating because of the way we act around one another, right? And I mean, we both know management loves it in when we play into that."

"Adelaide Heathers and little old Harry Styles seem to sell and make it to headlines, don't they?" Harry mused, and then looked back at her. "Sorry, finish your thought."

Addie inhaled deeply. "I don't blame them. I mean, we are friendly around each other, and..." she came to a stop in front of the entrance of a small street, turning to look at Harry. "Have you seen the photos? I'd believe we were a couple too if I didn't know us."

"But we know us."

"Do we?" Addie whispered, her voice barely audible over the sounds of traffic and people bustling around. "Harry, I mean... friends don't look at friends the way we do."

Something changed in Harry's expression, as if her words were the key to unlocking something he'd kept in a cage.

"Or am I reading the signs wrong?" Addie tentatively questioned. Harry's lips parted in surprise, and he opened his mouth to speak, when-

Click.

A camera.

Flash.

A light.

Addie reached out, squeezing Harry's bicep, as her gaze never left the paparazzi standing, half-hidden by a car. "Don't look, but there's a pap across the street."

Harry almost broke his neck whirling around to catch a sight of the paparazzi.

"I said don't look," Addie muttered under her breath half-heartedly. "What do we do?"