isn't it? [taylor swift]

chapter 18

Some part of Leia wondered if there was some sick, evil mind-reader that existed in her life that was able to control all events that happened in her life.

Because she'd sat there the night of the AMAs and thought about how great things could only get from there, only to instantly find her ideal state of peace instantly being thrown through an industrial shredder.

The next morning, as the sun cast its golden rays across the city skyline, Leia woke up to a barrage of notifications flooding her phone and Tate's nose pressed against her face as he slobbered on her cheeks. 

With a sinking feeling in her chest, she tapped open one of the messages from Adrian, not even beginning to think about what dramatic issue was awaiting her this time. Her heart raced as she read the sensational headlines splashed across gossip blogs and tabloid websites from her interview with that TMZ reporter, irritation flickering across her face as she realised that the drama was taking away the attention from her performance - which had been incredible, by the way.

Article and article about her sexuality, her refusal to comment on her previous relationship with Dylan, speculation and blurry photos of her confrontation with Dylan and the significant lack of appearance at the afterparties had seemed to steal the attention away from her music career and redirected it on to her own personal life instead.

In the blink of an eye, the carefully crafted facade of her perfect life was crumbling, leaving behind a trail of uncertainty and doubt. Despite her best efforts to stay grounded, Leia couldn't shake the nagging fear that she was losing control, that every step forward only led to another stumble in the spotlight.

Leia sat up in bed, the weight of the world pressing down on her shoulders. Tate's persistent licking only added to her disorientation. She pushed him gently away, her mind racing as she scrolled through the onslaught of notifications.

Adrian's message was brief yet urgent, urging her to address the rumours swirling around her and telling her that Riven needed to step up to help her prepare a statement before this started to affect the business side of her life too. As a general rule, Adrian had always told her that he didn't care what she did or didn't do in her personal life as long as she wasn't hurting anybody or damaging her career beyond his repair.

She liked that about him - but it didn't mean his message was anymore enjoyable than one could expect. She knew he'd taken a huge chance on her and had a lot weighing on her success.

Leia's frustration simmered beneath the surface as she read through the headlines, feeling like a puppet whose strings were being pulled by unseen hands. She knew this was what Taylor had warned her about, and she knew the blonde had been through and was going through much worse than she was, but it was still just so overwhelming.

Her jaw clenched as she clicked on a video of the interview with the TMZ reporter. It was clear from the look on her face that Leia had been caught off guard, her carefully constructed walls momentarily faltering under the relentless questioning about her personal life. She hated to admit it, but she did come across a bit abrupt, although Leia knew that she had every right to be annoyed with the woman.

It was as if her successful performance really had become overshadowed by the drama of her personal life, a cruel twist of fate that left her feeling exposed and vulnerable as she wrapped an arm around Tate and allowed the black dog to finally settle against her side with a large huff.

Leia raised her eyebrows, looking down at the dog who was leaning his head on her stomach.

"What do you have to be huffing about, huh?"

Tate simply stared at her, blinking as his owner looked down at him with a defeated look in her eyes. Leia rubbed her temples, trying to quell the rising tide of anxiety threatening to overwhelm her.