Phenomenal ▹ STYLES [COMPLETED]

• Chapter 7 •

I opened my mouth to reply just as I was also about to nod, but I froze right in place and lowered my head and shut my mouth. The truth of the matter was that I wasn't all good and shit. I still had a problem with him. Well, not initially with him, but with the whole storyline as a whole that we apparently have to start this coming-up week.

My hands fell into my lap as my head was still hanging low. I felt AJ move on the bed until I felt his one hand caressing both of mine. I slowly began to look up him, suddenly feeling all insecure and depressed.

He seemed to be demanding eye contact, so I finally allowed it, but it still didn't seem convinced. "Hey, Britt," he breathed this out and have himself a moment to pause between sentences. "What's wrong?"

I opened my mouth to reply, but fell short and clammed my mouth shut again. I shook my head and hoped that was a sign towards him that I didn't want to talk about it.

That was truth, after all. This whole storyline coming up was really starting to stress me out, but I had to fight through it. I kind of already fell like brought this on myself, anyways. I'm the one that asked Shane McMahon for AJ and I to start teaming-up again. I brought this madness on myself, after all.

"Britt," he spit out my name and I looked up at him again. "Whatever it is, you can tell me. You know that, right?"

I blinked a couple of times and licked my lips. Obviously, I'm more nervous than I thought I was going into this. I knew I could talk to AJ about almost anything at all. He's been my best friend and partner-in-crime for the past fourteen years, anyways. Really, when you think about it, he's the longest relationship I have ever had with a man – without all the glorious benefits, of course.

Finally, I let out a very desired sigh and nodded. "Yeah, I know I can," I admitted, feeling the heat enter my cheeks. It did so much that my eyes started to water like I was literally on fire right now.

"Then, what is it that's got you so emotional right now?" I felt his hand squeeze the knuckles of my hands tighten and that's when I felt he pressure getting to me.

"It's just that... I don't know, AJ. I just don't—" I cut myself off short and took a moment to think over what I'm about to say to him. I wanted them to be sincere, but real in all the same sense. So, I tried to suck it up as I stated right in his eyes. "I'm just nervous about having this on-screen relationship with you and all. I don't even know where you stand with all of this. I get that we're taking orders from Shane and everything, but... I just don't want it to look fake and unperfected, y'know?"

He nodded and began to say, "Yeah, I get what you mean. With kissing, right?" I nodded. "Well, we could—"

"And, AJ, we've been through absolutely everything together in the past fourteen years of friendship and I just don't want us to experience our first kiss together to be apart of this story," I suddenly cut him off and poured out only half of my heart to him. He stayed frozen, so I knew I had to explain further. "Sorry, it's just that I don't want to mess up, either. Could we try our best to be professional about this please?"

With that said and out of the way, AJ began to nod, but he still seemed kind of confused. I was out of options at this point. "Well, I was going to say a minute ago that we could, um" —he paused just so he could cough— "maybe try to do it now before then outside of the ring, so it'll feel more real on-screen."