All It Seems

Part 32: I resolve I'm not perfect

"That's a shame," he nodded as well and fiddled with his own glass bottle, "it's a shame he hasn't seen you grow into an adult," he sighed softly, obviously disappointed by my short story.

The camping lights glowed brightly around us and cast a cold light across his face. It was only now that I realised how deep the bags under his eyes were, they were dark and gloomy. He was exhausted.

"You look tired," I said without thinking and mentally punched myself for saying such a rude thing. I may as well have just told him he looks shit.

"Yeah, I've had a lot on my mind and been busy with work. There have been a few publicity issues surrounding Georgia,"

There it was. I didn't even have to bring it up. Rather than ask more questions I just cocked my head to the side and raised my brows in question.

"Yeah, it's been tricky. Our agents are controlling what's sent out about us. Have to keep it up for our image ya know," he took another long drink before picking up one of the lamps and rising from the table. He started to move over to the sofa and I stood to follow him, bringing the other lamp with me.

"What do you mean?" I asked, sitting next to him and leaning into the arm of the couch with a leg tucked under me.

"Oh, well, I mean, it's not real," he looked at me like it was the most obvious thing in the world. What wasn't real? Their relationship or the media because I had gathered basically everything in the media needed to be taken with a grain of salt.

As though my phone had been listening, a ding sounded from my pocket as a news pop up showed a picture of Kingston holding Georgia's hand in LA with the description 'Party goers go on love filled date' . My brows crinkled together in confusion.

"Wait, you mean this isn't real?" I turned my phone to show him the pop up.

"Yeah, of course it isn't," he laughed and my belly erupted with butterflies.

"I'm so confused. So if you guys aren't together then why are you telling people you are?"

"We're just letting people believe we are. It's promote her new movie - one of my songs is going to be in it. So, if we're together now-"

"Both your individual fan bases will go see the movie, listen to more of your music, and you both make more money," I pieced the puzzle together and nodded slowly.

So he's single... yes, but I'm not. I shut the idea down as soon as it entered my mind.

"Yeah, it's all business. Once the hype around the movie is over we'll fade out into the media, people will forget we're supposedly dating and we'll 'split' and say we're good friends. Which we are, she's a nice girl,"

"Okay," I nodded. There was a flicker as the ceiling lights came back on and we were hit with brightness. It made me squint and I looked back over at Kingston only to realise how close we were sitting. I cleared my throat and shuffled to turn off the camping lights as a way to put some distance between us.

"I was going to take Lucy to the pier tomorrow if the weather is good... so if you're home and we're not don't stress," I mumbled and slowly fidgeted with my bottle. It wasn't awkward, I just knew I probably shouldn't be sitting as close as I was - for more than one reason.

"Yeah, she told me about when you took her to get ice cream after she'd had a rough day at school. It wasn't long after you started with us, right?" He leaned in towards me as though he were offering me a secret, "I think that's why she likes you so much, you give her sweets," he laughed with a beautiful smile.

I chuckled bashfully in response. I genuinely had no clue what to say at that moment. Small talk sucks.

"I get the feeling you're unsure what to say," he noted, taking a sip from his beer and leaning back comfortably on the couch, still watching me with his green eyes.