First Edit: 25/08/2017
* * *
A sudden swoosh and light pouring into my room makes me open my eyes in a jolt.
What the hell?
I squint out of my droopy eyes and see Will tugging my curtains out the way, "Wake up sleepy head! It's almost noon!"
I pull the cover over my head and murmur, "It's Sunday, leave me alone!"
"No can do! We're going shopping!" Will tugs the cover off my head with a hand on his hip.
Is it really noon already? I stretch out my hand to the bedside table to get my phone but feel nothing. With a sigh, I sit up and pout.
Will sees me searching for my phone between the sheets for like a good minute before he intervenes, "Your phone is in the kitchen, I saw it there when I made coffee."
With a huff I push myself out of bed and glare at him, "Gee thank you for telling me right away."
"Good morning to you too miss sunshine!" he rolls his eyes and walks over to my closet. Seconds later he comes out with high waisted shorts, an off-the-shoulder crop top and vans.
"What are you doing?" I frown.
"Getting you ready for our shopping spree, you better look flawless in the Instagram pictures I want to post!" Will shoves the clothes in my hands and walks out.
I shrug and start to undress. I'm not going to complain if someone else chooses an outfit for me, saves me the time. In all seriousness though, I really need to keep track of my sleeping patterns more. I can't even remember leaving my phone in the kitchen, I swear I was playing Candy Crush into the early morning hours...
Loud music plays down the hall when I open my bedroom door and I frown. Will knows I'm not a morning person. He must be excited for our shopping trip. I can see Will standing at the end of the corridor, waiting for me.
He has a weird apologetic smile on his face and I can't help but wonder what is up with him. He's not one to wake up early either. Before I could even ask, a cling of metal grabs my attention. I hear how it bangs against the tiles and then someone curses under their breath.
It's not Will, because he is looking at me with wide eyes written full of horror. I glare at him and push pass him to see what the hell is going on in our kitchen.
A handsome man stands with his back turned to us, chopping fresh produce, Will turns down the music and the guy turns around.
Justin looks at me with an unreadible expression and I just freeze.
"What are you doing here?" I whisper. I can literally feel the life draining from my face and I turn to Will for a possible explanation.
He lifts his hands in the air, "I'll be in my room, sleeping. This idiot made me stay up all night!" he walks off.
I cross my arms, feeling awkward.
"Leah," I hear him saying my name, "look at me."
I shiver as his voice penetrates my skin, making butterflies swirl in my stomach. When did I allow Justin to have such an effect over me?
I turn and jump a little when I realize he is standing inches away from me.
He touches my arm, "I fûcked up, I know. Before you walk off, give me one chance to explain, please."
I don't know why I just scoff and walk away, but I stand there allowing him to touch me and talk to me. My body and my heart wants more. So I nod and let him lead us to the couch. I sit right next to him and bite my lip while I wait..
"I was an idiot last night," he starts, locking his eyes on mine, "I thought by impressing you, you would like me more, but I ended upsetting you more than anything else."
He touches my arms again and I let my hands relax, uncrossing them.
"I like you Leah, more than you know. You're the first girl that managed to grab my attention in a long time and I'm not about to let you slip away," he smiles, "and I have to admit something."
"Oh?" I frown.
"You asked me last night if all of that was me, and it isn't," I hiff and shift forward. He must see my disbelief and lifts his hands up, "Let me explain. You asked me a question that made me even question myself, were it not for you, I still would have carried on acting like a prick."
I look at him with a black face, not being able to process his words. It's like I got slapped right in between my eyes with a feeling I don't even know I have.
"Say something?" he urges.
"I- I-," I stutter.
His hands cup my chin and lifts it up so that I look at his chocolate eyes, "Will you be able to give this another shot? I would really like to spend some more time with you."
More time meant more personal questions.
I force a smile, trying to hide my nervousness, "I don't know, what happens when you find that I'm not really what you expected?" I ask.
"Tell you what," he says, "why don't I take you out for lunch and we can casually talk about everything or just spend the afternoon together. By the end of the night, if you still don't know, I'll go and you'll never hear from me again, but give me one afternoon with you first, please?"
He looks at me in anticipation and I finally give in, "Okay," I say.
"Yeah?" his broad smile gives his excitement away, "That's great, because I burnt half of the food I was trying to make you here!"
I can't help but laugh, feeling a wee bit relieved.
* * *
The flashing of cameras from a distance makes Justin groan when we walk together barefoot on a quiet beach, "They can't leave me alone for just one goddamn day!"
I place another spoonful of the frozen yogurt in my mouth and shrug. I don't really know what to say.
"Does it bother you?" he asks.
"The paparazzi?" I ask.
He shakes his head, "The tabloids labeling you as the 'famous mystery girl'?"
"Oh that," I swallow, unsure whether or not to mention that it's part of my job description, "Not really, I've never been big on social media, so I hardly notice it unless Will or my boss shows it to me. Recently a few people have been recognizing me on the streets as well, so that's new, but nothing too crazy."
"You should get a bodyguard," he says, "I mean, that's if you choose to hang out with me."
I laugh, "I already have one."
"You do?"
"Part of my job, I'm a valuable asset, that's what Denzel tells me," I roll my eyes.
"You must be really great at your job then!" he exclaims, "who is Denzel though?" he frowns.
"Denzel Joyce, my boss and managing director of HarperCollins," I state.
"Ah! I heard of Joyce before!" he says.
We carry on walking in silence.
Justin picks up a few stones and throws them into the ocean, "So Leah Smith, what made you decide to come to the US of A?" he asks.
I gulp and take another bite of the frozen yoghurt. Think! Try to keep it as close to the truth as possible! "Uh, work opportunities seemed way more appealing than back home."
You are such a liar! I mentally slap myself.
"Are your parents still alive?"
I stop walking, not being able to move a joint. Did he really just ask that? I don't know how to react or what to say. Am I ready to reveal such personal things about myself to him? This is harder than what I thought it's going to be.!
He must have seen the distressed look on my face, because his hands cup my shoulders, "Hey, it's okay, it's okay," he says, "you don't have to answer that."
I nod and we start to walk further.
"Jelly Tots!" he exclaims all of a sudden.
"What?"
"That's our safe word. Just use it when you feel uncomfortable with a question or if you want me to stop with what I'm doing," he smiles.
"I'm sorry," I mutter after a while.
"For what?" he frowns.
I stand still again, turning to him, "I'm a difficult person, I don't open up easy and I'm really trying to be myself. I guess I'm not use to being so... safe or relaxed. Things were much different back home for me."
"Can I ask why?"
"Jelly Tots," I mutter.
He can't help but laugh.
"I don't know what your story is but I'm hoping in time that you'll trust me enough to reveal bits and pieces of it," he states.
"Okay," I say.
He looks at me, "Okay what?"
Maybe I'm being irrational to make decisions so fast or dive into things without even knowing the details around it, but my next words feels so right. I both need and want to say them.
"Okay, I'll give us a chance."
Justin's face lights up and within seconds he picks me up in the air, swirling me around as if I weigh nothing more than a feather. He is ecstatic and giggles like a young boy.
He puts me down and his hands cup my face as he pulls me towards his lips, "You won't regret it, I promise!" Then, his lips slam into mine in a passionate kiss. It's not soft like the first time, but filled with emotion and happiness. A kiss we both needed desperately.
When my eyes open for a split second, I see how hundreds of flickers and flashes goes off in the distance. Paparazzi everywhere.
"There's some famous mystery action for ya," he mumbles as I feel his lips curving in a smile and pressing down harder.
* * *
"So I wanted to ask you something," Justin says a while into the movie we are watching on Netflix. I invited him over alongside Will after I found out he helped Justin to win me back.
"What?"
"I'm a nominee of a couple of music awards," he says, seeing me frown, "You know for best artist and album, stuff like that?"
Will pauses the screen and lets out an over dramatic eyeroll, "Justin, miss Africa over here still thinks NSYNC and The Pussycat Dolls are the hottest trending groups right now! You have to slow it down a few notches, she doesn't understand a word you just said!" Will claps his hand, talking rhetorically slow, so that I should catch on.
I throw a cushion at him and huff.
Justin looks between Will and I as he starts to explain again, "I got invited to a few events because of my music," he pauses and waits for Will's approval. Will nods and he continues, "Would you like to be my plus one to all of them?"
Will gasps and shrieks. Did I miss the memo?
"Do I have to dress fancy again?" I ask.
"For a few of them yes, but I promise it won't be like last night," he looks nervous.
I look at Will as he clears his throat, "Bïtch you better say yes or I will cut you!"
My eyes grow wide, I don't know why he is hyping himself so up, but I give in, "Okay, sure, why not?"
Justin laughs, shaking his head. He looks at Will, "I love how she casually just agrees, not knowing what she's getting herself into."
Will throws his head back laughing.
"Did I miss something? What's all the hype about?" I ask in confusion.
"Oh you'll find out next weekend! That's the first award show!"
"Next week?!" I yelp, "How many of them are there?"
"About ten that you have to attend with me," he mumbles.
"Say what?"
"Ten that you have to come to," he says.
"Do I know some of these shows?"
"The Grammy's, Brit Awards, MTV that type of awards," he leans back and places his hand over my shoulder.
Grammy's? MTV? Those are huge names in the in industry! What have I gotten myself into?
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Please give this chapter a vote if you enjoyed it! It helps my story an awful lot!
Thank you!
-euodiadem