"At that moment, I hated me too."
Elas pov
"So Cody does his four songs, then out you ladies go on stage and start the concert off with Ties that Bind...after that do the speaking intro and-"
Maura interrupted Melinda. "We know what comes next Melinda! We've fucking rehershed this like five million times already!"
Melinda shook her head from her position on the plush leather couch.
"Girls you can never be too careful! This is a world tour we're talking about. Everything needs to be perfect."
I rolled my eyes. "This is like our fourth world tour. We know what we are doing."
To save us from the wrath of Melinda he phone, thankfully, started ringing. That left us to look at the tour rehearsal schedule. In only two weeks we were off to set out on a tour.
I had very conflicting emotions about it. On the one hand I was ready to start a new chapter in my life ready to go back out on the road and ready to do what we do best. But on the other hand, i didnt know where this put Harry and I. I was finally back to a place where I thought we could be together and be happy. Leaving could do so much to change that.
Just as quick as she left, Melinda was gone only this time entering with a smile bigger than the Grand Canyon.
"What are you so happy about?" Lauren, shaking her head in leaning back in her seat, quizzed her.
"That was Jack." Melinda said as a that should be enough information for us. "What did Jack say?" Alexa equipped back.
"He has some big date for us plan today wanted to make sure I would be too busy."
"How charming. "Maura scoffed.
Update 1 Maura still haven't forgiven Zane She still was so disgusted.
Lauren and Liam seem to be getting back to the place where they left off at. She was happier about it and of course Liam felt probably the worst of all the lot of them. He made sure to make Lauren see that.
According to Erin, Louis and her we're doing okay. Cracking jokes to ease the tension here in there really worked wonders for the pair. Alexa, well I think she was smitten with Nile, but she wasnt letting on to me at least.
"Listen ladies" interjected Melinda and interrupting my thoughts. "I know what went down with the boys was despicable. Jack assured me he had very little part in the matter and that the part he did have gave him great remorse. I think we should move on from this debacle. Its not healthy to keep dwelling on it. Besides, from some of your actions I can see you are picking up right where you left off at!"
"Are you fucking kidding me!" Maura chuckled an insecure laugh out.
"You were the one who fueled this fire of hatrad for them for weekds and now all the sudden you're preaching forgiveness like Glinda the Good Witch?"
"Mara calm down! I'm just trying to take the logical and sensible approach to this. I want the best for us all. That means we need to move on. And to move on, we need to forgive and forget."
Maura bit her nails and shook her head furiously. "Actually you know what happened here was Jack got into your pants and made sure that you would change our views for this and made sure that you would change your opinion on the whole situation!"
Melinda scoffed vividly.
"Mara sometimes you're cruel interjections are just too much. Yes at first I was extremely angry and hurt for you girls. But forgiveness has to be put in our lives. Without it we go insane. We need to forgive and move on from this whole crisis. Well, at least I do with Jack because this date he's planning sounds amazing."
"Okay Melinda, so basically what you're saying is it is all have to be good for you?"
"Mara I'm not in the mood for this argument. Anyways, what I was going to say before the whole little fight between you and I happened is Jack is planning this date not only for me but for all of you girls too. Don't call it a date necessarily though. For you and One Direction, it's more of a hangout for friends. We're all going to have dinner at Jacks. Please, I expect you all to be there."
"Melinda this is bullshit. If you think I'm going-"
"Yes, Maura you're going because I want you to have forgiveness in your life and before we leave on tour I want you to leave what's left at home without any negative crap."
Suprisenly Maura shut up. Mabye something, anything, resonated with Maura. Whatever happened, she bit her tongue.
Melinda smiled wickedly, knowing she won. "Dress casual."
***
We all dressed casual. We all had "smiles" forced by Melinda, plastered on our faces. We even brought a salad.
"Jack better know how to cook." Maura huffed under her breath.
I giggled, shifting the salad from my left arm to my right.
Truth was, I was nervous to see Harry. I think I was so nervous because if tonight ended up with us making out in a corner or him even coming back to my place, I was okay with that. And its the first time I admitted that to myself.
"The most beautiful ladies at my doorstep! Come in!" Jack looked like any average business manager. A couplet housan dollar watch on the left wrist, a fresh pressed suit, and charms that could stun anyone.
"Ela! You brought a salad! You can place it in the kitchen."
I smiled. I had nothing against Jack suprisenly. He treated Melinda nice. He claimed his part in the publicity scandal was minimal. I believed him.
I turned to the right after traveling down the explanse of the pristine hallwall and was greeted by a wave of delicious smells.
"I don't think I'm suprised actually. No one can make anything smell this good but you."
Harry turned from the stove, and gave me his classic smirk, sending chills down my spine.
"Hello beautiful." I gripped the salad bowel harder in fear that my sweaty palms would cause me to drop the bowel.
"Whatcha cooking?"
He gestured with his thumb to the pan behind him "Come taste." I set the red bowel of lettuce on the white counter and crossed the short distance to the sauce Harry was stirring.
He wiggled his eyebrows at me before winking."Taste." Gently he eased the spoon into my mouth.
I sighed in content. It tasted so good.
"Harry this is amazing."
His eyes glazed over in a warming calm. "Its the one I made for you in Seattle. In the swanky hotel."
I broke out into a grin. "I forgot about that."
His warm eyes flickered briefly.
I didn't want to see that flicker anymore. I just wanted that warm on me all the time. No flickers. No hitches. No delays.
"Harry" I mustered every ounce of courage in me. This was it. This was finally it. I was going to tell him. "I'm ready."
He paused. And it felt like a shift in the world happened as he processed my words. He knew what I meant. His warm breath fanned over my face once as he put the spoon down.
"Ready? Dinners ready now?"
And my ballon popped. In walked a petite girl, with a pair of jeans on that must've been painted because they were too tight to simply put on, and the curliest brown ringlets I've ever seen. She was gorgeous.
My mouth froze in response. Who was she? And why was she here?
"Mhmm. Harry this smells divine." The way she sound divine made every hair of mine stand up on end. Her lips curled around the word as if she had other meanings to word, not relating to the sauce.
I was forced to step back as she sandwhiched herself inbetween Harry and I to look at the sauce boiling on the stove.
"Oh! I just knew it! Its the sauce you made two weeks ago! And you put those tiny shrimp in it and oh I'm so excited! Its my new favorite dinner."
I felt sick. I felt like my inside were exploding only to form together again, explode, and burn as they laughed cruelly at me.
This girl knew Harry. Well enough to spend the past however many weeks with him.
"Heather," Harry cleared his throat "can you give us a minute." His tone sounded rushed.
"No! Its fine! Uhm-yeah no worries. Stay. I'll go." I mumbled hating every word I puked out.
"Ela, Ela no. Stop. Its fine. Hey, hey!" He gripped my arm stopping me from running off.
I squeezed my eyes tightly praying God would save me from this embarrassment.
"El, this is Heather. Heather this is, this is Ela."
Her brown eyes viewed me suspiciously. "Ela Cunningham. The one and only." She said, sounding almost bored.
I smiled, but it came out more of a cringe.
"Well is dinner ready?"
I felt another pang of embarrassment as she dismissed me.
"No. Not yet." Harry sighed. He sounded annoyed.
Annoyed at me? Oh god.
"Then why'd you say you're ready?"
I realized she was talking to me. I glanced at Harry to see him pleading with me. Pleading eyes but for what?
"I just meant that uhm- well I meant I was ready to eat but it wasn't ready yet. The food wasn't but I was ready cause I was hungry but yeah its not cooked yet-"
"Do they give you scripts to read when you're out in public?"
She scoffed, silencing my babling.
"Uhm, no. They don't."
"How do you make it through an interview then?"
I realized now what she meant. She was making fun of me.
This was such a mistake. Thinking this dinner would go well. Thinking Harry and I would be back together. Thinking I wasn't an idiot. All a mistake.
"Right, uhm, I think I heard Alexa calling me." I pried my arm out of Harry's grasp. I didn't hear him, but felt him sigh in disappointment. At who, I wasn't sure.
Heather only snorted. "I didn't hear anything."
She hated me. Could I blame her? At that moment, I hated me too.